Powder for Hunting

[Froggy4371]

Ok So I want some opinions here. I have been shooting Triple 7 powder for about 5 years. I was talking with some buddys of mine and they all shoot pyrodex powder. They are both made by Hodgon and they are telling me that they are for the most part the same except pyrodex is a little bit dirter buring. What do you guys know about.

Froggy

[Hines R]

Triple 777 is a little bit cleaner shooting. Has a little bit more of a tendency to create a harder ridge of dirtiness right at the bottom where the bullet seats than some of the other powders maybe? Not really an issue unless you try to shoot a lot of shots without swabbing the barrel out with a wet or cleaning patch followed by some dry patches.

Here is the really cool thing about Triple 777 loose powder. It is 15% more powerful than the other brands by volume. Therefore you use less powder to get the same velocity. 100 grains of loose triple 777 is actually the equivalent of 115 grains of powder.

This can become dangerous though in that if you shoot 150 grains of loose triple 777 you are actually shooting outside the safe zone of a lot of muzzleloaders. It's actually like shooting 172.5 grains of powder.

If you buy the pellets you are shooting the actual amount it says because they have changed the amount of grains to be equivalent to what it says. The 15% more powerful only applies to the loose.

Ryan

[lawdog]

777 is much cleaner with no strong sulfur smell. Shoot the 777 primers which aren't as hot and the supposed ring (which I never even got with regular 209 primers by the way) won't be a problem.

I'd never go back to Pyrodex...

[Froggy4371]

Thanks guys. I figured that I would stick with the triple 7 but just wanted some other opinions.

Froggy

[Hines R]

I haven't shot anything but loose triple 777 so I could only speak from my experience from that. The guy that initially helped set me up with everything to start with had been muzzleloader hunting for years and walked me through everything I needed to get started. My first muzzleloader hunt was elk hunting in Colorado so I was in their in early August which probably helped me out.

He recommended the triple 777 and it was what he would normally shoot unless he was shooting real black powder. I don't see any reason that you would need to switch powders.

Ryan

[Scott Stein]

Thanks guys. I figured that I would stick with the triple 7 but just wanted some other opinions.

Froggy

have u ever considered Shockeys pioneer gold? i guess its supposed to be the real deal my uncle uses it and swears by it but i havent had to muzzy hunt in a couple yrs so i havent bought any yet

[Reilley]

I use Shockey Pioneer Gold and love it!

[Froggy4371]

I have thought about Shockeys powder but it is just to nice to have it in pellet form. There is to much to screw up with loose powder in my simple mind I think. Maybe I dont think and that is my problem

Thanks Guys,

Froggy

[Reilley]

You can get the Shockey powder in pre-measured loads. They come tapered for easy loading.

[Froggy4371]

Maybe I will try that after this year then. I have never seen the pre-measured loads.

Froggy

[Hines R]

When I run out of loose powder or feel that my loose powder is going bad I'm pretty sure I'll switch over to a pellet style powder. It's a lot easier to deal with, and probably more accurate for how many grains of powder you are shooting each shot. I think that the pellets are significantly more expensive though.

Make sure you check the regs though because some states don't allow pellets. Just like some states don't allow Sabots style bullets. Minnesota allows both but not a scope. Colorado doesn't allow pelletized powder, sabot style bullets, or scopes and that was the first state that I hunted with a muzzleloader.

Ryan