Elephant powder, how good?

[Cruzatte]

On a positive note, one fellow black powder enthusiast suggested Elephant powder would be excellent for blowing up stumps.

 

[ZUG]

More info --
"Elephant
Although Elephant brand black powder was only sold in the United States for a relatively brief period of less than I decade, I still come across it now and then.

Manufactured by the Pernambuco Powder Factory in Brazil, over two million pounds of Elephant Brand Black Powder was imported into the United States between 1992 and 2001 (Knight 2). It is difficult to say what percentage was sold for military and pyrotechnic applications but the primary market was for muzzle loading firearms.

At varying times, Elephant Blackpowder was packaged in plastic bottles and steel cans. The essay, "S/A Pernambuco Powder Factory - The Final Years, 1992 to 2001" goes into a fair amount of detail to explain the history of the brands packaging

By most accounts, it was pretty good black powder but quality varied some what from year to year. According to some souces, 1999 was perhaps the best run.

Personally, I have only had experience with vintage 1997 Elephant Blackpowder but I found it to be perfectly satisfactory but although it did not burn quite as cleanly as Goex.

Though the Pernabuco factory had been in business for over a hundred years previous to the first shipment to the U.S, it seems that they saw little opportunity for sales in North America. According to William Knight's paper on the Pernambuco Powder Factory, it was only after a 1991 explosion at the Goex Plant had resulted in a black powder shortage in the U.S. did the time seem right to enter the American Market. The Pernambuco Powder Factory closed its doors in 2001.

A few years later however, the business was restarted in Brazil at a new location, under new management under the company name of, Elephant Industria Quimica. The powder made by this plant is sold in the U.S. under the Diamondback brand."

 

[Maven]

A few years later however, the business was restarted in Brazil at a new location, under new management under the company name of, Elephant Industria Quimica. The powder made by this plant is sold in the U.S. under the Diamondback brand."

I tried both the original "Elephant" BP years ago (still have some 4Fg) and its Diamondback replacement and the difference was pronounced. The latter was much cleaner, and I think energetic, than the latter. I wish I could still get the Diamondback brand, as it is was excellent value.

 

[hanshi]

On a positive note, one fellow black powder enthusiast suggested Elephant powder would be excellent for blowing up stumps.

I use cheap whiskey for that; a waste of good useable powder.

 

[Ridge]

I shot a lot of Elephant powder back in the day. It was weaker, it was dirtier...but its not like it was cursed. Just shoot it.

 

[Jay Templin]

Fine for reenacting, and I never had any real complaints from shooting live rounds, either. Guns go bang, they get dirty, you clean them. Not enough hassle to justify turning down free powder.
Jay

 

[Josephg]

I shot a lot of Elephant powder in the eighties nineties. When I ran out and they went out of business, retired my elephant foot hammer.
Elephant didn't have as much power as GOEX or Swiss. Those were lean years for me so I burned what I could get.

 

[rickpa]

From what I saw at my friends house, the powder was from 1999 and 2000. Back in 2004 I met Bill Knight AKA the Mad Monk, at Dixon's and spent an hour or so listening to him discourse on black powder and its manufacture. From what I remember it jives with what was said here about the latest lots being better. I believe I'll pick it up and try mixing it with some GOEX and playing around with it, keeping some pure GOEX for serious work. Many thanks for the info.

 

[Bassdog1]

I was given two pounds by a friend one 3F and one 4f. gave the 4f to a flintlock shooter. I shot the 3f through a 45 Cherokee and yep it was dirty but I was able to shoot decent groups with it. I would not mix it with Goex or if I did I would do it in small amounts. Each powder has its own qualities and I would use each as they are so not to turn good Goex into less effective dirtier Goex if that makes sense.

 

[tenngun]

Just a thought. DuPont came to America and started making powder, I’m thinking 1810(?).
Found American powder dirty and lower powered.
Maybe Elephant was closer to what Boone shot?

 

[RAEDWALD]

It's free. Use it and clean more often. Weaker? Then use more. The good is the enemy of the usable.

 

[Feltwad]

In the late 1980, Elephant Black Powder was sold in the UK I used several cans of it in muzzle loading shotguns the grains were highly polished it was not a bad powder
Feltwad

 

[ZUG]

I also use it in my shotguns and still have about 1-1/2 cans of 2F left. I keep the GOEX for my rifles & pistols. As others have said you just have to clean more often - no "biggie" --- sure beats using the imitation stuff

 

[Rifleman1776]

Good garden fertilizer.

 

[nwtradegun]

itwas never approved for rifles. it is used in fireworks.

 

[Carbon 6]

Mad Max wrote

I think you meant Mad Monk. ?

 

[Grenadier1758]

William Knight, not associated with unmentionables, is Mad Monk. He certainly knows the chemistry of black powder.

He's the reason Elephant got pretty good in 1999 and 2000.

 

[hanshi]

Elephant is certainly good enough to use for hunting and fun shooting. Don't mix Goex with it because Elephant works well on its own; plus you'd be wasting Goex. I'd love to come across a cheap or free deal on Elephant. Shoot it, have fun.

 

[Zonie]

I think you meant Mad Monk. ?

Yes. Sorry about that.

 

[toot]

I shot a lot of Elephant powder in the eighties nineties. When I ran out and they went out of business, retired my elephant foot hammer.
Elephant didn't have as much power as GOEX or Swiss. Those were lean years for me so I burned what I could get.

don't you know the reason that they went out of business is because you bought and shot up all that they had? LOL!! I have never seen an ELEPHANF FOOT HAMMER? do you have a pair of them? were they on a DBL or a single shot? it is KILLER!