Starting in 2003, the NRA has ruled that Silhouette and target Rifle matches must use only 100% black powder or Pyrodex. No duplex loads or substitute powders will be allowed.
Rule book about says it all. Hope this helps. Other powders MIGHT be allowed in small local matches?

shovel80 wrote on Nov 19^th, 2013 at 12:27am:

+1. Before starting down the 'dark side' I was prejudiced against BP through ignorance of listening to my fellow high power shooters who had no more experience then I. Attended a couple of our 200m all off-hand silhouette matches and shot smokeless loads and observed the BP guys (as they kicked my butt on the scoreboard). After some observation and discussion I gave it a try. About the only thing that could be called a PITA is that one generally needs to either blow-tube or wipe between shots for the best accuracy. All else (loading, cleaning, etc.) is about the same as smokeless shooting. MLs and some of the older percussion carbines (Smith, Maynard, etc.) can be a bit on the messy side, but not the BPCR High Walls, 1874/5/7 Sharps, Hepburns, Rollers, etc.

I agree 100% with you Kermit, Pyrodex is not only the things you speak of but extremely corrosive to the bore if not cleaned up directly after shooting or getting home from shooting. I had a Gun shop in Oceanside KA in the late 80's and early 90's sold a lot of Pyrodex in all flavors because it was so hard to find real BP at that time in KA, many of my muzzle loader customers rifles fired and not cleaned for a day or so when shooting up in the mountains (90% TC Hawkins) had to have the barrels replaced because of damage, kind of sad as I warned all who purchased it to clean the rifles really well with lots of soapy hot water and oil the bore after!

I shoot BPTR and have found black powder to be easy to clean up and it provides much less velocity variation per shot than Pyrodex.

Mike


Kermit1945 wrote on Nov 19^th, 2013 at 8:48am:

I started in MLers in '81 and I don't mind shooting it, at all. After cleaning, you do need to check the bore with 2/3 days to insure that it's still w/o the starting of rust at least until your confident of your cleaning and oiling of the bore.

The thing that I don't like is that it IS expensive for the "good stuff" like Swiss.

Up until 20 years ago, I payed $5 per lb for Goex (only thing in those days beside pyrodex) in group buys that were easy to find. But, with todays Hazmat and even in large orders, I dought that you can find anything less than $18 per lb, delievered.

You use about 3 thimes as much BP as smokeless, making the BP equal $54 per lb. Most smokeles runs about $24 to $30 in my area. That makes smokeless cost about 1/2 and you only have to buy 1 lb at a time.

I still have about 5 lb of my $5 Goex and doubt that I'll ever buy anymore at the rate I shoot it.

Frank

I'll have to agree with the corrosiveness of Pyrodex.  I used it briefly in a 40-70 BN Shiloh and quickly learned that it was a lot more trouble than black powder.  Having cut my teeth on flintlocks I was lucky because right from the get-go Pyrodex wouldn't work in the flint rifles, and they said so,  so I never tried it.  Want a good way to ruin a good rifle - - -use Pyrodex.  I can't speak for any of the other substitutes because I never tried them.  Once with the Pyrodex was enough.   

George
Salmon, Idaho

Ok thanks for all your help.  If they don't allow it at matches, then there's not much point.

Nick_of_Time wrote on Nov 20^th, 2013 at 11:32pm:

Quote:


NRA Silhouette Rules Section 3.4 (d) states:
Cartridges must be loaded with black powder or Pyrodex only. No smokeless powder in any quantity may be used.