Pan Powder for Flintlock Rifle
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Hatchet-Jack
54 Cal.
You bet! Some use 2f.
I use 3Fg for both main charge and pan priming.
LD
LD
I shoot 2F in my 62 flinter. I prime from the same horn.
I have found that when it is wet, 4F will live up to the word hydroscopic. 3F and larger is not nearly so moisture loving. Missed a deer with a clack-fizz on a misty morning, have used the larger stuff since.
I have found that when it is wet, 4F will live up to the word hydroscopic. 3F and larger is not nearly so moisture loving. Missed a deer with a clack-fizz on a misty morning, have used the larger stuff since.
Me too, what ever is in the horn.
Flintlock muskets were primed from their cartridges and that was mostly 1 f
Flintlock muskets were primed from their cartridges and that was mostly 1 f
user 49399
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In my .62 I use 2f for prime and main charge.
rafterob
62 Cal.
All reports seem to state 3f works just fine. On a woodswalk recently I had to switch to 3f as I forgot to load my primer before I set out. Once I started using the 3f I was getting hangfires. This continued when I got back to the range and even had a number of failure to fire episodes. So I blamed the 3f. At home when I was cleaning I noticed water was just dribbling out the touch hole rather than streaming out. Long story short, a cleaning patch was at the bottom of the bore 
Just so happens I swabbed the bore right before I made the switch to the 3f in the pan. I had to use another shooter's jag because that was another thing I forgot to bring on the woodswalk. Guess the patch slipped off and I never noticed. I'm sure I was busy talking instead of paying attention to the task at hand.
Just so happens I swabbed the bore right before I made the switch to the 3f in the pan. I had to use another shooter's jag because that was another thing I forgot to bring on the woodswalk. Guess the patch slipped off and I never noticed. I'm sure I was busy talking instead of paying attention to the task at hand.Dave Dworshak
40 Cal
THANKS-I just got my first flint pistol and only had 3F
3Fg will work fine. But, I am one of those who believe 4Fg ignites faster and that is what I use. As for attracting moisture, it doesn't do that. But BURNED bp of any granulation is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture.
Larry Pletcher measured the ignition speeds. His results say that the order of speeds is: Null-B/ 4F/3F, but the time differences are milliseconds, and they are all faster than a human can perceive. There wasn't a noticeable drop off in speed until 2f.
I leave a piece of round toothpick in the vent and don't normally prime until I see game. So my pan stays dry. I can leave my rifle loaded for weeks, and it still goes off fine.
I leave a piece of round toothpick in the vent and don't normally prime until I see game. So my pan stays dry. I can leave my rifle loaded for weeks, and it still goes off fine.
Dave Dworshak
40 Cal
my supply of goex 3f is limited-does anyone use pydrodex P?
Griz44Mag
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I use whatever powder is going into the barrel. 2F or 3F - it all works just fine.
You will need to use a hybrid load to use Pyrodex in a flintlock.
It takes a lot more heat to set off Pyrodex than black powder such as GOEX. Now a small charge of black powder in the bore can be used as an igniter for Pyrodex or other substitute powders. If you use 5 grains of GOEX to ignite Pyrodex then reduce the Pyrodex charge by 5 grains. You will still need real black powder in the pan.
Dave Dworshak
40 Cal
thanks Grenadier1758. now i know how to use my last 1/4 pound of goex 3F
I've used the hybrid method as noted by Granadier 1778 with good results for flintlock shooting. Unfortunately following using Pyrodex in with regular cleaning after shooting I experienced black rusting in 2 of my rifles which have Colrain barrels. I've read in some reports on forums that Pyrodex should be avoided.
As usual, my original answer really doesn't provide an answer to all the situations that Pyrodex could be used. My answer was more targeted to the user of a flint lock with the classic flat faced breech.
My answer doesn't really address the situation where the flint lock has a chambered breech. For the black powder igniter charge to work, it has to fill the chambered breech to the level of the touch hole. If there is no black powder at the touch hole, then all the problems of getting Pyrodex to ignite from a flash in the pan will still exist. Some chambered breeches will require a lot more than 5 grains of black powder igniter. It all depends on the size of the chambered breech.
While many of us don't like the complexities of creating a duplex loading to get Pyrodex to work in a flint lock, that may be one way to extend our supplies of black powder. As @Rick1 has observed, the fouling from Pyrodex is very corrossive and requires a very thorough cleaning that is far more of a task than cleaning black powder fouling.
I was curious about using Pyro P in the pan. I have a spare CVA flintlock in my parts pile. Clamped it into the vise, put in some P and sparked it. It went fffffttt....but not with any speed. I then dropped 2F in the pan (that I have a lot of) and big difference. So, it appears that P can work with a good sparking lock, but far from ideal and certainly lacking heat and speed to get through the touchhole reliably. I haven't found much difference that I can perceive between 2, 3 and 4F ignition time and I like the coarser grains. They seem to stay put in the pan without trying to sneak out around the edges.
In my experience 4f, 3f, and 2f all work just fine as long as you have a good sparking lock. Can't really tell enough difference to worry about. Good locks are the key to everything in flintlocks.
