new to flintlocks

[frontiersman1754]

bought a nice flintlock rifle (50 cal) and was wondering what type and size of powder is best for the barrel and pan. seams can only find ffg and fffg around here. will fffg work int the pan?
also how big a charge should i use when goin after mulies?
thanks guys

 

[Mike Brooks]

3fff will work fine in the pan. Work up the most accurate load for your rifle. This will be the charge you use for mulies. It's not how fast the ball hits the mulie, it's WHERE you hit the mulie that kills it.

 

[frontiersman1754]

thanks
any brand that you recommend?
thanks again

 

[wjschieber]

Back in the 60’s it became almost impossible to buy black powder around here. When it came time to shoot I used what ever I could get. One time I was buying 1F and using blocks of wood to grind it smaller (I would not recommend that to anyone as I found out it can go off under pressure). 3F is a good all-round powder and I have used it at both ends of the guns. The smaller the size the faster it burns and the more pressure it makes in the barrel. Many shooters use 3F in larger calibers to gain more velocity and less fouling with no problems. I have settled in on 2F for the load and 4F for the primer. I have found that I can work up a load for almost any gun using it. The 4F gives me a little faster ignition and the 2F holds the pressure down. Most gun makers recommend 2F for anything over 45 cal. If the one you bought has a warranty follow their guidelines (type of powder, type of bullet, type patch and max charge) or you will void it. As for what is available it is getting hard to find black powder around here again but I have found that I can get any type I want online delivered right to my door. Below are just a couple of the sites I have bought from. And always remember that each gun has it’s own mind as to what it likes to eat. This is just like taking a fine lady to lunch. One may love steak and the next may be a vegetarian. The only way you will find what yours likes is to try everything on the menu. Anything can make a difference not just powder but the size ball; the type of patching even the type of lube can all change what it likes. I hope this helps Bill
[url] https://www.grafs.com/powders/3522[/url]
[url] http://www.powderinc.com/index.html[/url]

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you sift the FFg and FFFg powders you will get a small quantity of FFFFg powder you can then use for priming. How much you get depends on the brand of powder you buy, and how much bouncing around it has suffered before sifting. If a dealer can get FFg or FFFg, he can also order FFFFg for you. A pound of priming powder will last you several years even if you shoot every day. Some companies were selling priming powder in 1/4 lb. cans! for awhile. Stick with Goex powder. It is the standard by which everything else is compared. And, the new plant in Lousianna is turning out very good products these days.
Start with a load of 50 grains of powder and work up. The target load will depend on the distance you are shooting. For hunting, you will want to be up around 80 grains by volume of FFg under a PRB.