Pyrodex RS VS Alliant Black MZ

by **FrontierGander** 9/12/2023, 10:41 am

Test Gun used: Traditions St.Louis Hawken .50cal - 1:48 Twist - 28" Barrel - .020" Bridgers Best Patches - Frontier's Anti Rust & Patch Lube - .490" Round Balls.

Chronograph set at 20 feet distance.

80 grains Volume

Pyrodex RS:
1,718
1,769
1,772
---------------
Alliant Black MZ:
1,525
1,538
1,528

And for fun, I wanted to see what would happen if I left the bore dirty. What kind of results would I get?

1,596 FPS. This round ball also impacted 3" higher than the other previous 3 shots.

Next time, I will be testing both powders on dirty bores and see which powder gives me the best accuracy, velocity and consistency # wise.

Now just because Alliant Black MZ has REALLY good SD between shots, as long as you are swabbing the bore between each shot, does not mean, its the more accurate of the two powders used today.

In this rifle, the Pyrodex RS load easily wins the Accuracy battle at 100 yards despite the larger SD numbers.

Note Black MZ large granulation. Some muzzleloaders ( Traditional sidelocks ) May have issues with this bulky powder flowing under the nipple, which could cause a misfire/hang fire.