Black powder or Pyrodex

[Sam squanch]

Yes. Another signal to me when I go to examine a used muzzle loader for sale is if the guy has a naggy wife and 5 kids. Most of his guns unfortunately will NOT be in the best condition…..he ain’t got time !

 

[waksupi]

Heck, if you only shoot during deer season, make your own black powder.

 

[pilot]

I remember when Pyrodex first came out, but I cannot remember exactly why it was developed. I think it was for storage safety. The thing is, though, it was the first substitute on the market. As with any new product, the first to market just cannot get tested enough. Put it in the hands of consumers and things start to happen that haven't been adequately explored.

One of the design goals was volumetric matching with black powder so shooters wouldn't make loading mistakes. I believe this goal, while a great idea, dictated the formula to the point where it failed to match BP in other areas. In other words, close, but no cigar.

I've used several pounds of it over the years in percussion rifles, but I've slid into the flint addiction. The remaining substitute powser be used in the garden for fertilizer in the spring.

 

[Sam squanch]

Someone posted somewhere that all the steel cranes, railings, ferrous stuff in the pyrodex factory was extremely corroded. That’s all I need to know.

 

[stikshooter]

@stikshooter, there is a reason to choose Pyrodex over black powder and that reason is cost. As much as I prefer the use of black powder over any of the substitutes, I can not justify telling @Wisconsin Relic to pay so much more for a pound of black powder than a pound of Pyrodex or Triple 7 when all he needs is enough propellant to meet his needs for the hunting season and he has a percussion rifle not 5 pounds of GOEX, Schuetzen or Swiss powder. The substitutes can put him out in the hunting fields and tide him over until he can find real black powder. Please note: the substitute powder may seem to have a lot less apparent fouling, but that fouling is very corrosive. The good news is that it can be cleaned and the barrel can be protected, but a very thorough cleaning regimen must be followed. Those comments about ruining a barrel after using Pyrodex are relevant when the barrel is not cleaned.

Cost should never be a factor , shooting BP is not expensive in small quantities (5 LBS) can be had and like you said it can be had at a reasonable price and last a long time . No one expects any sport fishing/hunting /golfing to be cost free . Try one pole/reel/golf club/rifle/cartridge to be sufficient (it isn't) . If that doesn't work I'd find the propellent that does for the (OP) or park the gun and save up till you do/just sayin/Ed

 

[Mad L]

A message of reason. I’ve just started using the T/C .54 I built from a kit 20 years ago. Montana started a muzzle loader season 2 years ago. I’m using the pyrodex I bought than. Shot a mule deer buck last year. Montana is dry. I store my powder in a cool place. I have a friend that dropped a container of BP. It hit the concret, and exploded as he reached for it. We went through several skin grafts. The negative comments about pyrodex are ………

Black Powder IS Dangerous!
I knew a guy who once put BP down his barrel and when he accidentally dropped the hammer it created a spark that caused the powder in his barrel to Explode and a round ball of lead Flew Out, it traveled all the way down range and struck the target really hard!
He now only puts Pyrodex in his barrel and when the hammer falls: nothing happens. Now he doesn't worry anymore about ruining all that seasoning he has built up.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I have only 1 jug of Pyrodex RS that sits in the cabinet. I should use it up, I shoot T7 in my percussion rifle and save my BP for the flintlock.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

For 20 years Pyrodex was all I ever used in my T/C percussion hawken and I never had a misfire. 80 grains of Pyrodex P and a great plains HP conical was my standard load. I still use pyrodex select in my flintlocks, but it is a duplex load. Real BP goes in first then the pyrodex select on top. I can extend my supply of BP for a long time using duplex loads. my percussion shotgun shoots fine with pyrodex select. I must be fortunate that I have never had an issue with any brand of propellant in my flint and percussion guns.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[johnraleksa]

I was in the good luck bad luck crowd with Pyrodex. Discovered some years ago that it is highly hydroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air). The key is to buy the freshest manufacture date you can find and when storing it, vac seal it. Will keep stable for years like that.
If your rifle will digest it 777 and musket caps is a good combo, but musket caps can be hard to find these days and you have the same ordering expense with them as any powder.

I'm not arguing with anyone. I have and still using 777 and pr

 

[Bad Karma]

Quality Black Powder is the Gold Standard. It lasts for
decades and has great reliability. Substitutes, are there
because of lighter regulations. My experience is that
Pyrodex stores longer than other substitutes and preserves
its punch longer. 20 year old Pyrodex does its thing.
Triple 7 is less stable, in my experience and degrades faster.
Keep containers tight and out of heat. Keep your powder dry.

And watch yer’ top knot… or man bun…

 

[Bad Karma]

I was in the good luck bad luck crowd with Pyrodex. Discovered some years ago that it is highly hydroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air). The key is to buy the freshest manufacture date you can find and when storing it, vac seal it. Will keep stable for years like that.
If your rifle will digest it 777 and musket caps is a good combo, but musket caps can be hard to find these days and you have the same ordering expense with them as any powder.

Grafs has Scheutzen musket caps for 110 per thousand. I like them, excellent caps but be warned, they’re brass plated steel and immediately after firing they are hot. I wouldn’t be surprised if they could be reformed in a simple die, filled with prime mix and reused. If you’re into that sort of thing…

 

[johnraleksa]

I'm not arguing with anyone. I have and still using 777 and pr

Sorry about the have replie. Was saying I'm not arguing with anyone. I have always used pryi

I have shot some Pyrodex that has been in a powder horn since 1985. It to got lumpy but I could separate it into granules in my hand. It shot just like the day I opened it up. I don't know what people that are having problems are dong but it isn't the Pyrodex going bad.

I was trying to post earlier about my use of pyrodex. Bought 10 plastic 1 pound containers plus 10 1pound containers of 777 back in early 1990s still have some left. Never worried about storing it. Had open containers left in my vehicle parked out side for months. Only shoot few times a year manly before hunting season.I have two 50cal Thompson ml.For past 15 years always use 55 grains of 777 or pyrodex powder with a round ball or a maxi-ball. Shoot 25 yard and 50yard. Shoot into a 3 to 4 inch thick magazine with a 1/2 inch plywood behind that. Always the ball or maxi-ball passes through both then embeds it self into the wood backstop . That's my deer hunting load and have killed deer up to 100 yards. Never had any problems with old open containers of any kind. Just saying, have Blackpowder that I stored the same way and just as old shoots just as good.

 

[Siringo]

@stikshooter, there is a reason to choose Pyrodex over black powder and that reason is cost. As much as I prefer the use of black powder over any of the substitutes, I can not justify telling @Wisconsin Relic to pay so much more for a pound of black powder than a pound of Pyrodex or Triple 7 when all he needs is enough propellant to meet his needs for the hunting season and he has a percussion rifle not 5 pounds of GOEX, Schuetzen or Swiss powder. The substitutes can put him out in the hunting fields and tide him over until he can find real black powder. Please note: the substitute powder may seem to have a lot less apparent fouling, but that fouling is very corrosive. The good news is that it can be cleaned and the barrel can be protected, but a very thorough cleaning regimen must be followed. Those comments about ruining a barrel after using Pyrodex are relevant when the barrel is not cleaned.

I’ve seen ALOT of black powder barrels ruined by not cleaning too. The whole point should be no matter what you use, clean it and oil it. A lot of the chatter on line about pyrodex is just rumor. I stop listening to it and just clean when I happen to use it. I prefer black Because of ballistic uniformity.

 

[Mad L]

I’ve seen ALOT of black powder barrels ruined by not cleaning too. The whole point should be no matter what you use, clean it and oil it. A lot of the chatter on line about pyrodex is just rumor. I stop listening to it and just clean when I happen to use it. I prefer black Because of ballistic uniformity.

Yup, that right there!
Goes for any firearm, blade or tool; you use it, you clean it, and it will serve you well and long.

And for the record, I have no trouble with Pyrodex or any of the substitute powders, no problem with them what so ever! I never use them, never spent money on them, and never will.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

If you are too lazy to clean after using P+Dex you are too lazy to clean after using Black powder. discussion over...

 

[son of rooster]

777

 

[Howard Pippin]

Sadly, @Wisconsin Relic only needs powder for the hunting season and the expense of ordering real black powder online is really quite unreasonable for small quantities. He can get by with Pyrodex or 777. These perform better with the use of a hotter percussion cap and nipples designed to deliver more flame to the powder charge. The substitute powders are designed to replace real black powder on a volume basis. So, use the volume measure to dole out the powder charge. The magnum caps (CCI #11 Magnum or RWS 1075) may be hard to find, but they will produce more flame through the flash channel. Hot Shot, Red Hot or Spitfire nipples should be available. I hope that he seeks out other shooters and can share an order to obtain some real black powder.

As one who wanted to use 777 because of the availability and also Because I own quite a bit of pyrodex, I just take my nipples that are made for black powder that measure .026, and using wire bits, I bore them out to about .033. In order to be able to bore them I have to heat them up red and let them cool, go ahead and bore them out, then reheat them and throw them in a bucket of water and makes them hard again. It works for me. I save my black for my flintlock as it is hard to come by.
Squint

 

[LME]

As one who wanted to use 777 because of the availability and also Because I own quite a bit of pyrodex, I just take my nipples that are made for black powder that measure .026, and using wire bits, I bore them out to about .033. In order to be able to bore them I have to heat them up red and let them cool, go ahead and bore them out, then reheat them and throw them in a bucket of water and makes them hard again. It works for me. I save my black for my flintlock as it is hard to come by.
Squint

You have a good idea . The only time I have had a problem with ignition using Pyrodex was when I experimented with firing a few caps to see if it would clear out the oil I used when I last stored my M.L.
I didn;t have good results. If I wipe out the barrel and then shot a cap it worked everytime, so far. I haven't bored out a nipple but Once I noticed a change in my M.L. and found that I had burned out a nipple. I replaced it with a ,"Hot Shot" nipple and it started to shoot like I was used to. I like that you retempered your nipple and now you got me to thinking How long a mild steel nipple would last?

 

[CVA Enthusiast]

Depends on your poison, for Flintlocks bad choice, Cap Locks and In Lines do just fine, also it is easier for me to obtain (pyrodex) actual Black Powder not so much unless I want to spend all day on the hunt of just powder, I`d rather be shooting

 

[Mad L]

Depends on your poison, for Flintlocks bad choice, Cap Locks and In Lines do just fine, also it is easier for me to obtain (pyrodex) actual Black Powder not so much unless I want to spend all day on the hunt of just powder, I`d rather be shooting

All day to hunt black powder?!?

I just walk to the bedroom, look under my wife's side of the bed and it's Off To The Range!

I always take note of how much is left and when it gets to a few pounds, a few clicks on the computer or phone and More is on the way!

I guess for some black powder is like 'Love'; they just keep looking in all the wrong places.