Is Swiss Powder any good?
- Thread starter WhittenSales
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
Is this a serious post?
I personally find it filthy and the most inaccurate powder I've ever shot. Pyrodex shoots better. No clue why 8 of my rifles will not group. Thick white fouling on the exterior of my lock and barrel, super bad sticky fouling at the breech after 2 shots. Tried swabbing, tried wads, over powder patch.
The only way I got better accuracy was using musket caps. Something not right about it.
The only way I got better accuracy was using musket caps. Something not right about it.
It'll last longer than you if you screw the caps down tight.
I can't speak to @Frontier's post, but I find it the opposite, and that I use a reduced charge Swiss because it's more potent than other BPs. The only way I've been able to make a stronger/cleaner powder is using balsa as my carbon agent, and after a few batches I decided that it just wasn't worth the effort. I will pay a few bucks more for Swiss every time, but as with most things gun powder I tend to buy in bulk and rarely.
I buy it cheap and stack it deep when it comes to reloading components.
I can't speak to @Frontier's post, but I find it the opposite, and that I use a reduced charge Swiss because it's more potent than other BPs. The only way I've been able to make a stronger/cleaner powder is using balsa as my carbon agent, and after a few batches I decided that it just wasn't worth the effort. I will pay a few bucks more for Swiss every time, but as with most things gun powder I tend to buy in bulk and rarely.
I buy it cheap and stack it deep when it comes to reloading components.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
- Messages
- 3,271
- Reaction score
- 7,289
Haven't shot pyro and never going to try it. I shoot flint and Swiss is good stuff! Burns cleaner than others I have used. If it is good when you start using, kept dry and free from contamnation, it should last years. As far as selling, you better check with you local laws.
Its terrible stuff and you can send it to me....
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2021
- Messages
- 2,904
- Reaction score
- 6,198
As I stated in another post just today.
Some years back when heavily into the BPCRS game I chronographed Swiss, Goex, and Schuetzen. Swiss produced the lowest standard deviations by far.
I have never shot a substitute powder, only BP and if I were to get serious and want to win matches (like I used to want to win) I would not use anything but Swiss.
And for the OP, BP does not go bad, lasts forever, and to the right people will always have some value.
Some years back when heavily into the BPCRS game I chronographed Swiss, Goex, and Schuetzen. Swiss produced the lowest standard deviations by far.
I have never shot a substitute powder, only BP and if I were to get serious and want to win matches (like I used to want to win) I would not use anything but Swiss.
And for the OP, BP does not go bad, lasts forever, and to the right people will always have some value.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2022
- Messages
- 952
- Reaction score
- 1,416
Swiss is well known in the black powder community to be the best black powder commercially available.
I personally have never used it, I have set up my guns for Goex and don't want to re-baseline my guns, and I support Goex as the last American BP maker. But "everyone knows" Swiss is the best.
I personally have never used it, I have set up my guns for Goex and don't want to re-baseline my guns, and I support Goex as the last American BP maker. But "everyone knows" Swiss is the best.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
- Messages
- 3,271
- Reaction score
- 7,289
Swiss is so good, that Swiss suggest I drop my charge ( 54cal ) to 25gr 2fg and see how my group is, when I emailed for accuracy issues.
I simply replied back with a laugh and said, I don't think that bull elk would appreciate a 25gr charge, if that's what it takes to get acceptable accuracy.
I simply replied back with a laugh and said, I don't think that bull elk would appreciate a 25gr charge, if that's what it takes to get acceptable accuracy.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2022
- Messages
- 952
- Reaction score
- 1,416
Most guns don't develop maximum accuracy at maximum charges. You may be able to find a bullet that does perform with that kind of gun and charge, however.
But it is common for people who are looking for accuracy, which tend to be competition shooters, to shoot reduced charges for maximum accuracy.
But it is common for people who are looking for accuracy, which tend to be competition shooters, to shoot reduced charges for maximum accuracy.
I can't speak to Frontier's results, but as all other responders here have stated, Swiss is generally regarded as a premium powder. I have shot Goex, KIK, and Swiss (as well as 3 different subs). IMO, Swiss is cleaner and more consistent through my Chrono (except in percussion, 777 was really an equal in that respect.)
A friend of mine reports Old Ensford is also very good, in his testing, but he still uses Swiss as his go-to powder.
If you have it, use it. And it will last forever sitting on the shelf. When you use it up, if you want to support the only U.S. mfg, then switch to Old Ensford from Goex.
You can't legally sell it if you want to get rid of it, but you can give it away.
A friend of mine reports Old Ensford is also very good, in his testing, but he still uses Swiss as his go-to powder.
If you have it, use it. And it will last forever sitting on the shelf. When you use it up, if you want to support the only U.S. mfg, then switch to Old Ensford from Goex.
You can't legally sell it if you want to get rid of it, but you can give it away.
Or, go bigger. Barrels have harmonics, which is why precision can vary so wildly across charges.
Or...you can pour it out in a pile, make a trail of powder to it, and flash it into a big black cloud. Be sure to film it and post the video here!
My Grandfather in-law was an FO at the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions in that battle. He stayed after the war with the occupation force in Germany. As an FO he was out in front of the allied lines all the time directing fire, and as such he ran across dead German officer's often. He would invariably commandeer their sidearms. He had a sack of twenty Lugers, FNs, and Walthers by the time the Germans surrendered. When it came time to get discharged and sail back home they told him that he could only register two (he selected an FN 1922, and as SS Nazi marked Luger) with capture papers, and he had to leave the rest. He said the guys in the barracks were constantly hounding him to give them one. Before he left he was holding the sack and told the guys to meet him at the latrine. In front of all of them he dropped them one by one into the latrine and told them, "If you want any of these pistols you can crawl through the same @!#$ I did to get them." He was a tough old ******* and he is missed. RIP B.Y.
Of course YMMV, but yours is an outlier opinion. You may have just gotten a bad bottle. No QC is perfect...
justinoldguy
32 Cal
For 40 years I used Goex in my various rifles, shotguns, and handguns. It did ok, but I had nothing else to compare it to, as far as real black is concerned. Then I bought some Swiss, and I will never use Goex again. Swiss is vastly superior to any commercially available black powder I have used. At the range, I shoot nearly every shot over the chronograph, literally thousands of "rounds" in a wide variety of guns. Swiss gives much higher velocity with like charges, +200 fps in revolvers, and +300 fps in long barrels. Shot to shot variation is also very consistent. Have not noticed a diffetence in fouling, all black powder is pretty dirty. As far as subs are concerned, Swiss 3f and Pyro P are identical in performance in every gun long gun (percussion only) I have ever shot them in. In revolvers, Swiss lags behind Pyro P significantly, but not nearly as much as Goex. This is not conjecture, but actual data based on chronograph results, which have no agenda or preferences. I willingly pay the extra $10-$15 per lb. for Swiss. Side note, Triple 7 outperforms both Pyro P and Swiss, but is not reliable in sidelock muzzleloaders. Out of ten shots, I will regularly get a couple of hang fires using standard percussion caps. Triple 7 is fine for use in revolvers.
Your Swiss is not that old being in their plastic container, thought I am not sure when they first started using them, maybe 10 years or so ago.
As far as accuracy performance, there were some accuracy complaints when Swiss made the switch to the plastic containers, but personally saw no loss or change. Remember talking to a Swiss rep around that time and the unofficial thought was it was just people complaining about change. Doesn’t mean Swiss hasn’t sent out ‘suspect’ product, I just have not seen or experienced any.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2019
- Messages
- 8,496
- Reaction score
- 9,972
BP never goes "outdate" as long as it's stored OK.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2022
- Messages
- 952
- Reaction score
- 1,416
To dispose of black powder you can just sprinkle it into your flower gardens and water it in. Makes great fertilizer. Would be a sad end for Swiss Black Powder but if you absolutely have to get rid of it, that's the way.
