Muzzle Loader Question

[jimbo728]

I have a TC Hawken .45 Cal muzzle loading rifle. Have always used FFG black powder,patched round balls or TC Maxi Balls.
Recently bought some .44/.45 Pyrodex Pistol pellets. Each pellet is 30gr equivalent to FFFG. These were for my 1860 Colt replica.
Have never seen .45 cal rifle pellets , just .50 cal.
My nagging question has been, should I try them in the Hawken?
My FFG load is 60gr FFG with the patched round ball so I wonder how 2 30gr pellets would work in my rifle.
Any thoughts. Has anyone tried this?
Jim

 

[mtgianni]

I started with Pyrodex and groups improved with BP. I would pass on them personally unless you can't get FF or FFF. I also thought the pellets were caliber specific so 45 cal bbl would not accept 50 cal pellets but never bought them so I am not sure. If they chamber they should work. I would work up a FFF load and see before assuming FFF works. You would not assume the same amount of a faster smokeless powder would work as a slower one does.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I had the same pellets, to use them up I loaded them in 45 Colt cases. They work like real gunpowder! Just make sure to have your ball tight against the charge (but you knew that!)

I had a friend with a Knight MK 85 (I have one too)> Knight sent him several tins of the 50 grain 50 cal, pellets and a prototype "Magnum" breech plug. He got outstanding results from 3 pellets (equal to 150 grain of FFFg! He put a Leopold Veri-X III 6.5-20 x 50mm scope on it and did his medium range ground hog hunting with it!

The pellets make your shots very consistent from shot to shot!

Ivan

 

[BearBio]

Never had any problems with my Knight or TC Hawken!

 

[Eric300]

If your Hawken uses percussion caps to ignite the powder charge, you may find that the pydrodex pellets will either not ignite, or, hang-fire (delay in powder charge igniting). Pyrodex pellets (and equivalents like White Hots, Triple 7) are designed to be ignited using 209 type shotgun primers, particularly in modern in-line muzzle loaders.

 

[jimbo728]

If it doesnt ignite I can pull the nipple and sprinkle in a bit of FFG to make it go boom.
Thanks for that note, I`ll bring my BP bag to the range with all my muzzle loader stuff just in case.
Jim

 

[k22fan]

I never tried Pyrodex in pellet form, only powdered, and it has been a long time. I never got reliable ignition in cap and ball rifles that have a 90 degree bend in their flash channel like my T/C Hawken. However, your idea of loose real black under a Pyrodex pellet for better ignition is intriguing. The exterior dimensions of T/C .45, .50 and .54 cal. barrels were the same so you certainly are not going to burst the barrel. 100 grains of FF under a T/C Maxi Ball was my hunting load. 110 grains blew the hammer back to half cock. That's what sets the powder/pressure limit. If it's a worry you could fire a few shots at waist level to see if the hammer stays down.

With round balls the other limiting factor is the 48" twist in your T/C. It's a compromise that allows firing both conicals and round balls. It is hard on cloth patches. I only got good round ball accuracy from my T/C Hawken with reduced loads.

Pyrodex is great in Ruger Old Army revolvers.

Edit to add:
The not good enough for hunting ignition I got with Pyrodex was using normal percussion caps, not modern style shotgun primers. I prefer real black powder so I did not hunt down a nipple for using shotgun primers. The biggest benefit of Pyrodex is you can fire more shots between barrel cleanings and that is more important with revolvers that single shot rifles.

 

[Heinz]

I have never used pyrodex in any of my numerous muzzleloaders. First, if you want to shoot black powder, shoot black powder. I have shot with guys trying out pyrodex, they found it to be more corrosive and harder to clean than black powder.
Black powder cleans up fine with lots of cold water. Consistency comes with measuring your powder carefully.

 

[dave1918a2]

I have shot muzzle loaders since 1980. We have a monthly match at the club and I have shot them since 1990. State shoot, local club shoots etc. Every one uses 3f or FFFG as the can says. Seldom ever see Pyrodex. Even in shotgun trap shoots. Hard to find pellets in Colorado since they are illegal for hunting. To find out I would load 10 grains of 3F or Your 2F and then load the pellets. Trying to get 2F down a nipple is hard. 3F is Just as hard. I use 7F for that.

 

[jimbo728]

What interests me about experimenting with the FFFG pellets is they are drop in and 2 pellets = 60 grs. My usual load with round ball is 60gr of FFG.
The only time it took more than 1 cap to ignite happened while hunting and getting caught in a white out.
Im just curious to see if it works.
Ive hunted and shot matches with the Hawken .45 cal and done well enough. It prints nice at 50yds with 60gr FFG and I used 90 FFG with the Maxi Ball deer hunting.
Always have been BP only but like I said, just curious.
I have a syringe body that fits right in the nipple hole and it makes nipple feed task easier if needed. I may put a little FFG in the barrel before the pellets go in.
Jim

 

[Heinz]

My oldest son uses individual plastic tubes he bought online that have waterproof caps. I tried one out last year that'd been rattling around in a pouch for about 10 years. Went boomright off. That is another option and you do not have to fool around with counting pellets and a priming charge (This from a guy who shoots flinters
Just a suggestion. I criticize no one who is shooting safely, especially when they are having fun with front stuffers.

 

[k22fan]

Anyone who can shot a flint lock well offhand has my highest respect.

I cheat and use a modern aperture sight on my percussion Hawken. scopes aren't legal for hunting unless I'm using it as a substitute for a modern firearm in a firearm restricted zone. Its set triggers make it easier to hit with offhand than a modern rifle with a scope and one shot does the trick.

If I interpreted the original post correctly he is looking for a way to use up Pyrodex pellets that he not longer has another use for or wants to experiment because he has them on hand. I've certainly used weaker excuses to spend time at the range.