billnpatti
Member
Take a look at what Sitting Fox has to offer. You can find them at www.sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com. I think you will be pleased with their offerings and especially their prices.
Hey, guys, what are the issues about shooting black powder substitute in flintlocks?
Here are some more. For each target, I fired
a fouler on the bottom right target first, because the
first shot with a clean bore or powder change is usually
lower in velocity and out of the group. There was no
wiping between shots or cleaning between groups. All
shots are .490 cast balls with white 7 ounce denim from
Wal Mart patches and lube is Murphy Oil Soap and alcohol.
Top left, 80 grains Goex 3F. Note velocity of first shot
is lower, and the fouler was out of the group (see No. 1
on lower right). Mean velocity for six shots is 1832 fps
with 63 spread, but excluding the first, mean is 1840 fps
with 29 fps spread. Group is 1.1". Target 2, 80 grains
Swiss 3F, mean for six is 1985 fps, 28 fps spread, group
0.95". Note that the first shot on the sighter target (#2)
was out of the group.
Target 3, top right, 70 grains Pyrodex RS with 10 grains
Goex 2F as a booster (I tapped down the powder in the
measure and added the 10 grains black on top, and dumped
it down the bore), mean velocity for six is 1686 fps, 53
spread, group is six in 1.55" but five in 0.9".
I build rifles as heirlooms (this one was for a Weigle relative
of mine) and so I test replica powders in case the owner
can't get black powder some years in the future. Have to
hope he'd have some black powder for boost charges and
pan priming.
Target 4, lower left, is 70 grains of Triple 7 2F with 10 grains
Goex 2F booster on top. First six shots, mean velocity is
1881 fps with 138 fps spread. Then I shot five more but
added an over powder wad to the loads, for a mean velocity
of 1921 fps and 76 fps spread, but better accuracy, four in 1.0"
Target 5, center bottom, is 70 grains of Triple 7 3F with
10 grains Goex 2F booster and an OPW. Eight shots mean
velocity 1962 fps, 80 spread. Seven shots in 3.2" but five
in 1.08". I don't know why shot 2 was out of the group.
Here are velocities from a .54 Henry Albright flintlock I built,
42" Green Mtn barrel. A direct comparison of .530 Hornady
balls, .020 pillow ticking, MOS/alcohol lube and a 3/4" thin
leather OPW for all loads. 80 grains.
Goex 3F, mean velocity (MV) 1652 for six, ES 90 fps.
Goex 2F, MV 1525 fps for five, ES 20 fps
Swiss 3F, MV 1810 fps for five, ES 103 fps (had trouble with
loads here)
Swiss 2F, MV 1724 fps for five, ES 25 fps
Triple 7 3F, 70 grains with 10 gr Goex 2F booster:
Six shots 1799 fps MV, ES 66 fps
Triple 7 2F, 70 grains with 10 gr Goex 2F booster:
Six shots 1703 fps MV, ES 51 fps.
Pyrodex RS (I didn't record it, assume 70 gr w/ 10 gr Goex 2F booster)
eight shots 1504 fps MV, ES 50 fps.
Couple days later,
80 Goex 3F, loaded as above, 5 shots MV 1662 fps, ES 37 fps.
75 Pyrodex RS with 5 gr Goex 2F boost, 5 shots MV 1506 fps, ES 27 fps.
75 Triple 7 2F with 5 gr Goex 2F boost, 8 shots MV 1736 fps, ES 44 fps.
80 Goex 3F, thinner leather OPW, 5 shots MV 1662 fps, ES 37 fps.
75 Pyrodex RS with 5 gr Goex 2F boost, 5 shots MV 1506,
ES 27 fps (same as before!) Also same accuracy, groups were 1.45" at 50 yards.
75 Triple 7 2F with 5 gr Goex 2F boost, 9 shots MV 1724 fps, ES 44 fps.
This group of nine shots was in 2.1", the same as before.
The Goex loads went 2.55" first and then 2.55" the next time!
This was a very good barrel. I did not wipe between
shots nor clean between powders, 37 shots in this test.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=2333.msg23044#msg23044
Why would anybody want to carry 3 horns with 3 different powders that won't work nearly as good as good old black powder???
Re. the Middlesex Village muskets, they have a mixed rep as you can see from searches. The reenactor crowd hate them for being inauthentic and way too shiny, but these complaints are both silly and anachronistic. The lobsters did in fact love to keep their Besses polished to high shine and if you brought one forward in time I'm certain he would grab the shiny one and leave the dull Pedersoli behind.
That said, they're not made to the same standard as the Italian ones, let alone the US custom ones so you may have to do some tweaking.
So solving an ignition problem involves prodding that hole and putting some fresh 4F in the pan. I've never had a flinter ignition failure I couldn't fix in under a minute.
The other thing that tends to bother people new to flintlocks is the flash that goes off near your face. I was lucky, I was able to ignore it.