how was elephant BP

[Zonie]

Where was Elephant manufactured and when did they close their doors?

Elephant Powder was made in Pernambuco, Brazil. I don't know exactly when they went out of business but it had to be at least 15+ years ago.
The story I heard was, the land the company sit on was more valuable than the company so Elephant went out of business and sold off their powder making machinery.
The machinery was later used by a company called Diamondback, also located in Brazil, to make black powder.
From what I've read about Diamondback powder, they must have bought Elephant's recipe because like Elephant, Diamondback powder was weak and produced a lot of fouling.

 

[Bassdog1]

I was gifted a can of 4F that I stored. I am gonna have to shoot a few rounds of it and see how it shoots just for fun, I do a lot of paper punching so may as well burn it up.

 

[Kansas Kid]

I won last weekends rifle match using Elephant 3f in a plastic can. I don’t think it’s as bad as some say.

 

[52Bore]

Elephant was the only decent powder for a few years in the mid-late 90's as Goex moved from PA to LA and sold some bad stuff... until Swiss came out, then Elephant seemed to just disappear. I still have some and use it in my shotguns. I shot Elephant in my original LR rifles to 1000 yards with no noticeably ill effect.. Swiss was just better and shooters noticed. If you find it cheap, buy it and have fun.

 

[Cruzatte]

I remember buying a pound or two of it a long time ago. And I developed a strong dislike for it. Dirty stuff, making swabbing between shots absolutely mandatory in my rifle. I think I fobbed the last half pound of the stuff onto somebody who was desperate for some powder.

 

[Cowboy]

Bought a bunch of 2f and 3f Elephant brand from a local gun shop back around 5 years ago. Paid a ridiculously low price and cleaned him out. He didn’t remember when or who he got it from?

Anyway, I’ve shot quite a bit with no problem. I clean with the same regimented vigor as I do with Swiss or Goex. In the end everything is up to my standards when I’m finished.

Would I buy Elephant at the same price as I would the others? Of course not!

Would I pay an unbelievable bargain price for a lot of it? I have and would again if presented the opportunity like I had.

It will serve its purpose spending the day at the range. I’ve burnt a lot of it.

Lastly, I wouldn’t recommend Elephant over the other brands available out there, but will not turn my nose up at it if the price is right?

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[Maven]

Elephant Powder was made in Pernambuco, Brazil. I don't know exactly when they went out of business but it had to be at least 15+ years ago.
The story I heard was, the land the company sit on was more valuable than the company so Elephant went out of business and sold off their powder making machinery.
The machinery was later used by a company called Diamondback, also located in Brazil, to make black powder.
From what I've read about Diamondback powder, they must have bought Elephant's recipe because like Elephant, Diamondback powder was weak and produced a lot of fouling.

Sorry to disagree with you about the Diamondback BP Zonie's. Yes to the same factory, but NO to the same problems (dirty, slow) as Elephant BP had. I've used more than a case of recent production DB, both FFg & FFFg, and experienced none of the filth or lack of velocity that you mentioned. It was in my opinion the equal of Wano/Graf's and wish I could still purchase it.

 

[smoothshooter]

Dirty dirty. Good for use in a powder wedge

What is a “powder wedge”?

 

[Capt. Jas.]

It's a black powder log splitter.

 

[hanshi]

I shot quite a bit of elephant an guess what? it went bang each an every time. Got good groups out of it. Killed deer an turkeys with it. An had to clean the gun after each shooting session just as I would do with goex or swiss. All black powder is dirty. I could shoot just as many times without swabbing as I could with other brands so maybe im the oddball but I wish I had access to a bunch of it cause I would happily smoke the hillside up with it

Exactly! Elephant shot well for me and killed deer as dead as any other powder I've used. Jack's Battle Powder (made by Goex) was more than satisfactory. I ordered a 25# case and it's almost all gone. Velocities were about like regular Goex and accuracy was superb. But even JBP has skyrocketed in price since the last order.

 

[Ranch 13]

Early Elephant wasn't to bad, the last of it was really dirty.
Best use I've found with the last of it is duplexing in cartridge guns.