2ffg or 3ffg

[rebs]

How do you decide which powder to use ? It is for a TC New Englander 50 cal.
A friend gave me a 1lb metal can of DuPont 2ffg, how can I tell if it is still good ?

 

[Wyosmith]

If black powder is not wet, it's still good.

As a rule I use 3F in 50 cals, but some are more accurate with 2F. Try both and see which one the rifle likes best.

 

[jaguarxk120]

Black powder has NO shelf life, it is always good.

A few years ago a guy lost his life disarming a shell from the war between the states. He made a mistake and it went off.
That was over 100 year old powder.

As long it was kept dry it is just as powerful as the day it was made.

 

[rodwhaincamo]

3F is a little more powerful and leaves less fouling compared to 2F. But some rifles are more accurate with 2F. As a rule about 10% reduction is necessary when using 3F to achieve the velocity/pressure of 2F.

I have a .50 cal rifle and two .44/.45 cal revolvers and prefer to stock/carry one granulation (3F). And because these are hunting arms I use a more energetic powder (Olde Eynsford or Triple 7). And I'll use this in a 28 ga and .54 cal when I get those too.

 

[rebs]

Thank you for the replies

 

[Old Stony]

I've used 3f in calibers as large as .62, but as a rule I use 2f in most everything over .50 caliber. If you want a little more pop out of your round in your TC, you can safely switch to 3f without any problems.
I've been playing with a TC that I shortened the barrel on and have had a little better luck with the 3f. It is a Hawken barrel shortened to 21 inches, and I think the faster powder is giving me a little better performance all around.

 

[deerslayer303]

I'm gonna have to try some 3f in my .50. It shoots pretty darn good with 2 F already, but less fouling sounds good

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[maillemaker]

I shoot 3F in all of my arms, from .69 smoothbore to .58 rifles to revolvers.

You can typically shoot 10% less 3F than 2F to get the same "bang".

However, some guns may prefer the slower burn of 2F over 3F for accuracy. The only way to know for sure is to do load workups of each.

Steve

 

[Hawg]

I use more 2F than anything, even in my revolvers.

 

[drobs]

FYI - wet black powder can be dried and still used.

 

[Hawg]

FYI - wet black powder can be dried and still used.

Yep, they've unloaded cannons that were on ships sunk over 400 years ago and dried it out and it worked.

 

[4V50 Gary]

Get the Lyman Black Power Handbook.

For something like 50 cal, I would prefer 2F.

 

[Jbar4Ranch]

.50 is generally the line between 2f and 3f, so .50 and smaller, 3f. But I've also seen the very next sentence also say, ".50 and larger, use 2f"... so I'm guessing it makes no real difference. Using comparable volumes, you just get a little less steam behind the bullet with 2f. If 2f is available and 3f isn't, it certainly isn't a deal breaker - I buy the 2f.

 

[B.L.E.]

DuPont hasn't made black powder since 1975 when they sold their black powder plant to Gearhart-Owens which became Goex. That can might have some collector interest though the powder is still perfectly good.

 

[zipspyder]

GOEX 3F for everything since most BP weapons now are 50 cal and smaller.

 

[gwpercle]

Explosive cannon shells were recently unearted , buried and forgotten after the War Between The States at an arsenal. The army detonated them and every one they still exploded after all that time and being buried underground >
If it's dry it will more than likely be good.
When a boy we decided to light a little pile in the yard....It all goes up in one big flash and you can loose eyebrows. Try it but don't stand over it and drop a match in the little pile...you can't run fast enough.
Gary

 

[DD4lifeusmc]

3f is no more powerful than 2f just the grains are smaller and thus ignite easier thus a bit quicker burn.
General rule 45 cal and smaller 3f
50 cal and bigger 2f although 50 can go either way reduce the charge slightly if using 3f in itl

 

[rodwhaincamo]

Lyman's Black Powder Handbook shows that 3F Goex compared to 2F Goex will produce a higher velocity but a much higher pressure with the same load. There's certainly a difference, power being one of them.

For instance a 24" barrel .50 cal with a PRB:

40 grns
2F 1139 fps and 2600 psi
3F 1244 fps and 3400 psi

70 grns
2F 1450 fps and 4300 psi
3F 1542 fps and 5500 psi

100 grns
2F 1622 fps and 7300 psi
3F 1757 fps and 8200 psi

3F most certainly creates a higher velocity as well as pressure (more powerful).

To achieve the velocity/energy of the 40 grn 3F charge you'd need 50 grns of 2F (1250 fps and 2900 psi). To achieve the velocity/energy of the 70 grn 3F charge you'd need 80 grns of 2F (1538 fps and 5300 psi). To achieve the velocity/energy of the 100 grn 3F charge you'd need about 115 grns of 2F as 110 grns produces 1707 fps and 8600 psi. The figures certainly show that 3F produces more energy.

 

[Hawg]

If you have to have a chrono to tell the difference what difference does it make?

 

[zipspyder]

As long as the accuracy is there why would you not choose higher velocity 3F for any black powder rifle or pistol?