Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders 4F in 1858

Thoughts on using 4F in 5.5” 1858 pietta wit.454 RB projectiles to get better performance out of the shorter barrel

Have you tried 3F?

No I haven’t bought any powder yet I have 2f rifle
And just bought the pistol for muzzleloader Deer and Elk hunting in case I need a follow up shot to euthanize any wounded animals and for something else to play with

Well, you'll certainly attain maximum pressures possible with black powder that's for sure. Whether it'll put undo strain on the gun or not I can't say, probably not but I wouldn't. FFFg is plenty fine granulation. It's what I always run in .36 and .44's - it'll provide all the whack that you need the gun to do.

I guess I'm thinking the 4F may have more fouling than 3F. Don't seem like pressure would be an issue in a nickel steel gun, but I don't know for sure.

I'd bet you'd get considerably more velocity out of triple 7 than with 3f black. I know that's the case with an 8" barrel. I personally never used 4f. More fouling comes with coarser grained black. At least that's how it works in my guns.

Like others have posted, give 3F a try first. It could satisfy you needs and generally is easier to find than 4F.
That having been said, my Lyman Black Powder Handbook from 1975 contains published revolver data using 4F.
Also, it's been my experience that the finer the powder the less fouling occurs.

3f will be fine. I would not load 4f in a revolver.

Finer powder= more pressure. More pressure= cleaner burning (but that's kind of a moot point since it's all black powder anyway).