Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders using FFFg in a 54.

I've read several of Herb's posts on the ALR forum.
He's definitely more "detail oreinted" than I am!

I have shot ML for a long time and have tried many variables in shot and powders. No one has mentioned barrel length in regards to powder burn. I shoot a 58 cal flintlock with a 42 inch barrel. I shoot 2F powder and feel it gets a complete powder burn in a 42 inch barrel length. Shooting a Hawken style gun with a short barrel, I would shoot 3F powder. Partly because of the short barrel but also the 3F powder would fill the side breech better, being a finer powder. In a flintlock I add a flash pan powder that is a 4F or finer. Actually I take my 2F powder and crush it with my wooden powder horn stopper and use it in the pan. Some of it is a super fine powder that is dust. When the flint strikes and the sparks drop, the frizzen raises which will pull some of the dust up into the air. The spark is igniting the dust first then the remainder. It is a fast ignition given all other lock timing is correct. All powder is coated to make it less hazardous from friction, therefore even purchased 4F is not as good as crushing your own. Just my take and experiences with black powder. Hope it helps or gives another perspective.

Both my T/C Renegade and T/C New Englander .54's like 85gr of Goex 3f, a .535 Hornady swaged RB
wrapped in a .015" lubed patch.

Ed

Ok ill mention it . I use 3F in my 54 which has a 42 inch hand forged iron barrel . My Hudson valley which has a 56 inch barrel .
i use 3 or 4f in the pans but mostly 4F.

in my SXS's the have 32 inch barrels or less and range from 12 gage , 16 gage and 20 gage . i use 2 F in those as i have found that 2 F does not spread the shot pattern a great as 3F

I use 3f in my .62 cal. also. How many grains are you using in yours Captchee?

I use nothing but T7 3F in my Lyman Great Plains 54 cal Rifle with the Hornady Patched Round Ball

I use 3f swiss in my 54 hawken with a PRB..