FFg in a .45

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jd45

32 Cal
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
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Is it ok to use FFg black in a .45 caplock? I have plenty and don't want to pay shipping on a new order. Anyone tried it? I always shot FFg in my .50cal.
 
Thanks. Since we're on this subject, I wonder what would the safe limits be on each burning rate if you were limited in a survival situation?

Could you use FFFFg in tiny charges in many calibers? Or Fg in the other direction? Just curious if it's ever been tested to see what is a safe limit.
 
If you forget the main charge, removing the nipple and getting a small amount 4F behind the ball can clear the barrel. It's generally not recommended to use 4F as a main charge in any gun. There's a few threads on here discussing this.

Larger bores burn powder more efficiently, so smaller grains that burn more quickly aren't as necessary. I'm sure you can use 2F or really coarse cannon grade in smaller calibers, but you may find velocity and accuracy suffer.
 
I get better accuracy in my .45’s with 2f. There seem to be less “fines” in 2f than with 3f, and less variation in velocities. I also use 2f in my .40 caliber chunk gun for that reason.
 
I have a .40 cal GM barrel for my TC Hawkin, and it is considerably more accurate with 2F then 3F, my daughter and I tried .390,.395,.400 balls several different patches, different brands of 3F,GEOX,Swiss,last of my Elephant several different charges, I'd pretty much given up on getting squirrel head accuracy, we was out in back yard shooting she was shooting TC .40 and I was shooting a .50 cal using 2F,she ran out of 3F so we used the same powder measure she had been using and just used 2F be durned if her next half dozen shots wasn't in roughly inch group at around 30 yards best we'd done with it before was at least 2.5" at same distance.
 
Works ok in mine 50 grains 2F Goex
 

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When f designation came in to use 2 f was shoulder guns smaller then a musket, and 3 f was pistol powder.
2 f was used right down to .28 squirrel guns and up to shotguns
In the twentieth century ml shooters started looking at ballistic tables and wanted at least 30/30 performance from their ml, and 3 started to be fed to rifles
2 or 3 will shoot them all
 
I have a friend that uses FFg in everything. He claims no issues
Me too. Only because that's all I can get around here. I do have a large horn filled with old goex ffffg for pan priming but, for main charges, it's all ffg. That includes my .36 rifle, .32 pistol, .40 rifle, and all the .45 rifles and pistols. No issues.
 
I don't shoot FFG but if you have a stockpile, it is what I would shoot. . Maybe you can swap some for FFFg and try that. Even if the FFFg shoots better, I would just use the FFg for range and practice.
 

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