loose powder question.
 

I have been shooting both 777 and pyrodex pellets and now I think I'm going to try loose powder. My question is what is the difference between 777 ffg and 777 fffg? Also is 150 grains of loose powder equal to 150 grains of pellets?

RE: loose powder question.
 

Do not load 150 grains of Triple Se7en in loose form. Loose Triple Se7en is 15% stronger then Pyrodex RS. In many rifles the max load of loose Pyrodex RS is 120 grains some manufacturers suggest only 100 grains of FFg in loose form, so be careful. Check your rifle'smanual. The difference between FFg & FFFg varies from powder to powder but to be on the safe side, figure an additional 10-15% and work you load up from there.

The way I work my loose powder is Triple Se7en FFg is 15% stronger then Pyrodex RS or Select or Goex 2f.
Triple Se7en FFgis approximately equal in strength to Pyrodex P and Goex 3f. Triple Se7en FFFg is 10% stronger then Triple Se7en FFg.

I have no idea how Black Mag3, AAP, or Pinnacle fit into this mess.

RE: loose powder question.
 

Black mag seems to be even more potent than 777 , where 100 grains of 777 is not bad , 100 grains of black mag will give some stout recoil .

RE: loose powder question.
 

I agree with ijimmy on the Black Mag3... it definitely kicks harder than equal volumes of loose T7, and in my experience it patterned about 2-3" higher at 100yds.

I have found that 85g of loose T7 and 250g shockwaves shoot really well in my TC stainless omega... I just hope that load has enough energy for whitetails at 100 yds... I feel pretty sure it will.

RE: loose powder question.
 

This Black Mag3 is sure a hard powder to find around my neck of the woods. And I refuse to pay that hazmat to ship some to me. I hope when my buddy heads south he will stop and enough sporting good stores to find some. I sure he will not mind but his wife is a different story...


Westbrook.. I would not worry about that load and a whitetail deer at 100 yard. I will guess that it might blow straight through them..

RE: loose powder question.
 

So would it be safe to say that I could use 127.5gr. of ffg and 114.75grof fffg in 777 as max loads. Also is it possible to attain the same barrel velocities using loose powder as to pellets or does one generally have a higher velocity than the other.

RE: loose powder question.
 

I usually figure 120 grains for the FFg and 110 for the FFFg that way I am not trying to make my powder measure do more then it was intended to do. As for the same power.. well I never shot them over a chronograph but I read in posts that for some reason the pellets will still give you a slight advantage in speed.

At this point I would not be concerned about the FPS of the projectile as much as the tightness of the group. Face it, if you are shooting a 1"+ group at 100 yards or where ever with 120 grains of loose Triple Se7en powder and it travels 120 FPS slower then it did with pellets, the deer will never know the difference. It will knock the snot out of them anyway.

Again.. for your own safety, make sure that those kind of loads are safe to shoot out of your rifle. I wait for this time of the year when hunting starts but I also dread it because this is when more people are hurt shooting their rifles. Stay safe and know the limits of your rifle...

RE: loose powder question.
 

Cayugad -

I bit the bullet and paid the hazmat fee to get a pound of BM3 (most expensive powder of any kindI ever bought!) It will take me forever to shoot it up... I would be happy to ship you some to try if there is a legal wayI can do it without having to pay any exhorbitant shipping fee. E-mail me if you think we can do it.

RE: loose powder question.
 

I wish to heck pellets were still something to feed the chickens and this 150 grain magnumitis had never got started! Trying to make a muzzleloader perform like a .270 was never what it was about and never should be.

Sorry, just had to rant because reading posts like this one are just plain scary. People are getting seriously hurt because of all the nonsense and hooplah. Learn your weapon, leave yourself a safety margin, develop an accurate and comfortable load, and HUNT to get inside yourrange.