Best place to get black powder

[T-Bird]

I haven't shot real black powder since the early '70's. I had a cap and ball revolver that I shot a lot of it in. When I was older and bought my first bp rifle, the store that I got my bp from had closed, and the LGS didn't carry real black. Pyrodex was the choice so I went with it and have had no problems......until now. I bought a drop in Green Mountain 54 cal slow twist barrel for my T/C Hawken and it will give fairly frequent hang fires with both 777 and Pyrodex. I was thinking that if I go to real black powder, these will probably stop. I know I'm gonna have to get it online but didn't know where was the best place. I've seen it at Powder Valley. I knew that y'all would know the best (cheapest) place.

[FrankJD]

A few others ....

http://www.blackpowderva.com/

www.mainepowderhouse.com/

https://powderinc.com/

[BLAHUT]

Track of the wolf in Minnesota.

[T-Bird]

I had checked TOW, I buy from them a lot didnt see the powder. Checked just now..... there it is! Will ck those others too, thanks!

[Milky Duck]

make your own..there are a couple of good threads on here with the how to do it ....

[Trapper-Jack]

If you didn't have any problems in the beginning, maybe check and see if your barrel has a chambered breach. If so, a regular cleaning jag won't be able to go all the way to the bottom. Unless you use a brush with or a scraper with the same profile, this area often won't get cleaned and develop a fouling buildup that will affect the ignition.

[Randy Bohannon]

Graf’s or Buffalo Arms simply because they do it very well .

[BLAHUT]

I haven't shot real black powder since the early '70's. I had a cap and ball revolver that I shot a lot of it in. When I was older and bought my first bp rifle, the store that I got my bp from had closed, and the LGS didn't carry real black. Pyrodex was the choice so I went with it and have had no problems......until now. I bought a drop in Green Mountain 54 cal slow twist barrel for my T/C Hawken and it will give fairly frequent hang fires with both 777 and Pyrodex. I was thinking that if I go to real black powder, these will probably stop. I know I'm gonna have to get it online but didn't know where was the best place. I've seen it at Powder Valley. I knew that y'all would know the best (cheapest) place.

Try a magnum primer ??? Try blackhorn209 ???

[dondiego]

Fix your firearm.

[T-Bird]

This is a different barrel/breech placed on a factory T/c rifle. I stated that in my op. The probs came with the change. No probs with the factory barrel using pyrodex. I assume some internal architecture is different that is causing this and I suspect that black powder will solve this because it's much easier to ignite. I wanted a slow twist to shoot prb exclusively. The factory 48 twist barrel did ok but I was looking for better accuracy (y'all know how we are). I'm using CCI magnum primers, the only thing that was available when I grabbed several hundred right before they became unavailable.

[Minerat]

I just got some from Grafs. They had their house brand for $18.95/ lb. Five pounds worked out to be about $27/ lb with hazmat and shipping. Ordered on a Saturday evening got it on Wednesday.

I had a little of that misfiring in my TC 54 factory barrel and went to a HotShot nipple and that helped. Still had a little problem if I tried to go more the 5 shots before wiping and picking the nipple. (that just sounds bad)

[Milky Duck]

CCI primers can be rather on hard side..make sure there is no gunk in and around your firing pin causing a lighter than normal strike... but hat would cause a misfire which will usually go off if hit again rather than a hangfire/slow ignition- delayed ignition

[Jackrabbit1957]

Is your breech set up a snail type or is it a drum? I'm thinking the flash channel is restricted and needs to be opened up.

[T-Bird]

This is a sidelock Milkyduck, snail type breech Jack, I was thinking the same as you. That's what I was referring to with the "internal architecture" comment. Minerat, I've bought stuff from Graf's before. great service. I didn't know they had bp, that's the best deal yet! thank's. Y'all have all helped a lot, thank's!

[Sasquatch-1]

Is your breech set up a snail type or is it a drum? I'm thinking the flash channel is restricted and needs to be opened up.

This would be my guess. If you have a bore scope you should check to see if the flash hole was drilled properly and not partially blocked by the breech plug.

[Adam Helmer]

No local gun shop carries real BP, only Pyro or T-7. Every summer I buy BP at the local gun club ronneyvoo on sutler's lane.

Adam

[T-Bird]

I don't have a bore scope. If real black doesn't "fix" the condition, I'll investigate further.

[megasupermagnum]

I think a lot of you missed some key points.

This is a TC Hawken. It was fine with the original barrel. He bought a Green Mountain drop in barrel that he is now having some hangfires with. Unless he put a magspark nipple on it, which he did not say, he he is using #11 or #10 percussion caps.

I can't speculate if the breech plug Green mountain uses has any differences from a TC plug as far as the chamber goes. They are still the same Patent type plug with a cast in channel. They are drop in barrels essentially identical to TC barrels. T-Bird may be correct that real blackpowder will help is problem. It is the easiest to ignite and most reliable powder there is. My concern is that there might be some kind of issue that could be fixed. A simple test is to take your barrel off, pour some powder down, lightly tap it to make sure it settled, then remove your nipple. There should be a decent amount of powder under your nipple. If there isn't, you know you have some kind of obstruction and the cause of your hangfires. It could be a casting defect, it could be fouling. What I like to use to clean the chamber on my breech plug is a slightly smaller bronze brush. I use a 50 cal brush in a 54 caliber barrel. I make sure and only rotate clockwise and let that brush out the chamber. There could still be a defect in the flash channel. There is a small screw on the side near your nipple. If you take that out you can run a pipe cleaner all the way though. You can do it through the nipple hole, but its much harder. If you can't run it though, you know you have some kind of casting defect. As for caps, by CCI magnum I'm going to assume you mean #11 CCI magnum percussion caps, which are the same caps I use. They are the best there are in my opinion.

Anyway, to actually answer your question I have multiple answers. I have not looked for or bought black powder since 2019, so I don't know the current state of things. At that time online buying was the best if you were willing to buy at least 10# at a time. If you are willing to buy 25# at a time, Jacks Powder Keg was the best prices I saw, and they can sometimes deliver locally for free if you are willing to wait, and are willing to meet them at a local event. I bought a lot from both Powder Inc. and Grafs. I don't think I've ever seen great prices from Powder Valley, but they are not horrible. I used to live right by Track of the Wolf, about 25 miles from it. I've bought from there, but they charge too much to be worth it. The prices they charge in the store are NOT the prices on the website. I was always able to buy online and have it shipped to my door cheaper than I could buy it in person at TOTW, even if you don't count the 50 miles worth of gas. Still sometimes I just wanted a single pound to try, and it was nice for that.

[FrankJD]

Black powder won't fix a fouled nipple or fouled patent breech plug's ante chamber (worthless breech plugs ever), but it sure is a better way to go For Me than any of that smokeless substitute crap.

Also, IME real BP, no matter the brand, has always been easier for fouling control and end-of-session cleanup. YMMV.

The price of all powders (and primers) has just about doubled, even lots more so if bought mail order with shipping, hazmat, and tax fees added.

Buying 25lb lots will drop the total cost, so a group buy via a club or an org or just a buncha buds is the better way to go.

It is what it is and it's only gonna get worse ....

[shortlegs]

MY double barrel percussion shotgun doesnt like substitute powders but is fine with real black powder. Try the real stuff and see how it works.