cal. 45 - fffg or ffg ???

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Hallo All,
Until now I have always shot my 3 cal. 45 flintlocks with Swiss nr. 2 BP in FFFG...
I read the recomandation to use FFFG till cal. 45 and to start FFG (also) from cal. 45 and higher...
Before I buy some FFG (and find out it 's no good) I wanted to ask if anyone has tried the two into their gun, and found a difference? Do you had to change the quantity of the load when you did change? Thank you for your info!

 

[BigBoreBLR]

I've tried both 2 and 3f, but in 50 percussion and 54 flintlock.

2f feels like a touch less recoil, but 3f goes more shots before I get ignition problems.

I stick with 3f. I've been using goex

 

[ZUG]

I shoot 2F in my 1863 Zouave, 20, 12, & 10 gauge's -- everything else gets 3F. Seems to do just fine for me :thumbsup: .

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

FFFg for me in my 44, 45, 50 & 54 flint rifles. FFg left too much fouling for me ...

 

[jbwilliams3]

If you have used and had success with 3f, there is little reason to change, in my opinion. The only reason I would use 2f with any of my current guns would be if someone gave me some for free.

I remember the first pound of powder I ever bought was 3f for a .45 rifle. My late father had a lb. of it amongst his gun supplies so when I got into muzzleloading I used that up (against the advice of a friend) and found it worked great in my .45. So I went to the store and asked the man behind the counter for some 3f Goex and he replied, “is this for a rifle or a pistol.” I told him it was for a rifle and he lectured me that I was asking for the wrong thing, that 3f wouldn’t work in a rifle, and he would get me 2f instead. Fortunately, I stuck to my guns, but I wish I could go back in time with 12 years or so of experience to refute his patently false knowledge. All that to say, there are still lingering myths out there that state 3f is no good for larger calibers. I’m glad I never listened to folks who say that.

 

[Spikebuck]

So I went to the store and asked the man behind the counter for some 3f Goex and he replied, “is this for a rifle or a pistol.”

He probably got all he knew from the labels on Pyrodex bottles! :rotf:

To Tanka...if it ain't broke, don't fix it. :grin:

 

[Larry Akers]

I use 3F in everything. It shoots cleaner in my guns.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

When I read all this info, I will stay where I am and don't bother to try out 2F... Thank you all for your input!

 

[Pete44ru]

FFFg for me in my 44, 45, 50 & 54 flint rifles.

Ditto - K.I.S.S. for both flinter main & ignition charges & caplock charges.

Simple has worked for me, over the past 45 years of muzzleloading.

 

[hanshi]

I use 3F for everything from .32 to .62.

 

[Cowboy]

I personally use fffg Goex in all my Muzzleloader's. From.45 being the smallest Caliber to .58 being the largest. As mentioned before, I've noticed less fowling and seems to burn cleaner.

It also takes less powder to produce the same energy levels as fffg. For instance, if I were to use a 70 grain load of 2F, I would back it off to 60 grains of 3F. That's only an example of what I do. Takes less of 3F to produce the same results as 2F.

Respectfully,Cowboy

 

[Zonie]

FFFg for me in my 44, 45, 50 & 54 flint rifles.

Ditto - K.I.S.S. for both flinter main & ignition charges & caplock charges.

Simple has worked for me, over the past 45 years of muzzleloading.

As our friend is from Antwerp - Belgium, he may not know about the "K.I.S.S." acronym.

It means "Keep It Simple, Stupid".

 

[Ranger1759]

3f in all my rifles, .45,50,54, and 2f in my smoothies, .58, .62 and .66... Works great for me and my needs. All are flinters by the way.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Do you had to change the quantity of the load when you did change?

Common practice is to reduce charges by 10% to 15% when switching from 2f to 3f.

Remember it's the same powder, but since 3f is ground finer more of it will fit in your measure.

GW

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Thank you all!

 

[Tom Compton]

I use FFg Goex in everything .32 and up, flintlock and pistol. 4F in the pan.
TC

 

[Kansas Jake]

I'm with the 3f crowd, but would use 2f in anything too. I do have 2f that I've used in a TC 50 over the years. It likes 80 grains as a hunting load. But it works just as well with 3f. If I found a bargain price on 2f, I'd buy it and burn it up with the rest in everything I shoot.

 

[Zonie]

The only time using 2Fg powder is necessary is if heavy elongated projectiles are being shot.

With a patched roundball, either 2Fg or 3Fg powder can be used but with heavy slugs the breech pressure can become excessively high with the faster burning 3Fg powder.

Although there are a few instances of 3Fg powder shown when using slugs in Lymans BLACK POWDER HANDBOOK & LOADING MANUAL 2nd ed., almost all of the loads for them are using 2Fg powder.

Even with 2Fg powder under the heavy slugs it isn't uncommon to see breech pressures of over 17,000 psi with a 80 grain powder load.
For instance, a 280 grain Buffalo HP Conical in a .45 caliber barrel loaded over a 80 grain load of GOEX 2Fg powder had a breech pressure of 21,300 psi.

80 grains of 3Fg powder in the same barrel under a patched .440 diameter roundball produced a breech pressure of 15,300 psi and 80 grains of 2Fg produced a breech pressure of 12,300 psi. (pg 153)

 

[SDSmlf]

If you already have loads that work would not even consider changing because of something you read (on the internet?). Personally, just received a case of Swiss fff. Will use it for pistols and rifles. Many calibers - 36, 45, 50, 58 and 62. Flint and caplock. Keep ff on hand for experimentation but really don't use it for what I shoot.

If you work up a load with ff would suggest you reduce 10 to 15% for fff starting load. Adjust load up and down until you find the most accurate load and you are there - ff or fff. I have found fff cleaner than ff and Swiss cleaner and hotter than Goex. Find what works for you and stick with it.

 

[Billnpatti]

I have rifles and pistols ranging in caliber from .32 to .54. All I shoot in any of them is fffG. I have about 4 cans of ffG just sitting on my shelf that is unlikely to ever be used. The fffG is good stuff and burns cleaner then ffG in all of my guns. As a previous poster said, reduce your load by about 10% when changing from ffG to fffG.