777 disappointment

I’m currently experimenting with it in caplock rifles. So far I like it. Good power, accuracy so far is very good and I detect no hesitation to fire.

I like it in cartridges, not so much in percussion guns for the reason above—delayed ignition when using a cap. No experience with inline/209 guns. I expect it will work dandy in those.

Blackpowderwarrior said:

So i finally pulled out a jug of 777 to try. Ive been sittin on 3 pounds of it for about a year and i was out of town visiting the in laws so i figured what the hell ill bring some 777 and leave the black at home. I must say i was very disappointed. There was a slight delay from the moment the hammer busted the cap until the Boom of the shot. Since i wasnt at home i didnt have my magnum caps but im sure they would have done alot better in this scenario. Anyways whats your guys thoughts on 777? Love it ? Hate it? Something in between?

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What were you shooting it out of ? Did you use 2F of 3F ? What brand caps ?
I only use it in cartridges. For cap and ball pistols Goex or other real black only

I prefer Swiss or Olde Eynsford. But triple seven is working well for me. I’m using the 3f granulation in .45 and .40 caplock rifles and .45 cap and ball revolvers. There’s no hesitation in any of those. Settle the powder down into the patent breech and it will light off toot sweet!

Was it super cold? That could certainly be a factor. I prefer real BP and I think the fouling is harder with T7 but otherwise, if I have to use a sub, that's the one I would use.

Blackpowderwarrior said:

Ive never tried it in my 54 cal hawken, but am thinking of loading up some 45 colts with it.

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You may want to use a little filler or wads over the powder with 777.
Just saying I will be hotter than real black !
I loaded some 2F 777 with a 255gr bullet in 45 Colts , when I shot them out of a SA pistol 2 of the people with me took a couple steps back and said “ What the Hell was that ! “. Good times

I have never noticed any delay fire with 777 unless fire channel was getting disrupted as in need of clean? I do remember in my hawken I could get some delay possibly when it was getting dirty.

Works great in my .38s and 44-40s; easy to load and easy to clean. I dont use it in cap guns though. No particular reason.

I have found Triple Seven in powder form to be sensitive to compression more so than Pyrodex or true Black Powder, so I don't use it in my muzzleloading rifles.

My old rough brass frame revolvers have generous cylinder/barrel gap and last times I shot them they did better with Goex FFFg BP.

I do get good performance with Triple Seven in black powder cartridge, powder loaded to base of bullet, no compression, no air gap.

I have not used any of the BP substitutes in the pellet form so no experience good or bad to report.

It’s fine, but is easily ruined by grease. As in, lubed wads will slowly saturate the powder and you’ll shoot squibs. That said, it stores well in degreased chambers and shoots as hot as Swiss while being a great deal cheaper and easier to find.

Hello Warrior,

It might be your rifle. I have two Lyman Great Plains Hunters, no hesitation at all with 777.
My brother has an old Lyman Great Plains Rifle, it doesn't like the stuff at all.
We ended up putting about 4 gr of 4F under the 777, no more hesitation.
As Black Powder is not available locally we've been shooting the stuff for years,
it might be a way for you to burn it up.

AntiqueSledMan.

I especially like it for .36 rifles because the smallish powder charges create good velocity with very little residue.
Large powder charges in a #11 inline created some hard crusty fouling.
It hesitates in some caplocks and creates sharper recoil so I don't use it much.

I like it great in 209 fired inlines. I have had good results in pellet form too.

Lately I have been taking to only using real black powder though and I actually only have Pyrodex anymore as a substitute.

None of the above.

i like Triple Seven powder. It works well in my side hammer and inline guns. Yep, Triple Seven is harder to ignite than
black powder or Pyrodex: Must keep the flame channel clean. Remove the nipple and clean the channel with a hard bristle pipe cleaner; avaliable at smoke shops:

.

I hate it. It sucks. My only chain fire, in my whole life, was the first and last time I tried it. First cylinder, six shots fired normally, I think "hey, it's not so bad", second cylinder, second shot, KA-BOOOM/chain fire, sheared off the loading rammer/lever latch, and sent the front sight sailing into outer space, never to be seen again. Have also heard of sidelocks being damaged from hammer blow-back with 777. I've had lots of hammer blow back, with black, when loading a bit too heavy, but it's never damaged a lock. So I vote for SUCKS.

Blackpowderwarrior said:

I was shooting it out of my 1860 army. 3f. Its definately better then nothing but im a goex man through and through

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I mostly shoot ROAs only use 2F real black .

Ugly Sauce said:

I hate it. It sucks. My only chain fire, in my whole life, was the first and last time I tried it. First cylinder, six shots fired normally, I think "hey, it's not so bad", second cylinder, second shot, KA-BOOOM/chain fire, sheared off the loading rammer/lever latch, and sent the front sight sailing into outer space, never to be seen again. Have also heard of sidelocks being damaged from hammer blow-back with 777. I've had lots of hammer blow back, with black, when loading a bit too heavy, but it's never damaged a lock. So I vote for SUCKS.

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If you’re experiencing blowback your cones may be a bit worn... in bullet shooting rifles erosion is a very real phenomenon using black powder. I suspect that 777 will be worse. I’m measuring and watching the nipple orifices closely and I use only stainless, ampco or platinum lined nipples in slug shooters.

T7 was all I used in my revolvers before Olde Eynsford came out. Never had ignition issues and I use Rem #10’s on my ROA and Pietta NMA. I still use it sometimes but I like Olde E.

woodnbow said:

If you’re experiencing blowback your cones may be a bit worn... in bullet shooting rifles erosion is a very real phenomenon using black powder. I suspect that 777 will be worse. I’m measuring and watching the nipple orifices closely and I use only stainless, ampco or platinum lined nipples in slug shooters.

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When I was young and dumb, (not young anymore, still dumb) I used to load up to hammer blow-back levels. I'd load my "Zouave" up until the hammer blew back, with a 585 grain slug, and back down five grains or so until the hammer didn't blow back. That was then my "hunting load", of which I never did kill anything with it. As I recall, the hammer would start half-cocking it's self a little over 120 grains with that slug. Sure did kick. That rifle had a pretty open nipple, with a good nipple Ampco or Tresco maybe I could have put more powder in and cracked the stock. Them was the good old days. NOT!

Ive only used it in in-line muzzle loaders with both 209 and precussion. The mk-85 wouldn't ignite it reliably, and I missed a couple of shots because of that. No issues in my 209 primed rifle.

Hello Ugly Sauce,

Can we hear some details about your chain fire?
How many chambers went off?
Did the caps detonate?
Will you tell me your loading procedure?
I've never tried it in a C&B Revolver, my only experience is with long guns.
I do know, I used to dump about 10 gr of black powder down the muzzle & fire a cap with Black Powder before loading my first shot.
777 doesn't like to clean out barrel that way, if kind of gives a little thug with unburned powder flying out the muzzle. Now I just snap a few caps.

AntiqueSledMan.

Hello, it T'was a long long time ago, in a faraway land. No...actually it was here. But it was a long time ago. I think it was on my second shot, and two adjacent chambers on my left also went off. Oh, I guess that's obvious...the empty chambers on my right most likely would not go off. !!!!

Don't remember if any caps detonated. I think I was using wads, but can't say for sure. I do know that I shot the gun (1860 Euroarms Colt) for many years before that without wads, using black powder. No greasy kid stuff over the balls/chambers.

The charge was 30 grains of 777, by volume. Caps were pinched to stay on the nipples. That may have been the problem, the much higher burning temps of the 777 may have ignited the other chambers through the nipples, whereas the black powder never did. ? On the other hand, the much higher temps and pressure may have been enough to flash past the balls. ?

It could have all been a coincidence, but I find it "funny", that in like 40 years the pistol never chain fired before, or after trying 777. ? And, that it was only on the 7th shot, with 777.