best black powder

[stubshaft]

For hunting and fine target work I prefer Swiss. Goex gets the nod for everything else.

[toot]

it will all go bang. it all comes down to what you can get & is available.

[Buzzard II]

Gee, I thought my KIK 3F was pretty good & accurate in a 44-40. I would go in this order-Swiss, Old Ensford, Goex. For me Swiss is very good. Old Ensford is a little less money, but still good. Goex works, but for me it's dirty and not so accurate. Whichever you have, then it's the powder for you. Some powder is available to some shooters, some may not be. Shoot what you've got and be happy. I shot a .58 cal. in N-SSA matches in Winchester Va for 10 years and local ranges for more years than I care to remember. Good luck shooting.
Bob

[Riverside]

I have read that the black powder of old (particularly English) burned cleaner and gave better velocity than todays powder. I don't understand why, with today's technology it should be better. Anyone have any experience with the old powder and have you done comparison tests?

[Don McDowell]

Not all the powders of old live up to the modern-day myth.
Olde Eynsford and Swiss are just as good as powders of back in the day, if not better.

[hylander]

Wish I could find some Olde Ensdorde locally.
Only one shop around that carries Black and only carries GOEX

[dnegative]

I have read that the black powder of old (particularly English) burned cleaner and gave better velocity than todays powder. I don't understand why, with today's technology it should be better. Anyone have any experience with the old powder and have you done comparison tests?

There was a recent test done locally with some vintage curtis and harvey powder and even though it was probably 100 years old it grouped the best and offered good velocity.
All I can get is Wano, I wouldn't say its a bad powder but its a bit docile.

[curdog007]

Like I've said before, for a given charge weight, OE 1 1/2F behaves just like C&H No.6, both velocity and pressure-wise.
That tells me something.

[gunther]

If .you are in the West, in a dry climate, Swiss is the way to go. If in the east, where humidity is always with us, GOI will do fine. Swiss will give you softer fouling in a dry climate, but is kinda expensive when the humidity is 90 percent on a good day. Some years ago, I saw one of the best shots in the country light up like a Christmas tree to get a good price on 75 year old DuPont. I believe he was getting a sponsorship from either GOI or Swiss at the time. By "best", that's shooting in the 180-190 range on the Ky Corps of Longriflemen aggregate consistently.

[Don McDowell]

Wish I could find some Olde Ensdorde locally.
Only one shop around that carries Black and only carries GOEX

If that shop gets Goex, they can get Olde Eynsford, as it's made by Goex.
They should be able to get any brand of black available, probably just have to ask them to get a few cans of what ever on their next order.

[Lead pot]

Try this once to decide which powder fouled harder.

Shoot a few rounds of each powder just pushing one damp patch, not wet through the bore and look down the bore to see what is left behind and watch what gets pushed out in front of the patch.

If the stuff that is pushed out rolls out like sand you will decide which powder burns moister. You don't have to east or west to see the difference.

[toot]

beggars can't be choosers, take what you can get and be thankful you can get it to shoot & have fun in the sport! as stated it all goes bang. jmho.

[rfd]

Swiss ... or OE if no Swiss is available, but online Swiss is almost always up for sale.

[jednorris]

At the National Shoots Swiss 1-1/2 seems the most popular

[toot]

what caliber / type of guns is Swiss 1-1/2 used in? pistol, rifle, smooth bore?

[Riverside]

Will someone describe the process of making your own black powder?

[John Boy]

* Both Swiss and Wano charcoal is made from Alder Buckthorn. Swiss controls the retort processing better than Wano which creates a higher velocity and fouling control
* Olde E charcoal is made from Yellow Maple, fouling control not as good as Swiss. Reason Olde E velocity is in same range as Swiss is because they ‘juice’ up the 20 & 30 grains with 40 grains in their ratio mix
* Goex is run of the mix powder for fouling control & velocity … except for Goex Cartridge. They did an overall very good processing with this discontinued powder grade and the grain ratio mix is dead on as FFg. A tad slower than Swiss 1.5Fg but have had very good success with it shooting long range with 535 & 550 gr bullets
* But IMHO, the best grade of BP to be shipped to the US was the 2010 lot of Kik, all grades. It too had charcoal made from Alder Buckthorn branches loaded with glucose

Not within the initial OP’ request for best powders… in the 1970’s, Nobel Industries in Ardeer Scotland was making powder and shippng it cloned from the processing recipe of Curtis’s & Harvey powder, the best overall powder ever made using the packaging label … Meteor. I lucked out finding this powder, tested it and hoard it like fine scotch whiskey

[beltfed]

I have an old full can of Hodgdon's Black Powder FFFg that is marked
Made in Scotland. I wonder if it was made by that Nobel Ind. plant in Ardeer?
May just give it a try, comparing it in my 38-50RH to other 3f BP I have, including DuPont and Swiss
beltfed/arnie

[echo154]

I have found Swiss 1 1/2 and 2 FG to have the softest fouling in my 45-2 7/8 but must admit the only other powders I have used were GOEX an Elephant. Both of the latter were ok but the fouling was not as easily wiped out .....of course the 45 2 7/8 burns a lot more powder.

[Newtire]

looks like Goex still beat the pants off Wano

Just curious, what’s not to like about Wano? I like Swiss myself when it can be gotten.