FFg for a .32 cal?

[Hoosier_Hawken]

I’m fairly new to Blackpowder shooting and have acquired a T/C Cherokee for squirrel hunting. I’ve been shooting FFg in it but everything I’ve read recommends FFFg for smaller calibers. Is there a specific reason for this. Apologies if it’s been covered before. Still new here. Thanks!

 

[TDM]

You should use 3F in your .32, the rule of thumb is .50 and larger (.54 .58) use 2F. .50 and smaller (.45 .44 .40 .36 & .32) use 3F. If your shooting a .50, you can go either way. The gun may prefer one or the other. The reason for this is that 3F, being smaller grained, burns faster than 2F. If you use 2F in your .32 your likely not burning all your powder before your bullet leaves the barrel. Conversely, using 3F in a larger caliber gun can create higher chamber pressure and erratic accuracy.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

The designations of fg, ffg, fffg, ffffg so on and so forth, is determined by the size of the grains of powder that will pass through a mesh screen of a specific ‘Finess”; fg is coarse, large grain powder…ffffg is very fine, small grain powder. The coarse powders have a smaller surface area, with a corresponding slower burn rate, finer powders have a higher surface area with a faster burn rate.

Larger calibres have heavier masses of projectiles, smaller calibres have lower masses of projectiles. Think of these projectiles as being doors…one door is heavy and made of steel, the other door is a light hollow core door.

If I walk up to the hollow core door, I can easily kick that door closed with my foot. The door is light and easily closed; similar to using a quick burning powder to launch a light small calibre projectile.

If I walk up to the heavy steel door and try to kick it closed, I’m libel to break my foot. I need to apply a slow steady pressure to push the door closed; similar to using a coarse slow burning powder to launch a heavy projectile.

With a muzzleloader, you want to accelerate the projectile in such a fashion that the soft lead of the bullet (ball) will upset…meaning that the back of the bullet accelerates faster than the front, causing the soft lead to upset or flow into the rifling, allowing the rifling to spin the projectile, while the lead & patch combination form a gas seal.

Using fine fast burning powder behind a heavy projectile causes a pressure spike to occur. So when we use fffg in say a muzzleloader of .54 calibre or larger we feel more recoil when shooting the gun, as there is a high pressure being generated behind the heavy ball. It is theorized that over time, repeatedly shooting heavy loads of fine grain fast burning powders behind large heavy projectiles will cause the barrel to eventually fail, due to metal fatigue from the constant high pressure spikes

Using coarse slow burning powder behind a light projectile may not have a burn rate fast enough to cause the lead to upset into the rifling, and the projectile is blown out of the barrel, rather than being shot out of the barrel. Accuracy is negatively impacted, and velocity is reduced; because the projectile never upsets enough to properly engage the rifling and gases produced, just blow past the projectile; because there is no effective gas seal.

ffg is great for calibres of .50 or higher…and smoothbores, which are also usually greater than .50 calibre.

fffg is great for calibres of .50 or smaller….50 calibre seems to be that division where it can swing both ways.

ffffg is a very fine fast burning powder, used as a priming powder in flintlocks.

 

[golden sky]

any opinions on mixing FFG with FFFg say a ratio 1:3

 

[Rock Home Isle]

any opinions on mixing FFG with FFFg say a ratio 1:3

I’ve used duplex powder loads to great effect, in steel loads, hunting geese. It works.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

any opinions on mixing FFG with FFFg say a ratio 1:3

Why????

 

[golden sky]

Why????

i have a supply of FFg Pyro that runs horrible in my 50 cal, but it loves the FFFg, i just want to mix a bit in there to stretch out my powder, @ $40/lbs the stuff is getting exspensive in Kalifornia

 

[TDM]

any opinions on mixing FFG with FFFg say a ratio 1:3

What would you be trying to accomplish by doing so?

 

[golden sky]

What would you be trying to accomplish by doing so?

using up old powder that doesnt operate well by itself, hence mixing in fffg

 

[TDM]

Well, I can't see any harm in it. Your .50 should tolerate either powder without problem. You'll just have to experiment with the ratios to see which works best.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I don't know about mixing powder granulations/types, but I have used a small BP "kicker" with a Pyrodex main charge in flintlocks. Why? Because I have a lot of Pyrodex bought very cheaply (and before I knew better). And well, science you know. A 3f kicker and a 2f main charge should work fine. Start low and work up.

 

[Crooked Creek]

The designations of fg, ffg, fffg, ffffg so on and so forth, is determined by the size of the grains of powder that will pass through a mesh screen of a specific ‘Finess”; fg is coarse, large grain powder…ffffg is very fine, small grain powder. The coarse powders have a smaller surface area, with a corresponding slower burn rate, finer powders have a higher surface area with a faster burn rate.

Larger calibres have heavier masses of projectiles, smaller calibres have lower masses of projectiles. Think of these projectiles as being doors…one door is heavy and made of steel, the other door is a light hollow core door.

If I walk up to the hollow core door, I can easily kick that door closed with my foot. The door is light and easily closed; similar to using a quick burning powder to launch a light small calibre projectile.

If I walk up to the heavy steel door and try to kick it closed, I’m libel to break my foot. I need to apply a slow steady pressure to push the door closed; similar to using a coarse slow burning powder to launch a heavy projectile.

With a muzzleloader, you want to accelerate the projectile in such a fashion that the soft lead of the bullet (ball) will upset…meaning that the back of the bullet accelerates faster than the front, causing the soft lead to upset or flow into the rifling, allowing the rifling to spin the projectile, while the lead & patch combination form a gas seal.

Using fine fast burning powder behind a heavy projectile causes a pressure spike to occur. So when we use fffg in say a muzzleloader of .54 calibre or larger we feel more recoil when shooting the gun, as there is a high pressure being generated behind the heavy ball. It is theorized that over time, repeatedly shooting heavy loads of fine grain fast burning powders behind large heavy projectiles will cause the barrel to eventually fail, due to metal fatigue from the constant high pressure spikes

Using coarse slow burning powder behind a light projectile may not have a burn rate fast enough to cause the lead to upset into the rifling, and the projectile is blown out of the barrel, rather than being shot out of the barrel. Accuracy is negatively impacted, and velocity is reduced; because the projectile never upsets enough to properly engage the rifling and gases produced, just blow past the projectile; because there is no effective gas seal.

ffg is great for calibres of .50 or higher…and smoothbores, which are also usually greater than .50 calibre.

fffg is great for calibres of .50 or smaller….50 calibre seems to be that division where it can swing both ways.

ffffg is a very fine fast burning powder, used as a priming powder in flintlocks.

Very good description.

 

[Grenadier1758]

any opinions on mixing FFG with FFFg say a ratio 1:3

There are well known studies of what is referred to as the "Brazil Nut Effect" or the "Macadamia Nut Effect". This is based on the observation that when one purchases a can of mixed nuts, all the large nuts are at the top of the can. This will happen with a can of mixed powder as the larger 2fg will separate from the 3fg and the proportions of powder in the load won' be consistent from shot to shot. Shaking the powder container will help to keep the powders mixed, but the benefit is minimal.

Yes, 2fg powder will work in a 32 caliber rifle and accurate loads can be developed. No need to mix powders. Has been covered before and no need to apologize.

Duplex loads using black powder and Pyrodex have been used for years.

 

[tenngun]

any opinions on mixing FFG with FFFg say a ratio 1:3

When you mix different sized grains you have to use quickly. If you store it in a can or flask or horn it will settle. 2 f to the bottom three to the top.
Between each load you would have to shake your container
Then your consistency would be off. One shot you may have 50% two, the next 75% and so on.
If your hunting tree rats or plinking this won’t be a problem. If your at an event trying to shoot bricketts on a string it can be the difference between a hit and miss.
If your shooting x it can be the differnce between a 45 and a 49 2x score

 

[Grenadier1758]

Actually @tenngun, the 2f rises to the top. But no matter really as what is important is that the mixed grain sizes separate and loads are not consistent. May not mean much shooting gong targets, but is a consideration when shooting for X's.

 

[Jim K]

I have the same gun and have 2f and 3f. I shoot them both out of it. I like 2f the best. I know, I know .50 caliber and above for 2f. It works just fine in my .32. I must be a rebel

 

[SDSmlf]

I’m fairly new to Blackpowder shooting and have acquired a T/C Cherokee for squirrel hunting. I’ve been shooting FFg in it but everything I’ve read recommends FFFg for smaller calibers. Is there a specific reason for this. Apologies if it’s been covered before. Still new here. Thanks!

If 2F is working well for you, stop overthinking things and use it. It won’t hurt anything. If you do try 3F at some point on the future, you may find it to be a little cleaner and possibly more accurate. Or you may find you like how the 2F performs better. Enjoy shooting your newly acquired Cherokee.

 

[golden sky]

fffg is way cleaner and has more energy for the same measurement, its a better buy off the shelf for your milage comparision IMO

 

[BP Addict]

The designations of fg, ffg, fffg, ffffg so on and so forth, is determined by the size of the grains of powder that will pass through a mesh screen of a specific ‘Finess”; fg is coarse, large grain powder…ffffg is very fine, small grain powder. The coarse powders have a smaller surface area, with a corresponding slower burn rate, finer powders have a higher surface area with a faster burn rate.

Larger calibres have heavier masses of projectiles, smaller calibres have lower masses of projectiles. Think of these projectiles as being doors…one door is heavy and made of steel, the other door is a light hollow core door.

If I walk up to the hollow core door, I can easily kick that door closed with my foot. The door is light and easily closed; similar to using a quick burning powder to launch a light small calibre projectile.

If I walk up to the heavy steel door and try to kick it closed, I’m libel to break my foot. I need to apply a slow steady pressure to push the door closed; similar to using a coarse slow burning powder to launch a heavy projectile.

With a muzzleloader, you want to accelerate the projectile in such a fashion that the soft lead of the bullet (ball) will upset…meaning that the back of the bullet accelerates faster than the front, causing the soft lead to upset or flow into the rifling, allowing the rifling to spin the projectile, while the lead & patch combination form a gas seal.

Using fine fast burning powder behind a heavy projectile causes a pressure spike to occur. So when we use fffg in say a muzzleloader of .54 calibre or larger we feel more recoil when shooting the gun, as there is a high pressure being generated behind the heavy ball. It is theorized that over time, repeatedly shooting heavy loads of fine grain fast burning powders behind large heavy projectiles will cause the barrel to eventually fail, due to metal fatigue from the constant high pressure spikes

Using coarse slow burning powder behind a light projectile may not have a burn rate fast enough to cause the lead to upset into the rifling, and the projectile is blown out of the barrel, rather than being shot out of the barrel. Accuracy is negatively impacted, and velocity is reduced; because the projectile never upsets enough to properly engage the rifling and gases produced, just blow past the projectile; because there is no effective gas seal.

ffg is great for calibres of .50 or higher…and smoothbores, which are also usually greater than .50 calibre.

fffg is great for calibres of .50 or smaller….50 calibre seems to be that division where it can swing both ways.

ffffg is a very fine fast burning powder, used as a priming powder in flintlocks.

This is probably one of the best explanations I've ever read. Great analogies too!

Walt

 

[wilded]

Put some lead balls in your powder horn or take a non sparking container and crush some of the FFG to get smaller grains.