sidelock powder question

[BIGB]

Just bought a CVA Hawken rifle from a member. Is Pyrodex RS what I am supposed to be shooting in this gun?

 

[mike243]

yes or black powder, start with the caliber say 50 cal & start with 50g of powder, start sighting in & work your way up in 10g shots til accuracy stops or not over a max load,you will need to look that up as all are somewhat different. depending on the bullet you want to shoot you might not get past 80-90g before it starts throwing them out of a good group.

 

[southernhunter]

My 45 t/c Hawkins likes 70 gains of 3fff with a patched round ball

 

[dg7080]

my T/C Renegade .50 likes 100 grains of FF black or Pyrodex RS with a 370 grain T/C maxi ball. Funny thing is it will shoot through the same holes with the lighter 275 grain T/C maxi hunter.

my little .45 T/C Cherokee likes 80 grains pushing a 240 grain maxi hunter or maxi ball.

Black powder or Proydex RS is what you need, you just got to play around a bit to see what your gun likes.

 

[FrontierGander]

pyrodex rs or pyrodex p will work just fine. I do prefer the real stuff as in Goex though. Pyrodex rs sometimes clogs up the powder channel and doesnt flow under the nipple, causing a misfire.

 

[Grill-n-man]

Pyrodex RS will work better than Pyrodex P as the RS gives a better burn and more energy. I even shoot it thru my 50 cal. trapper pistol and it groups better thru it also. Here is some loads than I am currently using thru my 50 cal TC Hawkins - (these are Pyrodex RS loads) 70 grains with a 350 TC maxi hunter or 90 with the same bullet, 90 gives it a little more distance. I have also shot 100 and 90 with a Hornady great plains 385 grain bullets out of several different guns and had great performance. I am going to the range tomorrow to see how the TC Hawkins I use now works with a 275 grain TC maxi hunter and the 385 Hornady great plains bullet with a couple of different powder loads. If you need some info from how they do send me a PM and I will let you know how it works out.

 

[Wobblyshot1]

I remember when pyrodex came on the market. Wasn't a fan of then nor am I one today. For me, real black powder is the way to go with a traditional style gun. It's a shame it's so hard to come by for newbies to the sport today.

 

[dg7080]

I agree Wobblshot1, its a shame the real black powder is so hard to find. The only reason I am shooting Pyrodex at the moment is cause all my local sources for the real stuff have quick stocking it.

 

[BIGB]

I shot it with 90 grains of the RS and a patched round ball not sure of the weight. It seemed to shoot a little high. Next time I load it I'll try 80. thanks for the input.

 

[FrontierGander]

Uh, you are aware that pyrodex p gives MORE power/better burn since it is considered a 3f grade powder, where as rs would be 2f grade. 3F burns quicker and gives you more poop with less volume.

Pyrodex RS will work better than Pyrodex P as the RS gives a better burn and more energy. I even shoot it thru my 50 cal. trapper pistol and it groups better thru it also. Here is some loads than I am currently using thru my 50 cal TC Hawkins - (these are Pyrodex RS loads) 70 grains with a 350 TC maxi hunter or 90 with the same bullet, 90 gives it a little more distance. I have also shot 100 and 90 with a Hornady great plains 385 grain bullets out of several different guns and had great performance. I am going to the range tomorrow to see how the TC Hawkins I use now works with a 275 grain TC maxi hunter and the 385 Hornady great plains bullet with a couple of different powder loads. If you need some info from how they do send me a PM and I will let you know how it works out.

 

[Grill-n-man]

Well, the information in books may suggest so but every pistol (revolvers and side locks) and muzzle loader rifles, that over the years I and others that I have shot with, will differ in opinion from that. We have all gotten better groups and less fouling with the RS verses the P. and as for the pop being better the stuff we have shot with it from deer to cinder blocks doesn't show that. Books and data are one thing but nothing beats trying it. But we all have our own opinion and mine is not wasting money and time shooting Pyrodex P.

 

[mike243]

I have found that the P is hotter in my old sidelock because I had to back off from the same amout to get my grouping back.it also gets dirtier because of the fine grain.it also will get to the flash channel better due to smaller size & crud might stop the rs but the p can & will go all the way to the nipple.I dont think they recomend it for rifles any way but it can & will work

 

[Grill-n-man]

mike243 is correct about the P not being recommended for rifles and I would not recommend using it in rifles also ( I forgot to put that in there ). I threw that little bit of info in because just something we have tried to see how it will work. But in all seriousness the RS, for us, works better than the P. That's the great thing about muzzle loaders, each is its own and learning what you got is just plain ole fun.

 

[FrontierGander]

shoot it over a chronograph, its a lot faster.

Pyrodex P is allowed in rifles, its 3f powder boys, nothing hard to understand about it. Any time you use 3f, you reduce your loads by 15%. So basically, if you are shooting 80gr 2f and then switch to 3f, reduce the 3f loads by 10 grains and you'll shoot less powder and still achieve the same or a little faster velocity.