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What's the old saying..."There's Lies, Damned Lies. And Statistics!"

You may not agree with his methods but I know of No One who posts more pics of game taken with their muzzleloaders than Nate.
Britt, I tip my 10 gallon hat to you.
Awww shucks 🤦‍♂️
Thank you but really, I aint nothing special.
 
I'm with Britsmoothy all the way on this and my test methods are probably more relaxed than his. I test my loads on cardboard boxes of whatever size is handy, pop cans, stumps, dirt clods, squirrels etc. And I come on this site hoping he has posted some stories or pictures cause his are the best.

However, I also like to hear what the statisticians have to say as well. There's something to be learned from all of it.
 
Looks like 3f and 2f mixed with some fines like 4f in there too.
I’m coming around to the idea of using 4f for something other than priming.
Going to try some in my Uberti Pocket Navy .36 to get the velocity up some this weekend.
When I hunted deer years ago in bear country, I always used 4F in my ROA back up. I was in a tree stand one time and a buck came in from the hard left, couldn't swing my ML around far enough because of the tree. Draw my Ruger and dropped him. The ball wasn't a through and through but it stopped at the hide on the other side. No clue what the velocity was with my loading.
 
It seems, and I have known for a while now that I have been corrected.
Corrected by this board that the medium powder I use is close to 2f and not 3f as I thought it was.
The same goes for my powder marked up as fine. Whereas I thought it was akin to 4f it is in fact close to 3f.

One day I will find some 4f and I will try it. I can imagine how a small charge will be all that is required to get some useful work from it.
Until then I will accept my mistake, but, I feel no shame. On account tha no one to this date has demonstrated it has caused harm!
Until that day then..........
 
Nice Britts. I also enjoy your posts. I enjoyed the piece I read on another forum concerning the old myth of never shooting 4F powder. In it he loaded weighed charges of 2, 3 and 4F powder in a pressure barrel to discover finally if the old wives tale of 4F powder not being useful in anything but pan prime.

His discovery is that indeed 4F powder was even less in velocity AND pressure than 3F powder. NOT DANGEROUS in the least. Just a bit more spendy than 1, 2 or 3F powder in that it would take a bit more 4F th accomplish the same as the 3F or even 2F powder. Also he comment that the pan charge will act differently then a compressed charge in a barrel pushing a projectile. In a pan charge it will burn faster than 3F does ... strange!

In my own experiments (way not professional) i have determined in felt recoil in my 36 and 44 revolvers of Colts origins ... that 2F recoiled more than the 3F does. That is FELT recoil.

I have switched to using 3F Old E powder in my smoothy and find that I enjoy it and it acts very responsibly for me. Course I have not graduated to shooting shot yet ... just big ol punkin balls. Patched to boot.

I need to collect some shot and begin that process as well. Bird and wabbit hunting are calling my name.
 
Nice Britts. I also enjoy your posts. I enjoyed the piece I read on another forum concerning the old myth of never shooting 4F powder. In it he loaded weighed charges of 2, 3 and 4F powder in a pressure barrel to discover finally if the old wives tale of 4F powder not being useful in anything but pan prime.

His discovery is that indeed 4F powder was even less in velocity AND pressure than 3F powder. NOT DANGEROUS in the least. Just a bit more spendy than 1, 2 or 3F powder in that it would take a bit more 4F th accomplish the same as the 3F or even 2F powder. Also he comment that the pan charge will act differently then a compressed charge in a barrel pushing a projectile. In a pan charge it will burn faster than 3F does ... strange!

In my own experiments (way not professional) i have determined in felt recoil in my 36 and 44 revolvers of Colts origins ... that 2F recoiled more than the 3F does. That is FELT recoil.

I have switched to using 3F Old E powder in my smoothy and find that I enjoy it and it acts very responsibly for me. Course I have not graduated to shooting shot yet ... just big ol punkin balls. Patched to boot.

I need to collect some shot and begin that process as well. Bird and wabbit hunting are calling my name.
I'm surprised at the lower output of 4f but ok. It works, so thats good enough for me.
I can imagine how when compacted in a loaded chamber the flame front is slower than when loose. That is going to restrict its pressure.
Thanks.
 
View attachment 72347
Board is 20"x18".
Shot at 30 good strides.
1ounce plus. #7&#6 mixed.
Powder, 70gns of, well, you decide but to me it looks very close to 4f.
View attachment 72348
Wads were four thin overshot cards. One on top.

Dont dismiss the finer grades of powder just because someone says, "it doesn't work" or "its dangerous", "pressure is to high". "Blows patterns", "its to fast", blah blah blah.

B.
With all those odd sized grains, looks almost like Black MZ. Whatever it is, that’s a great pattern.
 
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