Which Powder?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

pcrum

40 Cal.
Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Messages
194
Reaction score
2
Hi, I'm sure this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it in the archives.
What are your preferences for black powder and why? I've mainly used goex because it was easily available, and have also used elephant.
Are the KIK and Swiss brands good?
I shoot flints exclusively FWIW.
Thanks!
Pat
 
I have used the four powder brands you mention, plus some others over the years. I now shoot Goex & Swiss depending on the gun. Goex is great powder & their quality control seems to have improved over recent years & I've been very happy with its performance.....plus, another benefit is that it's American made.
However, I shoot with the USIMLT & oftentimes when competing overseas Goex powder isn't readilly available but Swiss almost always is, so it's been important for me to find accurate loads using both brands of powder in my competition guns. In doing so, I have found that some of my guns do show a slight preference for Swiss & so have switched to that powder in that particular gun. Also Swiss offers a bit larger range in granulation sizes (Fg, 1.5Fg, 2Fg, 3Fg, & 4Fg) compared to Goex (Fg, 2Fg, 3Fg, & 4Fg).
If you are a target shooter you should shoot the powder that gives you the best accuracy & the only way you can find out which to use is to try both brands, in the different granulation sizes, & experiment. If you are primarily a hunter I really don't think you're going to notice a whole lot of difference between the two brands for all practical purposes, in which case go with the Goex as it is quite a bit cheaper, but you should still try the different granulations as one will most likely give you better accuracy/performance than the other.
 
Graf's shooting supply has Goex. Swiss and their own brand 'Graf's' which is made by Wano. good stuff and cheaper than Goex. way cheaper than Swiss. I can't tell difference between it and Goex.
 
Blizzard of 93 said:
"...their own brand 'Graf's' which is made by Wano. good stuff and cheaper than Goex..."
What price structure are you comparing?

For example my 2007 case of Goex was delivered for $10.80/pound...
 
I have used GOEX, KIK and Shutzen. GOEX is a good consistant powder and has a reasonable price tag. The same can be said of Shutzen. Both are good powders and I have burned through a lot of it especially GOEX. I haven't used Grafs but have heard that is about the same as GOEX.

I usually order KIK though. It is a little hotter and burns a little cleaner than the other two. It also is cheaper by about a dollar or so a pound. It is a preference by a small margin.
 
the Wano was a $ less then Goex IIRC. Swiss is costly. they also carry 'Express' Goex that is as costly as Swiss - I haven't tried any - has anyone else? wonder what advantage it would offer?
 
I have only used GOEX,but its great stuff. I don't plan on changing since I have never had a problem. I use FFFg in everything. In the .54 it cleans up really nice, and in the tiny .32 it doesn't foul too bad with NL1000.
 
Back
Top