Priming Powder

[iloco]

Anyone use FF for priming powder in a Flintlock.
 Don Bruton uses the power from his horn in the barrel and the flintlock pan.  

I use to use 3 F back in the 70 and 80's when shooting my 45 Tennessee Rifle.  I am wonder if I can get by with the FF I carry in my horn.  

Curious what others have to say on this subject.

[Roger Fisher]

Anyone use FF for priming powder in a Flintlock.
 Don Bruton uses the power from his horn in the barrel and the flintlock pan.  

I use to use 3 F back in the 70 and 80's when shooting my 45 Tennessee Rifle.  I am wonder if I can get by with the FF I carry in my horn.  

Curious what others have to say on this subject.

Suggest you try it and see.   In my case, I carry a small primer w/4f.

[SCLoyalist]

Larry Pletcher's tests (blackpowdermag.com) of priming powder timing indicate that priming with 2Fg averaged 70 msec, compared to 40 msec for NullB, 60 msec for 3Fg.   He also notes that there was more variation in ignition times with 3F and 2F as prime.     2Fg in the pan will result in ignition, but it will be a little bit slower than other choices available to you if you prime from a separate horn or charger.  

So, it'll work, but not quite as well.     You might not see the difference hunting or on a woodswalk, but probably would give up a point or two in a 20 shot aggregate if shooting paper bullseyes.  

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

When I was a young man, I lived and worked on Haida Guaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.  It is rainforest off the west coast of British Columbia.  My first muzzleloader was a T/C "Hawken" in flint.  the only powder I could buy was Meteor Cannon grade powder, and I used it for main charge and pan prime.  I shot a lot of coastal blacktail deer with that little rifle, and cannot recall having problems on account of the powder.  I've got a photo from those days somewhere...

[smylee grouch]

A person uses so little priming powder I wonder if you could just crush some 2f and make your own.

[Old Bob]

Lay out a piece of paper. Pour some ffg or whatever you need to reduce on it, spread it out pretty thin and cover with another sheet. Go over it real good with a rolling pin. It's not perfect but it'll do.

I got lucky a couple of years ago and bought 2 bags of fffffg for $7 a pound. I really like it. Might get around to using my ffffg when I'm about 95 or so. 

[Micah2]

I am glad you posted this.  I have read that "If your lock cannot ignite 2f then its the lock".  Well, my chambers roundface lock can easily ignite 2f but when I was developing turkey loads for my fowling piece I used 2f and there was a slitght delay.  Switched to some 4f and it is instant.  The less delay, the more accuracy.  I think I will ultimatley start using 3f for priming and main charge and simplify my loading.  I have horns, but I use a metal flask with a 70 grain spout.  Again, in my tests, 4f is so much faster and it gets in the vent much easier for a solid ignite.

[Old Bob]

There's no doubt that 4f is faster. 5f and 7f are even faster. Neither is available anymore and 7f tends to cake quickly when it's humid and on a windy day, being the consistency of talcum powder, can blow out of the pan before you get the frizzen shut. 5f is a shade faster than 4f but not so fine that you have the problems mentioned above.