Finally got my powder in and went to the range
 

I finally got my powder in and went to the range with the 58cal! I ordered 5lbs of KIK FFG. I figured I am going to try it or not so I just got KIK. I do not notice any differences between that and the Goex I shot before. I like it.

I started out shootingsome Hornady .570 roundballs with my normal load of 120gr FFG. Accuracy was great. I think I shot a better group than I ever did with Goex. I had my holes touching. After shooting some roundballs I broke out the 525gr Hornady Great Plains conicals. I loaded 100gr FFG (which is what I have been using with those). They shot good but not as good asthe roundballs. After a while I shot a Great Plains with 100gr FFG into a bucket of sand. WOW! That sucker expanded like none other. It expanded over the size of a quarter!

One thing I noticed with both the roundballs and the Great Plains is that they were shooting lower than normal. I was using the same charges I used with Goex and I know KIK is just as hot if not hotter. So why was I shooting low even with the roundballs? The humidity was really low and both me and my friend noticed that the fowling was harder than normal. It was not the KIK because it was the same with his Goex.

Im not sure what I am going to hunt with this year.
.570 roundball and 120gr FFG or 525gr Great Plains with 100gr FFG. I know that roundball load will take anything in North America. Plus, I dont like the lead I get in my bore with the GP. Im not sure though. I like both. So what do you guys think?

RE: Finally got my powder in and went to the range
 

If I had .570 balls grouping like that over 120 grains of powder, I'd never buy another conical. :) At what distance were you shooting?

RE: Finally got my powder in and went to the range
 

KIK is a good powder. I was shooting that when there was the Goex shortage a while back. I found it a little more dirty then Goex but power wise, it was excellent. Also it igntied real good..

Sounds like you have your hunting load. 120 grains of powder with that large ball.. nothing wants to be on the other side of a 284 grain roundball that would be moving along like that one.. I bet the expansion on the round ball was real good as was the penetration..

Nice shooting there.

RE: Finally got my powder in and went to the range
 

That was at 50yds.

Cayugad, Some people say KIK is cleaner than Goex. I also hear the same about Graf or Schuetzen some say it is cleaner and some say it is dirtier than Goex. Some say it is hotter, some say Goex is. Who knows[&:]

What do you think about the Graf vs. the KIK?

RE: Finally got my powder in and went to the range
 

I've shot them all.. Goex IMO is a little cleaner. It seems I have to swab sooner when shooting KIK or Graf's & Sons black powder. Although that is not a problem to me. As for power and consistancy, they are all about equal. The cleanest black powder I have shot is Swiss with out doubt. Also the most powerful and expensive...

RE: Finally got my powder in and went to the range
 

I suspect that you are getting a little more velocity out of the KIK than Goex...The ball leaves the barrel faster so there is less time for recoil to kick the shot high, so the ball goes lower...

The largest grizzly bear registered in the NMLRA record book was killed with a .54 ball and 120gr FF Goex...The shot was taken at 100 yards and the ball passed through the lungs and lodged under the hide on the off side, the bear went less than 50 yards after the shot....

That .58 ball will do it's job, you just do yours...