doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com GOEX Express Blackpowder

http://www.goexpowder.com/product-express.html

Has anyone tried this in a BPE double rifle?

GOEX is the only BP sold in my area. I am planning on a nitro for black load first, but this rifle was built with blackpowder in mind and I would like to find such a load for it.

I really don't want to order 25 pounds of powder to get the Swiss, etc.

Mike:

I shoot a lot of black powder in cartridge rifles in competition and use Swiss powder exclusively. It is simply, IMO, a superior powder for the cartridge rifles games, both silhouette and Creemoor.

Howsomever, Goex makes good powder and I would think that it would do anything in your double that any other powder would. Goex Express is also good powder, somewhere in between standard Goex and Swiss. I was given some for testing before it was on the market and I was favorably impressed.

Other folks have been reporting good success with recent lots of KIK and Schuetzen powder, but I have not worked with them.

FWIW, Graf will sell Swiss in small quantity, but there is still the $20 hazmat fee.

http://www.grafs.com/powders/3522

What the intended use of the load has some bearing on what will be the best powder. Are you looking for maximum velocity? Loading for a double rifle would be a most interesting challenge. Besides everything else involved with finding a load your rifle likes, you need it to regulate as well.

Don't be afraid to shoot real gunpowder. You will be amazed what can be done with it.

Glenn

UTAH,

For the money I would go with the Swiss. Goex Express is running $15.50 per lb for a 25 lb lot from powder inc. PLUS shipping PLUS hazmat ($20.00)

By contrast,
Maine Powderhouse (www.mainepowderhouse.com) has Swiss for: $17.24 per lb for a 25 lb lot INCLUDING hazmat AND shipping.

Considering that GOEX Express uses the same ingrediants (hardwood charcoal rather then the proper Alder as required for a real rifle/sporting grade powder) as thier standard powders and is not subject to tarrifs, import duties or shipped halfway around the world the price seems a bit on the rediculous side.

Will it work yup.

The charcoal is the critical difference between one powder and another. The impurities in the charcoal act as a (poorly understood) catalyst in the reaction.

Experiments have shown that the use of very high purity carbon produces rather poor BP.

BP seems to be getting harder and harder to come by. There is currently none available in my county.

Unspellable you are corect,

In the old days charcoal was listed as follows:
Buckthorn Alder, Black Alder and White Willow were considered necessary for a sporting powder.

Rifle and musket grade powders could be produced with Alder or Willow.

Hardwoods such as Maple could be used but were considered inferior.

In addition how the charcoal is processed is extremnly important to wether a powder is "moist" burning or not. For instance, if the retort was allowed to reach a tempreture in excess of 320 degrees the creosote so important to a moist burning powder is flashed off leaving near solid carbon which will release no moisture when burned which means any moisture in the fouling is absorbed by the potassium carbonate in the fouling from the atmosphere after the shot has been fired but only if the relative humidity is above 30%.

Its all neat stuff. The Swiss folks process thier charcoal (Buck thorn Alder) in small batches where consistency is everything. Others, such as GOEX source thiers from outside vendors.

It could very well come from the same outfits that processed briqettes we use in the grill.

Cheers!

Glenn,

I am going to be loading for a German .450 Long double rifle. This basically the .450 BPE with a bit more case taper. Early coiled brass case dimensions.

The Nitro for Black should be "easy" with the data available from Sherman Bell.

Getting it regulate with blackpowder might be more of a challenge. I don't want to give up to much bullet weight to get the needed velocity.

Mike I wouldn't assume the GOEX can't get the gun regulated. You are going to find a couple of challenges here. First is getting accuracy from one barrel using blackpowder because there is a bit of a learning curve getting the correct powder quantity under a wad and grease cookie combination that works for you. Then you get to see how it regulates and can tinker with powder quantity and bullet weights to bring them together. This isn't going to perform like a modern target rifle. Two-three inch groups at 100yds would be pretty good from each barrel, well regulated a combined group will expand that. If you haven't already found a good reference for black powder reloading, suggest you get a copy of SPG Lubricants Black Powder Cartridge Reloading Primer by Mike Venturino and Steve Garbe. They are shooting single shots but the loading for accuracy is a good starting point.

Jerry,

The tiny front site and shallow V rear shouldn't be any hindrance to accuracy either.

I'll try GOEX in 2F, 3F and Cartridge Grade as I have them on hand, but I haven't yet found anybody who has been able to get enough velocity with GOEX for regulation.

Nitro for Black loads will be first. Gathering information on BP for after a workable nitro load is developed.

Imagine that nitro in damascus barrels! Yep a damascus, hammer, double rifle. Does it get any better?

I have had best luck with Goex (that’s all there is up here) FF all the “Cartridge” grade I bought I used in my shotguns, never worked good in my rifles. Most likely your rifle will need a bore diameter paper-patched bullet, the coil brass cases are very thin. With a PP bullet you can play with powder and wads and where the bullet is seated in the case will not matter. I have had very good results with duplex loading 10% IMR 4759 on the bottom, the rest of the case FF a cork wad under bullet.

Mike,

I got my hands on some PP bullets from Steve Meyer and if they work I will learn how to make my own.

If you had developed a load for my rifle, I would be way ahead of the curve. :p