Powder for flintlock

[ckckck]

OK, newbie flintlock question. What kind of powder do I want?
I'll be shooting a .50 Pedersoli Frontier flinter.

And does anyone know where to get it in Little Rock? I tried the Muzzle Loader Shop in NLR, but the sign said "Closed Due to Illness."

 

[bpd303]

In all of my front suffers both flintlock and percussion I only use blackpowder either Goex or Swiss. For my flintlock priming powder I use 4f Goex blackpowder. For the main charge I use 2f in 50cal & up and 3f under 50 cal.I'm in NW Arkansas and the only dealer in my area is in Fayetteville so when I go there I usually pick up about a years supply. You can order blackpowder online but the hazardous materials charge is steep.

 

[ohio ramrod]

For cap guns you can use either black or pyrodex.But for flint you need real black powder. Kik, Geox, or Swiss all are good brands and available from most distributers. :idunno:

 

[biliff]

Powder, Inc is in Clarksville. Not sure how much of a drive that is.

 

[Black Jack]

The Pedersoli website contains a lot of information about your rifle. This is a link for their loading recommendations: http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/uploads/supporto/9TABELLA DOSI POLVERE 09-2010.pdf
4F powder for the priming pan also.

 

[Rusty_Nail]

And the loads in the Pedersoli chart are for 2Fg for 45 cal. and greater. To use 3Fg, back off to 80-85% of the load listed in the chart.

 

[satwel]

You want real black powder, such as GOEX or Swiss. The replica powders like Pyrodex will not work in a flintlock as their ignition point is higher than real black powder. I have used both 3F and 2F in my .50 and finally settled on 3F. If you can get 4F to prime the pan, do it. If you can't get the 4F don't sweat it, 3F works as well.

 

[Pete G]

You can order real BP from Powder Inc. Hazmat fee is the same for 1 pound as it is for a 25 pound case. Case lot pricing is cheaper and you can mix granulations within the same order. The stuff doesn't go bad and it never gets cheaper.

 

[bpd303]

You can order real BP from Powder Inc. Hazmat fee is the same for 1 pound as it is for a 25 pound case. Case lot pricing is cheaper and you can mix granulations within the same order. The stuff doesn't go bad and it never gets cheaper.

Glad to see someone selling black close to me. At one time I could get it at the Saunders Memorial Muzzle Shoot in Berryville Ar. Don Ikenberg (spelling?) from Clarksville used to set up a vendors tent but quit handling black powder due to new regs. http://www.powderinc.com/

 

[Claude Mathis]

OK, newbie flintlock question. What kind of powder do I want?
I'll be shooting a .50 Pedersoli Frontier flinter.

Try 3f for both loading and priming.

 

[irishtoo]

i use 3f goex in flints and percussion from .32 to .62 (mostly .54s) main and prime. works fine. when i started i used substitutes but settled on real black. have fun, its a blast.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Powder, Inc is in Clarksville. Not sure how much of a drive that is.

About 70 miles, easy drive. Worth it to stock up on powder.

 

[ckckck]

A fine drive for me. Do they sell in person? On their site it looks like online and phone orders, but nothing about a shop?

 

[Black Jack]

My previous reply was based on the assumption that you are new to muzzleloading. What you actually stated is that you are a new flint shooter, so perhaps I misinterpreted. If you are an experienced BP shooter, then you already know that you can shift from 2F to 3F by reducing the charge; I do this in my .50s as well. Also, under certain conditions, you may want to try 3F in the pan. But if you are brand new to the sport, the best path is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. And as far as flintlocks go, you only want to use genuine black powder (GOEX, Swiss, etc.) and stay away from the subtitutes, as others have already advised.

 

[ckckck]

Thanks--your assumption was correct--I'm completely new to muzzleloading. One problem with the Pedersoli chart you linked to is that I can't find the Frontier flintlock in .50 listed. Another is that while it tells how many grains of powder, it doesn't say what sort f, ff, fff, etc. Or maybe it does, but I'm missing it. If people with this gun have specific recommendations about what they've had work in this gun, I'd take it as sage advice. Sounds like some have done well with 50 grains of fff in the barrel and fff in the pan.

 

[lonehorseman]

The best way to determine the load for YOUR rifle is to try different things. I shoot a .50 cal custom rifle, and have found that 40 gr. or FFFg is the best target shooting load. Yours might like a little more. Try some different loads and record your accuracy. Go with the one that holds the tightest groups. I agree with Claude on the priming. For several years I have used FFFFg in the pan. Recently, I lost my priming horn (still haven't found it) and was forced to prime from the main horn of FFFg. I cannot tell a difference, except that maybe there seems to be less residue left in the pan - a good thing!. Another upside is that I now have one less accessory hanging around my neck or across my shoulder. I buy all my powder from powderinc, but since I live in KY it all requires shipping. They are nice folks, just give them a call about the possibility of local pick-up. Enjoy! Blackpowder smoke makes most folks smile!

 

[Black Jack]

If you did not get an instruction manuel with your rifle (I realize it may have been purchased used) then go to the Pedersoli website (you can Google it) It is a wealth of information on their products, once you find out how to view it in English (click on the British flag up top). They seem to follow the generally accepted rule of thumb for 2F in .50 cal and above (it appears on another page). As you have read, many people use 3F with great success. Me too........it burns a little cleaner and more consistently for target shooting in my experience. The thing to remember is to reduce top charges by 20gr or so as it does create higher pressures when it burns. And people do make due with 3F in the pan although I maintain the absolutely fastest ignition will be achieved with 4F. I do use 3F when hunting on very wet days because it seems to absorb moisture from the damp air more slowly than 4F and does, in fact, ignite almost as fast in most locks (you'll have to try it in yours. Bottom line is that you can't go too far wrong getting into the sport by following manufacturer recommendations. Everyone develops their own personal practices after a while through experience and experimentation, but be safe and a little conservative in the meantime. Have a lot of fun in the process also. Also, being new to BP shooting, probably the best thing to do is to find some local BP clubs. Most will have monthly shoots and you will profit greatly by attending these and just watching and talking with the other shooters. BP guys are some of the friendliest around and glad to help a newcomer.

 

[hanshi]

I use 3F in everything from .32 to 62 and prime with 4F. I occasionally find myself having to prime with 3F and the difference is miniscule. Buying bp in bulk is the only way to go.

 

[gl1200a]

A fine drive for me. Do they sell in person? On their site it looks like online and phone orders, but nothing about a shop?

Yes they sell in person.

 

[Dan Jordan]

Yeah and if u can find someone willing to ship it .U might get Lucky and find someone to ship u a minimum of 5 lbs. but otherwise u have to go with a case . getting it shipped to where i live is 27.50 just for the hazmat fee not including regular shipping cost!Good luck