Cleanest burning bp?

Yeah, I remember back in '77 or '78 or so when my powder dealer was so excited about this new thing called Pyrodex.

Sorry Homie, I mean Mr. Homesteader, but...

ff

 

[coloradoclyde]

The question I have is;
Does ff apply to an individual post or the direction of the discussion?
if it is an individual post then your post was also ff if it applies to the direction of the discussion then both our posts are ff

 

[MacRob46]

Using "cleaner" to describe black powder is like saying less dead or less pregnant. It just ain't so. Fouling, as I said, can be more or less depending on granulation and humidity but the powder is still dirty. Even so, I have never had a problem with it except under very dry conditions.

 

[Col. Batguano]

ff discussions of ff posts are ff . now I'm ff

 

[hanshi]

:stir:

 

[coloradoclyde]

ff discussions of ff posts are ff . now I'm ff

You are correct.

Now to get back on topic;

The term black powder is incorrectly, but often used synonymously with BP substitutes.

Goex is the only real BP I have ever used, but if the OP is interested in a clean shooting propellant then Alliant's Black MZ is the cleanest I have tried. But I have not tried it in a percussion revolver. but based on my use of it in rifles and shotguns I think you could shoot an entire pound of it without having to clean the gun.

 

[Naphtali]

Mike:

I'm uncertain that we are on the same page. While you ask about black powder that leaves less residue than others, I think - I hope - your real question is: How can I reduce fouling, preferably as low as it can go?

I make the distinction because I shoot BIG bore muzzleloading rifles that use very large powder charges. This amount of propellant per shot is about the best way I know of to create excessive fouling. Yet the rifles' bores have very little. And fouling deposit doesn't change much regardless the number fired - that is, I am the shot limiter, fouling is not.

I shoot mallet-loaded bullets having two lube grooves. And now we come to what I think allows me to get away with such large powder charges. The lubricant is SPG applied by pan lubing. Since Goex FFg is the propellant and I do not swab or clean or run patches through bores during my sessions, the only variable that might account for the lack of residue build-up is SPG.

I apologize for being so "windy."

Hope this helps.

 

The question I have is;
Does ff apply to an individual post or the direction of the discussion?
if it is an individual post then your post was also ff if it applies to the direction of the discussion then both our posts are ff

Since I quoted him, anyone familiar with using forums would assume I was referring to his post. The mention of black powder "substitutes" is off topic.

 

[bpd303]

Yep, I have discovered that lube has a lot to with fouling and the perception of clean burning real black powder.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Yep, I have discovered that lube has a lot to with fouling and the perception of clean burning real black powder.

Very true!

 

[azmntman]

Prior to converting to the dutch system I had the very best luck with Hoppes # 9 patch lube. Could literally shoot till I went home without swabbing. I believe the Dutch system is gonna prove the way to go if I can ever get time to really put in the range time and get 2-3 rifles zeroed in. I am into accuracy above all and believe a 2" group at 80 yards is doable or I usually get rid of the rifle. I may be getting older though so hope not to have a mass sale! LOL my eyes suck lately.

 

[Zonie]

Your question is reasonable.

Yes, there are fouling differences between the various brands of real black powders.

Probably the cleanest burning black powders are Swiss and Olde Eynsford. These powders are not only cleaner burning but they are slightly more powerful than the other brands.

GOEX, Schuetzen and KIK are less powerful and produce a larger amount of fouling.

GOEX is commonly the most available powder and is the one usually thought of by shooters in the US.
It is made in the US and the GOEX company also makes the Olde Eynsford powder.

GOEX also makes a "Reenactor Gunpowder".
They say it is mainly for shooting blank powder charges but it will work in any gun made for shooting real black powder.
I can't say how bad it is when it comes to fouling because I haven't shot any of it. I do understand that it is close to being a 2Fg powder but its grain size isn't controlled as accurately as the higher priced black powders. It is supposedly less costly and it would work fine in a C&B revolver.

Jackspowderkeg sells Jacks Battle Powder, a 3Fg powder he buys in bulk form and packages in cans with his company label on them. I'm pretty sure it is GOEX powder but it might be KIK.

Long ago and in a galaxy not so far away a company called Elephant also sold a lot of their black powder in the US.
Most of it was weak and it produced more fouling than any black powder I ever saw, before or since.
It was made in Brazil and its only saving grace was it was low cost.

Elephant went out of business because its land was worth more than the company. As I understand it, a company called Diamond has bought up the old Elephant equipment and is producing black powder for sale in the US.
The little I've read about Diamond powder seems to indicate they got the bad fouling under control and it's better now.
If you buy some and its bad fouling causes your gun to "lock up", don't blame ole' Zonie, ya' hear? :grin:

 

[hanshi]

Yes, JBP IS manufactured by Goex; and in my guns often gives higher velocities than standard Goex (that will often vary from gun to gun).

 

[S.Kenton]

There's no such as a "clean" or even "cleaner" black powder. I would suppose it depends on the gun and other factors such as lube, prb size and patch thickness. BP is DIRTY and that fact shouldn't even enter into the ML shooting equation. Simply shoot what gives you good performance and don't worry over it.

Well said Hanshi!

 

[MacRob46]

There's no such as a "clean" or even "cleaner" black powder. I would suppose it depends on the gun and other factors such as lube, prb size and patch thickness. BP is DIRTY and that fact shouldn't even enter into the ML shooting equation. Simply shoot what gives you good performance and don't worry over it.

Well said Hanshi!

Thanks for supporting my earlier post saying essentially the same thing - both of you. The best measure of quality of black powder is the ballistic performance of the gun in which it is shot, not whether it fouls more or less.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Using "cleaner" to describe black powder is like saying less dead or less pregnant.

Don't be ignorant ...

If the same gun, same lube (or 2 or more), same volumetric charge and same patch cleans up DIFFERENTLY between the 2 powdahs ... to what sir do YOU then attribute that one may be cleaner if not much cleaner than the other?

Maybe attributable to pregnant poo flinging monkeys ... :youcrazy:

 

[nit wit]

The A/O's have been using KIK,good stuff. Pyrodex
can eat your barrel,bad stuff.
Nit Wit

 

[MacRob46]

Using "cleaner" to describe black powder is like saying less dead or less pregnant.

Don't be ignorant ...

If the same gun, same lube (or 2 or more), same volumetric charge and same patch cleans up DIFFERENTLY between the 2 powdahs ... to what sir do YOU then attribute that one may be cleaner if not much cleaner than the other?

Maybe attributable to pregnant poo flinging monkeys ... :youcrazy:

No need to be a jerk about it. After 46 years in muzzle loading I have learned some simple truths and one of the main ones is that black powder is a dirty propellant. The degree of dirtiness varies based on granulation and humidity primarily. The formula for making black powder is generally the same for all manufacturers and I do not know what additives one company or another may put in their formulas or what the additives are for but unless one or more companies has discovered a way to make the powder burn "cleaner" then one brand is just about as dirty as another and, and this is a rhetorical question, what difference does it make if one powder leaves more or less fouling than another as long as the gun is shooting center? If you use a properly fitting projectile and/or patch and lubricant you can minimize the fouling but at the end of the day you still have to clean the gun! Is that plain enough for you?

 

[azmntman]

Maybe attributable to pregnant poo flinging monkeys ...

I will do a drive by the range and if the monkeys are out, pregnant or not, I won't shoot, just drive on by. Not worth the risk

 

[dcriner]

I have used several brands of black powder - couldn't tell any difference in dirtiness. But, whatever, they all cleaned up after firing.