Sharp Shooter

What powders are good for a traditional tompson 54cal. How dirty is GOEX? After how many shots do you need to clean your barrel when you use GOEX? How about other powders? What is just a basic simple powder? Do all powders smoke some what? Wich ones do and wich ones dont? I want a powder that is some what clean, consistant, higher chance of going off in bad weather, and smokes some what. What are some powders withmost of those characteristics?

cayugad

Using a traditional rifle, you can get a number of shots using Goex, Pyrodex, or any kind of powder for that matter before you have to swab the barrel. I have shot as many as 25 shots using Goex as a powder without swabbing, when shooting patched roundball. Goex is about as dirty a powder as you might find although Pyrodex is right there also.

roundball

Comparing the majorreal black powders, I decided on Goex as it wasthe best all around price/performance real BP available...was/is very fast, clean, and accurate...

Sharp Shooter

I think I will try Goex. How much do I need to put in for mule deer? What bullet and patch do you recomend?

Sharp Shooter

How hard is it to clean Goex? Are you talking abour Goex black powder or Goex pinnacle? Wich one is better? Also, doese triple se7en smoke any? I heard it is easy to clean. What do you think of it?

cayugad

Your rifle will determine the powder charge. You need to get to the range and try the different projectiles at different powder charges. The max of your rifle is 120 grains of 2f. Do not go over that.

Most of the time your projectile will shoot the best possible group between 80-100 grains of powder in a .54 caliber. Any of those powder charges are more then enough to kill a mule deer.

Using 80 grains of Pyrodex and a .54 caliber patched roundball, I shot through one deer and killed a second deer standing behind the first. A dump mistake on my part, granted. I had tags to take care of the incident but it was not intentional, just one of those things. The deer were 80 yards away. That might indicate to you the power of a roundball. By the way, both deer dropped in their tracks.

What chance do you think a mule deer would stand at 80 yards with that same load headed at it?

Sharp Shooter

How about 90 grains of powder? Wouldthat begood out to 100yds? So you really think a round ball over a bullet? You never answered my question "How hard is it to clean Goex? Are you talking abour Goex black powder or Goex pinnacle? Wich one is better? Also, doese triple se7en smoke any? I heard it is easy to clean. What do you think of it?"

Sharp Shooter

Thanks alot for your help. Sorry if I ask too much. Do all round balls weigh the same for 54cal? What ones do you suggest? What patches do you suggest to.

cayugad

You have a hooked breech design rifle. You pull the wedge pin, remove the nipple from the rifle, take the barrel out of the stock and give the rifle a VERY HOT WATER BATH, with a little soap in the water. No matter what powder you shoot, the rifle barrel will clean easy. Even when I shoot Goex, by the second or third patch that I pump down the barrel, they come up clean. Then I run a solvent brush and a couple solvent patches through it and the barrel is clean.

Instead of being concerned about what powder is easier to clean, worry more about which one gives you the most accurate loads. Goex black powder is the dirtiest of all the powders granted. It is also the most forgiving when it comes to consistent shooting. It ignites easier then any other powder. It is much better about going off on damp days hunting then many of the powders. And it makes wonderful amounts of smoke when you shoot it.

Here's what I would do if I were in your shoes. I'd give that rifle a good water bath and then a solvent scrub before anything else. If Goex 2f is easy to find in your area, get a pound of it. If it is not easy to find then a pound of Pyrodex RS is just as good. If none of them are easy to find, then get any LOOSE powder you can find.

Before you load your rifle for the first time, take a patch on a cleaning jag. Dampen the patch with 91% isopropyl alcohol and swab the barrel. Work the patch from muzzle end to breech in short strokes, getting longer as you move down the barrel. After that follow the alcohol patch with a dry patch.

With that dry patch still on a jag, pushed down to the bottom of the breech, put a #11 cap on the nipple and fire it. Now pull the dry patch up. Look at it close. And see if it shows good burn marks on it. This will indicate that the fire channel is clean and clear and that the spark from the cap is making it into the chamber. After you have pulled the patch and saw that fire is making it in the breech, pop three more caps through the nipple of the rifle. This will make sure any oils in the nipple are blown and burned out.

Now using some .530 diameter roundball and pre lubed .54 caliber patch... use your powder measure and dump 80 grains of powder down the bore. Lay the patch over the muzzle of the of the rifle and set the roundball in the center of the patch. With a short starter, using the short end of the starter, set the ball under the muzzle. With the long end of the short starter, set the ball deeper. Now use the ramrod and in as smooth a motion as possible, seat the patch and ball onto the powder charge. Cap the nipple and fire.

Shoot a five shot group with the 80 grains. I would do this from 25 yards with the open sights. If the group is nice and tight, then move the powder charge up to 90 grains and repeat the same thing. It is the only way you will find what powder charge your rifle likes with roundball. You would do the same thing if shooting conicals.

If at 90 grains you still have a tight group, them move up to 100 grains if you like. Again shoot another group and see what happens. If you're shooting 80-100 grains and a roundball accurate I really think this would be a 100 yard load for any deer you might encounter.

I like Hornady or Speer .530 roundball. Ox Yoke makes a good patch. Thompson Center makes a good patch since they are made by Ox Yoke. I actually make my own patches, but for the time being, you might just want to concentrate on pre lubed patches. I will guess your rifle will come in around 90 grains of 2f powder. That's where most of my .54's tend to shoot the best.

Sharp Shooter

Thanks alot! Just the kind of answer I wanted. I think I will use GOEX black powder. I will let you know how it goes. It will be a while before I get the stuff and shoot it.