FFF powder in a .62 caliber smoothie?

[Onojutta]

I have a Rice .62/20 gauge smooth barrel and FF is the recommended powder load. However, I have several pounds of FFF on hand that I bought for a smaller caliber rifle that I no longer use. Can the smaller grain FFF powder be safely used in a .62 smoothie or will that create too much pressure?

 

[Rató:rats]

3F is all I shoot in my .62. 70gr seems to be the sweet spot in my 42’ Colerain barrel

 

[ajbennettnc]

I charge and prime with 3F in my .62 and it has been fine for me. Shot just fine Monday when I was at the range. 80 grains behind a tow wadded .595 have me a good ~4" group of 4 shots shooting offhand at 25 yards, even factoring in my contributory flinchthat im working on and lack of a rear sight. I've never chronographed it, but I have seen no difference in using 3f in bore and pan versus using 2f in the bore or 4f in the pan. I'm content with what I get out of 3F all around, from my .45 up to my big muskets. That said, I don't charge any of my guns with more than 85 to 90 grains, and mostly am just plinking for fun.

 

[springfield art]

I have a Rice .62/20 gauge smooth barrel and FF is the recommended powder load. However, I have several pounds of FFF on hand that I bought for a smaller caliber rifle that I no longer use. Can the smaller grain FFF powder be safely used in a .62 smoothie or will that create too much pressure?

I agree with Rato:rats. Can't let good powder go to waste! Saw a PBS program on the Guy Fawkes plot from the BBC with Lucy Worsley. Very informative! But I'd guess the plotters didn't have any trouble getting 33 barrels of gunpowder! The didn't have percussion caps in that era of history, or they'd have been in REAL trouble!

 

[oldramrod]

I sometimes use FFF in my shotguns, reducing the loads by 15%, I notice a small increase in groups but not much.

 

[Banjoman]

I use 3f or 2f in my flintlock smooth bores. Either one works just fine.

 

[tenngun]

Shot a lot of 3f in my smoothies 62 and 76, but I’ve found 2 does work better
60 grains 3 and 65 2 gives me the same groups at 50 yards in my 62

 

[PathfinderNC]

My .62 Fusil de Chase loves 3f while my .62 rifle (with an Ed Rayl barrel) punches it out with 2f. Each gun is different; you just have to experiment with them.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I use FFFg in my .62 rifle and my 20 gauge French trade gun. and most of my other guns, too! No worries.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have a Rice .62/20 gauge smooth barrel and FF is the recommended powder load. However, I have several pounds of FFF on hand that I bought for a smaller caliber rifle that I no longer use. Can the smaller grain FFF powder be safely used in a .62 smoothie or will that create too much pressure?

As noted, the 3F is more energetic and burns faster than the 2F. This has been the basis to reduce the volume of the charge when using 3F powder by 15%. So, if you are using 80 grains of 2F then you would try a charge of (80 * 0.85 = 68) or 70 grains of 3F rounding up to the next volume mark.

 

[Texcl2]

I’ve found the ones you chuck in a drill are a lot easier to use, I can stack several sheets of card stock and cut 4 or 5 at once.

 

[Onojutta]

Is there an upper limit for FFF in a smoothie? I know some use loads up to 110 grains of FF.

 

[RiverRat]

I use 3f goex in all my smoothbores from 28g up to my 10g with no problems at all.

 

[SDSmlf]

I have a Rice .62/20 gauge smooth barrel and FF is the recommended powder load. However, I have several pounds of FFF on hand that I bought for a smaller caliber rifle that I no longer use. Can the smaller grain FFF powder be safely used in a .62 smoothie or will that create too much pressure?

Personally, I use 3F Swiss as a first choice in multiple 62 caliber Rice barrels (rifled), 12 gauge shotguns, 58 caliber guns (rifled), 56 caliber smoothbore, 54 caliber rifled and smoothbore, etc, all the way down to 32 caliber. You get the idea. Yes, I have other granulations and manufactures’ powders and do use them without concern or complaint, but Swiss 3F is my goto powder. Don’t have to worry about what’s in the horn or flask.

 

[Rob M.]

Yeah , you can use 3F . No problem ... I use 2F and 3F back and forth in my 20 ga. N.W. guns ... Sometimes thats all they got for sale ...no problems ...

 

[Onojutta]

Ok, so with all the props here for FFF, this begs the question: Why use FF?