Elephant Powder

[Java Man]

Anyone have experience with Elephant Powder? I have a few cans won from matches several years ago. Wondering if I should use it for fertilizer for the lawn? I shoot flintlocks almost exclusively, but wondering how this powder might work in my Son's TC Hawken percussion, now that he is getting very interested in shooting.

Thank you,

Java Man

 

[roundball]

Anyone have experience with Elephant Powder? I have a few cans won from matches several years ago. Wondering if I should use it for fertilizer for the lawn? I shoot flintlocks almost exclusively, but wondering how this powder might work in my Son's TC Hawken percussion, now that he is getting very interested in shooting.

Thank you,

Java Man

My one and only experience with Elephant was a half dozen cans of lot# 24/99 that I bought when I made my switch to flintlocks...absolute junk...such delayed ignition I couldn't use it in a flintlock, tried to salvage my investment by trying it in percusson, still no good...and what few shots I was able to make left horrible fouling...so in disgust I poured every can out on bare ground and burned it off.

Tried Goex 3F, found it to be simply outstanding...very fast, clean, and accurate...been ordering it by the case ever since.

I personally wouldn't go to the trouble and expense of a trip to the range even if I was given Elephant for free.

If you want this youngster's debut into muzzleloading to be a satisfying experience, use powder that you know will[url] work...in[/url] fact, if Goex isn't readily available to you, I'd suggest just getting a Lb of Pyrodex RS at Walmart...I used it in percussions for years and it was excellent for me...if you introduce him to the sport with Elephant, and it's a batch like I had, it would very probably be a complete turnoff and taint his view of muzzleloading for years...
:m2c:

 

[Tahquamenon]

If the powder has been in sealed cans, it should still be good for many years to come.

I'm not a big fan of elephant powder because of how much fouling and overall performance is lacking but what the hell, you have it and in a percussion rifle it works ok.

I'd shoot some to see how it works. If it's alright, then shoot it up. :thumbsup:

Going forward, Swiss BP (The best BP I've ever shot and my standard) or Goex black powder.
Comparatively, Goex is as a distant second compared to Swiss but also less expensive and is a really good powder.

For substitutes, I would not waste my time or money with Pyrodex. Filthy, smells terrible and is really corrosive.

You will much prefer the following substitute powders for a percussion:
Black Mag'3, Hodgdon 777 3FG or Goes Pinnacle 3FG (I've not tried this yet, but preliminary reports are good).

:imo:

 

[Java Man]

Thanks gentlemen. I've been shooting nothing but Goex since about '84. Been away from the game for a while, till my boys are now old enough (10 & 14). Sounds like I ought to pour it on the ground and be done with it. Didn't pay anything for it anyway.

Thank you,

Gregg

 

[Rebel]

My advise, use it as lawn fertilizer and save yourself a lot of grief. The stuff is all but impossible to ignite in a flinter, dirty, nasty fouling stuff, and hard to clean the barrel after using it. Get some Goex or Swiss and BE HAPPY. ::

 

[Ridge]

Well, sounds like I'm the exception to the rule. My little 40 loves Elephant powder. It shoots better with it than it does with Goex. I have noticed that Elephant fouls more but not horribly. I'd shoot it all day long. Don't pour it out!!! Try it. Hell, if your near WV bring it on over!

 

[Bob Riegl]

There's another Muzzleloading forum where if you knock Elephant, you get trashed and kicked off the forum by the madman moderator. Personally I think carefully stored Elephant is useable--but it's the dirtiest burning powder I ever used---I had about 8 cans of fffg and sold it to this goofball and bought 25# of Swiss from the Powder House---color me happy. Both my percussion guns and flinters have absolutley no problem with Swiss----I don't even have to wipe until I have around 20 rounds out----it cleans real easy. Elephant was a fair powder until things went bang in Brazil in '99---since then I think anthracite coal is better than Elephant. :imo:

 

[Java Man]

Guess I opened a small can of worms here eh?:sorry:

OK I went and looked at the cans. All four # are FFg, made the 358th day of 1992. All lot code 123, if that means anything? :what:

Gotta be worth a try anyway. I try to wipe almost every shot, and getting the boys to do the same. When I was a heavy into target shooting, it made a lot of sense to wipe every shot for consistency, still does.:m2c:

Thanks for the replies,

Gregg

 

[Rebel]

Hope you are planning on using it in a caplock with Magnum caps. Otherwise, the boys will learn about lag time real quick. :: But then, that will give them good practice for a not so quick flinter. ::

 

[masterbass36]

where are you guys buying this Swiss BP. never heard of it. I have used the elephant BP. Did not care to much for it. Like everyone else said alot of fouling. Wasn't the elephant supposed to limit fouling when it came out. ff
Anyway been using goex for years but if there is something better might be worth a try.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Elephant wasn't my favorite powder, I prefer Swiss and Goex myself, but I never had any problem with it in my .40 Flinter. Was me, I'd store it carefully and put it aside for a rainy day. Of course, if it was a late batch of bad powder, that would be different. But this appears to be an earlier lot. All I know to do is try it and see how it performs.
:m2c:

 

Rebel: You will get whats coming to you for giving me a can of elephant power. Nerxt time Im in Sutherlin I'm going to drop in for breakfast and I hope Dale has somthing good to eat.

 

[Rebel]

Hey, what are friends for. :: Any time you are here you feel free to stop in to eat. If you want Dale to fix breakfast it just has to be after 10 am. :: She is not a morning person. And besides, don't you have some flowers or tomato plants to use that Elephant powder on? ::

 

[Stumpkiller]

. . . you get trashed and kicked off the forum by the madman moderator.

You'll never get that treatment for honestly expressing your opinions about products here, so long as it doesn't get personal and insulting to other members.

I ain't a mad man, I is just eccentric.

 

[shmrck1]

:hmmasquenel,
Must have been a webb site by Elephant.
Dirty stuff. I would not trade a can of swiss or goex
or even schuetzen for a case of elephant.IMHO And for sure
swiss
is not worth what you pay for it compaired to the others.
snake-eyes :m2c:

 

[Bob Riegl]

Try this link http://www.mainepowderhouse.com/index.jsp for Swiss Powder. :front:

 

[Dave K]

I think that Elephant powder should come with 1000 Chiness made :winking: cleaning patches per pound. You will use them all !

 

yep. I was trashed and when I tried to defend myself, I was kicked off his little clique forum, simply for saying I had a single bad batch of Elephant. But I did. It would not ignite in my flintlock (which works great with Goex). I finally gave the rest of it away--I still have one unopened can from a different batch, but I have been unwilling to try it, and may give it away to a local historic site for their demos.... :results:

There's another Muzzleloading forum where if you knock Elephant, you get trashed and kicked off the forum by the madman moderator. Personally I think carefully stored Elephant is useable--but it's the dirtiest burning powder I ever used---I had about 8 cans of fffg and sold it to this goofball and bought 25# of Swiss from the Powder House---color me happy. Both my percussion guns and flinters have absolutley no problem with Swiss----I don't even have to wipe until I have around 20 rounds out----it cleans real easy. Elephant was a fair powder until things went bang in Brazil in '99---since then I think anthracite coal is better than Elephant. :imo:

 

[Java Man]

Stumpy,

You guys are doing a good job here. Its a great site, and everyone seems to be able to discuss things w/o getting nasty. I know of a trad archery site that's not nearly as nice.

Thanks for all the opinions folks. We'll give it a brief try, only in percussion guns. If it fails to go bang quickly, the rest will go on the ground.

Java Man

 

[Claude Mathis]

You guys are doing a good job here. Its a great site, and everyone seems to be able to discuss things w/o getting nasty.

Nasty people don't last long around here. We make them use the other forums. :crackup: