No more black.

[SOLANCO]

Substitutes will work but muzzleloading season is coming in. Local stores will start to carry BP.

Carrying black requires a more serious commitment than carrying ordinary ammo. My local supplier had to build a separate and secure masonry structure at a certain distance from his building to store black. No clue if that is state code, local code, or his insurance company. Or some combination thereof. What does it look like? A brick out house.

 

[hawkeye2]

And on top of that they need an explosives license to store and sell it.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

The biggest waste of real estate they say is Cemetery,s and Golf courses....on this Forum it.s the P-Dex vs. Black Powder debate.

 

[brushblind]

I've had better reliability with musket caps but I do use Winchester magnum #11 caps with T7 with great success.

 

[Africa58double]

The smell of the real stuff… no comparison

Why eat Perch when You can get Walleye…. Hotdog or Ribeye….

Real Black powder is out there, when ya find it, stock up.

I’ve got many lbs of Swiss and Goex. No substitute for the real deal!

 

[david w]

You bet. So would Daniel Boone if he could have.

Carrying black requires a more serious commitment than carrying ordinary ammo. My local supplier had to build a separate and secure masonry structure at a certain distance from his building to store black. No clue if that is state code, local code, or his insurance company. Or some combination thereof. What does it look like? A brick out house.

Back when I was still young, real BP wasn't a problem. They openly stored it on open shelves. With today's safety regs. like it or not BP is heavily restricted. I've tried the subs. Not for me. Be patient, grasshopper, Goex MAY be available by Jan. 2023.

 

[dave951]

Back when I was still young, real BP wasn't a problem. They openly stored it on open shelves. With today's safety regs. like it or not BP is heavily restricted. I've tried the subs. Not for me. Be patient, grasshopper, Goex MAY be available by Jan. 2023.

Scheutzen is available. Got a case last weekend for use instructing with kids

 

[JB Books]

as was my reply!
can't say about 777. don't use it. BP is too easy to obtain.

Where I live BP is a 200 mile gamble. You can call ahead to if it's on the shelf but the store won't hold it. First come first serve.

 

[Okie Hog]

If your building a authentic log cabin in the mountains, Would you use Power Tools?

Yes, i did just that.

Won't doing crosscut saws, adzes and broad axes. IMO: Old timers would have used power tools if they had been available.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Shooting a caplock, no matter what I do, I always get random misfires. Shake it down, dont shake it, pack it, dont pack it, this nipple, that nipple, whatever, just random. Hangfires and misfires.

 

[Phil Coffins]

This is Blasphemy! Real Holy Black only. Leave the 777 to the Unmentionable Mzldrs Granted it’s going to work and be easier to clean up…

Let me ask ya this Jeromiah…. If your building a authentic log cabin in the mountains, Would you use Power Tools?

I did, and black powder still works for me.
And some self powered tools. image1 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

IMG_0154 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Muley Gil]

Shooting a caplock, no matter what I do, I always get random misfires. Shake it down, dont shake it, pack it, dont pack it, this nipple, that nipple, whatever, just random. Hangfires and misfires.

What caplocks are you using? This sounds more like a gun problem than a powder/nipple/percussion cap problem.

 

[Muley Gil]

What caplocks are you using? This sounds more like a gun problem than a powder/nipple/percussion cap problem.

I was in Winchester VA yesterday and Jackie at Back Creek had Scheutzen and Swiss # 1 1/2 and # 2 in stock.

See post # 10 for a link to Back Creek Gun Shop. They ship powder.

 

[Okie Hog]

Most misfires with conventional muzzleloaders are attributable to two things.

1. A blocked or partially blocked flame channel. Clean the flame channel using a bristled pipe cleaner.

2. A failure of powder to enter the bolster or flame channel. After loading the powder, lean the rifle lock side down and give the stock a couple slaps.

 

[Africa58double]

You Sr… are a Man among Men. Awesome looking pad you have

I did, and black powder still works for me.
And some self powered tools. image1 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

IMG_0154 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[bubba.50]

I have shot t7 3f exclusively out of renegades n hawkens for several years using cci mag 11 caps with no issues. Same reason of availability. Mostly shooting conicals in fast twist barrels but have one renegade dedicated for roundball using same powder. All very accurate n dependable. I’ve found cleaning to be the same as real black. I do have a custom hawken roundball gun that wouldn’t shoot it well so I just switched to real black in that.
My only issue with T7 is longevity vs black in storage. I shoot a lot so it hasn’t been bad for me but if for instance a person only shoots their gun during hunting season then they may need a new jug each year.

I shoot maxi-balls & Lee r.e.a.l. bullets lubed with bore-butter over a load of Pyrodex and have never had a single problem with any of it. Next load cleans the fouling from the last load and when I'm done clean-up is a breeze. Got a can of T-7 but not got around to trying it yet. I've got an old can of Pyrodex from the cardboard container days. It rode around unnoticed on the back of my pickup for a year or more until the cardboard was swelled from moisture & the powder was clumped. Rattled it around to bust up the clumps & it still worked fine. No difference in performance that I could tell. Still have the can with powder in it. Will give it a try next range trip.

 

[Africa58double]

Au Contraire!! There is something missing….

One of the greatest parts of Shooting Muzzleloaders is the smell of that Black powder in the air… even from a distance.

Pyro and T7 don’t have it.

Not the same experience for me.

Perhaps I just enjoy the nostalgia and a Separation from the modern era of firearms.

Call me old fashioned…Yet a Real Root Beer(Tho I quit) not diet please. No Turkey bacon for this guy and Real Black Powder… not a substitute.

 

[TDM]

I recommend to everyone that they use the substitute powders. Makes it easier for me to find real black!

Please follow old Hawkeye’s advice. I have no problem making a scenic road trip once a year to stock up. Y’all just got to decide how bad you really want the real thing.

 

[Okie Hog]

Many years ago there were stores that specialized in sales of muzzleloading stuff. As federal and state agencies, fire marshals and insurance companies tightened the rules involving black powder those businesses went away. The ranks of muzzleloader shooters and hunters had also thinned.

Although i don't use the stuff, i usually have black powder on hand. Presently there four or five pounds in the tornado shelter. Most came from the widow of a friend.

This fall i've given two pounds of black powder to hunters who use flint locks. Also gave away some Pyrodex.

 

[Joemolf]

Personally, I would stock up on Swiss (I am down to my last 25 pounds, so starting to shop), but that’s not your question. I have tried both T7 and Pyrodex over the years, and for consistent performance in a percussion gun similar to black powder, would choose Pyrodex. Just need to adjust charge to avoid need to changing sight elevation. Main issue I have with Pyrodex, is that it seems to eat barrels, even those made of stainless, unless one is meticulous about cleaning after use. I have found some performance degradation with Pyrodex in older previously opened containers, and would suggest a desiccant be placed in any open containers. With T7, I found significant, at least to me, changes in POI when I stretched the range out to 300 yards with paper patched conicals. Chronograph confirmed varied velocities depending on age of powder and differences between lots in my experience. Under 75 yards with a roundball, doubt there is much difference between Swiss, Pyrodex and T7, as far as performance. Too many folks out there using all three with no complaints. Me, I would still look for more Swiss. Just too consistent to ignore without a fight.

There are shops and Buffalo Arms is one of them that you can preorder at least you were a year ago. I had preordered from Buffalo Arms a case just before Goex closed shop. My credit card was not charged until the day they shipped it. Yes it was a long wait and I think there hazardous material shipping rate via FedEx is expensive. I like the granulation of Swiss Caviar powder so I bought some 2F mostly and 3F. We’re set for a while unless We waste it in metallic cartridges but have a few pounds of Shutzen I will use there first. Good powder just to dirty for me even in 44-40 but larger grease groove bullets help greatly with fouling. Put some on back order and end the anxiety there is no minimum that I know of just a long wait. When they get it in stock all other suppliers will get it but you won’t miss it as you know it goes fast.