shelf life of Triple 7

[flyfish]

I was chatting with a friend last night about muzzle blaster stuff. I was telling him that I was going to try using FFg powder for my .50cal. I have used Pyrodex in the past. Then I asked him if he had ever used Triple 7. He said, No. Then he said one reason was he had heard that the shelf life for 777 was short. Not sure what exactly short is. So, my question is, what is the self life for 777?
Thanks for your input/comments.

 

[Billnpatti]

I have no empirical data to back me on this but my understanding is that it has a shelf life of about one year. As I understand it, after one year, it starts to chemically decompose and loose power. I tried Triple 7 once and used it all up within one year so I do not personally know if this assertion that it starts to loose power after one year is absolutely true or not. I use only real black powder in all of my muzzleloading guns. I have found that I can use Goex fffG in all of my calibers from .32 to .54. It is cleaner burning than ffG.

 

[Spikebuck]

I switched to all real black powder in 2014, since my arsenal is now almost entirely flintlocks. I have a pound of 3F T7 that is older than that. Last summer, we used it in my wife's BP revolver and it seemed to still work very well with plenty of "explosion" and that jug must be 4 or 5 years old. I guess I'd have to throw a load in my Hawken and see if she's still on at 100 yards to be sure it still has the same power, but I'm guessing that if it lost any potency, it can't be much.

NOW...the powder I had that lost power and QUICKLY (well under a year) was American Pioneer. I have two pounds of that manure in my gun safe if anyone out there needs fertilizer.

I guess that is one of the advantages of real black. :grin: Stock up and forget about aging problems. :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Triple Seven is NOT RELATED to that Pioneer Powder and Shockey Gold trash. Those have very short shelf lives once they're opened. Huge velocity losses within about 6 months.

I still have several cans of Trip 7 that were opened in the first year of release, along with cans of Pyrodex P and RS from their first year of release. I shoot and chrono them once a year, along with Pyrodex and some old black powder varies dating back as far as the late 1960's and early 1970's. Just to track longevity in our wet climate.

So far none of them- black, Trip 7 or Pyrodex- has shown any deterioration in velocity. Get any extra moisture in the cans and get a little clumping going, and yeah. You'll start having problems. But if it's kept dry, as indicated by remaining free-flowing, no problems at all.

 

[necchi]

I usually shoot mine up pretty quick, but I have used an open can for 2yrs without a problem.
I have noticed that the end of each can does have extra "shake" that tends to burn a little hotter (more boom). But that's the end of every can and not related to shelf life.

 

[azmntman]

Triple Seven is NOT RELATED to that Pioneer Powder and Shockey Gold trash. Those have very short shelf lives once they're opened. Huge velocity losses within about 6 months.

I still have several cans of Trip 7 that were opened in the first year of release, along with cans of Pyrodex P and RS from their first year of release. I shoot and chrono them once a year, along with Pyrodex and some old black powder varies dating back as far as the late 1960's and early 1970's. Just to track longevity in our wet climate.

So far none of them- black, Trip 7 or Pyrodex- has shown any deterioration in velocity. Get any extra moisture in the cans and get a little clumping going, and yeah. You'll start having problems. But if it's kept dry, as indicated by remaining free-flowing, no problems at all.

I have an original pyrodex can with clumping (a bit). I crumble, load n shoot, all fine. No chrono so cant say no loss of power but none identifiable to me.

 

[rodwha]

With this commonly stated by many there are a few guys who decided to drop desiccant packs into theirs. I figured it certainly can't hurt and have done the same.

 

[snubnose57]

My can of 7 is about 2 years old, no problem so far.
Now 7 is all I shoot in my revolvers. Pretty clean, and save my black powder for my rifles.