# What is the difference between FFG and FFFG powder?



## Fishin & Hunting (Aug 16, 2021)

I went and bought some BP for my muzzle loader today.  When I came home I noticed I had bought FFFG powder, not FFG what I have been using.  It says it is for Muzzleloaders, the brand name is triple se7eb.

Can I still use this in my muzzle loader?   I have a CVA Firebolt.


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## GeorgiaBob (Aug 16, 2021)

FFG is "good" quality medium grain rifle/musket powder. FFFG is finer grain, better suited for long rifle muzzle loads and can be used for ignition loads in a flintlock pan (though I prefer FFFFG - 4F - powder for the pan). You can get a good bang with a slightly smaller load of 3F than you would using 2F, but both are acceptable for hunting loads. Spend a little range time and vary your loads a bit and you will probably find a sweet load that you will be very happy with using FFFG.

EDIT::: I just saw Darkhorse's reply (below) and reread the original post. Absolutely, Darkhorse is correct. I completely overlooked the part where it was Triple7 powder instead of black powder. You can use Triple7 FFFG in your CVA, and it will work well with less smoke and less fouling that real black powder. Do start out with a smaller load than recommended for FFG and work up to your sweet load.

Sorry I failed to read the original post - I honestly did gradumalate all the way past 4th grade, but it was a while ago!


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## Darkhorse (Aug 17, 2021)

you can't use triple 7 in a flintlock pan and it won't work real well as a main charge either because triple 7 is not real black powder. It 's one of those substitutes for real black powder and the flash point is too high for flintlocks.
But you can still  use it in your CVA.


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## JustUs4All (Aug 17, 2021)

The difference is the size of the granules of powder with the fewer Fs representing the larger particles.  The smaller the particle size the easier is to ignite and the faster it will burn because of that.  2F is generally used in 50 cal and above and 3F in 45 cal and below.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 17, 2021)

Usually with 3f you want to use a smaller charge than with 2f for safety, too. The pressures are higher because of the smaller grain size.


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## JustUs4All (Aug 17, 2021)

With 4F I expect you could make a pretty good bomb out of a long gun if you tried hard.


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## Fishin & Hunting (Aug 17, 2021)

Thanks for the information


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## Mars (Aug 17, 2021)

I, not knowing better, bought a pound of triple seven for my percussion cap muzzleloader and it did not work well at all. I don't know how many caps I burned up trying to get it to fire. Fortunately the good folks on this forum straightened me out. I picked up some Goex FFFG black powder and haven't had a misfire since.


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## Fishin & Hunting (Aug 18, 2021)

Again thanks for all the help on the powder.  

But you won't believe it.  BP let me exchange the powder for the correct stuff (FFG).  Guy at the gun counter said no, but the lady at customer service said yes.  She didn't even check to see if I had broken the seal on the container.


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## LTFDretired (Aug 18, 2021)

Mars said:


> I, not knowing better, bought a pound of triple seven for my percussion cap muzzleloader and it did not work well at all. I don't know how many caps I burned up trying to get it to fire. Fortunately the good folks on this forum straightened me out. I picked up some Goex FFFG black powder and haven't had a misfire since.


I found on occasion when I dropped pellets in my ML I erred and had dropped them upside down. The slick black bottom should be facing towards my 209 cap in my CVA Acura V2


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## White Horse (Aug 18, 2021)

I have used three f genuine black powder in both my flintlocks and my percussion rifles for years now. Back when I first started shooting frontstuffers I tried Pyrodex in the cap lock I had back then. It would fire maybe one time out of three. An old friend who later made me my Kentucky rifle advised using only the real thing in three f, and further taught me the historical fact that the old timers primed their flintlock from their main horn. The little priming horn loaded up with four f is a relatively recent innovation.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 18, 2021)

White Horse said:


> I have used three f genuine black powder in both my flintlocks and my percussion rifles for years now. Back when I first started shooting frontstuffers I tried Pyrodex in the cap lock I had back then. It would fire maybe one time out of three. An old friend who later made me my Kentucky rifle advised using only the real thing in three f, and further taught me the historical fact that the old timers primed their flintlock from their main horn. The little priming horn loaded up with four f is a relatively recent innovation.


Pyrodex in a percussion gun has worked ok for me, but not as good as real black powder. Pyrodex in a flintlock? No. Any other substitutes I have tried have not worked at all. I like Goex.


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