Alliant Black MZ - Ruminations

[drobs]

I think I posted here that earlier this year I bought 10lbs of Alliant Black MZ from Sportsman's Warehouse.
https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...lliant-black-mz-muzzleloader-powder/p/1318670

I'm finally home and did some shooting with it in my steel frame Pietta 1860 Colt Army and steel frame Pietta 1858 Remington. Loading from a 30gr spout on my powder flask, either the flesh on my index finger is filling 1/2 of the spout or this powder doesn't want to "meter" that well. Found myself not being able to see powder in the nozzle frequently when trying to load.

It's smokey and the smoke smells good. I recall complaints over the smell of Pyrodex smoke.

Issues:
My full size (not a Sheriff) 1858 Remington locked up completely after a couple of cylinders. I actually had to completely disassemble it and use a hammer and punch to knock out the cylinder pin. Peering inside the cylinder pin hole in the cylinder, I saw a bit of fouling or lead that probably had something to do with it. Taking the loading lever out of the gun, I found the problem. The channel that the cylinder pin rides in the frame was pretty fouled. Gave it a good cleaning and will try again.

My Colt had no problems at all. No cap jams. Running a patch soaked in Moose Milk (Ballistol and water) down the barrel, the fouling seems light. The patch came out with a light gray fouling vs the heavy black fouling of BP.

Will keep shooting with this stuff and write more.

Feel free to chime in your thoughts and experiences.

 

[TheOutlawKid]

I weigh my charges...i found that i can compress black mz A LOT. I use it in my .36 and i have used the largest spout that fills the chamber ( 30 grain spout that is actually 32 grains) and i can compress it and put a conical over it and it compresses so much it seems as if i can put an easy 5-7 more grains. It loves compression...but for consistency in accuracy and velocity i weigh my charges and compress to the same depth. I wish i had a chrono to see the speed im shooting my kaido (140 grain) and custom conicals (130 grains) are doing over a weighed charge of 25-30 grains of black mz. Oh and black mz averages out to .84 grains of weight to 1 grain of volume on a black powder measuring tool. Its suprising how much this stuff compresses...it really lets you load up smaller caliber chambers that are limited on space.

 

[DeeTV]

My experience is similar. I gave up using flasks as the large fluffy grains will not pour easily through the tiny spouts, I set the gun on a stand and use the 3 inch diameter spouts that screw onto the powder container along with a powder measure. Remingtons are known for fouling up the base pin after only a few shots; grease it well before shooting and it will need to be cleaned less often. Blackmz leaves a lot less fouling than real black to the point that you often don't need to take the gun apart completely each time you shoot, It takes a lot of compression but in my experience loading more than 30 grains gains nothing and accuracy drops. I have chronographed with round ball and found velocity to be just under Goex 3f. While I like shooting real black as much as anyone at 10.00 per pound it is too good a deal to pass up. Just got another order in yesterday

 

[drobs]

I did do some chamber full loads (eyeball estimate 38gr of powder) - pouring from my flask into the chambers. Faster than trying to get it to fill the spout. Tapping the flask on the cylinder seemed to settle the powder in the chamber.

I've done chamber full loads (40gr) with FFFg and FFFFg and recoil was nil. Chamber full of Alliant BMZ - actually had some kick / recoil to it.

 

[TheOutlawKid]

Mr. Drobs..although i dont have a chrono i feel that black mz is hotter than black powder. This is just from "feel". Also there are others who have chrono'd and posted youtube vids of it and showed it was hotter thanthan bp. Although some have stated otherwise as well. But my consensus is that its hotter. Try weighing ur loads and using lots of compression...(it loves compression the manufacturer says so as well) im sure that will have you build up a load that gives great precision and speeds that have little deviation between them. I felt that puting a card punched from cereal box cardboard helped with this...and now i do it with every chamber. It burns very clean...hope you like it, i know i do and its the only sub ill use considering im a straight black powder kind of guy. I like to use it when letting others shoot due to most people dont like the whole fouling part of black powder guns. If you do some searches online u will read about some people who wet it into a slurry, re-grained it, and dried it and it still burned the same. Its strange stuff indeed...love it though.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

I have used it, and like it. As to fouling, are you lubing the chambers? The container says specifically not to use lube as it makes a gooey nasty paste. I have shot quite a few cylinders and had no fouling problems by staying away from greasing the chamber mouths.

 

[drobs]

I have used it, and like it. As to fouling, are you lubing the chambers? The container says specifically not to use lube as it makes a gooey nasty paste. I have shot quite a few cylinders and had no fouling problems by staying away from greasing the chamber mouths.

Hmm good point.
I was using lube over the ball. Will try without the lube.

 

[TheOutlawKid]

Mr. Drobs...any further experimentation with black mz? Im curious to see if you have any new opinions or results on the matter. It sure is a great sub for black powder...the best in my opinion.

 

[drobs]

Just got my Remington back together yesterday. Will try to blast some more today.

 

[Eyrie G. Dogg]

Like most here, I’ve burned my share of various BPs and subs over the decades and without a doubt Black MZ is the cleanest burning stuff I have ever used. Too bad about the big kitty litter chunks. Even though it bridges in the flask spout and won’t meter too well it’s still well worth using. Comes at a good price, too.

 

[drobs]

Shot a few cylinders of it yesterday in '58. Didn't use lube, seemed like the gun liked it better. Still surprised by the amount of recoil it has with chamber full powder charges.

Loading pic.



Tapping the flask on the cylinder face compresses it is bit:

 

[TheOutlawKid]

Mr. Drobs, by any chance do you have a chrono?

 

[drobs]

I don't but maybe later this year.