Well Pyrodex RS was around a long time ago. When I started shooting it was all Goex or Elephant (if you were unlucky all they had on the shelf was Elephant Brand Black Powder) and then Pyrodex RS came on the market. With a percussion cap traditional rifle it was the answer to a prayer. All the stores carried it, it was inexpensive for the most part, stunk like black powder, fowled like black powder, made big clouds of smoke and seemed very consistent. We were happy again. But like PA Ridgerunner pointed out, when we were shooting flintlocks, it was only black powder.

Actually for the longest time, it was either black powder or Pyrodex. I remember when Triple Se7en and Clear Shot came out. Friends and I tried some of the different ones and did not like them. Powders have came a long way. There is or was; Swiss, Wano, Elephant, Schwitzen, Graf's & Sons, Goex, and other black powders of all grain size. Then there was Clear Shot, Clean Shot, Black Canyon Powder, American Pioneer Powder, Pinnacle, Black Mag3, Triple Se7en powder, Shockey Gold ... did I miss any? Friends and I stuck with Pyrodex RS almost 99% of the time. I finally started playing more with different powders after I retired and started to like the qualities of them more and more.

It was all a money game, why they were invented. New powders were discovered in man's eternal search for better ways to kill each other. Properties of one substance were found appealing in one application over another. Muzzleloaders had to be in there some where. Why are there so many different modern smokeless powders? Wouldn't just one do the job basically? Instead other brands were invented to do specific things.

Market shares is a word they like to throw around in large Corporations, but believe me he who controls it wins...