Pyrodex Question

[doc1876]

I have a can here that was my fathers. It is over 20 yrs old, and never opened. That is my opinion on it in as nice a way as I can put it.

[triggerhappy243]

send it to me. I also have some 20 yrs old. still burns the same as the day it was made.

[rmark]

I use loose Pyrodex or black powder, never tried pellets. Ten year old Pyrodex RS and 20 year old black have both worked fine (both stored in my storm cellar). I clean well with lots of water, dry the bore, oil with Hoppes. Never had any problems, I live in a fairly dry climate.

[salvadore]

I've been shooting C&B revolvers off and on since '68 (walker colt, don't know who made it). Started shooting pyrodex out of a '58 Remington, and it allowed me to shoot more before fouling shut me done than bp. I believe the makers claimed it was less corrosive than bp, don 't know if that is still the case. I have containers of pyrodex downstairs that seems just fine.

[Motor]

Its all c rap, dont work in the flinter, nor the BPCR, so got no use for it.
Thats why I keep 10lbs of holy black in the sump most of the time

Bull **** !!!!!!!! People are just too stupid to READ THE DIRECTIONS.

I use FFg 777 in my FLINTLOCK and have so for years. My brother-in-law uses freekin Pyrodex Pellets in his. The Hodgdon Reloading manual has a muzzle loading section plus there are directions printed on the 777 bottle for use in flintlocks.

FFg 777 kicks BPs *** grain for grain in velocity. 90gr of loose 777 primed with 10gr of FFFFg black will shoot a 385gr Hornady 1650 f/s. 100gr of FFg black will only get you 1325 f/s. This was from a T/C 50cal. Renegade flintlock.

I use loose Pyrodex RS in a cheap Traditions side lock. 50 to 70 grains depending if both deer and squirrel or if only squirrel are in season. I use a home cast 250gr REAL boolit and it is VERY accurate and ignition is reliable with standard #11 caps.

I have nothing against BP. The fact is you can buy Pyrodex and 777 just about anywhere and most of the time you can get it after ML season on clearance.

I'm real tired of this BS about clean up. If you say 777 is harder to clean up after than BP you just simply have never used it.

Motor

[triggerhappy243]

Coffee anyone?

[krag35]

I have been shooting Pyrodex, both "P" and "RS" for 30 years. In caplock rifles, revolvers, and shotguns. I have never had an ignition problem, nor any problems cleaning them. Have also used Pyrodex "RS" in my 444 Marlin with useable results. On a lark, I loaded a mag full of 45 ACP with "P" and it functioned fine in my P220. I have never noticed a problem with Pyrodex getting weaker with age, but then, I am in the practice of screwing the lids back on my powder cans. I can not speak to triple 7 or pellets of any kind, I have not used them.

[Tackleberry41]

The pellets are horribly overpriced for what you get, faster yes, but you get alot more shots to a lbs of loose stuff than you will a box of the pellets. And of course your sort of stuck with whatever volume the pellets are made at, usually the wrong volume for best accuracy. And as pointed out it doesnt light as easy, fine with inline guns and 209 primers, but an issue in side locks.

777 is higher energy, so you can use a little less, tho I have found it to be a little higher priced than pyro so probably evens out.

I have switched over to the real stuff, not that I threw out the various 777 and pyro I had picked up. Never known pyro to go bad, it will clump up often, but break it up and it seems to work fine. You can usually pick up pyro at wal mart at the end of the season on sale for $20/lbs. The real stuff requires mail order, with a minimum order, and someone has to be there to sign for it. Or a drive to one of the few places that will bother stocking it. For me 1 1/2 drive.

[Powder Burn]

I use it all. It's not an either or for me. BP for my Flint and Cap lock rifles and pistols and Trip 7 2F granulated for my deer hunting Inlines. I found (for deer hunting), by converting to grains from "by volume" gives me more consistency so I weigh all my loads. Pellets work ok but I needed to tweek my loads so I went to granular. Don't really care which cleans up better since I only shoot once during the firearm season. I did read Trip 7 degrades over time and may loose a few ft/sec. but I haven't shot a deer yet that can outrun that boolet, including the 8 pt I took last Fri. My powder is at least 5 years old, but is kept dry and cool at all times. There appears to be some strong opinions about BP and subs so please take it easy on me, I have delicate sensibilities.

[triggerhappy243]

I finally got to shoot my muzzle loader today all of 2 rounds. Dang cold and windy. but I did shoot the 2 rounds to point of aim and I am happy with the way it shot. I did not need to fire a cap first as I wanted to see where she hits on a clean barrel and after swabbing after the first. this is a 2 shot group fired at 50 yards burning pyrodex RS. (80 GR.) no underwad, standard #11 cap. T/C renegade 50 cal. firing a T/C maxi-Ball. lube was T/C bore butter in the lower lube groove only. these 2 rounds are 1-1/2 inch apart on centers. 2 dead deer or elk if that was what I shot at. Cant wait for spring.

[OverMax]

"Just my observation between the two powders as I recall."
Tried 2-FFG Pyrodex loose and 2-FFG Groex both on the same day years ago in my Hawken 54s sighting. Seems to me the Pyrodex was a bit harder to clean out of my barrel verses the Gorex. Although I did get a extra shot or two from Pyrodex use before it too needed to be swabbed. Just a simple patched ball with Wonder Lube was all that was used in the experiment.

[triggerhappy243]

Good point. I do remember that when I was wiping out the barrel after my shots that there was a "CRUSTY" spot down at the bottom of the stroke. When it gets bad, I wire bore brush it and dump out any fouling that has accumulated. Also important that I mention I dry swab the bore between each and every shot.... to keep the fouling build up down to a minimum. Still a nice tight group for someone who has not fired this in 4 years.

[Rick Hodges]

I hunt with 777 2f. 110gr. and a 300 gr. Hornady xtp, makes just under 1800fps in my TC Omega. The same this year as it did 5 yrs ago...yep the same can of powder, stored in my cool humid basement. Average velocity 1785fps originally and 1787fps this year (3 shot average).

Yes I have shot other cans in the meantime but it convinced me that the rumors of opened cans of BPS going bad/deteriorating in a short period of time is pure hogwash. 777 does leave a crud ring for a few inches in front of the seated load...and care must be taken to clean it out, but it is no harder to clean than black. I used black in my 54 TC Scout because I had heard of difficulty igniting it in cold temps with a conventional percussion cap. Soooo, I tried it with sabots in -15 weather in the Scout...perhaps the vented ignition system with the Scouts unique nipple/breech system makes a difference...but...at least in this rifle, another old wives tale. It fired flawlessly. I still use black in my sidelocks and the Scout if using full caliber maxi's.

Black is nigh impossible to buy in this area unless I am willing to drive out of state or have large quantities shipped in. The substitutes are a viable alternative that keep a lot of us shooting...."Holy Black" is useless if it is unobtainable.

[fouronesix]

I don't know about unobtainable or large minimum quantities or excess expense?

Powder Inc, shipping and hazmat incl- 5 lbs GOEX delivered to your door- 122.00
That's 24.40 per lb.

Grafs, shipping and hazmat included- 5 lbs Schuetzen delivered to your door- 111.40
That's 22.28 per lb.

Price delivered goes down with larger increment per order

[dtknowles]

5 pounds is more than some of us will use in many years.

Tim

[Tar Heel]

Loose is $14/lb. Pellets aren't.
Loose is infinitely divisible. Pellets aren't.
BP and substitutes should smoke. It isn't smokeless and that's why we shoot it.
Pyrodex lasts a very long time if you store it correctly. I still have some RS from 1990.

If you want all the modern parameters and modern niceties, buy a modern gun and shoot smokeless cartridges. Simple eh?

[dondiego]

5 pounds is more than some of us will use in many years.

Tim

Do you have any friends that might need a pound?

[dtknowles]

Do you have any friends that might need a pound?

Nope, none of them even reload much and you can shoot cartridge rifles in primitive season here. I have two revolvers and two rifles but I don't shoot them more than enough to be sure they still perform properly. I load black in my 450 BPE and that is a big charge but again, I don't shoot 40 rounds a year. I have two partial cans of black for the 450 BPE, I hope they last until I stumble across more black locally. I shoot subs in the other guns and I have enough Pryodex and 777 to last a while if I start shooting them more and there is more at the store if I need it.

Tim

P.S. Percussion caps are becoming hard to source locally, hope somebody has some at the gun show next month.

[dondiego]

Why are percussion caps $8 per hundred?

[dtknowles]

Why are percussion caps $8 per hundred?

Not that would pay that but where were they? Local shop or on-line?

Tim