since goex is gone i had to buy schuetzen Question?

I’ve never shot it before, I was curious myself. I’ve asked the same question and what I got was it’s a tad bit cleaner shooting and a tad bit hotter. Yes it is true black powder not a substitute. As far as goex not being made anymore I’m not sure. Goex was bought out by another company(I can’t remember the name but somebody here can help you) they did announce the Louisiana plant will stay in business. I don’t know if they’ll keep the logo or change name or what. I guess time will tell…

I prefer Schuetzen to Goex, much cleaner burning in both cartridges and percussion firearms. If you can get it at a decent cost, stock up!

Estes Energetics bought the Goex plant. They expect to be back in production by the first of next year but whether or not they will use the Goex recipe is anybody's guess. I'm hoping they improve it. Goex ain't all that and an order of fries.

hawg said:

Estes Energetics bought the Goex plant. They expect to be back in production by the first of next year but whether or not they will use the Goex recipe is anybody's guess. I'm hoping they improve it. Goex ain't all that and an order of fries.

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correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve always heard goex is the dirtiest and weakest of all the real black powder?

Smokepole14 said:

correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve always heard goex is the dirtiest and weakest of all the real black powder?

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Since Elephant is no longer available…

Smokepole14 said:

correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve always heard goex is the dirtiest and weakest of all the real black powder?

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In my limited experience. I got a few boxes of 44-40's loaded with it in a trade. Pretty weak compared to Pyrodex and Swiss. Huge sparks.

I used to think Goex was good powder and then I tried Swiss. No comparison, Swiss is much better but unfortunately also much more expensive. Scheutzen is definitely better than Goex -- more energetic and cleaner burning, but not as good as Swiss.

OTH, Goex is far better than Elephant was. That stuff was barely combustible dirt.

I use either Swiss or Pyrodex. They shoot about the same.

Goex made a decent powder. Perfectly adequate for most purposes. Swiss and Olde Eynsford are better, but you pay for the precision and consistency.

I shoot old eyensford 3f in my revolvers and red label Goex 3f in my BP cartridges and rifles and shotguns.

Goex is a good consistent black powder. Its no where near as clean burning as swiss or their orher BP olde eyensford , but it is consistent.

I have seen with my own eyes on several different peoples chronographs that goex is a tad hotter then shuetzen. Not usually by much 50-100 fps more on chrony read outs .

Shuetzen is also a excellent black powder and if I were in a situation were I had no BP and Shuetzen was the only real BP available I would definitely buy as many as I could afford!

midland man said:

thanks i have to drive 45 miles to my LGS to get it but just glad i can get some and soon i am about to try it out in my new to me but used 44c remington carbine...

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It will be worth the drive brother

midland man said:

so guys i take it that schuetzen is just fine to use in my flintlock guns?

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Better than just fine.

Kentucky Gun Company in Bardstown, Ky. has over the counter sales of Schuetzen for $22.99 and Swiss For $31.99 in 2F and 3F. Just got a few pounds of Schuetzen recently and like it a lot in flintlocks. I am about an hour away and plan on getting Swiss to try next trip since reading good reviews that it is worth paying the higher price. They were out of 4F but the 3F Schuetzen works in the pan ok so far.

VMC said:

Kentucky Gun Company in Bardstown, Ky. has over the counter sales of Schuetzen for $22.99 and Swiss For $31.99 in 2F and 3F. Just got a few pounds of Schuetzen recently and like it a lot in flintlocks. I am about an hour away and plan on getting Swiss to try next trip since reading good reviews that it is worth paying the higher price. They were out of 4F but the 3F Schuetzen works in the pan ok so far.

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Don't buy Swiss unless you never intend to go back to anything less.

I prefer to buy American, so I don't buy Schuetzen or Swiss. I want to see the U.S. still producing black powder. If no one were to make BP in the U.S., it would be too easy for the powers that be to ban the import of BP, (a terrorist tool) and then we would be stuck with possibly making home made powder which can be dangerous and not as good.

Guys- Goex is just a brand name like Shell or Exxon. Like those gasoline suppliers, there are "grades" of gasoline. In the Goex line it's- Reenactor grade (suitable only for blanks) "Red Can" and Old Eynsford (Premium grade). Scheutzen is similar. Plain Scheutzen is great powder, a bit cleaner than "Red Can" but Swiss, their premium, is much, much better.

So you can go cheap and get "Scheutzen" or when available, "Red Can" OR you can get the premium stuff, pay a bit more, but use less to get the same effect. Buying the "cheap stuff" is false economy if you care about accuracy. When developing loads for my competition muskets, I found the mid grade stuff took about 15-20% more powder to achieve the same level of accuracy but with more fouling than using the premium grades.

Buying one or two pounds at a time is expensive. Far better to pool a premium purchase with others and get a case at a time. Price drops to the levels of midgrade stuff and you get far better powder.

And YES, Scheutzen is fine for flintlocks.

Fyrstyk said:

I prefer to buy American, so I don't buy Schuetzen or Swiss. I want to see the U.S. still producing black powder. If no one were to make BP in the U.S., it would be too easy for the powers that be to ban the import of BP, (a terrorist tool) and then we would be stuck with possibly making home made powder which can be dangerous and not as good.

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By blindly supporting Goex, you support a company that has had regular accidents killing American workers. We'll see if Estes changes anything.

dave951 said:

By blindly supporting Goex, you support a company that has had regular accidents killing American workers. We'll see if Estes changes anything.

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Estes has been in the fireworks business for some time so I figure they know how to handle the stuff they make. As for Hodgdon, the last producer of Goex, Most of their production problems had to do with antiquated equipment that they inherited from Dupont, and failed to upgrade. Estes is currently upgrading the equipment at the LA plant before they go into production. Hopefully their safety record will be better. I will buy American made powder as long as it is still available. I hope I never have to buy the foreign stuff, although I know many who do and like it. Swiss is supposed to be the premier BP, but Old Enysford by Goex was very close to it. I hope Estes makes both the red can Goex and Old Enysford.

midland man said:

my LGS has it for $28.95 for a pound i thought that wasn't too bad?

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A local store with black powder...I think I'm going to move to Oklahoma. I have a 80+ mile drive, one way, to get black powder "locally".

dave951 said:

By blindly supporting Goex, you support a company that has had regular accidents killing American workers. We'll see if Estes changes anything.

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Companies producing "gun powder" have been blowing up since the Revolutionary War period. And yes, they killed "American workers". If that's your standard then neither you nor anyone else should be shooting black powder firearms, muzzle loaders or BP cartridges.

I suppose if Estes uses undocumented "immigrants" and kills some of them in an accident that would be OK with you. Good grief!

Dave