Powder shortage effects

[tom in nc]

I'm wondering if some shooters will be trying Pyrodex, maybe for the first time when Goex is hard to find. I've been shooting muzzleloaders since the early 70s and am not at all interested in the inliners. Traditional only for me, thanks.
The first rifle I owned was a .45 Kentucky style percussion. I kept it for several years and shot only Pyrodex in it then sold it to my brother-in-law, who's still hunts with it. It always performed well for me.
I might try Pyrodex again. Actually, I still have some from back then.

 

[William Lincoln]

Pyrodex is OK and home brew BP is being shown on youtube. I predict that
BP will go under FFL within 18 mos.

 

[sdhunter]

I have a half pound of goex 2f left. I also have 3 pounds of goex 3f I have not tried out of my .54 gpr yet. I may buy a pound or two of pyrodex p just to have on hand in case things go bad. Better to shoot a substitute than not shoot at all I guess.

 

[dave951]

I'm wondering if some shooters will be trying Pyrodex, maybe for the first time when Goex is hard to find. I've been shooting muzzleloaders since the early 70s and am not at all interested in the inliners. Traditional only for me, thanks.
The first rifle I owned was a .45 Kentucky style percussion. I kept it for several years and shot only Pyrodex in it then sold it to my brother-in-law, who's still hunts with it. It always performed well for me.
I might try Pyrodex again. Actually, I still have some from back then.

Once again, THERE ARE OTHER BRANDS BESIDES GOEX. Go to Scheutzen or Swiss, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I'm wondering if some shooters will be trying Pyrodex, maybe for the first time when Goex is hard to find. I've been shooting muzzleloaders since the early 70s and am not at all interested in the inliners. Traditional only for me, thanks.
The first rifle I owned was a .45 Kentucky style percussion. I kept it for several years and shot only Pyrodex in it then sold it to my brother-in-law, who's still hunts with it. It always performed well for me.
I might try Pyrodex again. Actually, I still have some from back then.

Don't ever see me even trying substitute BP. My shooting is primarily flintlock. So far, I have been able to find BP suppliers. The bad issue is paying for shipping, and hazmat, on top of escalating BP costs.
Larry

 

[ord sgt]

As an instructor I tried BP substitutes, so I could speak about them with some knowledge about the products. Before trying the bp subs, I used black powder. After sampling the subs, I still use black powder in all of my bp firearms, rifles, smoothbore, single shot pistols and revolvers. I will continue to use bp. I have an adequate supply on hand.

 

[hanshi]

Never used the subs and have only 2 active percussions, the rest are flintlocks and that is what I shoot. I was fortunate enough to acquire several pounds of Graf's, Goex and a tiny bit of Swiss. I don't get to shoot very often so my modest stash should still last a pretty long time. Guess I managed to get some just in the nick of time.

 

[William Lincoln]

I am running out and will need more soon. But refuse the high prices.
The only sub I liked was Black MZ but all gone. Cannot believe Grafs is
out. Goex will return but as a Brand over a different powder--I am thinking
Brazillian (old Elephant or the Newer Diamondback). Wano Germany
would not pay for the plant, since they have plants --just buy the
Brand name. With Goex down, who will Grafs use for their private label
powders? Will they return to Schuetzen Energetics??

 

[brewer12345]

I am running out and will need more soon. But refuse the high prices.
The only sub I liked was Black MZ but all gone. Cannot believe Grafs is
out. Goex will return but as a Brand over a different powder--I am thinking
Brazillian (old Elephant or the Newer Diamondback). Wano Germany
would not pay for the plant, since they have plants --just buy the
Brand name. With Goex down, who will Grafs use for their private label
powders? Will they return to Schuetzen Energetics??

Black MZ is no more, but APP still makes the same formula. Out of stock now, but shows up from time to time: Shooters World Multi-Purpose Black FFF Sulfurless Powder 1 Pound - Graf & Sons (grafs.com)

 

[marwat06]

I have a good supply of black powder, getting back into it after a long layoff, back in the day when black powder was readily available, I tired the subs. Both pistol and rifle are .50 percussion and had no issue with Pyrodex or Triple Seven. Heck I even won a few club matches using subs. Remington #11 caps had 100% success setting off the subs.

 

[Lbrown]

A few weeks ago I tried Pyro RS for the first time in my flintlock, with a BP kicker and in the pan. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. No misfires, easy cleanup. I can stretch my meager BP supply a long way.

 

[smoothshooter]

I'm wondering if some shooters will be trying Pyrodex, maybe for the first time when Goex is hard to find. I've been shooting muzzleloaders since the early 70s and am not at all interested in the inliners. Traditional only for me, thanks.
The first rifle I owned was a .45 Kentucky style percussion. I kept it for several years and shot only Pyrodex in it then sold it to my brother-in-law, who's still hunts with it. It always performed well for me.
I might try Pyrodex again. Actually, I still have some from back then.

Buy your lifetime supply of BP and caps as soon as you can.

 

[mushka]

How does one know how much one's lifetime supply should be?

 

[dave951]

How does one know how much one's lifetime supply should be?

At my present rate of consumption in competition and practice, assuming I live just another 10 years, I'd say a bit over a ton.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I have 23# of various granule sizes, when I thought I was down to a couple of pounds of 2F I ordered more just before Goex became unavailable. I decided to arrange my powders in the metal cabinet out in the shop that I keep my stock in and found a couple more pounds of 2F in metal cans from way back when I ordered my first 25#, somehow they had slipped behind the half filled cans of paint we all keep but never use.

 

[MTMountainman]

I'm wondering if some shooters will be trying Pyrodex, maybe for the first time when Goex is hard to find. I've been shooting muzzleloaders since the early 70s and am not at all interested in the inliners. Traditional only for me, thanks.
The first rifle I owned was a .45 Kentucky style percussion. I kept it for several years and shot only Pyrodex in it then sold it to my brother-in-law, who's still hunts with it. It always performed well for me.
I might try Pyrodex again. Actually, I still have some from back then.

Not for me. Started making my own home grown. Only used in shop experiments so far. None through a gun. But generally, it seems to be a good replacement. looks like the burn rate is a little slower, but I'm still playing with my mix. Generally, I'd say the fellows reporting the need to up the powder dose 10-20% are right on target. So I'm making mine AND it's fun. Just another aspect to our sport.

 

[Kowalsk1]

Once again, THERE ARE OTHER BRANDS BESIDES GOEX. Go to Scheutzen or Swiss, you won't be disappointed.

My club sells both Schweitzer and Swiss. Great stuff.

 

[marwat06]

How does one know how much one's lifetime supply should be?

Maybe buy enough to see you through the boom bust cycle of shooting components and be on the lookout for deals? Many years ago, when #11 caps were selling for $5.99 per tin the local big box stores had a clearance, $1.99, so I bought all of them, 15 tins. The clerk told me they couldn't sell BP stuff, so they were getting out to selling most shooting supplies. Bought several pounds of Goex online to offset the hazmat fees, got three cans of BP from people getting out of M/L, etc.

Same lesson for metallic cartridge loading, bought powder, primes, and bullets during the boom years when they were all on sale. I fully understand some people may not have "fun money", but if you do stock up when you can. IMHO.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I lucked out on supplies because my nephew, sons and I would go together and get powder by the case and caps by the thousand to cut down on the hazmat shipping charges. Since I am retired and more likely to be home when the shipment would arrive, it was be sent to me .My sons have moved out of state and don't get back to shoot much so I have a good supply on hand. I doubt prices will go back down but I believe powder and caps will again be available, just higher priced.

 

[Khufu]

I will NEVER use subs, already bought 100 lbs of kno3 and planted a willow tree