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I bought a .45/70 Browning from a fellow shooter and the accuracy load he gave me used Swiss FF with a 470 gr. bullet. I checked out buying and having some some Swiss delivered and it was quite high. I already have about a dozen 1# cans of Goex FFg but I do not know how much difference I may get. I shoot local competition out to 300 yds. and may start shooting out to 500. What is the general opinion on whether there will be much difference in accuracy or cleaning ?.
I'm no help but if you already have the GOEX,load a few up !
The standard GOEX powders have worked in cartridges for some people, but my own experience, and the general impression I get from reading those of others, is that it requires more “finagling” to work well than other powders. Charge weights just right, one primer brand head and shoulders above the rest, compression just right, etc. Some people used to have to put the stuff in a sock and shake until the dust came out before the powder was usable.
My own weird experience was that I made up a load that seemed to work great in practice, but wouldn’t quite stay on the targets in a real Match. Some of the Experts have gone to GOEX after they’ve become expert handloaders with Swiss, as a sort of “post-graduate study” in BPC loading.
The “premium powders,” like Swiss, are simply easier to use, especially if you are starting out. Results tend to be more consistent: loads that worked well in development continue to work well when you load 100 of them. GOEX Olde Eynsford is not as expensive as Swiss, but I find that in the .45-70 with grease groove boolits, it works as well as Swiss, and was as easy as Swiss to get a good, consistent load with.
By all means, try the powder you have. It might work well to 300 yards; with luck, maybe even to 500. But if you are just starting out, and want to get into competition, it might be quicker to invest in a few lb of Olde Eynsford 1-1/2 Fg, to see if it works any better than regular GOEX, and a pound of Swiss 2F just to check your friend’s load recommendation and see what that level of performance looks like.
I use mostly Olde Ensforde and Swiss and some goex in my bpcr rifles. All will work and get you where you need to be. My basic toughts are
Swiss. needs less compression in the load to burn clean and produce the desired velocity. usually in the ,030-,080 compression range Swiss fouling gets lighter and velocities become very consistant. finding the point your load rifle combination likes is the trick.
Olde Ensforde. lokes a little more compression than Swiss I usually end up with .090-.125 compression for the best consistency. Again when the sweet spot is found fouling goes down and velocities stay very consistant. Some of my loads here have 12 fps extreme spreads over 10 rounds.
Goex likes some heavier compression in the range of .150-.250. but when the spot is found can be very consistant.
Use a compression die to compress the charge. I put the base wad in before compressing to seal the case better and keep powder from sticking to the stem. then add 2 tracing paper wads.
To get started with compressing. a simple plug can be made, sort of a dummy bullet. What you want is a plug in the shape and size of your bullet made from hardwood aluminum or brass that wont deform. This needs to be .445-.450 dia so it slides in and out of the case easily. If made from hard wood epoxy finish it to make it as hard as possible. when the length is right using it in the set seating die gives the correct compression for this bullet.
I have made them from oak dowel 1/2" dia. chuck in lathe and work down to the .450 dia for 2"-3 " leave thus on a stem 3" long or longer. with a file work in the nose ogive and tip close. relieve stem some but keep attached cut the base .125" longer than needed. I use JB wood restorer epoxy mis and dip this in let soak for a few minutes and hang to dry. Warming it with a hair drier removers air bubbles and helps work it into the wood. When cured sand back to size and shape. clean up base and cut off from stem. measure a bullet set in the seater stem and then this dummy and work to same length +.005-.010. work in final compressing charges.
I started with GOEX because, at the time, that was about all there was. When I got my first pound of Swiss, I never looked back. GOEX requires much more powder compression (almost solid). It requires more lube (it burns dry). It also leaved much more solids behind.
Swiss needs very little compression (making it easier and quicker to reload -- no separate compression step). It needs less lube (which means that you can often get by without a lube cookie in a rifle). It burns cleaner (which means you can shoot longer before cleaning).
Is that difference worth the difference in cost to you?
Try the GOEX first make it like there is no Swiss till you run out is my advise