Triple Seven..you owe yourself a 1lb

[TFoley]

Meanwhile here in UK, to an 'oversight' about forty years, it would seem that Triple 7 has ALWAYS been a Class 1 explosive, and subject to the Explosives Act, unlike its chemically-different cousins, the various grades of Pyrodex.

So this being the case, we now require an Explosives licence and proper Home Office-designated/compatible storage containers for it.

True, the license is free, but it's a RPITA to get one quickly.

Lucky for me I already have such a license (and storage box] for my BP purchasing, but.................................................................

 

[Togo]

I use 777 in all of my percussion rifles and pistols just because it's great, Goex and Swiss in my flints.

 

[toot]

I use T-7, in my BROWN BESS, a light load of 75 grains primed pan 4-f, and a 725, DIA, RB. and it is not a problem. so sign me up as / for a user! jmho!

 

[ILoveMuzzleloading]

Whatever gets you shooting is great. Glad to hear it’s working well for you

 

[1BadDart]

wish i could, but that old clock (the clock is younger than me!) keeps ticking away. now at 8.5000000001

 

[TreeMan]

I have about 20lbs of various grades of BP but a few months ago I picked up a pound of 3F 777. I started using it for matches in my Ruger OA. Great results! I’ve kinda put my flintlocks on the back burner and gotten back into shooting my civil war era Richmond carbine , Parker hale musketoon, and my original Belgium double 16 gauge. I’ve found that 777 produces the exact same accuracy as my normal Goex 3F. In everything except the Ruger I reduced the loads a little using 777. Musket caps on the rifles and the inline ignitions of the OA and shotgun have given me zero ignition issues. The old double doesn’t have a perfect bore and 777 cleans up way easier in it than BP. I really like it and it lets me save my BP for my flintlocks.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Bought my first can in the 90s. Gave it away. Just bought my second one 2 days ago.
Seems it works better in revolvers than holy black.
Its all about the FPS

 

[TFoley]

I have about 20lbs of various grades of BP but a few months ago I picked up a pound of 3F 777. I started using it for matches in my Ruger OA. Great results! I’ve kinda put my flintlocks on the back burner and gotten back into shooting my civil war era Richmond carbine , Parker hale musketoon, and my original Belgium double 16 gauge. I’ve found that 777 produces the exact same accuracy as my normal Goex 3F. In everything except the Ruger I reduced the loads a little using 777. Musket caps on the rifles and the inline ignitions of the OA and shotgun have given me zero ignition issues. The old double doesn’t have a perfect bore and 777 cleans up way easier in it than BP. I really like it and it lets me save my BP for my flintlocks.

Hmmmm. What's your load for the Musketoon?

 

[TreeMan]

Hmmmm. What's your load for the Musketoon?

I might get yelled at but I only shoot .562 roundballs in it. It’ll do cloverleafs all day at 50 yards. I always shot 60 grains of 3F Goex. 50 grains of T7 3F gives the exact same results. Don’t have a chronograph but I expect the velocities between those two loads are very close. I’ve killed numerous deer with 58s and 60 grains of 3F. More isn’t always better in my experience. I use the exact same load in my Richmond carbine (Bob Hoyt barrel) with the same accuracy.

 

[TFoley]

I might get yelled at but I only shoot .562 roundballs in it. It’ll do cloverleafs all day at 50 yards. I always shot 60 grains of 3F Goex. 50 grains of T7 3F gives the exact same results. Don’t have a chronograph but I expect the velocities between those two loads are very close. I’ve killed numerous deer with 58s and 60 grains of 3F. More isn’t always better in my experience. I use the exact same load in my Richmond carbine (Bob Hoyt barrel) with the same accuracy.

Thank you, Sir.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I shoot T7 in my caplock and BP in the flintlock.

 

[toot]

when I shoot T-7, TRIPPLE -7, in my cap locks it is usually a 3 to 4 patch clean up with warm water with dish detergent. I run a cotton mop in the bore and dry with cotton patches. works for me.

 

[Splitear]

Tried T7 for the first time yesterday. I had some ignition issues (on another thread), but I'm not ready to blame the powder. Clean-up was almost unbelievably easy. I may stick with it, costs a little more than other subs, but it shot accurately and cleaned up easy.

 

[springfield art]

Good to know this. I have fine supply of 'real' BP, but these positive comments are interesting.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I tried it for cowboy action shooting. I gave the can away after one shoot and went back to real black powder. Never had problems with real black powder so why change?

 

[LME]

forgive me brothers, for i have sinned! i strayed from holy black and muzzleloaders today. three times!
i have never shot smoothbore muzzleloaders or muzzleloading shotguns.
i have been building a fowler 20g but it is months away from finish. so.. i bought a 11ga from a member here yesterday because duck and geese are going to get kilt this weekend.
anyhow, to my sin.
i have had a zulu 12g sidelock shotgun for 40 years. to look at. shot it once years ago with low base light loads.
i also have 2 bottles of 777. anywho, i got to thinking,(very dangerous condition) that i could cut the crimp fingers off a plastic thingy, slap a primer in it and insert and close. then load from the muzzle, simulating the proper way of doing things.
started with 70g 777, .125 card, 1/2 inch of wasp nest, 1.25 oz #7.5 lead, card.
ratchet straps attached the bom... ah shotgun to my shooting bench. bunched up sheep skin got it pointing at the 35yard target.
15 feet of string, making a sharp turn behind a wall and it went bloop!
got 6 pellets in the target!
sinned a second time and this time went for it! 80g 777. cards and wasp nest the same excepti loaded 1.25 oz bb's. i really seated the over shot card and shot column. Pow! sounded like a real shotgun! 777 tossed the shot like the real thing!
last sin was 90g 777 with all else the same. that one went Bang!. and if i had had the guts to hold the contraption and had it pointed at a duck, we would be eating duck with plum sauce tonight!
can't wait for the new(to me) percussion English fowler to get here.
so did i really sin or not? you tell me. regardless it was fun!

You have sinned so terrible that there is no redempsion possible! LOL!

 

[Stantheman86]

What about the American Pioneer - Shooter's World ? I have a can of American Pioneer "3f" that was unopened but apparently went bad, it's a solid clump in the can

 

[S.Kenton]

When I first started back in the day, I used Goex only, then my buddy introduced me to triple 7, I used it for a brief period, but it sounds different when it goes off and smells different ( at least to my ear and nose). Also my buddy and I also had ignition issues, hang fires and the like, after about 30-35 shots. Might have just been the lube, which if memory serves me correct was crisco… but I switched back to goex after using a can or two if triple 7 and never went back.

 

[Notchy Bob]

This has been an interesting thread. I have no experience with Triple 7 whatsoever. I always figured it was like Pyrodex but with more energy. I have shot Pyrodex, and don't care for it. I have a twenty-year-old bottle of it that has probably clumped into a solid mass.

I understand that you can load a little less T7 than black powder or Pyrodex and get the same performance. Got that. However, I see some folks reporting the same cleaning regimen with T7 that they use for black powder, but if I understood correctly, the OP uses the same cleaning solvents and oils for T7 that he uses for smokeless. What works best, or does it matter?

Does T7 pour out of a horn like black powder? Does it smoke and stink like BP when it detonates? This is very important to someone who grew up shooting black powder.

Those sound like dumb questions, but seriously, I have no hands-on experience at all with Triple 7. I've seen the containers in stores, but I've never actually seen the powder itself. I am fortunate in that I've been able to keep enough real black powder on hand to keep me shooting. You learn to stock up when its available, in amounts realistically based on your anticipated needs. There is a difference between stocking up and hoarding. The Pyrodex was just an experiment. However, while there have always been periodic shortages of powder, primers, and caps, they appear to be occurring more frequently and lasting longer now. I expect I'll continue to shoot real black, but it's good to know what the options are.

So, if some of you patient gentlemen would answer my goofball questions, I would appreciate it.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Omahkapi'si]

My experience with T7 and I shoot lots of it: it pours same as BP out of my horn. Looks a little like BP but maybe a little finer and a dark gray color. It smells "smoky" but not same as BP. Not as much smoke either it seems as BP. 50 grains packs a punch.
Cleans up easy with water or any BP cleaner, doesn't seem quite as dirty as Pyrodex. It cleans more like BP.

My two cents.