Switching powders

[firefighter5765]

I have a CVA .50 cal Hawkins rifle I bought a few years back and have just began shooting it recently. I have been using Pyrodex RS in it and have had multiple mis-fires. I do not remember ever having as many in my other muzzleloader which was a new model .50 cal. Does anyone know if changing to FF or FFF powder will reduce the mis-fires and do the hotter caps really work?

[desdem12]

I had a traditions .50 hawken and i had trouble with misfires and then i switched it to a musket cap and it solved the problem completely. I found that the old number 11 nipple that came with it was a little too short also and the taller musket nipple solved that problem as well. I haven't found much difference in using FFF or FFg but if you talke a look at the differnce between a no.11 cap and a musket cap you will kind of notice the difference. I use the muskets on every gun i can except an old .54 i have.

[knssrtrd]

Black powder substitutes need a hotter flame than black powder. I have always been partial to 2F, that being said Pyrodex is cheaper hereabouts with more availability. I opened my nipples up a little bit with a drill bit and that helped a bit with the pyrodex.

[Darryl]

I still have a ton of black powder. The real black powder. It sticks and makes a lot of smoke!

Dolk

[Junk Yard Dog]

Try the real Black, works better, ignites easier, and stick to FFG, switching to FFFG will increase the charge if you do not reduce the volume used ( if it's a 60 grain charge then reduce it to 57 grains with the smaller granulation powder) The subs run at higher pressures than real black, you want to be careful about increasing the main charge when using them. If the manual calls for say a 70 grain maximum charge then never go over 65 grains when using subs.