Test Results: New case of Goex FFg arrived

[roundball]

An outstanding case of powder !! Goex FFg Lot # 02-95 Date Code = 03AU18B (2003, August 18th, B shift at the plant)

Ran forty 90grn & 100grn loads through the .58cal flintlock this morning...groups were all single ragged hole at 50yds, never wiped between shots. Extremely fast, clean, and accurate lot of Goex.

 

Thanks for the test results!
As I mentioned on another thread, the Goex powder is greatly improved due to the fact that the U.S. supplier of nitrate went belly up and the new nitrate imported from South America is of better quality.

 

[roundball]

I'm really pleased with it...have been shooting Goex FFFg for a couple years, some Goex FFg from 1998, and this case of FFg made in 2003...all of it has been outstanding for me.

And I've tested FFg hunting loads using 255grn Maxi-Hunters in a TC 1:48" flint barrel and got cloverleafs with it.

Gonna play again Saturday morning...love that smoke !

 

[musketman]

I like GOEX too...

Never let me down yet...

 

Over the past several months, I've been looking for ANY black powder I could purchase. I found NONE in Edmonton last month or Calgary this last weekend. There is some in Prince George, except for the price of $32.00 per pound. This is the same price as Pyrodex and Triple 7, however those two phoney's don't work well in the flinters, which is what I shoot. I have some BlackMag3 and Trip7 and Pistol Pyrodex so I guess I'll have to pick up a can of 3F GOEX at $32.00 and use it 15gr. at a time with the 'other' stuff on top. Anone else HAVE to do this with a fliner? If so, what were the results?
: See- there are NO shippers in Canada who will ship BP from the border, north to the cities. We can get it shipped up to the CDN border, but no no one will clear it through customs & carry it. With a 3 pound limit for importation buy a citizen, it doesn't pay to make the 1,100 mile round trip to the border, just for powder. I guess $32.0 per pound is then cheap powder.
Daryl

 

[roundball]

That just seems too incredible to believe, that some sort of supplier up there can't get it in volume...wish I could help you...

Yes, I have tried and had excellent results with "duplex loads"...when I switched to flintlocks I bought a case of Goex FFFg...but then got a .62cal smoothbore flintlock and wanted to use FFg in it but didn't have any.

I had several pounds of Pyrodex RS left over from percussion days so I experimented with 20grns Goex FFFg dumped down into the breech of the flintlock, followed by 60-70grns Pyrodex RS on top, and it worked perfectly...was very accurate and consistent...should do fine for you

 

Hey Daryl, have I got a deal for you! ::
Tell me about where you live and when you go hunting and invite me along. I'll pay my own way and I'm generally considered good company.
I cook, clean, am polite and easy going with a great sense of humor to boot.
I'll bring you as much black powder as is legal, Swiss, Goex, or Elephant.
No there's a deal and a half! :applause:

 

[sse]

I'll pay my own way and I'm generally considered good company.
I cook, clean, am polite and easy going with a great sense of humor to boot.

To know him is to love him. ::
Regards, sse

 

SSE: Aw shucks. Didn't know you cared. :redface:
You'd be surprised at how many proposals of marriage I have had since people learned I'm an excellent cook, I clean, wash dishes, do laundry, run a vacuum, decorate and so on.
Unfortunately every proposal has been from a GUY! :curse:
That wouldn't be so bad I guess, but not one of 'em could catch bait, clean fish, or owned any black powder firearms. :bull:

 

Well, I am HAPPILY married- ( I have to tell that to all the ladies, ya knwo).
: There is nothing I'd lie better than to take you hunting with me. There is a problem & unfortunately, it is insurmountable - to hunt big game, you have to have a lienced guide, guiding you. I aren't one of those. Sorry. What a DEAL! Our grouse hunting is fun and available to all, same as any other small game(licences are expensive- just not worth it) - but really not very good compared to other locals. 6 or 7 in a day's driving the logging roads is a good day - generally between 10AM and 4PM, after moose bed down and before they start to move again. We have the largest population of Moose in North America, right here in BC and the majority are within 250 miles of my city. There are more Moose here, and Black Bears, lots of griz too, than there ever were, and they're larger(moose) than prior, as well. A good B Bear will square 6.0' to 7.0'- up to 350lbs.(late fall) or so. The average grizzley is in the 6.5 to 7' range, about 400lbs. I'd rather be underweight, than exaggerate. Taht 350lb. blacky will only be 225lbs. in the spring, but OH!- what beautiful hair - up to 8" long, non-rubbed.
Daryl

 

Yeh, I forgetted about that outfitter thing for non-residents. I used to go way up north in Ontario, about 1000 miles north of where I am in N.E. Ohio. We were bear hunting and fishing in the spring, 2nd week of June.
Unfortunately I wasn't a big into black powder then and took a Rem. 700 300 Win. Mag. and an older Marlin 45-70 Lever gun with an old steel Weaver 3X scope.
I handloaded for both and the 45-70 was loaded pretty warm with 350 grain flat nose bullets at about 2200 f.p.s.
The outfitter used an old Winchester lever action in .32 Special and as I had met him the year before, I knew he was having a difficult time finding factory rounds for it. I happened into a couple boxes at a local guns show and bought them for him.
He was delighted as this was his moose and bear meat getter.
He took one look at my 45-70 "back up" gun and told me to leave the .300 in camp as the 45-70 would flatten a bear right quick and he had seen too many bear lost to the .30 magnums.
I figured he knew more than me so I did as he said. Sure 'nuff a 300 pound boar came strolling by at 45 yards and I let fly one well placed lung shot, knocking the bear over sideways, then he gave two leaps and piled up deader than virginity.
That week my party accounted for 3 kills, each requiring multiple shots from two .300 mags, and 4 shots from a .308. Another fella lost TWO bear after hitting them well in the chest with another .308.
I still have a 45-70, a Marlin 1 of 1000 with 26" octagonal barrel and it wears a new (OLD) Weaver Steelite 4X I bought new for 87 bucks from e-bay still sealed in the original box!
I have no doubt a .50 caliber or larger roundballer would knock a bear silly at "bush" ranges.
Whatcha think?

 

Balls do work well on B. Bear bear- from .45 on up. Personally, I wouldn't use less thna .50 on black Bear and not less than a .58 on griz - perhaps a .54 would be just fine, but then Lewis and Clarke found the .54's were a bit light. I don't know what charge they used and it could have been only 80 or so. That's about equivelent to today's 100gr. GOEX. We normally use 120 to 130 for moose with good results in a .54., but griz bite harder, I've heard. I found 165 turned the moose trick with the .69 and that is was a good 80gr. more than necessary. 100 to 120 worked just fine in the .75.,but 60 to 80 would have worked almost as well out to 100yds or so, but the .54 should have as much initial velocity as possible and about 130 to 140 would be about perfect for 2,000fps. I would also restrict the range to 50yds or closer with smaller sizes - oh yeah, only fast twist .54's shooting slugs Whenyousmack him, you want that slug and round ball to travel straight lines, not bounce around the bones.
: I have and have used cenrefires up to .50 on big game here, and they all work well, even a .32Spl. on black bear.
; The .45 centrefires are great all round bear loads, from fatory 45-70(405 only)on up. I no longer have a 45-70, but the .458 2" is quite similar to a .45-70 in a Ruger#1 and the .450 Alaskan, well I've found it's a shortened version of a .458 Winchester mag.- same capacity, same ballistics. The very incredible thing here, is that eventhe biggest .45 or .50 can be downloaded to or for whatever you want, even loaded for bear - any bear.
Daryl

 

Daryl:
Are you saying you used 165 grains in a .62 bore? Wow, that would do in a moose in a hurry.
What firearm did you fire that dymamite load from?
Is the load safe? Well it must be or you wouldn't use it.
Sure wish I could find a drop in .62 rifled barrel to fit my Renegade.

 

Frist of all, 165gr. in a .62 rifle with a 2 1/8" barrel is extremely safe as long s it donesn't have deep dovetails.
: 180gr. is also safe in most zouave .58's as tested by Lyman.
: The custom rifle I used was a .69, that's 14 guage, not 20guage or .615 or .62 as the case may be.
: Pressure works something like this, the larger the bore for a given powder charge, the greater the expansion ratio & the lower the pressure. The very large bores really build pressure very mildly and that's why 14 bores and up in BP shotguns can have paper thin muzzles without blowing.
Daryl

 

[sse]

maxi - Don't worry, I don't know you. :: :: :haha:

Regards, sse

 

Oops- I meant that previous post to read 1 1/8" barrel. A 2 1/8" bl. is pretty much to carry all day.
: My bro made up an underhammer gun for a guy who wanted a heavy 1" smoothbored underhammer gun that looked like one of the massive Billinghurst bench guns. Taylor used a 2 1/4" barrel for this 'big' gun, that weighed 52lbs. when complete. We were able, with a ball from a maple mould,(bit wonky) hold less than 3' at 300 meters with it. We used 300gr.1F ICI (cannon) powder in this 4 bore's 48" barrel, and it seemed to move about 2 yards of dirt when it hit. Watching the shot with the spotting scope, the ball was visible for quite a ways before arcing to to impact the dirt. We didn't weigh one, but it should have been around 1,400gr. or so.
: The gun didn't recoil as much as it just moved back 1' every time it was fired. it didn't mater if your shoulder or hand was on the butt, it move the required distance and stopped. There was no pain, just healthy movement.
: With more knowledge, I now understand that less powder would have been much more accurate, as in 100 or 150gr.
Daryl