3f or 4f

[Bowjo]

I have had trouble getting powder.I had a friend going to the Friendship shoot.I asked him to pick up a can of 3f powder for my flintlock.He said he couldn't get any 3f and brought me some 4f.He was told most of the flintlock shooters use 4f.
What is the prefered powder for a .45 flintlock rifle?How many grains of 4f powder should I use?I just need a starting point to go from.I thought that 3f was the best for flintlock rifles,but I am a newbie to this...Thank you,Joe

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

4F for prime only

2f or 3f for the bore

 

[roundball]

What is the prefered powder for a .45 flintlock rifle?
How many grains of 4f powder should I use?
I thought that 3f was the best for flintlock rifles,but I am a newbie to this

4F is very fast priming powder, normally reserved for use in the pan of a Flintlock.

For main charges 3F will often cover most of the situations / calibers...occasionally 2F will be a better choice.

A good starting point for most muzzleloaders is simply "the caliber"...ie: in a 45cal, a good plinking load is around 45/50 grains of 3F...and you can build up from there for longer distances and/or hunting loads

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

I am a beginner too and there are some seriously qualified people on this site. But what I've read is that 4F is for the pan and 3F or 2F is for the bore. Let's see what the others say....

 

[Bowjo]

I cannot get any 3f.I have some 2f,is that what I should use?Why would 3f not be available at a Muzzy shoot as big as the Friendship shoot anyway?....Joe

 

[roundball]

I cannot get any 3f.I have some 2f,is that what I should use?Why would 3f not be available at a Muzzy shoot as big as the Friendship shoot anyway?....Joe

2F will be fine...usually fouls a bit more than 3F so plan to have plenty of lightly damp wiping patches with you to wipe the bore reasonably clean between shots...

 

[tecum-tha]

I could be wrong, but I don't think the guys in Friendship are out of 3F powder. I rather think your friend described wrong what he wanted and described priming powder and got the correct 4F for priming.
If you would enter your location in your profile, you may find some help closeby.

 

[hanshi]

3F or 2F work just fine in the bore. 4F is for PRIMING only. :thumbsup:

 

[zerb]

There are some never, nevers when it come to muzzle-loading, and putting 4F in the bore is one of them.

 

[jamesthomas]

Agreed, NEVER EVER PUT 4F down as a main charge, Expensive hospital bills may occur if you use 4f as a main charge.

 

[Bowjo]

Thanks everyone.I am glad I checked here first.It is also good to hear I can use 2f in the bore.I have some of it left over from when I used to shoot percussion.I went to Cains muzzleloader in West Virginia and they didn't have any 3f either.Seems to be hard to come by.....Joe

 

[Larry Pletcher]

Friendship wasn't out of 3f. you could have bought 3f Goex or Swiss. There was a misunderstanding. Someone thought your friend wanted priming powder for a flint gun and tried to help him out. Tecum-tha was right. You can use 2f or 3f in your gun. I had a .45 that prefered 2f. Use 4f ONLY for priming. You will like it.
Regards,
Pletch

 

[buzz]

my flinters
if out inthe wilds i use 3f as one only has to carry one horn
but at the targets i use 2f main change and 3f in the pan
what i found is 4F is the common rule for the pan but i never used any if your lock wont spark right i guessing you need some

 

[bubba15301]

Bowjo what city are you near?

 

[Stony]

Bass Pro Shop is now carrying Goex black powder but you have to ask for it. And ask at the gun counter, nowhere else. Many of the employees don't know diddle doo to begin with and unless you get someone who knows something about black powder all you will get is the run around. Good luck.

 

[lonehorseman]

check out powderinc. They now ship 5 pound minimum orders (used to be 10, or maybe we just always ordered 10...) The more you buy, the cheaper it gets. I've had good luck with them in the past.

 

[stude 283]

Graf and sons has several brands.Can order any quantity(the more you order the less the hazardous handling fee hurts).Great service for me,just need adult signature on delivery. http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/3501?

 

[hobowonkanobe]

I was just recently told that some use 3fff for both priming and load. Not sure if this is bullox or not, I have always used 2ff in the bore and 4ffff in the pan. has anyone use the 3fff for both with any success?

 

Yes, it's done all the time, and with a well tuned good sparking lock, you can prime, and shoot with FFg in pan and barrel. It eliminates the need for a priming horn. One less thing to carry.

Bill

 

[hobowonkanobe]

that will simplify things; here in Oregon, finding 4ffff can be a pain and more. I managed to find one can of Goex 4ffff, but was later informed during winter (here that means rain) to use 3fff instead... this is how the topic came up.
Thanks for the verification.