Best Brand of Black Powder

[PowderMonkey98]

Hey guys! So I got into black powder shooting a few years ago when my grandfather built me a rifle for my 18th birthday. He also gave me a powder horn and some other shooting accessories to go with it. I have recently noticed that my powder horn is getting lighter and lighter, and I have no idea how much powder was in it to begin with, since the top has been sealed shut. What do you guys recommend for black powder? My papaw says he wouldn't use Pyrodex in it, as it isn't real black powder. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Carl in France]

Swiss.

 

[JohnnieT]

I agree that Swiss is excellent powder, but I mostly use Goex. I’m only a 30 minute drive from Dixie Gun Works and they usually have it in stock, occasionally on sale. Swiss can be gotten easily enough online. Check out www.grafs.com.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Swiss is excellent black powder. Olde Eynsford by GOEX is almost as clean shooting and about as energetic. For all practical purposes, GOEX is good enough and more likely to be available if the local shops want to go through the regulatory hassle of storing black powder. Grafs is a good source for ordering powder.

 

[FishDFly]

Best is really hard to define. Best as in cleanliest, best as in being able to buy local, best as in the least costly, etc.

For occasional use, they are all about the same.

 

[NorthFork]

Regular Goex, Swiss, Goex Old Eynsford are all just fine. I use plain Goex.

 

[Spikebuck]

If it's all sighted in with a specific powder and that's working for you, I'd probably buy what's in it as far as brand and granulation.

That said, I'd have to say that Swiss is the best from an energy and cleanliness standpoint. It's also the most costly. Many others are very good powders and in the end accuracy has a lot more to do with the shooter than the powder, as long as it's a good reputable brand and one does a thorough load workup. Goex is US, so that's one advantage to support US business.

A friend and I just put in a powder order together so we could lower the cost by buying in a volume....I got Swiss....he got Schuetzen, which is about $5 less a pound and he says just as clean. I've found Powder, Inc. to be an excellent source if ordering.

 

[BullRunBear]

I've always used Goex for muzzleloaders and in BP cartridges and it has done the job. I understand the serious target competitors use Swiss for the best reliability, consistency, and relative clean burning. It also costs quite a bit more. My marksmanship isn't good enough for that to matter much.

Jeff

 

[griffiga]

Hey guys! So I got into black powder shooting a few years ago when my grandfather built me a rifle for my 18th birthday. He also gave me a powder horn and some other shooting accessories to go with it. I have recently noticed that my powder horn is getting lighter and lighter, and I have no idea how much powder was in it to begin with, since the top has been sealed shut. What do you guys recommend for black powder? My papaw says he wouldn't use Pyrodex in it, as it isn't real black powder. Any suggestions? Thanks!

My two cents worth is "the best Black Powder is what you can find." Seems like real Black is getting harder to find. That being said, I happen to have a goodly supply or real black, everything from Elephant to Swiss. and a couple in between. I agree the Swiss is my favorite, but I have shot, by far, GOEX as it was the most plentiful in my neck of the woods. Sad thing is that when the Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, Utah back in 2002, they banned the sale of Black Powder in the county for fear some idiot would want to blow up some athletes. Problem is, that has been 18 years ago and nobody has thought to rescind it. You can buy it, if available, in other counties. That was what I was told by a somewhat reliable source. Remember, the worst black powder is better than the best pyrodex.

 

[griffiga]

Swiss is excellent black powder. Olde Eynsford by GOEX is almost as clean shooting and about as energetic. For all practical purposes, GOEX is good enough and more likely to be available if the local shops want to go through the regulatory hassle of storing black powder. Grafs is a good source for ordering powder.

I've bought from Grafs before and it works good. Several of us went in on 25 pounds and split the shipping and HAZMAT fee and it wasn't too bad.

 

[hanshi]

There's really no "best" black powder. There's only what you can afford, what shoots well in your rifle and what's available. I won't buy expensive powder and do just fine with the "blue collar" level ones. Goex powders, Graf's or even Diamondback will work just fine. Try and get whatever was in the horn you've emptied.

 

[PowderMonkey98]

Thanks guys! Since it doesn't really matter much what I buy as long as it's real black powder, I'll just have to make a stop by my local Mahoney's and see what they have

 

[Dibbuk]

I use GOEX, and have no trouble with it.

 

[Eterry]

Been using Goex (DuPont back in the day) for over 40years. I recently won a couple pounds of Scheutzen powder but haven't tried it.
Almost any black powder currently available will suffice, unless you're into bench rest matches.

 

[dave951]

1. SWISS- competition, accuracy
2 OLD EYNSFORD- competition, accuracy
3. REGULAR GOEX/SCHUTZEN- all round plinking, casual shooting

FORGET Pyrodex unless you want to deal with the most corrosive, hardest fouling, most awful abomination of a powder ever devised.

 

[Frontier's]

Pyrodex is a very good consistent powder. Some are just snobs towards it.

I've shot swiss, it certainly is powerful but no where near as accurate as goex or gearhart owen in MY GUNS. I've tried everything from 50gr charges to 100gr charges, easy loading combos to gut bursting patched ball combos, swabbing, not swabbing.... It was by far the worst powder in my guns for accuracy.

I refined my own stock of Gearhart Owen ( Originally artillery powder ) and after going through the process of screening 2fg and 3fg, THAT stuff is by far the most accurate I've shot. Commercial made powders, INCLUDING swiss, are inconsistent in power granulation size.

Last chrony test I ran with my G-O powder, I had an average spread of only 24 FPS SD WITHOUT swabbing between shots.

Olde Eynsford another good solid powder and I have a couple lbs of that on the shelf.

 

[Carbon 6]

Pyrodex is a very good consistent powder. Some are just snobs towards it.

I've shot swiss, it certainly is powerful but no where near as accurate as goex or gearhart owen in MY GUNS. I've tried everything from 50gr charges to 100gr charges, easy loading combos to gut bursting patched ball combos, swabbing, not swabbing.... It was by far the worst powder in my guns for accuracy.

I refined my own stock of Gearhart Owen ( Originally artillery powder ) and after going through the process of screening 2fg and 3fg, THAT stuff is by far the most accurate I've shot. Commercial made powders, INCLUDING swiss, are inconsistent in power granulation size.

Last chrony test I ran with my G-O powder, I had an average spread of only 24 FPS SD WITHOUT swabbing between shots.

Olde Eynsford another good solid powder and I have a couple lbs of that on the shelf.

G earhart
O wen
EX plosives

 

[Zonie]

Thanks guys! Since it doesn't really matter much what I buy as long as it's real black powder, I'll just have to make a stop by my local Mahoney's and see what they have

Just remember, the stores that have real black powder must keep it locked up in a Federally approved storage compartment.
That means, you will not see real black powder sitting on the shelf where anyone can see it. It also means that often, the sales clerk's don't even know the store has it. Talk to the owner or the store manager to find out if they have it. He's also the one that will have access to the key to the storage compartment.

The one place in Phoenix that carries real black powder likes the buyer to call ahead to make the order. That way they can have it ready when the costumer gets there.
Depending on the state you live in, you might also have to show identification and sign for the powder when you get it.

 

[MC One Shot]

The best black powder is the band and grade of powder that shoots the best in your muzzleloading firearm...

 

[Art Caputo]

Over a +40 year period, I have found GOEX to be the most accessible(in the Northeast), consistent from lot to lot with a very long shelf life, and capable of producing accuracy in most all my rifles that meets or exceeds my requirements(<3MOA@100 yards)...... My personal criteria.