Ordering powder...which?

[riverrat43]

I've been using Goex 3F in my .50 Flinter. It has 42" Colerain barrel. It didn't like Goex 2F as well as it did the 3F. Now I want to try some Swiss. For any of you Swiss shooters, do you prefer 2 or 3F in Swiss for the .50?

 

[montanadan]

riverrat43-I have using Swiss for 1 1/2 years,my 50's like 2f Swiss.The powder is more dense and has finer grains than Goex,I originally tried 3f,swithched back to 2f Swiss groups are much tighter.I am currently shooting 2f in my flinter,if it ever cools off,I am going to try some 3f.You can go to the Shuetzen (sp) powder website and they have recommended loads for Swiss as well.You will find that reducing your load about 15grns from Goex will get you pretty close to POA.I was shooting 70grns Goex in my caplock and went down to 55 grns Swiss and finally down 50.But all these rifles vary,so be prepared to do a experimenting..Hope this helps..Respectfully montanadan

 

[Snuffy]

I much prefer the Schuetzen over the Goex. Little less fouling on every patch compared to the Goex. Another thing I noticed was softer fouling - making it easier to remove than the Goex. On a power comparison, they are both about the same.

 

[riverrat43]

yep..I know each rifle has its own quirks. Don't have any access to Swiss to try before I buy, so I'm gonna order 2F and 3F in a 5lb lot. I just hope I get 3 lbs of the right stuff as opposed to 3 lbs of the wrong...manure shoot I guess till I go try 'em out. Thanks guys. .....OK..... looks like the loading data from their website recommends either 1.5 or 2F for the 50. They don't even list 3F as an option for .50 cal. Guess I'll go with their advice and try the 2F.

 

[J.D.]

Swiss 3F burns VERY fast. I would not even consider using 3F Swiss in a 45, much less a 50.

IMHO, 2f Swiss burns as fast, if not faster that 3F GOEX, so I would suggest 3 # of 1.5 Swiss, and 2 # of 2F Swiss, if ordering in a 5# lot.

IMHO, you will get more use out of the 1.5 F Swiss.
J.D.

 

[Herb]

Here is comparative chronograph velocities from a .50 Jacob Wigle (Westmoreland Co., PA) flintlock I built with 38" Rice barrel. .490 cast ball, pillow ticking, lube is Murphy Oil Soap and 91% alcohol, 1 to 1.

80 grains Goex 2F: five shots 1763 fps, 33 spread
80 grains Goex 3F: six shots 1925 fps, 41 spread
80 grains Swiss 2F: six shots 1922 fps, 25 spread
80 grains Swiss 3F: six shots 2072 fps, 35 spread.

Don't have my targets, but from my notes they all grouped pretty well.

 

[Snuffy]

Swiss FFF worked real nice in my 50-cal ML last weekend. Seems to be pretty close in powder to 777. Softer fouling too! I used 75 grains with Hornady Grain Plains. Just follow the 15% less rule -- like we do with 777.

 

[Herb]

Here are more velocities from a Joel Ferree (Western Pennsylvania) caplock I built with a 38" B Green Mountain swamped barrel. .490 ball, CCI 11 caps, Hot Shot nipple, .012 PT, Murphy Oil Soap and alcohol. All 80 grains, no black powder booster for the Triple 7. No wiping between shots or cleaning at all, though some tests were shot on the next day with a cleaned bore to start. Sometimes the repeat velocities are quite different and I don't know why.

80 grains Goex 3F, 6 shots, 1925 fps, 41 spread.
80 grains Goex 2F, 5 shots, 1763 fps, 33 spread.

80 grains Swiss2F, 6 shots, 1922 fps, 25 spread.
80 grains Swiss2F, 7 shots, 1938 fps, 34 spread.
80 grains Swiss3F, 6 shots, 2072 fps, 35 spread.

80 grns Pyrodex P, 6 shots, 1773 fps, 82 spread.
80 grns Pyrodex RS, 7 shots, 1787 fps, 85 spread.

80 grns Triple7 2F, 4 shots, 1919 fps, 48 spread.
80 grns Triple7 2F, 4 shots, 1952 fps, 97 spread.
80 grns Triple7 2F, 5 shots, 2041 fps, 44 spread.
80 grns Triple7 3F, 6 shots, 2140 fps, 104 spread.
80 grns Triple7 3F, 5 shots, 2053 fps, 106 spread.

The reason for six or seven shots is I fire one or two or three "bore seasoning" shots" on a separate "fouler" target, then five on a record target. If there is a low velocity due to a torn patch, I delete that velocity from the record string.

I see I posted these velocities for my Jacob Wigle rifle, above. They were similar. Here they are for the Wigle rifle:

80 grains Goex 3F, 6 shots, 1832 fps, 63 spread.
80 grains Goex 2F, 5 shots, 1750 sps, 44 spread.
80 grains Swiss 2F, 5 shots, 1857 fps, 39 spread.
80 grains Swiss 3F, 6 shots, 1985 fps, 28 spread.
80 grains Swiss 3F, 6 shots, 2030 fps, 36 spread.