Goex fffg vs. Triple 7

[historynut]

Took my '61 Navy Colt Signature Series out today for the first time since last July. Put about 60 rounds through it using both Goex fffg and Triple 7 (never combined). With a +/- 20 grain charge, wonder wads and a .375 ball I was putting rounds through a two inch phonebook or a 3/4 inch thick piece of oak at 18 paces with velocity to spare. I'd forgotten how much punch the .36 has and I noticed no real difference (though it wasn't a scientific test) between the real BP, which I prefer, and the Triple 7. I'd alwyas heard that Triple 7 burns hotter/faster and creates more velocity. For you experts - should I have seen a 'real' difference?

 

[mykeal]

You can easily measure the difference if you're shooting the same volume of 777 as Goex. It takes a chronograph, however, or some calibrated wood or gelatin targets that capture the ball and display penetration.

I doubt if you can tell the difference in recoil, and if both balls penetrate the wood completely (ie, comes out the back side) there's no way to tell which hit harder.

 

[historynut]

That's kinda what I was thinking regarding the "scienctific measuring" vs. feel. I was using the same load by volume with the BP and Triple 7. The rounds went through both the wood and the taped up phone book (not at the same time - didn't try that).

My brother in laws Pietta 1860 Army performed the same way. Albiet with a little more umph, recoil and report.

 

[oneiron]

I was reading on another site that the Army acceptance test for the Colt 44 was that it penetrated 12 I' pine boards with a gap of air between each board, and it was fired 1500 rounds without cleaning.
You should have felt a little more recoil with the triple 7. I did when I change to Pyrodex P for Goex bp.

 

[Brillo]

This isn't a perfect comparison but in my 50 cal. Pennsylvania rifle I get a muzzle velocity of 1435 fps using a 490 round ball propelled by 60 gr. of 2F Goex. All else equal, 55 gr. of 2F Triple 7 gives me a MV of 1715 fps. Since the Goex is slower burning I think that the rifle benefits more from it than would a shorter barreled firearm like a pistol, so my guess is that the relative difference in MV between Goex and Triple 7 would be even greater in a pistol.

 

[scrat]

shot them both. still have a bottle of 2f tripple 7 and 3f tripple 7. however im not planning on buying anymore.

Reasoning.

tripple 7 seemed to work ok as like others never seemed to be able to tell the difference. On 2f though it seemed the granuals were a lot bigger than goex. However there is a huge price difference here. I can get goex for 17.00 actually 16.99. Tripple 7 runs for 26.00 Why the huge difference to shoot a substitute i dont know. But at a 9.00 difference im not going to buy anymore at all. I shoot a lot. i dont need my expenses going up. i need to be able to control what i spend and have a good time. When i go to the range i spend 12.00 to get in. Thats it. unless i need caps or powder. Which i can buy at the range or at my local gun shop.

 

[Pancho]

Historynut, The chronograph would be the definitive answer but for those of us that can't afford one how about stacking two or three phone books,whatever it would take to capture the ball. It should work well for a side by side comparison.

 

[mykeal]

Or one inch (okay, 3/4 inch) dry pine boards spaced 1/2 apart, one behind another; maybe 7 or 8 of them.