who shoots 54 Cal with 3F ?

[Sidney Smith]

So far I've not used 3fg in my .54. I recently bought a can of Goex 3fg to use in my .32 cal squirrel rifle when it's finished. I may try 3fg in my .54 just to see what if any difference there might be in accuracy.

So far 2fg has given me all the performance I require out of my guns. I'm going to have to suddenly start clover leafing my groups at 50 yards if I switch to 3fg, or I'm simply going to continue to use the tried and true. It aint broke so I'm not apt to fix it, if any improvement by using 3fg is only minor.

 

[mushka]

I shoot 3f in everything from .32, to .62 with round balls. I have two lbs of 2f I think I'm going to try in shot gun loads.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Same here 3f in every thing

 

[user 36911]

In an Isaac Haines .54 I use 70gr of 3F for muley and 80gr 3F for bear and elk.

I like to use the same powder from the same horn for pan and main charge. It's simpler.

 

[FishDFly]

There is a difference. If you shoot 2f say at 50gr. and go to 3f at 50grs the 3f will give u more velocity opposed to 2f. The 3f at 50 gr. will be an equivalent will of 55 gr using your powder measure. If you have a good scale measure 50 gr of 2f and weigh it then measure 2f a measure it. The 3f will weigh more. That's what I have found.

?

50 grains is 50 grains, no matter the powder type.

Which is heavier, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?

 

[S.Kenton]

 

[user 36911]

?

50 grains is 50 grains, no matter the powder type.

Which is heavier, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?
[/QUOTE

You're missing his point. He's comparing volume to weight.

Which is bigger, the feathers or lead?

 

[SDSmlf]

?

50 grains is 50 grains, no matter the powder type.

Which is heavier, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?

Most commercial powder measures are reported to be calibrated for 2F powder. They give you the volumetric equivalent of a weight of powder, but do not weigh powder. Depending on the manufacturer, a volume of 3F will weigh 7-10% more than an equal volume of 2F. Thought everyone knew that. That is one of the reasons you reduce your charge when you go to a finer granulation of powder. It is one of the basics of muzzleloader hunter safety training, and have learned that most 12 year old ‘trainees’ that have previously shot black powder already know this fact.

Curious, which is heavier, a bushel of feathers or a bushel of lead?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The Lyman Black Powder Loading Manuals from 1975 and 1981 include 3fg and 2fg loads for 54 caliber rifles. They only used 2fg for larger bored rifles.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Actually, a pound of feathers is heavier.

Feather are weighed accordhto the avoidupois scale of 16 ounces to the pound.

Lead is weighed on the apothecary scale of 12 ounces to the pound.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I do...no worries nor complaints.
Very humane to the deer too...,

LD

 

[Grenadier1758]

Of course no one uses the apothecary's scale any more for pound weights, so they weigh the same.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Its the volume not the weight. A lb of feathers is gonna take up a lot more room than that lb of lead.

 

[FishDFly]

Not if you put the pound of lead on top of the feathers.

 

[SDSmlf]

Not if you put the pound of lead on top of the feathers.

So a pound of lead will compress a pound of feathers to the same volume as the lead?

 

[appalichian hunter]

Depends on the bird the feathers came from, just had to do it.

 

[Rodd Boyer]

I use 70 to 80 gr of swiss fffg... I've gone as high as 90 gr. They all shoot about the same out to 50 yards.

Good luck, shoot straight and God bless,
Rodd

 

[Bassdog1]

Have been trying 2F in a 45 Hawken I acquired with so so results will be trying 3f Next.

 

[TreeMan]

I’ve had opposite results than most. I have a 54 pedersoli Mortimer rifle that wouldn’t hold a group with 3F worth a hoot. 80 gr of 2F and it shoots like a dream. I just acquired a custom built 54 Harpers ferry rifle too but I haven’t had a chance to try to work up a load for it yet.

 

[Intosomthin]

I have a .45 penn rifle(cap lock, soon to be flint), a .62 cal nwtg, a traditions trapper pistiol .50 (cap lock, again soon to be changed)... but point is i use 3f goex in all... 4f in pan... caps on the caps, but im believing to think... if it works, in your gun... WHAT WORKS... is so kool... but my twin gun too it... may hate it...
My smooth bore .62 loves 75 grns goex 3f... not 72 or 78... 75...
and .125 over powder card, a .015 mink oil patch on a .600 lee cast ball, and yes took a while to cook up this bicuit, but it shoots better than my eyes....prolly not shoot fer hoot in its twin...thats why we do this..
So the answer is... there is no answer...

Try 2f 3f 4f 5f( if that exizts)...im a big fan of brittsmothy's philosophies, but... its a philosophy until it becomes science...not a *** at yuh britt you opened my eyes a lil