Anyone use Olde Eynesford 1.5 FG?

[brewer12345]

This seems like an oddball grade. Anyone use it? Useful in a bigger bore? I have a 54 and a 58 and still playing with them to see best accuracy with different powders.

 

[rodwha]

I’ve heard people sometimes find it ideal in large gauge shotguns and unmentionable packaged ammunition.

I use 3F, but may eventually will try 2F if I can’t find an accurate load for my rifle. I have many things to try first and would much prefer to need just one granulation if possible.

 

[Frontier's]

i plan on using it as i just ordered 5lbs 10 days ago and still waiting for it to come in. Remember that OE is finer grade than goex, so while it says 1.5 it may be a closer granulation to 2fg goex.

 

[Dave Marsh]

I use it in my 58 caliber hunting rifle. Shoots to my satisfaction. No swabbing between shots. I also use it in my 20 gauge fowler and have had good results. Have not tried it in any other guns.

Dave

 

[Herb]

Olde Eynsford 2F and 1 1/2F are wonderful powders. I've shot 8 to 10 pounds of each through my .50, .54 and .58 Hawkens. They are very close in velocity and accuracy, but OE 1 1/2F is my favorite. Here is some string cutting at 100 yards from bench rest I did with a copy I made of Jim Bridger's Hawken. I used .530 cast balls, CCI 11 caps and 100 grains of powder from weight-corrected measures. No wiping of the bore, just a damp cleaning patch on the seater jag to wipe the bore as I seated the ball.

 

[Herb]

Goex 2F is slower than these two powders. In three Hawkens I built, 9 groups of 37 shots of 100 grains (weight corrected measure) of Goex 2F and .530 balls averaged 1733 fps with an average spread of 63 fps. Here is my LAST copy of Jim Bridger's Hawken at top (way too heavy for me) and my first one below. These are my first targets of OE 2F and OE 1 1/2F. I did not have the right patching with the OE 2F, it will shoot with about the same accuracy as OE 1 1/2F. This barrel has a 1 in 48" twist, compared to the 1 in 60 of the GRRW barrel of my first Bridger, and it gives higher velocity. I really like OE 1 1/2F powder! The group is 1.25".

ally like

 

[brewer12345]

Very interesting. I have belatedly realized that I have at least one rifle (58 slow twist) that will not ignite Black MZ (favorite sub) reliably and seems to like slower powders. Of what I have on hand, it shoots OE 2F the best and I am down to half a pound. Was wondering if 1.5 was too coarse for the 58 and the 54.

 

[Herb]

Olde Eynsford 1 1/2F is a really good powder in a .58. Here is are my first Bridger Hawken .54 and a .58 fullstock flint Hawken I built. I shot 100 grains of O.E. 3F with each, you can see why I do not use it. It may be made to group well, but I no longer use it. The middle bottom target is the .58 with 100 grains of OE 1 1/2F.

 

[Frontier's]

Just opened my first bottle of 1.5fg OE and am pleased to find its no coarser than my old gearhart owen 2fg.

 

[Bob McBride]

Thanks for the data Herb!

 

[Many Klatch]

I have used it in reloading brass shells for more modern rifles. I was not overly impressed with it as a muzzleloader component. Might as well use 2F

 

[Ames]

Those are some nice lookin' guns ya got there Herb.

 

[Ames]

Can I ask what with/ how you put the finish on them?

 

[Herb]

The first Bridger had the worn places in the pattern of the original (see my avatar at left) left unstained and the dark areas are done with Fiebing's dark brown oil leather dye, or maybe it was Lincoln. Then I came back with Track's Original Oil Finish (I think it was) to darken the unstained part from white to yellowish, or maybe it was LMF Lancaster Maple. Probably put tung oil on as a finish. Barrel is LMF Barrel Brown Degreaser, rest of parts are heat blued.

Last one was more complicated. Decided Fiebing's was too red, wanted Lincoln leather dye, didn't have it. Wanted a brown-black color. SO- tested for the darkest dye I had, used Muzzleloader Builders Supply's Color Rich for Tiger Maple on the dark areas. Soaked good, blended edges. Used Track's Original Oil with a few drops of LMF Nut Brown stain on whole stock, several coats. Smoked stock with a small lamp, steel wooled to blend. Did several times. Tested Fiebings in barrel channel, it went right through the finish. Mixed a little Fiebings with OOF for more coats. Color Rich Stain also went through the finish to touch up a couple of spots. Steel-wooled finish. Ram rod is .500 inch stained with Fiebings,

Barrel had four coats of Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown Degreaser, left a little thin or streaky. May put on some more coats and then boil for a blue color. Breech plug, tang, lock, trigger plate and trigger guard, screws and bolts, butt plate and toe plate were all heat blued to just color, then steel-wooled to worn look. Escutcheons, keys, entry pipe and nose cap left white.

I have handled the Bridger rifle and like the way it looks now. Thus I simulate the wear. There is no fakery, my name is stamped on the bottom flat. My first copy (with the shorter barrel) has been shot a few thousand times by now and hunted elk for several seasons. I like the worn look. Like my 67 year old Martin D-18 guitar compared to a plasticky looking new one.

 

[Ames]

Well, the quality of your finishing efforts show up even on the computer screen. Well done!

 

[TGJaeger]

Herb,
I always have enjoyed your posts a great deal. You don’t over explain or spend too much time on the chemistry of things. You know what you want the finished product to look like or do and work at it until you are satisfied. There is a lot to be said for that approach.
Thank you!!

 

[stikshooter]

This seems like an oddball grade. Anyone use it? Useful in a bigger bore? I have a 54 and a 58 and still playing with them to see best accuracy with different powders.

I have shot a 25 LB case of it an you will find it works well with a gentler push(less kick) in big bore muzzle loaders than OE 2 F though I use the most in my long range 45 Renegade (1-18 ) twist . My typical load is a lightly compressed 80 grains under a paper patched 530 grain slick ,working to 700 yds . Shoot 40-50 loads on our range days and no problem with my 10 LB gun and me @145 LBS Other guns used are 50/54/58/and a 610 rifled and a 610 smoothy barrel

 

[Herb]

Stikshooter, thank you for that post! I for one really appreciate your experience. Last summer I phoned Craig Kirkland at Bear River Powder to ask him about Olde Eynsford popularity. He said he'd recently taken a pickup load of it to a shoot in Wyoming and sold it all out. I told him I did not like OE 3F and he told me he had only got it to shoot well once, in a black powder .38-55 if I remember correctly. Likely it can be made to shoot accurately, but if someone experiments with it with poor results, don't judge OE by it. OE 2F and OE 1 1/2F are wonderful powders, and I expect they would work very well even in small calibers such as a .40.