Are Substitute Powders Allowed In Competitions?

[arcticap]

I'm curious about which shooting societies do and don't allow substitute powders to be used in their sanctioned competitions.
I can understand that if an organization mandates the use of original antique guns for their events then they might also require the use of black powder too.
But with so many different shooting organizations, I wonder just how widespread the prohibition against using anything but black powder actually is?
I also wonder if any competition shooters make their own black powder to use in matches? I suppose that many of the best shooters use Swiss powder.
But does anyone know whether or not any competitors have been very successful shooting with substitute powders like in NMLRA matches for instance?
And what about the European national muzzle loading organizations, BPCR, chunk gun shooters or any others?

 

[mykeal]

I'm not aware of anyone who mandates the use of original antique guns in a competition, except perhaps for very special one off events.

There are, of course, NMLRA and other sanctioned events which contain classes that are restricted to antique replicas; classifications are based on type of ignition, caliber, projectile, type of bore and other parameters. I believe propellants are specified in these events as well.

They also have classes for non-traditional guns which allow synthetic propellants, I believe. I don't have my NMLRA match rules to hand but I can check on that later if someone else doesn't have the details first.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Black powder is required in all North-South Skirmish Association events. And all events, including World and Zone Championships, sanctioned by the Muzzle Loading Associations International Committee. I can't officially speak for the lower-tier European events, but they almost always follow MLAIC rules.

And MLAIC rules have parallel classes of competition for original and replica arms. In the 1970s, the World Championships were limited to original guns only, but replicas were permitted in the early 1980s.

 

[Pulp]

Subs are legal in SASS. Just be sure to load enough to meet the minimum smoke requirements. Whatever you use must generate as much smoke as a 15 grain FFg BP load in a .38Special cartridge. That sounds more complicated than it really is.

 

[Hellgate]

Dittos to Pulp,
Basically if you load 1cc (15grs volume) of any sub you will be "legal" as they subs tend to actually smoke a little more than real gunpowder.

 

[Jim Watson]

NRA sanctions BPCR target and metallic silhouette shooting in the USA.
Only black powder and Pyrodex are allowed, no other fakes. Pyrodex is seldom seen, black is simply better. I never heard of anybody making his own, the best available factory product is what is wanted. That is either Swiss or one of the better lots or grades of Goex.