Cartridge GOEX vs FFg

[RangerFrog]

I tried to post this previously, but it?s not showing up, so I?ll try again. When I heard about the closing of the GOEX plant I went to my powder stash to see what kind of shape I am in. I found 4 or 5 red cans of Cartridge Grade I inherited when a friend quit shooting BPCS due to eye problems.

My question is, for reduced load Maynard brass cartridges, how would it compare with FFFg? Would I need to adjust charge weight/volume much (or any) for similar performance? I apologize if this seems like a newbie question, but all these years I?ve more or less followed prescribed formulae and still regard Black Powder shooting as something of a Black Art.

I found several odd cans of powder other than the Cartridge Grade cans, but I probably won?t fool with those until I get more desperate than I am currently.

TIA ~ Froggie

[Bob Lintner]

Charlie,
It's probably the same, but if you want to lower the starting load and work up, you could use a few (3-5) grains of shotgun buffer. I used shotgun buffer in my .44-40 and it worked well. I was using 3F KIK.
Bob

[Ibgreen]

A little voice in my head says that cartridge grade Goes is 1.5F??? Keep in mind that my mind is getting older every day thus do not take it as gospel.

[Rich Foster]

Yes the granules of the cartridge goex is slightly larger than ff and fff goex but better uniform granules. No small grains of powder. But you are messing around a reduce capacity Maynard tube. Which is a reduced charge. Any time you have a reduced charge dialed in any change in powder size or charge can change what performance you get. So if you want to change the size and type of powder your starting at the beginning again. So try your regular charge with the Cartridge if bullets hit lower or higher your back to the drawing board. If it hits close to the same impact point but group opens up your not far from adjusting your powder charge. This info would be with any reduced charge round using black powder.

[Carolina Reb]

My experience is that CTG shoots very well in low capacity centerfire black powder cartridges. It's my go-to for Spencer 56-56, 56-50 and Ballard 56-56, grouping more consistently than GOEX FF or FFF (after working up loads). It is between GOEX FF and FFF in speed. I have shot it in a Smith and it was about the same accuracy wise as GOEX FF in that carbine. The long range shooters grumbled about inconsistency lot to lot, but at 50 to 100 yards my results have been very satisfactory. When GOEX discontinued it I ought a bunch and am down to about 3 cans. When that's gone I'll have to work up new loads, probably with Swiss 1.5 F.

[RangerFrog]

Thanks to all who replied and for all of your suggestions. I talked to Jackie at the Nationals and he suggested that I drop back a little on my charge and see what happens. I?m going to start with clean, tumbled brass freshly cast and lubed bullets, and do everything like normal except for a slight reduction in charge. Hopefully this will give me a baseline against which I can make judgements and adjustments.

Thanks again!
Froggie