Which blackpowder is best deal for the money?

A

Andy Griffith

New member
Well, I'm fix'n to have to order another 25 pounds of of holy black from Powder Inc. I've always ordered Goex in all varieties with a couple of pounds of Swiss mixed in case I want to try compete in a match at the range.

Anyway, I know we've talked about it before, but perhaps now more people have been able try some of the other powders such as Diamondback and Kik so as to better get a sampling of their quality and use.

As it stands now, I'm going to get:
  • 8lb. Goex FFg
  • 10lb. Goex FFFg
  • 2lb. Goex FFFFg
  • 2lb. Goex Express FFFg
  • 2lb. Goex Express FFg
  • 1lb. Swiss FFFFg

Just want to see if anyone else suggests anything...
 
Unless you plan to spend many weekends at the range benchrest testing powders and loads, I recommend you don't screw around with a variety of powders. Use what works. Everyone has their favorite on everything. I used Goex, and others, for forty years. A few years ago I switched to Schuetzen because Goex had gotten hard to find and was very expensive in my area. I can buy Schuetzen from a distributor for a reasonable price. Last year I started stocking up on Swiss because so many shooters have come to favor it. Accurate, you need less, cleans well and is reasonably priced. Yes, per pound it costs more than others but based on shots per pound it is more economical.
Stick with one granulation that you like and/or works best for you. Standardize everything you do for consistency.
An exception in your order might be a pound or two of 4Fg for your flintlocks.
 
I've burned a lot of KIK, and there actually seems to be less fouling than Goex, and definitely higher velocities. I haven't tried Diamondback simply because they won't mix & match - ya gotta buy a whole case. I expect it would be just fine in C&B revolvers and shotshells. I just bought an old hammer SxS 10 gauge, so maybe I'll order a case...
 
BTW, four pounds of 4Fg a/ka/ FFFFg is a lot of priming powder. I'm a flintlock shooter and my consumption of 4F per year is ounces. Unless you do an incredible amount of flint shooting, one pound will carry you for a long time. I have less than a pound and a half on hand, plus what is in my priming horns.
I will concede that, if you can afford it, stocking up on BP may be a good idea. We never know when/if new restrictions and shipping costs may make getting more impossible or nearly impossible.
At the big shoots I go to more and more guys are buying by the case.
 
The problem is, no one ever has any 4Fg, and I'm going to give away a couple of pounds of it to friends at the club that are nearly out- they've given me some over the year, so now it's my turn. Plus, I have a couple of .22 caliber muzzleloaders. :D It works great it them.

I have tried the Swiss and it IS good powder. Perhaps the Goex Express will get me closer to it, but without the price- a couple of shots will tell.

I do target shoot quite a bit when I can with my smokepoles. A pound and a half is the most I've ever shot up in a weekend though, but I was really trying to with my revolvers. :D

The clean up though, wasn't pretty. :( Too many cylinders- I was up nearly until the roosters started crowing! :eek:
 
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I've gone through several cases of KIK and I have no complaints. I use it because it gets the job done just fine, and it is substantially less expensive than the other powders However, I use it for cowboy action shooting in cartridge guns, and therefore I haven't tested it for muzzleloader accuracy.
 
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