FF or FFF in .54 Caliber?

[zimmerstutzen]

Most 54's are perfectly safe with fffg powder. Just don't get carried away with charges. Moderate and target charges are fine. I personally am routinely over cautious and wouldn't get over 70 or 80 grain charges of fffg.

Your gun may be fine with a bit more. It depends on make and model.

40 years ago, when I started, fffg was said to be for 45 cal and down. FFG was for 50 and up with fg for 75 caliber and small cannons. Frankly, back then there were some scary junk guns on the market.

 

[BrownBear]

I've found one thing pretty universal in my 54's, but I can't speak for anyone else's rifles.

All of them seem lots more "tolerant" of fouling with 3f than with 2f. To get the best accuracy with 2f, I need to keep the bore pretty well swabbed. Not so with 3f. Most rifles I can go at least 6 shots without swabbing, and a couple of them just never need swabbing. With 2f things are best if I swab after every shot.

No big deal for range shooting, but it's a big consideration for field shooting. I'll happily give up a half an inch in 50-yard group size for using 3f when it means I don't have to swab so often.

 

[MacRob46]

I've found one thing pretty universal in my 54's, but I can't speak for anyone else's rifles.

All of them seem lots more "tolerant" of fouling with 3f than with 2f. To get the best accuracy with 2f, I need to keep the bore pretty well swabbed. Not so with 3f. Most rifles I can go at least 6 shots without swabbing, and a couple of them just never need swabbing. With 2f things are best if I swab after every shot.

No big deal for range shooting, but it's a big consideration for field shooting. I'll happily give up a half an inch in 50-yard group size for using 3f when it means I don't have to swab so often.

I have observed that the fouling is less with FFFG in my GRRW .54 Leman. I use 70 gr charges which are more than adequate for hunting and are very accurate. When I first bought it, forty plus years ago, I used 120 grains of FFFG. Needless to say the accuracy was not all that good primarily because I was flinching like a madman all the time. A reduction in the charge made all the difference in recoil and accuracy. It is safe in a good quality barrel as long as you use reasonable charges.

 

[ZUG]

CalGunner: As a non-hunter but a target shooter from your state I “prefer” to use what I have on hand which is both 2F & 3F. With the availability of real blackpowder becoming scarce in this state along with other states I guess in the future you along with others will be asking about what substitute powders will work in .54 caliber caplock rifles using non-lead projectiles. Here is my suggestion ”“ join a muzzleloading club ”“ shoot with them and get in on the club powder/supply buy while you still can shoot in this “GREAT STATE” of testosterone enhanced women and emasculated men. :thumbsup:

 

[hanshi]

I also use 3F in everything from .32 to .62. 60 grains of 3F in my .54 is astonishingly accurate. I killed a large deer with a charge of 110 grains of 3F; and yes, it killed it DRT.

 

[Al Bently]

CalGunner: As a non-hunter but a target shooter from your state I “prefer” to use what I have on hand which is both 2F & 3F. With the availability of real blackpowder becoming scarce in this state along with other states I guess in the future you along with others will be asking about what substitute powders will work in .54 caliber caplock rifles using non-lead projectiles. Here is my suggestion ”“ join a muzzleloading club ”“ shoot with them and get in on the club powder/supply buy while you still can shoot in this “GREAT STATE” of testosterone enhanced women and emasculated men.

I don't really think its becoming scarce, so long as one is willing to pony-up the haz mat fee. I think the largest shipment of BP allowed to common folk is #50? In group buy of #50 of BP, the haz mat fee would only add $.50/pound.

 

[mooman76]

Someone here posted that it was Cal. law you could only possess no more than 1# of real BP at any time. I take it, it was a false or a misunderstanding?

 

[Strawstalker/NM]

I have four .54 Cal BP rifles and they all shoot better with FFG Goex powder.

Strawstalker

 

[Al Bently]

#5/person. Do you have a spouse? That's 10 for your house. Any live-in adults? That's another #5/person.

 

[Klaus]

:wink: i have tried some FFg and FFFg from different Brands in my .45 or .54 Hawkens and Longrifles but for me FFg works better

Klaus :wink:

 

[Snakebite]

I've used 3f when I've run out of 2f, but my rifles seem to like 2f. Like most say, try both and see if there's any real difference and then stick to that.

30+ years ago, the guy who built my first rifle told me "50cal. and up, 2f, .50cal and below, 3f". I've kind of stuck with that since it has always worked for me, but nothing to say you can't do something else as many have attested to here.

 

[The O'Dea]

I stand with Col Batguano :bow I have used FFG Goex in my original M1841 rifle since the late
Bill large built me a barrel in 1971. Gov't load was 75 grains with a .526 patched rb. Accuracy, well it cannot be beat. :v I even use ffG in my 'common dragoon pistol' ( M1842), and when I am feeling specially lazy, I use paper cartridges in both weapons!!
Life is good.

-The Irish Mick
Arizona Territory

 

[catman]

My 54 Green Mountain barrel likes 2F very well.

 

[Vaino]

My .54 Hawken which I built a few years back and which is my elk rifle, started w/ 130 grs 2f and then 3 yrs ago I changed powder granulation to 120 grs of 3f. Thought the finer grained powder would foul the bbl less and it did somewhat. Lucky in that I didn't have to change the sights and the new load was in fact, more accurate than the 2f load. Both loads used a .535 PRB.....Fred

 

[eaglesnester]

I use 90 grains of 2f Goex in my 54 Lyman Great Plains Hawken Flinter and Great Plains Hawken Hunter in cap lock. I can hit a 10 inch gong off hand most every time at 100 meters. I dont care too much about group size as that is the kill zone on Deer, and Moose. I call a hit anywhere on the gong as a bull. With 535 ball or a 470 grain cast bullet in the Great Plains Hunter, I should be good to go for anything in Northern Canada.

Cheers&Tighter Groups: Eaglesnester

Did the Indians put you here? Twernt Mormons

 

[Idaho Elk Hunter]

In 1974 I bought a Zouve replica 58 cal. and the barrel was thin skinned and I shot that gun a LOT back then as it was only BP gun I owned until 1979 when I bought my second BP rifle in a TC Hawken 50. You can't even find those Zouves anymore and I heard they were not that safe! Used FFG and 120 grains back then. For hunting I now use 90 gr. I shoot both FFFG and FFG....long barrels I use FFG. My calibers are 50 and 54. On the shorter barrels like Renegades I own I use FFFG as it seems to like it better, my longer barrel guns seem to like the FFG and I think it is safer in long barrels as pressures don't carried away. This is my approach. Safety first!

 

[Mad Mucus]

Wano ffg in my .54 GPR 70gn
:thumbsup:

 

[eaglesnester]

I think it does not matter very much if it is 2F or 3F they both work good,

 

[M. De Land]

I have always used 2F in my .54 with complete satisfaction.

 

[Tom Compton]

I use FFg Goex in everything. Pistol, Flint. Per-suction, .32, .40, .50. .54, musket and shot guns. Two seperate 100 shot chronograph tests involving both FF and FFF showed FFF to have 4-5 velocity spikes up to 200fps. I wipe between shots so the "clean burning" excuse is not an issue.
TC