Its real black powder with more consistent grain size and more compresison in manufacture than goex or other blacks. Here's what I get with the 3f variety compared to goex in a couple of measures in regular use:
Flask type valve measure.
21 Grains Goex FFFg = 24 Grains Swiss
30 Goex =34 grains Swiss
35 Goex = 39 Swiss
40 Goex = 49.3 Swiss. (no wonder that remington was so hard to load)
The drop tube:
50 grain setting = 45.2 Goex and 52 Swiss
55 grain setting = 51.2 Goex and 57 Swiss
60 grain setting = 57 Goex and 64 Swiss.
even at equivalent weights, the swiss gets more velocity than goex . I've heard that people trying to find loads regulated for the old black powder double express rifles have to use Swiss 1.5 fg to get the barrles to shoot together- making it appear that swiss may be equivalent to high grade 19th century powders used to regulate the barrels.
It may be that swiss deposits less fouling in the rifle barrels. I cant tell any difference in pistols and revolvers and accuracy seems to be the same.
If you're shooting a revolver or rifle of 50 caliber or smaller, 3f is the right stuff to get. Load performance well vary depending on variables among individual guns and loading techniques but you can use the published or proven charges just as you would with goex or a substitute.. You might be able to find some comparisons by searching this forum or, if you want, by buying this book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/05...2748?_encoding=UTF8http://www.yahoo.com/?rs=1