Pyrodex RS vs Black Powder FFg

[1100 Remington Man]

What do you prefer it and why ? Is it not a advantage to get Pyrodex since you can get more shots per pound ?
Is one safer to travel with in a car ?
Is the FPS you see the same 90grains by volume Pyrodex vs 90 grains FFg ?
Thanks

 

[Stringbean]

Real Black powder for me. I use Goex. I was shooting at the range the other day with a couple of blokes who were using firestorms and tripple Se7en. They had to pound their long expensive bullets the whole way down the bore and then couldn't get very good ingition. Also couldnt shoot a 4 inch group at 50 yards. I just smiled kept sliding roundballs down and shooting pop bottles at 100 yards. Dont fix it if it 'aint broken,
String

 

[Coot]

Real black works in everything so it is simpler to use it in all my guns both flint and percussion. BP also has an unlimited shelf life. I see no benefit to using anything else as long as BP is available in your area.

 

[BrownBear]

...as BP is available in your area.

There ya go. I use both and have had pretty fair experiences with them both. But if real BP is available, it's sure nice to use and much easier to cleanup than Pyrodex. If you can't get it for some reason, you can make Pyrodex work just fine in percussion guns. Just be sure to give it an extra measure of cleaning, cuzz the fouling is really nasty on barrel steel.

 

[rodwha]

You will get more Pyrodex in a pound vs BP.

The velocity difference will be determined by the type of BP you compare it to. Swiss and Olde Eynsford will give you more oomph whereas Pyrodex will be faster than standard Goex.

I don't care for Pyrodex. I don't like the fouling or the corossiveness. I buy mostly Olde E, but also buy Triple 7. The cost of Olde E is a bonus as its about the same as standard Goex.

I haven't had issues igniting Pyrodex or T7.

 

[Adui]

I use Pyrodex P, not RS. So my comparison would be to 3f Black. I have only used Goex 3f in my percussion revolver, went to pyrodex shortly after i got me rifle and never looked back. Goex is great, and as I recall easy to clean, but I have trouble finding it and Pyrodex is always available. Add to that, I get great groups with Pyro P so why change it?

 

[coloradoclyde]

What do you prefer it and why ?

Real BP...Because it cleans easier, ignites easier, is cheaper and works in flintlocks.

Is it not a advantage to get Pyrodex since you can get more shots per pound ?

depends on how you look at it. we measure powder by volume not weight. pyrodex is lighter than bp.

Is one safer to travel with in a car ?

Technically yes! pryrodex has almost twice the temperature sensitivity of real bp.

Is the FPS you see the same 90grains by volume Pyrodex vs 90 grains FFg ?

I haven't done an actual chronograph test but as long as I measure by volume my gun really doesn't know the difference.
I would also add that I like pyrodex P.....I do not like the RS grade.
Thanks [/quote]
Pyrodex is not without it's own advantages though.....

 

[tenngun]

I have some pounds of it. You get more shots per pound from p and it falls in the same velocity. It is nasty on bores if it not cleaned but you got to clean anyway, in a flinter you have to duplex the load, a little real powder in the bottom topped by p.
It's not real powder, it's fake, and you shoot a traditional ml shoot traditional powder. When mine runs out I don't think I'll replace it if I have a choice.

 

[Stumpkiller]

FFg all the way.

Pyrodex or other synthetics do not work in my flintlocks.

Pyrodex would doubtless be safer because it is made to be more difficult to ignite.

Either Blackpowder OR Pyrodex is much safer than the 15 or so gallons of highly flammable and explosive fumes of gasoline in the car. Get rid of that first. ;-)

 

[coloradoclyde]

Either Blackpowder OR Pyrodex is much safer than the 15 or so gallons of highly flammable and explosive fumes of gasoline in the car. Get rid of that first. ;-)

Very true!..... :haha:

 

[Patocazador]

I cannot lie; I hate Pyrodex due to its corrosiveness and relatively short half-life.

Real black or BH209 for me.

 

[Crewdawg445]

There isn't any comparison between real BP and that fake, foul smelling poo...

Shoot black, else you'll probably end up frustrated. :thumbsup:

Being your from Mississippi you shouldn't have any issue obtaining real BP via any of the online vendors. Even with all the wonderful federal shipping fees it's still worth buying over the must I say it... "synthetic stuff".

 

[nhmoose]

Is one safer to travel with in a car ?
Thanks

Worry more about the Gasoline in the tank. When the fire in an accident sets off the black powder you most likely will not care as you are DEAD anyway.

The FF's know how dangerous the gas is and never worry about a can of BP being there as the water we use to get the fire away from the wreck works for both even when the public thinks we need foam and all that. We have water and it will work.

 

[Mean Gene]

In my opinion Pyrodex p is just fine, I haven't experienced any of the nightmares mentioned earlier no corrosion issues not been hard to clean up and you can get it easy.

I suggest buy some of each and make your own comparisons, it's just the best way to know what you will like and not like.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Is one safer to travel with in a car ?
Thanks

Worry more about the Gasoline in the tank. When the fire in an accident sets off the black powder you most likely will not care as you are DEAD anyway.

The FF's know how dangerous the gas is and never worry about a can of BP being there as the water we use to get the fire away from the wreck works for both even when the public thinks we need foam and all that. We have water and it will work.

Given the choice between being in a wreck with a pound of powder or a gallon of gas(both in the standard containers)........I would choose the pound of powder ...

The odds of survival are thousands if not millions of times greater...

If gasoline and bp were held to the same ignition standards ......gasoline would not be allowed for sale. It is way more dangerous.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Pyrodex was developed for a single reason. Regulations came about for the storage of black powder, and a lot of stores did not wish to invest in the beefed up storage requirements needed to legally keep BP. Pyrodex came about for black powder stores or departments in larger stores, to offer a propellant that "worked" in muzzleloaders, but did not require the special storage.

:idunno:

It has always had ignition problems. If it didn't those new fangled muzzleloader rifles would still be using caps, instead of modern primers, and Pyrodex Pellets wouldn't have that band of more easily ignited material attached to the pellets. :wink: Not to mention the short shelf life, and corrosive qualities.

So Pyrodex has its niche in the shooting community, as it is easier to ship, and easier to store in a retail setting, and when it works it works just fine. I will say that in the sub-category of black powder, for Cowboy Shooting, Pyrodex worked fine in cartridges and shot shells, but that's a topic for another forum. Please forgive me.

I prefer GOEX 2Fg or 3Fg depending on which rifle or gun I'm using, as most of my stuff is flintlock, and it simply works for me in a wider application of situations than does Pyrodex.

LD

 

[Herb]

I haven't see those pellets, but 6 or 8 years ago I got a case of Goex powders from Cooney at Hobbs, NM. He told me he sold black powder to Hodgdon and that they used a little fill of it in the bases of Pyrodex pellets to accelerate ignition. Hodgdon now owns their own black powder,

 

[rodwha]

I've never once had an issue with slow or non ignition of Pyrodex or Triple 7 and I use non magnum Rem #10 caps on two revolvers and a muzzleloading rifle. I've nearly gone through the three bottles of Pyrodex (P and RS) and more than 3 of T7. My Pietta Remington NMA and Lyman rifle have stock nipples and my ROA has ToTW nipples with the small orifice.

I'm curious as to why I read this claim often enough. I could understand were it flintlocks.

 

[TFoley]

In this country, and indeed, all over Western Europe, BP is classed as a Class 1 explosive requiring licence to buy/transport and special safety conditions to store.

Pyrodex (and other subs) is available in most gun-stores that sell BP-style/era arms, and is treated just like any other, nitro-based, propellant.

Horses for courses, gentlemen - 99% of us would shoot the real thing - IF we could.

tac

 

[Coot]

When I first started shooting muzzleloaders over 40 years ago, I only had cap locks & used both BP & Pyrodex. I think that the ignition problems with Pyrodex may be due to its shorter shelf life, possibly worsened by opened (unsealed) cans in humid conditions. I do not recall any issues shooting cap locks using fresh Pyrodex.