3F or 4F for the main charge?

[Swampman]

Load 3F Swiss in Anything, it is safe

If the bore is larger than 1" I'd consider 1f or 2f. 2f is good for blanks if it's free.

Most guns will withstand way more than the shooter can.

 

[Dave K]

Anyone reading this, should be very cautious, if not concerned. Manufactures post max. powder charges and powder F sizes for a reason. They know thier eguipment and they know they stand to face a lawsuit if something were to go wrong with the loads they recommended. If the shooter goes outside the charges recommended, they are on their own. Same as anyone taking advice here, on loads outside of the manufactures recommended loads. You maybe able to receive compensation from written advice from a manufacture. Anyone elses advice, will leave you holding the bag if you or those around you are injured. If you want to offer advice on loads, do it with a disclaimer to save yourself. Just because some people have gotten away with high risk adventures, doesn't mean you will. Like your folks and teachers used to say, if someone said it was safe to jump off of a cliff, would you do that? Why not, they said it was ok. Ok, you go first.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Very well put. You are absolutely right.

Sometimes we have posters who give fatuous advice as it was being handed down from on high--knowing full well that they cannot be held accountable for their statements. For experienced shooters this isn't a danger, but for people new to muzzleloading there is a real risk involved. Since we can't know for certain the condition of a firearm we can't see, conservative loads are the safest recommendation for all concerned. Absurd statements regarding loads are irresponsible and childish and have no place on a serious forum.

 

[musketman]

3F for pan & the main charge no matter the caliber. 3f requires less powder & is much cleaner burning.

I get more burnt holes through my patches with FFFg than I do with FFg in my Brown Bess, it just dosent like the finer powder.

 

[nkvd]

Hello All

Just to ask a dumb question,back in the day did the redcoats as an example use a seperate priming
powder? Why can't some of the cartridge main charge powder be used in todays flintlocks as they did back then? :hmm:

Cheers,Rob

 

[Coot]

Hello All

Just to ask a dumb question,back in the day did the redcoats as an example use a seperate priming
powder? Why can't some of the cartridge main charge powder be used in todays flintlocks as they did back then? :hmm:

Cheers,Rob

The military musket was primed with a little powder from the torn open cartridge & the remaining bulk of the powder poured down the barrel. Many of todays shooters (including this one) only carry one horn & prime with the same powder as the main charge. Other shooters prefer to prime with a finer powder. Both systems work - and have their advocates.

 

[Dphar]

Hello All

Just to ask a dumb question,back in the day did the redcoats as an example use a seperate priming
powder? Why can't some of the cartridge main charge powder be used in todays flintlocks as they did back then? :hmm:

Cheers,Rob

Coarser powder produces slower ignition than finer powder. I think it produces more fouling in the pan etc as well. Otherwise it works.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

In response to some of the "pie in the sky" comments on powders and charges.
I shoot FFFG in most rifles, at least under 58 caliber. But some will shoot better with FFG.

Shotguns generally do not pattern well with FFFG.

FFFFG is twice as fast in its physical burn rate than FFFG and FFF is twice FF. Now FFFG will not produce twice the pressure of FFG, it will be higher but the increased pressure is only part of the problem.
The other is in the pressure rise. Many barrels used in modern MLs are "flaky" material wise.
The faster you apply pressure to a piece of steel the weaker it gets. So FFFFG or FFFG might burst a barrel at a pressure level that FFG or FG would not.
The larger the bore the more grains are exposed to the flame and the faster the charge will fully ignite. This will make for a steeper pressure curve. Shooting unwadded blanks as is often done in battle re-enactments may promote higher pressure than the charge might if wadded with a paper wad.
Powders that are light and porous with no polish will burn faster than the same powder pressed harder and broken into hard granules and polished.

The reason few ML barrels fail (though a lot of them fail compared to modern guns) is that the steel is pretty strong even the brittle cold rolled stuff when BP is the propellant.
But they can and do fail at times.
The failures are high energy "events" that WILL seriously injure, maim and/or kill the shooter except in rare cases. It is all too easy to loose a hand or at least a few fingers.
The blown barrel pictured above is a classic brittle fracture.

I was at a Rendezvous some years back and some drunks were shooting a pound of FG at a shot as blanks from a full scale 12 pounder. This is ws probably an over pressure compared to 2 pounds of "cannon" granulation and a 12 pound ball. Even 50 yards away and behind the gun the concussion was noticeable. It would move the fabric of my shirt against my skin.
They needed cannon powder to be safe but probably thought FG was fine. And it was, too fine in fact.
Using FFFG in a 1" bore is needlessly dangerous FG is far safer. This and comments about being unable to blowup a ML indicates a lack of understanding of the process.
It is a dangerous mind set.

Dan