FFFG or Pyrodex P in rifles

[eagcsg1]

I fired PRB and conicals in a .50 Cal Hawken using pistol powder. I had great results, back in the day we were advised against using FFFG or Pyrodex P in anything .50 cal and above.

 

[Elkeater]

I have no experience with Pyrodex. When you say pistol powder do you mean Goex cartridge?

.50 cal can go either way; ff or fff.

 

[mooman76]

That was the old adage. Many of us know different these days. Pyrodex P is P for pistol. They (fff & Pyrodex P)used to be considered mostly for pistol and small caliber rifle.

 

[Adui]

For many years all I used was Pyrodex P in my Hawken .50. I found when I started looking at Dutch's material and working on a good load that she liked a lighter charge of it. Now I use Black MZ for the cost savings and I get to start over.. (Though she already pits them inside of 2" or better at 50 yards if I do my part)

 

[Pete44ru]

I switched over from FFg to FFFg over 20 years ago, resulting IMO better-shooting rifles (from .36 to.54 cal), not to mention adhereing to the K.I.S.S. principle for my flintlocks, using the same grade powder for both pan & main charge.

Before that, as a newbie, I used Pyrodex, but usually experienced a lot of misfire's when hunting - the main reason I switched to Holy Black. ( I've never had a misfire since the switch to real BP)

 

[Zonie]

Like you mentioned, that was "back in the day".
As I recall it, it said .45 and below could shoot 3Fg powder and .50 and above should shoot 2Fg powder.

Many shooters have found that the "pistol" powder (3Fg) works fine in modern muzzleloaders shooting patched roundballs.
This includes Pyrodex P if your gun is a percussion type that can shoot the synthetic black powders.

The 3Fg or Pyrodex P powder will produce slightly higher chamber pressures with a roundball which usually gives a higher velocity.

3Fg also seems to produce less fouling than 2Fg black powder.

Because the velocity is higher the ball will often hit higher on the target so many people reduce the older 2Fg powder charge about 10% for the 3Fg powder loads.

I don't recommend using 3Fg powder for any elongated bullets.
The chamber pressures can be very high with slugs even with 2Fg powder and the fast burning 3Fg powder can make the pressures even higher.

(Lymans BLACK POWDER HANDBOOK shows pressures well above 20,000 psi using 2Fg powder under a lot of the bullet loads they tested.)

 

[Mean Gene]

It's kinda funny this subject came up because last weekend I thought I would try out shooting pyrodex- p in my CVA Hawken 50.
I was actually expecting it not to perform well at all but to my surprise it shot very good, accuracy was good at 50 yards, with my eyes that's as far as I can see a target.

 

[MN284]

I use Pyrodex P in my .45 cal CVA Kentucky percussion rifle. 1" groups at 50 yds from the bench. Bought a pound of it years ago when I couldn't get 3F. When it runs out I'll go back to Goex 3F.


Tom

 

[Idaho Ron]

I fired PRB and conicals in a .50 Cal Hawken using pistol powder. I had great results, back in the day we were advised against using FFFG or Pyrodex P in anything .50 cal and above.

80 grains of Pyrodex P has been my go to powder for shooting paper patched 460 grain bullets in my 50 and 409 grain bullets in my 45 for over a dozen years.

 

[Mean Gene]

I think it would be hard to argue with your results, good hunting sir.

 

[Christophero]

I've used 65 frains of Geox fffg with 355 grain Maxi's for nigh of 30 years quite successfully. The pros outweighs any cons over ffg for my 50 calibers.

I played around with Pyrodex P but noticed at 75 grains the TC Renegade sounded more like a centerfire than a Muzzleloadeing rifle, so I backed away from that experiment.