Real black powder

[Flint1]

Things have changed so much over time. I just saw the post where only one place in Arizona has black powder. I bought my first replica black powder firearm, a Navy Arms Pietta Remington, in December 1980 while stationed at Fort Huachuca. It was at a store called the Emporium across the street from the OK Corral. The guy who sold it to me told me I could get the powder at a certain store in Sierra Vista. That store was only a few blocks from the main gate of Fort Huachuca, and I bought several pounds of GOEX from them. I believe it was some sort of hardware store, because I bought a cast iron pot to melt lead also. If I remember correctly it was $7.50 per pound. When I bought the revolver I got a case and a number of tins of caps also. I have also been reading the posts on percussion caps and the costs when one can find them. Except for musket and occasionally tinkering with the revolver I have shot flintlock rifle exclusively for over 20 years now. I believe the last CCI caps I had bought was $4.00 per 100. In the revolver case I still have one of those original tins of caps unused I bought in 1980. It has the red Navy Arms sticker on top and on the bottom is priced at $2.50.

 

[le125verne]

When no one will deliver then the top suppliers will have no way to sell enough to make it worth THEM stocking it...they will stop buying it (may not even be able to 'get' it themselves.)

We will Make it ourselves.
...but some will choose to use subs, and They will miss out.

I have the "Foxfire" books, edited by Eliot Wigginton and Margie Bennett, Anchor books @1986. They explain in detail how to make BP. Just need to get the right ingredients.

 

[Pratt]

Well lets see . Use only black powder. Lube patches with Crisco.

 

[TDM]

I have the "Foxfire" books, edited by Eliot Wigginton and Margie Bennett, Anchor books @1986. They explain in detail how to make BP. Just need to get the right ingredients.

The Foxfire series is very handy to have. Lots of great information in all of them.

 

[Sentry44]

Blackhorn is suppossedly amazing. Accurate, easy to clean, and allows follow-up shots without swabbing. I personally have never used it, but there's are plenty of guys out there who will attest to that...either because they have found it to be the case or because they read someone else say so.

But.

At $104/lb? For me, just...no. The marginal incremental benefit per dollar spent isn't enough considering most deer opportunities will be under 100 yds in the eastern U.S.

I know, queue 'that guy' now who can't wait to comment how he "hunts" (snipes?) pronghorn in New Mexico @ 600 yards using Blackhorn and his $5k muzzleloader.

Ok that guy finds a marginal benefit. For however many of that guy there are.

But for everyone else who hunts at distances limited by (a) opportunity and (b) ethics, is that price worth it?

Personally, with iron sights I limit myself to 100 yds. With a scoped in-line, 200. And with my 'unicorn' .270 Win...300 yds.

I'm not Carlos Hathcock.

Sentry44

 

[CaptainVane]

I guess prices vary a lot depending on location.
On east coast, I pay $34 to $37 a pound for T7. And because of needing a few hundred dollars hazmat permit to carry BP, hardly any shops stock it.
Also, there is a $25 per pound hazmat shipping fee if ordering online, so BP is around $55 to $60 a pound.
East Coast math.

 

[rp77469]

I guess prices vary a lot depending on location.
On east coast, I pay $34 to $37 a pound for T7. And because of needing a few hundred dollars hazmat permit to carry BP, hardly any shops stock it.
Also, there is a $25 per pound hazmat shipping fee if ordering online, so BP is around $55 to $60 a pound.
East Coast math.

WOW! I ordered a case of Goex from Coonies a week or so before Goex announced they were shutting down. It cost $23.98 delivered to my door, including shipping, Hazmat and COD. Hazmat fee is $25 per shipment, and covers up to 50 pounds, IIRC. Yep, a chunk of $$ to lay out, but I can go shooting when I want. Been doing this for decades to make sure I never run out. Same with caps, though I'm mostly a flinter nowadays.

Stock up during good times, like a squirrel gathering nuts before a cold winter. Powder, flints and caps won't go bad when properly stored.

 

[Griff093]

BTW: Look at the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for details on Blackhorn 209 for what it contains, hazards and handling needs. I am surprised that Western Powder is even allowed to call it a BP substitute. By it's own label it states it is for "Modern In-Line Muzzleloaders." I also understand that
elsewhere it has listed charges for cartridge guns. I'm also guessing those which are also rated for modern powders.

It contains about 90% "Nitrated Ester." Nitroglycerin is a "common" nitrated ester. Although what is in Blackhorn is almost certainly not pure nitroglycerin. Some other ester (aka, an "oil") that has been nitrated; and about 10% "Carbonaceous material"

Since this is essentially about 90% a smokeless powder, with some charcoal or other carbon compound tossed in, it really beggars belief that they can even call it a BP substitute. No wonder it cleans up with conventional bore solvent.

 

[Mad L]

I guess prices vary a lot depending on location.
On east coast, I pay $34 to $37 a pound for T7. And because of needing a few hundred dollars hazmat permit to carry BP, hardly any shops stock it.
Also, there is a $25 per pound hazmat shipping fee if ordering online, so BP is around $55 to $60 a pound.
East Coast math.

Wow, New York knows what is in that box that Graf&Sons or Powder Inc or Buffalo Arms, who all have "Flate Rate Hazmat & Shipping", is sending you and the STATE charges you "per pound"????
Or am I missing something in that statement...again

I had no idea that some east cost states seceded from the nation!?!

 

[snakebit]

Just for giggles I just went to Graf’s website and looked at per pound cost if I ordered 5# of Schuetzen powder. With shipping and hazmat it was a bit over $152 or about $30 per pound to my door. If I bought their Grafs it would be about a buck a pound less and Swiss is about $7 a pound more. To put that in perspective that is probably what someone pays for a couple of rounds of golf if they use a cart at a public course.

I just bought a pound of Schuetzen (sp) last week a a local ML shop. It was $39.13, so it would definitely be cheaper to order it. At least for me I guess.

 

[Bunk]

Wow, New York knows what is in that box that Graf&Sons or Powder Inc or Buffalo Arms, who all have "Flate Rate Hazmat & Shipping", is sending you and the STATE charges you "per pound"????
Or am I missing something in that statement...again

I had no idea that some east cost states seceded from the nation!?!

Wow, New York knows what is in that box that Graf&Sons or Powder Inc or Buffalo Arms, who all have "Flate Rate Hazmat & Shipping", is sending you and the STATE charges you "per pound"????
Or am I missing something in that statement...again

I had no idea that some east cost states seceded from the nation!?!

First personally I am not a big fan of subs over real Black Gunpowder.
But if that is all you can get to keep the sport alive go for it and keep making smoke..
Happily my Grandfather had the good sense to move from White Plains,NY to Dallas, Texas.
Lucky me
Texan to the core.
Bunk

 

[snakebit]

Do you get a free bottle of thunderbird with every purchase?

 

[Bunk]

Johnny Walker Blue label thank you very much

 

[TFoley]

I only use substitutes. In California we're allowed to have only one pound of black powder.

Well, blow me down, that's pretty mean. Here in poor old UK we can hold 10kg - 22.5 pounds - at any one time.

 

[ernbar]

Yes cheaper to order than buying at the local shop. I like to support my local store but…….last time I checked it was $38 for a pound of Schuetzen. Graf has their house brand which is actually Schuetzen but re labeled for $22 a pound. Hazmat is $23 per order and I had free shipping promo so I re stocked since I was running very low. Last time they had them on sale at $18 a pound a few months ago.

 

[jimmiejack55]

Blackhorn is suppossedly amazing. Accurate, easy to clean, and allows follow-up shots without swabbing. I personally have never used it, but there's are plenty of guys out there who will attest to that...either because they have found it to be the case or because they read someone else say so.

But.

At $104/lb? For me, just...no. The marginal incremental benefit per dollar spent isn't enough considering most deer opportunities will be under 100 yds in the eastern U.S.

I know, queue 'that guy' now who can't wait to comment how he "hunts" (snipes?) pronghorn in New Mexico @ 600 yards using Blackhorn and his $5k muzzleloader.

Ok that guy finds a marginal benefit. For however many of that guy there are.

But for everyone else who hunts at distances limited by (a) opportunity and (b) ethics, is that price worth it?

Personally, with iron sights I limit myself to 100 yds. With a scoped in-line, 200. And with my 'unicorn' .270 Win...300 yds.

I'm not Carlos Hathcock.

Sentry44

Had to laugh at the sniper in NM. He may have last year, but this year he’ll be doing it with iron sights for the ML only season! . Rules were changed and if it has a new fangled telescopic sight, it can only be used in the modern rifle season.

 

[Sentry44]

Had to laugh at the sniper in NM. He may have last year, but this year he’ll be doing it with iron sights for the ML only season! . Rules were changed and if it has a new fangled telescopic sight, it can only be used in the modern rifle season.

I just named any western state because you can shoot far.

 

[BackDraft]

Do you get a free bottle of thunderbird with every purchase?

“Gore a Thunderbird for Vidal Wine”… only Robin Williams fans will get it!

 

[Mad L]

First personally I am not a big fan of subs over real Black Gunpowder.
But if that is all you can get to keep the sport alive go for it and keep making smoke..
Happily my Grandfather had the good sense to move from White Plains,NY to Dallas, Texas.
Lucky me
Texan to the core.
Bunk

I have absolutely nothing against those who use Subs, that is a choice.
It's just those who make the statement "I can't get it because it's not stocked locally on the self".
Outside of one local fireing range (no longer local to me now) and they not Always have it either, I have never had it locally over the counter but that never meant I could not get it....nor have i ever had to pay Hazmat 'per pound' either - sounds like something in a different country to me

 

[wdtiffin]

I’m a recent convert to black powder. All my muzzle loading/cap and ball revolver up till now was Pyrodex. Flintlock doesn’t work well/barely works with substitutes, so I went black. Powder Valley had Schuetzen on sale last week for under 20 bucks a pound. GOEX is supposed to start production back up today.
Next time I find it on sale like that, I’m doing a North Florida group buy.
-Red, once he’s had black…

I'm in Alachua County, if you do a group buy hit me up.