Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders 4fg powder in 50 cal flinter

Anybody use 4fg for the main charge in a 50 traditions? I shoot paper mostly with 0.490 patched round balls. My supply of ffg is being used up. I normally use the 4f for priming. Can it be used in main charge to make a mild plinking type load?

Appreciate the help.

I wouldn't. find some ffg or fffg. if you weren't across the medicine line i'd send you some. I bought 12lb's of clean shot years ago and have never used it. had many pounds of Holy Black that I am still using.
I think the 4f would give you pressure problems up and down. erratic is the word I was grasping for.
then again I could be all wet.

Thanks for the quick answer. I suspected that would be the case. I have 2 pounds of the stuff and I'll likely never use it all up for priming purposes. I do have some limited amount of 2fg, and a couple pounds of 3fg. I'll look around locally and see if I can gift it to someone or make a swap.

Thanks again.

FFFG is an acceptable alternative to FFG in most rifles. In a 50 Cal I used it for awhile with great results, and in my experience dropping back the charge wt by 10 to 15 Grs gives about the same result when using a patched ball. It also burns a bit cleaner, which is always a plus. Leave that FFFFG for the priming pan, Deerstalker is spot on with potential pressure problems when FFFFG is used as the main charge.

Does anyone have any actual pressure data for FFFg vs. FFFFg?

For flintlock priming; order one pound of 4-f in a case of main charge powder. That translates to 24 cans of 2 or 3-f and one can of 4-f. You won't use more 4-f than that.

I shoot FFFg in .54 as it gives better ballistics and cleaner burn. Lyman did a test many years ago with a .54 rifle using FFFg and FFg as main charge. With patched round ball they found 70 grains of FFFg gave same ballistics as 90 grain of FFg.
But I would not try FFFFg in a .50 cal.

I heard all the rumors about not being able to blow up a
muzzleloader, and when 15 year old me bought one, i tried most of them.
(Never short loaded a ballm everyone said that would blow it up)

But, for some reason, I don't think i ever tried 4F as a charge.
We usually use 3F in our 50s. In a pinch, it makes a pretty decent
priming charge. (Which, I understand was pretty common in the
flintlock era.)

i fired a round that was 1/2 to 2/3 the way down due to bad fouling one time. it was weak and didnt go far. never again, could have been worse

That is why they make silent ball dischargers... I don't go to the range or hunting without one.

Thanks for all the replies and information. I have always used FFFFg for priming the flinter, and I have used both FFg and FFFg for the main charge. Was just wondering, and now I don't wonder any more. Appreciate it.