Muzzleloading Propellents at Walmart

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Once upon a time I managed not to go into Wal-Mart for a little over three years. I broke that absence, several years back in search of a hunting knife for my son. I went there tonight in search of powder, even if it was pyrodex. Shelves were bare with no sign of ever being on sale. No caps, no powder, just some cheap plastic powder flask and misc cleaning patches. I'm too young to remember the circus side show of freaks, but I cannot for the life of me imagine any horrors worse than that of the average customer base at Walmart. Let's hope it will be another 3 years before I darken their doorstep.
 
I've never had any problems with it.

The stuff works and even gives you more loads per pound at a cheaper price.
Might be a good idea to mention that you only use it in percussion and not for blank unwadded firing.

Would hate for a reinactor to buy an India gun, go to an event and expect it to work. Might blame the gun not the powder. . .
 
If you’re wanting to try the black horn I’d advise to only use it in a more modern in line. I know we aren’t supposed to discuss them here but for the sake of safety I think it’s necessary in this situation. The 209 BH is made to higher pressure tolerance and also designed to shoot with 209 primers. The Pyrodex is fine. I’ve used it. Still have plenty of it. Clean your gun and you’re fine. It’s not the real deal as many of us like but will do if that is all you have.

Anthony
 
In a percussion pyrodex will work just fine. When finished shooting clean your gun and oil it. Tomorrow run another oily patch down the barrel to check for rust. On the third day do that again. By day four of doing this if you don’t have rust forming then you properly cleaned your gun the first time. Pyrodex works but if you do a slouch job cleaning your gun it will rust and it will rust bad.
 
I've shot both, and Pyrodex fouling responds better to greased felt wads in the load versus black, giving me a soupier gravy in the bore that helps consistency shot-to-shot in both my Whitworth and my cartridge guns. Pyrodex is easily misunderstood, though, because it doesn't have that gravel-dense, hard-kernel metering quality BP has when you measure it out. It's "fluffier,' ( less dense, unglazed, and less self-packing under its own weight) so it takes a little more care and technique to meter out the same Pyrodex charge shot- to- shot. It's also "squidgier, " i.e. it compresses more when ypu load it, which proved mission- critical for my cartridge guns, but is about irrelevent in a ML rifle. Both have given me about equal problems and triumphs in accuracy and cleaning. The Pyro seemed to leave a moister fouling as long as I had some oiled or greased felt in the load, which I do for both powders. It's a little misleading to call one a "substitute" for the other. They like slightly different treatment in the details of actual use. Diesel vs gasoline, shaken versus stirred, over easy versus sunnyside up....you get the idea.
 
I've used Pyro since 1977, no problems at all. I have actually found Pyro RS to be a good performer in revolvers, and Pyro P is my go to rifle powder, unless I'm using real black. Blackhorn 209 is exactly what it says it is, needs shotgun 209 primers to reliably ignite it.
 
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