My friend let me take care of his T/C firestorm while he's out west. He left me with fff and ffff goex, balls,patches ,manual, ect. The manual or goex website do not list loads for .50cal with fff. I've read on here that many of you use fff in your 50-54cals and would like to know a min and max load for this rifle? Also how should goex bp be stored? Thanks.
FFFG Loads for 50cal flinter
- Thread starter bobc
- Start date
- Location
- Algoma region
Might not want to load with the 4f g /ffffg.. That would be your prime powder, only to be put in the pan.
I am shure with the piece you have it wouldent be too bad to use as main charge...?
but hey... why risk it, as a finer granulation it will produce higher barell pressures, and as far as I know should only be used to prime.
But tell you the truth I prefer ffg for both prime and load. Mind you.... I only have 1 x50 cal rifled piece and it gets little use compared to the large bore military smoothies, and other big bores.
I have found a good starting load in any ball tosser is the same amount of grains as the caliber, then raise/lower 5 grains at a time within a reasonable amount to find the sweet spot.
Store your goex in its tin, and when not shooting away from the common area, locked up as though it was a box of bullets.
Of course away from heat and sources of fire...but duh Im shure you know that, Im not trying to be a jerk!!
Oh yeah...when your done shooting, CLEAN that damn barell with room temp plain ol water, plug the touch hole with a tooth pik or some thing of such like usage and put in some water "4 oz or so" plug the muzzle with your hand and swich back and forth then empty put in fresh water and repeat a couple times . that will remove most of the heavy gunk then scrub and oil the barell, before oiling maybe dunk some alcohol in there and let it dry out for awhile to get the water out.
Maybe invest in a phosphor bronze bore brush "3.00$$ at canadian tire" to scrub any resigual lead from the rifling or what not
I am really picky, but its a good habit "hell the best habit" to aquire when you start with the black powder
Cheers
Rob
Last edited:
bdft
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I shoot 50 grns of fffg in my .50 cal flintlock and prime the pan with it too. I clean mine with water and windshield washer antifreeze. The ammonia in it cuts the BP fouling better I think. The important thing is to clean it after every shooting session.
I use the old tried and true formula for cleaning....boiling water with some dish soap added. I like to plug the nipple on M/L's and fill from the muzzle and let the boiling water stand in the barrel for a few seconds before pouring out then repeat...then use patches and solvent and/or oil to finish. On my breech loaders I place the muzzle on a paper towel pad in a large bowl and fill the barrel from the breech, letting it flow out the muzzle after a few seconds. I never have any fouling problems. For powder I can't undestand why FG or FFG aren't being used for the main charge in a 50 caliber rifle. To each their own. Good luck.
3F is a bit cleaner than 2F. I have a 50 cal flint Pennsylvania longrifle I made from a Jim Chambers kit. I have found 55 g 3F to be the best target load, with a 490 or 495 round ball and 010 or 015 wonderlubed patch. I prime with 4F because I bought a pound of it several years ago and still have loads left after 1000 plus rounds; but 3F would work perfectly fine with a good lock and flint. I usually swab the barrel after every shot by spitting on a patch and running it down, being careful to bring it back up before it compresses gunk into the breech and fouls up the touch hole.
I clean using warm water and many patches - I gave up using solvents some time ago. I always remove the lock, cleaning and lubing thoroughly to prevent rust on the inside, but generally leave the barrel in the stock in order to minimise wear on the pins (I take the barrel out once every six months or so to clean and lube the underside). You can use a clamp and tube as with a percussion nipple, as sold by Track of the Wolf, but I prefer to plug the touch hole with a toothpick and clean using the suction that creates. It can take a long time and many patches to clean a badly fouled barrel but you have to do it. I lube using liquid wonderlube, which is basically olive oil.
There are lots of books but the place to go to find out all about this is the Muzzloading Forum, one of the best shooting forums on the web with an enormous amount of expertise and willing advice. I learned almost everything I know about BP shooting and gunsmithing there.
I clean using warm water and many patches - I gave up using solvents some time ago. I always remove the lock, cleaning and lubing thoroughly to prevent rust on the inside, but generally leave the barrel in the stock in order to minimise wear on the pins (I take the barrel out once every six months or so to clean and lube the underside). You can use a clamp and tube as with a percussion nipple, as sold by Track of the Wolf, but I prefer to plug the touch hole with a toothpick and clean using the suction that creates. It can take a long time and many patches to clean a badly fouled barrel but you have to do it. I lube using liquid wonderlube, which is basically olive oil.
There are lots of books but the place to go to find out all about this is the Muzzloading Forum, one of the best shooting forums on the web with an enormous amount of expertise and willing advice. I learned almost everything I know about BP shooting and gunsmithing there.
Its been a while sense I posted this but I finally got out to the range for the first time with the flinter. Had a blast started out with 50grns of fffg and half a pan of ffffg with a round .490round ball and lubed patch worked upto 70grns which felt good and seemed quite accurate. Thanks to all the info in the BP section my 2nd experence with a flinter was awsome no more fssss boom or fssss nothing. she went boom every time except once because the frizzen was fouled up my bad.
Only problem is now I need one of my own.
Only problem is now I need one of my own.
With a .50 rond ball 179grs i use a 90grs of FFFG, with a R.E.A.L bullet (Rifling Engraved At Loading) 320grs i use a 70grs.
With FFG black powder use 100grs for rond ball and 90grs for R.E.A.L.
The FFFG granulation is good for very short barrel and ok for short(less 24") for long barrel this granulation of powder hit her limit and bullet less speed before get out the barrel because rifling resistance.
Use a FFG for too long barrel.
With FFG black powder use 100grs for rond ball and 90grs for R.E.A.L.
The FFFG granulation is good for very short barrel and ok for short(less 24") for long barrel this granulation of powder hit her limit and bullet less speed before get out the barrel because rifling resistance.
Use a FFG for too long barrel.
