Black Powder Granulation

[shifty]

   Have any of you gone to using 3f for every caliber?

[45-110]

In all my rifles up to .58 cal. yes 3f gives the accuracy. But 2f in my rifled musket and fowler.
kw

[Fyrstyk]

I use 3F in all my guns except heavy loads in my .58 flint and percussion guns,  my 28 gauge smooth bore and 15 gauge shotgun.

[Bob McBride]

I always put mustard on my sammiches, always buy the same jeans, own only one brand of camo, but 1f, 2f, and 3f goes down the bore depending on caliber and 3f, 4f, or OB in the pan depending on caliber and how humid it is outside.....

[MuskratMike]

Goex 3F in all my flintlocks from .32 to .54 year around. Well of course 4F in the pans!

[Daryl]

   Have any of you gone to using 3f for every caliber?

No, not me. I use 3F in the .36 rifle and .45 pistol, but 2F in everything else, from .50 rifle, 20 bore smooth bore to .69 rifle.

[Craig Wilcox]

I'm like Daryl - 3F in .45 and below, 2F in 50 and above.  But this 10-bore I am rebuilding, I may go to 1F for that - mighty big hole in those barrels!

I'm trying to picture McBride putting mustard on his peanut butter and jelly sammich.  Or his tuna salad.

[cma454]

3F in my .50's.
2F .54, and fowlers.
3F in my short barreled .58.
4F for priming.

[thelongrifle]

I use 3ffg in everything thru 54. I use 1ffg in my 75.

[hanshi]

Back in the ice age when I would buy powder by the can locally, I took and used what was available at the time.  Sometimes it was 3F and sometimes it was 2F and I used them interchangeably.  Fast forward 50 years.  For some time I've ordered and used 3F as my primary powder in everything.  A few loads use 2F but I've never been picky.  I merely standardized on 3F for convenience.

[shifty]

  I was kinda thinking of trying 3f in my little short barrel Leman but this is a very slim and light wt stock the whole gun is light wt.

[Daryl]

Used appropriately, it should be fine, shifty, if .45 or .50.
I did use 3F in the .40 and .45 as well as in my .32 (at that time) however, I did work up accuracy loads
in both .40 and .45 with 2F.
I use 4F in the pan, but have used 3F when I ran out of 4F - happened once. I prefer 4F no matter what the humidity is,
even if it's raining and the humidity is up at 85%.

[Not English]

I use 3f in all my guns - 45, 50, 54, and 20ga smoothbore. I don't like to keep tpo many different powders. I do use 4f for priming when hunting, otherwise its 3f for everyhing else.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

3Fg for .45 and smaller, in my case down to .25 cal rifles
2Fg for .50, 54, 58, 60 and 62, and in my smoothbore 20 gauge flint
3Fg in pistols and revolvers
4Fg for the pan

[steven baker]

I try a simple method of big bore large grains small bore small grains 4f for priming  ,simple ,take care Steven.

[L. Akers]

I use 3F in everything from my .31 cal. squirrel rifle to my 12ga shotgun.

[smylee grouch]

I use Swiss 2f up to 50 cal. and Swiss 1&1/2f from there up from 52, 54, 58, 62, and 66 cal. Swiss Null B for prime.

[Bob Roller]

   Have any of you gone to using 3f for every caliber?

I used 3fg in everything from a 31 caliber Remington revolver to a J.N.Scott 10 gauge
with no problems.My first can of black powder was DuPont 3fg and I was 15 years old
in 1951 and probably had only 3fg until 1970.
Bob Roller

[shifty]

  Ok do you think using 3f in a shorter barrel say a 26" x 50 cal.  would give better performance than 2f? I have never used 3f in anything but my 32 Squirrel rifle but thinking of trying it in the short 50.

[Justin Urbantas]

I think 3f would burn faster, and give you more velocity and consistency/accuracy in a short barreled rifle or pistol.

[Daryl]

No matter the barrel length, 3F will give higher velocities than 2F, in a .50 with the same charge weight. Now, will it shoot more accurately with worked up loads?
That is up to the rifle.  At any "given" or "equal" velocity, 3F will generate higher pressure which in itself demands tighter ball and patch combinations.
Normally, in order to duplicate accuracy, the velocity must be matched, between 3F loads and 2F loads. Thus, at that load, even though you might have to use 10gr. MORE
2F to get the same velocity and accuracy as 3F, 2Fwill be producing lower pressure.
My short barreled .50 preferred 3F - my long barreled .50 prefers 2F, so far, but I haven't really spent a lot of time shooting it deliberately from the bench - yet. In fact, I've not
tested it at all, with 3F.