3f or 4f

[DUSTY 14]

i prime with 4f most of the time but at one rondy the range is in heavy cover with major need for skeeter dope to avoid blood donation. kept miss firing till i wiped her clean and primed 3f from the load horn. what fun here in the PACIFIC NORTH WET

 

[Rifleman1776]

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?

Any bp, 2, 3, or 4Fg will work for priming a flinter. But, there is a reason why 4Fg is the desired grade for this job. It is faster. :shocked2: Here it comes, the videos, fancy timers, etc. to prove me wrong. :grin:
My experience is 2Fg. is notably slower than 3Fg when used as a primer. I can tell the difference. I cannot tell the difference between 3 & 4Fg. as a primer. But, I surmise if 3 is faster than 2, then 4 must be faster than 3. Besides it flows and primes easier. Plus I like it better. Plus I have a supply that will last longer than me. Plus I'm old and stubborn and facts ain't gonna change my mind on this subject. So...there. :wink:

 

[Black Hand]

I load and prime with FFFg.

 

[RMJPieracini]

BEWARE Powder in the pan is not always needed.
Earlier this year at a gong shoot my flint broke in half. I did not notice it untill I was about to prime the pan. So I cleaned out the pan with a brush and proceeded to install a new flint. After the flint was installed I was about to test the new rock for spark when I remembered that I had a charge in the tube. So without adding any powder to the pan, I leveled of at a gong and touched the trigger.....BOOM...gong. Without any primer powder a flint lock will still fire.

 

[Billnpatti]

Whoa, there !!! :surrender: NEVER put 4f in any bore. :shake: It is intended only as a priming powder for a flintlock. It is a very fast burning powder and will over pressure your bore. The result can be catastrophic. :nono:

 

[ebiggs1]

My experience is 2Fg. is notably slower than 3Fg when used as a primer. I can tell the difference. I cannot tell the difference between 3 & 4Fg. as a primer. But, I surmise if 3 is faster than 2, then 4 must be faster than 3. Besides it flows and primes easier. Plus I like it better.

Just for fun, I have let folks that have never shot a flintlock shoot mine and have done a simple test. I ask if they notice any difference in the firing of the gun. I secretly switch powders for prime with out telling and let them shoot it.
If they are not very lucky guessers, they have no problem telling 2F from 4F. Not so much between 3F and 4F. And this is from people that are not knowledgeable about flintlocks. :hmm:
And another fact most people ignore is all the things you do to slow down your flintlock is accumulative. :shocked2: They are not congruent, they add up.

 

[Larry Pletcher]

The link below is a comparison of 6 different powder samples used for priming:

Link

The differences are measurable but not always apparent to every shooter.

regards,
Pletch

 

[Rifleman1776]

all the things you do to slow down your flintlock is accumulative. They are not congruent, they add up.

To which, I must reply....Uh???

 

[Rifleman1776]

I've seen that before and commend you for doing it. I love the pics and vids.
But, yu proved about a 3-thousands of a second difference. Wow! That's huge, takes me from an X to an 8 every time. And I notice it. :wink: :rotf:
Downside. Too much science. Facts take the fun out of campfire debates.
I like 4Fg for priming because I like it. And that's that. :v

 

[VTdeerhunter]

This is one of those fun topics that will always have a divided camp, when you find something that works for you, like me I'm sure you dig your heels in and keep using that method..... it's like asking 5 people around the campfire to tell you the best way to sharpen a knife...by the end of the night (or end of the bottle :wink: ) you will have 15 answers from those 5 people.... :hatsoff:

For what it's worth, I have always used 4F in the pan, and always will.