What type of powder?

[Robert58]

The owners manuals say to use FFg. But I have been reading that some people use FFFg. I am trying to decide between Pyrodex or Triple seven. But I would like to heard what most of you recommend and why to use in a 50 CAL. T/C Hawken Rifle. FFg or FFFg?

Thanks,
Robert

 

[Zonie]

Robert: IMO the .50 is in the transitional area where either FFg or FFFg works well.
Some claim the FFFg burns cleaner although I have never seen much difference in a .50 .
As a general rule "they" say use the FFFg in the .45 or under and the FFg in a .50 or larger.
I think if your shooting 85 or 95 grain hunting loads it would be better to go with the FFg as it will keep the pressures down a little. The other powder I shoot (in precussion guns) is Pyrodex. Never had any problems with the RS in my .45, .50, .54, or .58 and it doesn't foul the bore as much as Black powder.
I havent shot the triple 7 so I can't judge it. At least one of the "new" non fouling powders are ascorbic acid based (seemed to cause more headaches than it cured) and I haven't seen much written about any of the newer ones by Actual Shooters (hey any of you out there want to put in some comments about quickness of ignition, consistent velocities, repeated accuracy, Price?).
I tried Grand Canyon? once. A fellow muzzle loader got it for free "to test" and was so pleased with it he gave it all to me. After firing it I was so pleased with it I took it out back and set it afire to get rid of it.

Edit: OK, bite my lip. I went over to the In Line area and they discuss 777 there. I didn't see anything on prices though. I think it was 777 I saw at a gun shop but when I saw that the price was over $20/pound I lost all interest.

 

[roundball]

I used to use Pyrodex RS (FFg equivalent)in my 45, 50, and 54cal TC Hawken percussions for years until I switched to flintlocks.

Since I had to use actual BP in the flintlocks, I settled on Goex FFFg, and found it to be so much faster and cleaner than Pyrodex RS that I've now rezeroed every TC Hawken percussion I have and use Goex FFFg in all of them as well as the flintlocks.

So you can use either...if you use the load data in the back of TC's ownr's manual they're listed using FFg (ie: Goex FFg, Pyrodex RS, etc) and when using FFFg in place of FFg in the load data in their book, you have to reduce the charge some.

I called TC to ask them and they said to reduce it 10-15%, but I found that I reduce it 20-25% for example with 120grns FFg for a .54cal round ball, I reduced it 25% to 90grns FFFg)

Goex FFFg is much faster than Pyrodex and 100% reliable, no slight delays like you occasionally can get with BP substitutes, and very accurate

 

[Darkhorse]

The old Lyman blackpowder book has an interesting comparison on using 2FG and 3FG. Their tests indicate 80 grains of 3FG has higher velocitys and less fouling, with a small pressure increase, than 100 grains of 2FG. In the tables showing barrel length comparisons for .54 cal. only 3FG was used.
The Lyman GPR handbook shows max loads to be 100 grains 2 FG or 80 grains of 3 FG. Since I have a quantity of both granulations on hand I tried the 3FG in the flintlock thinking maybe I would get faster ignition along with a higher velocity. I am very pleased with it and now that is the only granulation I shoot in that gun.
I still shoot 2F in the .54 Renegade because that is what all my previous testing was done with and if something works then I don't change it.

 

[Robert58]

Thanks for the replies. I think I will try some Triple Seven 3F.

 

[paul f]

In my .50cal Lyman Great Plains I use 60gr. Goex FFFg for target at 25 and 50 yds. with great accuracy and easy loading. For 100 yds or hunting loads I prefer 80-90gr. Goex FFg. My son has similar results in a CVA Youth Hunter. In this transitional caliber the question is do you need one or a few higher performance shots for hunting or multiple high accuracy shots for target work.

 

I have used almost all of the powders out there except BP. I use 777. The easyest to clean up, a little faster than pyrodex, no problems with ignition (I use shotgun primers so almost anything will light) very accurate. I use pellets so I don't know if you should use ff or fff.

 

[MGM]

FF Goex - The idea is to remain as true to the era as possible. After one shot you have to clean anyway!

 

[tg]

I use 3f in everything up to and including .62 guns, there were different grades/granulations of powder in the past also, though they would not be meaured by the same standards we use today... the real thing is better all the way around phoney powders are an answer to a question unasked.

 

[SteveAnderson]

It really doesn't matter what we like to shoot. You should try different types and different loads of 2 & 3 Fg, and different patches, etc. The trick is to see what your gun likes.

 

MGM, I have shot up to 10 shots with 777 pellets without cleaning with no problems. Except for the first shot they all shoot in the same place.

 

[Randy]

I used nothing but FF in my 50 cal. and had a good patch fit that had greatest accuracy at about 70 to 75 grains. I tried Goex Cartridge powder (which is about the same granulation as their FF) and found no noticeable difference. One day I tried some FFF and found my patches were all blown apart above 60 grains. I expect a thicker patch may have fixed that problem, but I went back to the Goex FF which works good for me.
My point is : You need to try several things in your gun to see what it likes best. Each gun is different. Always try to find a few spent patches to see how you are doing. A good deal of information can be gathered from examining patches after fireing.

Horse Dr.

 

[Haggis]

In a .50 I've always used (30+ years) 2F blackpowder and a load of 75 grains (a .45-70 case full). The 2F creates less breach pressure and hits hard enough to put down varmints up to black bear size with no problems. Use a good bees wax and beef tallow greased patch and you can shoot all day without cleaning.

Cleanin's easy, jus' give it to yur woman, pull a cork and watch the doin's.