2f vs 3f

[Smoketown]

little joe,

You can find it here -

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=lyman%20black%20powder%20handbook


Cheers,
Smoketown

[rich pierce]

I trend toward doing what was done traditionally. I've heard but don't have documentation that 2F was commonly used for medium to large bore rifles. Say .50 and up.

[OldMtnMan]

Here in southern Indiana we shoot a lot of 3f as it does not seem to dirty as quick. Thin walls or heavy hunting loads should use 2f.

What do you call a heavy hunting load? I use 85gr Goex 3F .54 PRB for elk. It knocks them down pretty good. If I just hunted for deer i'd use much less.

  We all have our ideas  of a heavy load. 15/16  x 54 cal 75 grs. A flintlock of this wall thickness in my thinking is thin. Need to be sure ball is down on the powder.

I feel safe. Lyman says my gun is good up to 100gr of 3F. I'm sure that's conservative if that's what they call the max load.

Where do you find this in a lyman book?

On page 14 of the owners manual. My gun is a GPR. They show 120gr of 2F and 100gr of 3F for the PRB. Then they list other amounts for conicals.

I said 110gr 3F originally, but corrected it to 100gr. I had remembered that it was 120gr of 2F and usually 3F will be 10gr less but when I looked it up Lyman uses 20gr less for 3F.

[Herb]

Lyman's "Black Powder Handbook & Loading Manual", 2nd edition, page 260.  OldMtnMan's 85 grains of Goex 3F with a 235 grain .535 roundball would be 1443 fps and 85 grains of Goex 2F would give 1461 fps.  100 grains of G3F shows as 1538 fps and 100 grains of G2f shows 1517 fps.  Lyman's max loads with most calibers is 120 grains, and that with G3f is 1735 fps but G2f gives 1803 fps.

[OldMtnMan]

That makes no sense on Lymans part. I've never seen 2F chrono more than 3F.

I use 3F mainly for faster ignition for a flintlock, but I also know it's a bit faster than 2F too.


It seems we've had this discussion before on another forum Herb.

[OldMtnMan]

Here's what Goex says for loads. It won't compare 2f to 3F, but it does show Lyman is off on it fps for 2F.

http://www.goexpowder.com/images/LoadCharts/RB-Rifle-Musket.pdf


I always figure my 85gr of 3F is equal to 95gr of 2F. That puts me around 1700fps

[rich pierce]

Also there's weight vs volume. A measured charge of 3F should weigh more than same volume of 2F.

[WadePatton]

...It seems we've had this discussion before on another forum Herb.

We've even had the discussion before here as well:   

see:
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=12899.0  Topic: 2F or 3F Black Powder for .54?  (Read 10209 times)

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=6031.0  Topic: 2F to 3F Powder Conversion  (Read 5090 times)

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=32893.0 Topic: 2f vs 3f volume/weight (Read 2069 times)

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=17338.0 Topic: 3F / 50 Caliber Loads (Read 6189 times)

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=7470.25 Topic: 2F vs 3F for large caliber RB  (Read 7375 times)

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=21457.0 Topic: More thorough load testing & comparing 2f to 3f in 58 cal.  (Read 4978 times)

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=21527.0 Topic: FFG vs FFFG- weight versus volume and velocity  (Read 8510 times)

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=22443.0 Topic: 2ff versus 3fff question (Read 2592 times)

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=5137.0 Topic: How many F's?  (Read 2084 times)


Part of the beauty and function of a forum is the fact that we all don't have to be present at the same time for any given discussion AND that we can look back beyond last week to see what has been said before. 

Also that was a very specific search, there are dozens more on various variations of powder and loadings.  Also patch lube is always a hot topic. Gun cleaning is another.  Days or even weeks of such reading on just our forum.

Hope that Helps! (HTH)

[little joe]

Every one has there idea  of what  is a proper and safe and accurate load.I would not like to shoot a Lyman with 120 grs of powder.

[OldMtnMan]

I wouldn't because I don't think it would be accurate and isn't needed for what I hunt. We're using a soft lead ball. With 120gr it's going to expand too quickly. Plus, the recoil would be uncomfortable for this old coot.

Anyway, that's my theory.

[hanshi]

Using 3F in my .54 is extremely accurate when the charge is 60 grains.  Cannot recall the exact figures but IIRC, it was somewhere between 1200 fps and 1300 fps.  I'd have no problem using that load for deer due to the accuracy and adequate velocity for a through and through wound channel.  Never tried it with 2F but that sounds like a good thing to test. 

[jtwodogs]

I found accuracy in my .62 improved quit a bit with a greased pillow ticking patch and 140 grains of goex 2f.