So what is the big difference between using actual BP and pellets?

[Griz44Mag]

my local sportsman stores are ALWAYS sold out of regular BP or dont have it, and they always have pellets, and to be honest i really dont mind, but wat is the major diff bewteen the two? why do some people steer away from pellets other then wanting to be a 'traditionalist' and does it have an overall negative effect on ur firearm?

There is a reason why this condition exists. Real black is in demand, pellets are not.
Besides, even mentioning them in the forum can get you buggy whipped and run out of town by the PC police squad.

 

[Rat]

Ha. Last time I brought it up, I got whooped with a knotted plow line.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Ha. Last time I brought it up, I got whooped with a knotted plow line.

OOOOOWWWWUUUUUUUUU.
Not many here even know what that is. Brings back a lot of memories of Grandpa and Uncle Ray, the smell of leather in the tack room and fresh Red Man splattered around the barn doors.

 

[smoothshooter]

my local sportsman stores are ALWAYS sold out of regular BP or dont have it, and they always have pellets, and to be honest i really dont mind, but wat is the major diff bewteen the two? why do some people steer away from pellets other then wanting to be a 'traditionalist' and does it have an overall negative effect on ur firearm?

Biggest difference is COST.

You can order BP and have it shipped to your house and save a lot of money.
Buy at least half-a-case, you will use it up eventually anyway.

 

[Gee Dog]

Yep, "stupid is as stupid does" and pellets are definitely a gimmick.

 

[Carbon 6]

If you do use pellets, just remember to treat them with respect. This poor guy left his box of pellets open when he fired the gun.

 

[olddoggy2]

If you do use pellets, just remember to treat them with respect. This poor guy left his box of pellets open when he fired the gun.

Only commit I have is this guy needs to rethink his hobbies, knitting might be more appropriate.
I only use real Black Powder and always will, even if I haft to make it myself.

 

[Juice Jaws]

[QUOTE="Griz44Mag fresh Red Man splattered around the barn doors.[/QUOTE]

Hey, that's how I got my handle, always a cold night after the dog knock the coffee can over by my chair.

 

[Griz44Mag]

OOOOOWWWWUUUUUUUUU.
Not many here even know what that is. Brings back a lot of memories of Grandpa and Uncle Ray, the smell of leather in the tack room and fresh Red Man splattered around the barn doors.

Just a sad note that I thought to share as I read Juice Jaws latest post on this thread.
I received a call from my mother (now 86 years old) informing me of the death of Uncle Ray (her brother) on Thursday night.
He was 90 at the time of his passing. He was a good man, missed by all who ever met him.

 

[Juice Jaws]

[QUOTE="Griz4He was 90 at the time of his passing. He was a good man, missed by all who ever met him.[/QUOTE]

Sorry about your lost Griz, at 90 years old they are the greatest generation that will for ever be miss in this country.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Regardless of price, ease of use, or availability, the only thing that matters is effectiveness. I have experimented with both pelletized and loose granular substitutes, in cap locks and "unmentionables." Nothing beats real black powder in the right amount in the right gun. I have witnessed pellets following the projectile out of the barrel, burning and leaving a smoke trail. I have found pellets fifty feet in front of shooters, unburned or partially burned. I have seen shots that went "bloop" with the bullet hitting the ground fifty feet from the shooter.

My testing of pellets, from a bench, controlled conditions, chronographed for speed and targeted for groups has shown that in "modern guns" (the aforementioned unmentionables) and cap locks, loose powder beat them for speed, consistency, and grouping. Loose substitute powders also outperformed pelletized substitute powders.

Pellets are handy; fast loaded for second shot, and convenient. They are just less effective. They are expensive, fragile, and unpredictable. I want my second shot to be as fast and accurate as my first; although I can't ever remember shooting twice at the same big game animal with a muzzleloader. Second shots don't count. And anyone who says you don't have to clean up after substitutes is kidding you.

While I have shot, and do shoot all types of firearms, if I am muzzleloader hunting I am shooting real black powder in the correct load with the chosen projectile, usually out of a flintlock. And as a serious muzzleloading competitor, that goes double for a shooting match that I hope to win.

 

[Dr5x]

YOU CAN EAILY MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN A PROPELLING CHARGE WITH LOOSE POWDER.
WITH PELLETS THE ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE BY SOMEONE ELSE AND SUBSEQUENT CORRECTIONS ARE A BIT MORE DIFFICULT IF ATTEMPTED AT ALL..
YOU CAN USE ONE, TWO OR EVEN THREE PELLETS, BUT WITH LOSE POWDER YOUROPTIONS ARE IN THE HUNDREDS..

DUTCH SCHOULTZ

Regardless of price, ease of use, or availability, the only thing that matters is effectiveness. I have experimented with both pelletized and loose granular substitutes, in cap locks and "unmentionables." Nothing beats real black powder in the right amount in the right gun. I have witnessed pellets following the projectile out of the barrel, burning and leaving a smoke trail. I have found pellets fifty feet in front of shooters, unburned or partially burned. I have seen shots that went "bloop" with the bullet hitting the ground fifty feet from the shooter.

My testing of pellets, from a bench, controlled conditions, chronographed for speed and targeted for groups has shown that in "modern guns" (the aforementioned unmentionables) and cap locks, loose powder beat them for speed, consistency, and grouping. Loose substitute powders also outperformed pelletized substitute powders.

Pellets are handy; fast loaded for second shot, and convenient. They are just less effective. They are expensive, fragile, and unpredictable. I want my second shot to be as fast and accurate as my first; although I can't ever remember shooting twice at the same big game animal with a muzzleloader. Second shots don't count. And anyone who says you don't have to clean up after substitutes is kidding you.

While I have shot, and do shoot all types of firearms, if I am muzzleloader hunting I am shooting real black powder in the correct load with the chosen projectile, usually out of a flintlock. And as a serious muzzleloading competitor, that goes double for a shooting match that I hope to win.

 

[CapnJack]

Just a sad note that I thought to share as I read Juice Jaws latest post on this thread.
I received a call from my mother (now 86 years old) informing me of the death of Uncle Ray (her brother) on Thursday night.
He was 90 at the time of his passing. He was a good man, missed by all who ever met him.

Always a sad note when we loose a part of our history.

 

[WRustyLane]

Griz44Mag,
Sorry to hear the passing of yer great uncle Ray. My pop is now 93 and he's always tellin' me that he's ready to go see mom. I know I've got to get back to GA to see him before he passes. He's always tellin' me he ain't got no more meat on his bones, feet and butt. I really feel sorry for him.

 

[brassell31]

Several comments. Pellets are not allowed in Colorado during ML season because the only way a ML season was allowed in Colorado in the first place was to keep it as primitive as possible (at that time) to mollify modern rifle hunters who were opposed ML hunters getting to hunt before them in the elk rut. Pellets actually came about after that time, but that same thinking was used to disallow their use.
I used to work in a gun shop in NW Colorado when we accidentally ordered some pellets. Since no one was interested in buying them, inquiring minds wanted to know what all the fuss was about them. Armed with a chronograph, a TC Hawken .50 cal, a TC unmentionable .50, pellets, loose powder and pellets, and some maxiballs, and a chronograph. The short story of the results is if we crushed the pellets during loading (hard not to do that), velocities were all over the place, as was accuracy, in both rifles. 100 grains of loose Pyrodex gave higher and more consistent velocities than 100 grains of Pyrodex pellets, and good hunting accuracy in both rifles. Ignition was dependable in both rifles with either powder type. 209 primers were used for the unmentionable, musket caps for the Hawken. Not a truly scientific test, but I think the results spoke for themselves.

 

[Zonie]

I know it doesn't have much to do with pistols shooting pellets but I've read more than a few stories written by rifle hunters who have loaded several pellets at a time and when the gun fired, rather than burning in the barrel like it is supposed to, the top pellet ended up going downrange in a flaming streak, sorta like a poor "tracer bullet".

As for my thoughts on pellets I think they are WAY over priced and they remove the ability to adjust the powder load to get the best accuracy.
Their only claim to fame is using them allows the shooter to load his gun without fussing with a powder horn or flask and a powder measure to transfer the loose powder to the barrel or revolver chamber.