Pyrodex 50 gr pellets
 

While I dabble in black powder I am no where near the expertise of the members who post and answer here.

While I used the pyro 50 gr pellets for a while now I just noticed a difference of one end of the pellet vs the other.
The end of the pellet while stacked in 2s are different.
The down end, the end sitting in the box channel, looks shiney and harder than the top. Slightly different shape.
Wish I could get a photo.

But does it make a difference to which is down towards the spark?

I've always taken the red pipe cleaner, grabbed my two 50 gr. pellets and dropped them down the barrel.
They fire just fine.
But does the end make a difference in the burn rate?

JW

what i can remember from prodex pellets from 20 yrs ago i believe the shiny end goes towards the ignition end but don't hold that to me check the instructions

From Hogdon:
IMPORTANT: Each Pyrodex Pellet contains a black ignitor on one end. When loading the Pellet, for best ignition, place the black ignitor end of the Pellet into the barrel first. No orientation is necessary for Triple Seven Pellets.

This is correct. What I find funny is that they put them in the box with the igniter side up. They give you this little pipe cleaner thing to pick them up with by pushing it thru the hole in the middle but that puts them in the wrong orientation to go into the barrel. So when I used to used pyrodex pellets I would turn them all over in the box so when I plucked one out with the little pipe cleaner stick, it was already oriented with the igniter side down ready to go in the barrel.

yeas the darker side down, its designed for faster easier light ups

BUT MY 2 cents, skip this stuff all together and go to something like Blackhron 209 powder, no giant puff of smoke, , no surfer smell and not hard corrosive side of it as with black powder like Pyrodex !
I switched years ago and will never go back unless its illegal to sue some place?
way too many pro's and too little cons to use prodex powder or pellets r again!

Well N I have used BH209.
BUT, Ilike the simplicity of 2 pellets down the bore. I listen closely and can tell when they bottom out. Add my slotted bullet and ram away to my marked rod spot.
Done.

JW

Can you listen closely and tell when they cracked/chipped/crushed loading the sabot on top?

Probably not. ;)

I simply carry speed loaders with correct powder, and its as fast to me as any pellets are, but again without all the cons, and , like posted above pellets can crack and cause difference in loading and shift POA
but we all like what we like, not a problem If you like pellets, they work well for many folks, so your not alone!

I just wasn't sure if you knew of better options or should I say an option with less con's!

I have a CVA optima. Using pyrodex, tripple 7 or the white hot pellets my best groups at 100 yards were 3-4". I tried everything to improve those groups. Different bullets, different sabots, cleaning after every shot, not cleaning after every shot and nothing would bring the group size down to what I wanted. That was good enough for deer but I wanted better accuracy.

Heard good things about BH209, so I bought the CVA BH209 breach plug, brass powder flask, adjustable powder measure, BH209 powder, and Federal 209 primers. Using my favorite hunting bullet 240g Hornady XTP Mag with 100g by vol BH209, I get 1.5" groups at 100 yards with the bullet going out the muzzle at 1900fps. . I did have to play with the powder charge and type of sabot to get the best group.

Like MrBB, I use Powerbelt speed loaders in the field. They hold 3 tubes for bullet and pellets and 4 primers. I put 100g of powder in 2 of the tubes an put 2 bullets with sabots in the other one. With pellets you can load 3 shots because you can put the bullet in then the pellets on top in each tube. With the loose powder that doesn't work. I can still load in the field pretty fast I just have to dump the powder tube then get the tube with the bullets and dump one in. I have never had to use a followup shot on a deer though so speed has not been an issue in the field.

I thought loose powder would be a PIA but found that I like it better than the pellets. I will never go back to using pellets.