Alternate uses for T7

[paulvallandigham]

The idea of someone standing around at a RENDEZVOUS claiming its hard to get real black powder is so tragic, its a laugh! Here you have a group of men and women, all in the same boat, and NOT ONE OF THEM is willing to say,

" How about we all putting together an order for black powder and order a case or two to be delivered to someone centrally located, so we can all pick our orders up?"

Or, " How about we all put together money to order black powder to be delivered here, at next year's Rendezvous?? All we need is for someone to order the powder and accept delivery, who will be coming to the rendezvous next year, and we will be set for our powder needs."

 

[Runner]

I am not the person to ask about shelf life. I shoot it up too quickly usually. Closest I can say is a guy showed up at a shoot selling a gun and possibles. I gave him part of the price for the bag that just happened to contain an open can of Pyrodex in it that had a different label than they use today. It shot as well as the rest as far as I know. If it was weakened by time I could not prove it. I fill a large horn and don't worry about it until it needs filling again. Never had a problem in a horn with it clumping that I ever knew about.
Don't let anyone kid you. Real black is better in just about every way unless you are shooting a large bore smoothbore. Pyrodex is a usable substitute.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have not seen or heard adverse reports about Pyrodex deterorating. I have heard or read such reports about other substitutes.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Paul, I didn't just make that up to keep you pissed off! That's what they told me and I saw no reason not to believe either of them. I have no idea why they did not poll their money and order BP. They seemed happy with the switch to American Pioneer. Not their first day on the range, nor their first rondy. I know one of the guys from working in the local sport shop, and he never lied to me before.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I am not angry, and certain not at you, nor do I doubt that there are guys just as you have described, Rat Trapper. Please, forgive me if I wrote anything to suggest I was.

My comment was for the benefit of the multitude of readers, and casual shooters that seem to wander onto this site, and join the legions of ranks of former BP shooters who claim they don't know how to find black powder anymore. One thing is certain, and that is they didn't read Claude's instructions on how to use this site, found at the top of the index page! With all the links we have here to suppliers, and then comments made every week by active members talking about the latest prices paid for powder, and where the cheapest price can be had, you have to wonder if these shooters can read at all! If so, how did they get on a computer? Us old guys( 60 and over) are frequently bashed by young people because we are not the most computer literate folks on the planet, and I confess to that failing myself. I was dragged, kicking and screaming, into owning a computer, and still prefer to read from paper, than off a screen. I still don't know how to do most things on this darn thing, but I am learning.

I only wish that people would do a better job of banning together in the common interest, and make sure they do have a supply of Black Powder for their needs, rather than using the inferior substitute powders, being frustrated, at both the high cost, and the poor and eratic performance of these powders. The fact that some of the powders loose their strength as they are exposed to air over weeks and months is a terrible indictment of the products. To me, at least, its like paying $50,000 for an expensive Car, only to find that the paint job begins to fade after about 5 months.