1.5F Swiss Powder

[Fly103]

Hi all, im new to flintlocks but have been shooting percussion guns for the last 15 years. I picked up my first flinter friday, a pedersoli Pennsylvania rifle in .50cal. I have pounds of pyrodex rs available for my caplocks but the only real black powder i can currently find locally is swiss ffffg and swiss 1.5f. Will 1.5F work for the main charge or is FFg required? Wondering if it would be better than duplexing pryodex over 5grn of ffffg as the pyrodex bottle reccomends?

Any thoughts?

 

[griffiga]

I think if you are 50 cal,or over 1.5 would be ok. I shoot 1.5 in my .54, .58, .69 and .75. I also like it in shotguns and cartridge BP rifles as well. I haven’t tried it in anything smaller.

 

[Bob McBride]

As above. I like it in my 12 bore, .58, .54, and .69's. 1f-3f is fine for any bore diameter but generally speaking 1f for really big bores, 3 f for small, 2f for in between. That said, I have many guns that don't believe in those arbitrary guidelines and like what they like in spite of any book learning we might pride ourselves in....

 

[Grenadier1758]

The 1.5 F powder was developed for black powder cartridge shooting, but will work fine in your 50 caliber rifle.

 

[Fly103]

Thanks for the input guys! I will pick up a pound to tide me over til the 2F is back in stock in a month or two.

 

[Rfp10000]

Similar situation / question ….I got some Swiss 1.5F because I couldn’t get 2F.
I have a Pedersoli Sharps Carbine (musket caps) and a Pedersoli double barrel 12 ga Coach gun ( 20 in barrels , #11 caps). From what I read above the 1.5F should be ok in these guns. Right ?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The 1.5 F powder should be fine in your Pedersoli Sharps Carbine, @Rfp10000.

 

[Rfp10000]

Any thoughts on 1.5F Swiss in the 20 inch barrel 12 gauge ?

 

[Idaholewis]

I bought a pound of 1.5 Swiss to test in my Sidelocks (TC Renegades & Hawkens) It is good Accurate powder, But i had slight hangfire issues with it, It is a Course powder, I had to take extra care to TAP TAP TAP on the Wrist of my Rifle to get the Powder Settled under the Nipple good, and even then i stil had a Hangfire now n then. As mentioned above it is geared toward Blackpowder Cartridge, They use Regular Rifle Primers that are FAR & AWAY Hotter than a #11 Percussion Cap, Swiss 1.5 is Well suited for Cartridge. I shoot Swiss 2F in all of my Sidelock Muzzleloaders and couldn’t be happier with it, it works Flawless

 

[dano2467]

Good to know, and on another note I have often wondered what "Null" grade is used for? and if pushed come to shove would reenactor grade be usable as a secondary replacement for another grade? or if running low on 2F mix it with some of these? or wold that be a major mistake?

 

[Bassdog1]

Null B is a very fine powder for priming the pan even finer than 4f. I wouldn't mix it with any other powder due to the fact that it is an expensive powder and is best suited to using in the pan. I am not a fan of ever mixing any different powder grades. I use them as stand alone powders and develop my loads for each powder individually.

 

[FishDFly]

Sound advice.

 

[dano2467]

Null B is a very fine powder for priming the pan even finer than 4f. I wouldn't mix it with any other powder due to the fact that it is an expensive powder and is best suited to using in the pan. I am not a fan of ever mixing any different powder grades. I use them as stand alone powders and develop my loads for each powder individually.

kinda what I was thinking, thanks. Still curious what grade reenactor is equilivent to?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Null grade is a very finely sized powder that is best used as pan powder since it is finer than 4f. Reenactor grade powder is basically close to 3fg and is usable as main charge powder and could work as a pan powder. While I admit that I mixed powder grades in the past I found no real benefit to do so.