loose powder or pellets

[kyhareraiser]

  what kind of powder does everyone use in their front stuffers ..loose or pellets..i keep reading about a ring that the pellets leave in thebarrel and do'nt want that prob,,so does loose powder do this too

[cwlongshot]

I use both. But dont worry about the ring as long as you clean regularly. Like swab it every couple shots and out rite clean it every 10...

CW

[mirage1988]

I used to shoot 777 pellets and switched to blackhorn-It really is as good as they say! I will never go back to pellets. Shot almost two bottles of powder last season without cleaning the barrel (I cleaned the breech plug after every trip to the range). Three solvent patches and 4 or so dry ones and the barrel is clean.

[MI.sabot]

Just my 2 cents worth, but give loose powder a try.
Besides being cheaper to shoot, increments of 5, 10 or 15 grains of powder can make a big difference in accuracy.
A lot more versatile than pellets in this respect.

Read thru this thread: www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,202367.0.html

[cwlongshot]

Another thing I will add...

I wanted to try full bore slugs a couple years back and discovered that they will not shoot worth a darn with pellets!!! Yet loose powder produced nice touching groups if I did my part!!

I like the simple convenience of dropping two pellets down the spout and topping it with a saboted bullet.

CW

[hunt-m-up]

Loose powder for 10+ years before switching to pellets last year. I really resisted because my preferred loads used 120 grns of loose powder and I liked to fine-tune. The convenience of dropping 2 pellets/100 grns won me over. Maybe a 1/2" accuracy difference at a 100yds if that. Not enough to matter for deer as most of my shots are under 100yds.

[flipajig]

I use Blackhorn 209 and im a Happy camper 

[anweis]

I use Blackhorn 209 and im a Happy camper 

I used loose 777 and was a happy camper. Now i use Blackhorn 209 and i am an even happier camper.

[rebAL]

I got the crud ring from low charges (under 100 grains) of 777 and never more than 10 shots at a session.  When I purchased my new rifle, I decided to keep it 777 free.  Very pleased with bh209 so far.

[Huntsman1]

I started with pellets, both pyrodex & T7, then went T7 loose. Now I'm using strictly Pyrodex Select for all my front-stuffers.
I have considered using Pyrodex pellets once again just for hunting convenience. But then again I've also considered using Goex FFG or FFFG for everything too.
So many options.
I found too that with the crud ring, it was near non-existant witht the use of PR-Bullets Vari-Flame Primer adapter. No experience with BH209.

[kctibs]

In Colorado pellets are not allowed so can't really comment. But I am switching to Shockeys Gold from black powder. I would like to find it in pellets just to try it at the range so far though have not seen it in pellets.

[rangerwillie]

hesitant to use any blackhorn 209 as the price is a bit off compared to any jug of pyrodex.  also i think i read somewhere not to use it with bullets over a certain weight... thing is i like big conicals in my muzzleloaders.  i can't see why it would be any different as long as charges are modest, between 65gr and 85gr.  anyone have any luck with this stuff and conicals?

[rebAL]

.. thing is i like big conicals in my muzzleloaders.  i can't see why it would be any different as long as charges are modest, between 65gr and 85gr.  anyone have any luck with this stuff and conicals?

I only have used heavy powerbelts, which I consider conicals.  They are very accurate with 80 grains bh-209.

[flintlock]

Loose...You are handloading each shot, loose let's you tailor the load to the rifle...It's cheaper as well...

[luckydawg13]

trip 7 i get a ring pyrodex i dont so 3 pellets of pyrodex works for me

[S.B.]

I've got another question to add to the mix here. Does anyone here use both like two pellets topped with what ever amount of loose stuff to get to the sweet spot for accuracy? Or, is this even possible?
Steve

[1sourdough]

 As long as your total charge stayed within limits I wouldn't have a problem mixing a little loose with pellets.  Since I've always been a loose powder shooter I would never bother with it. If one was going to do it, may just as well go all loose.

[S.B.]

I though loose and pellets measured differently?
Steve

[1marty]

I use loose 70 gr. of 777 ffg in my hawkin. In my omega I use 2 pellets of 777. The loose doesn't seem to leave the crud ring as much as the pellets. If, you swab evry second shot you'll be ok. Also, seasoning the barrel with wonder lube 1000 seems to eliminate that "crud ring".

[charles p]

My old Thompson Renegade in 50 cal does just fine with 70 grains of black powder.  It might do OK with two pellets as well.  Just never needed to change.  Never shot a sabot in it either, just cast buffalo bullets.

[wreckhog]

I use loose 70 gr. of 777 ffg in my hawkin. In my omega I use 2 pellets of 777. The loose doesn't seem to leave the crud ring as much as the pellets. If, you swab evry second shot you'll be ok. Also, seasoning the barrel with wonder lube 1000 seems to eliminate that "crud ring".

Loose and pellets are different material.

[Fletch6]

85 grains of 777 and the 250 Gr. Hornady with short black sabot is my target load.  I swab with an alcohol wipe to eliminate the crud ring and residual moisture does not matter using alcohol. For hunting I go to 100 gr. of Blackhorn and a Barnes TEZ.  I shoot about 6 shots at the range with no cleaning before the season and when it is shooting dead center reload and hunt. I have never had a miss fire with the Blackhorn with any primer on my Omega, but I do drop a BB down the barrel so that the primer fire expands around it and  into the powder rather than pushing the bullet off the powder before it fires.  This way on a crony the spread of velocity is much less. I also use a drop tube on the bench. Most of what you can do is to get very consistent shot to shot cleaning and reloading, but you still have to do your job on the bench and practice shooting off hand for hunting.   

[moto357]

Fletch3, your comment on dropping the bb down first confuses me.. maybe i dont fully understand, but i read and re-read what you wrote and if i'm understanding you right, i dont see how this would help.

[S.B.]

Fletch6, me too? Are you talking benchrest matches?
Steve

[john keyes]

I bought those pellets one time when  I started out.  I use the empty case for .44 mag rounds now. 
Loose is so easy to measure with a cheap powder measure and then just pour it in through a little plastic funnel.  I would never buy any pellets again.

Besides, seems like 80 or 90 gr is the sweet spot for most rifles, at least with pyrorust anyway.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

pyrorust? If you dont clean your rifle yes, but that can even happen with smokeless. Ask my old 30-30 

[rebAL]

  what kind of powder does everyone use in their front stuffers ..loose or pellets..i keep reading about a ring that the pellets leave in thebarrel and do'nt want that prob,,so does loose powder do this too

Just to be clear:  I believe what causes the ring is the 777; loose or pellets.

[Redhawk1]

loose for me, triple 7, just switched to blackhorn this year. I will see how it does. I still have 6 pounds of tiriple 7 to fall back on if blackhorn does not work out.

I prefer loose to pellets any day