cayugad

I know in the past I did not have much luck shooting American Pioneer Powder 3fin the past. And I had decided I was not going to purchase more of it. But, I saw a pound of it for $26.00 (if memory serves me)in the store last week of American Pioneer Powder 2f.

So I bought that pound and decided to try it in a number of different rifles. I started at 75 yards with open sights shooting a Renegade with a 1-28 Green Mountain barrel and 250 gr Shockwaves. I was loading 100 grains of powder. Needless to say whether it was the distance, the wind, a bad day, the projectile or what, I could not hit a bull in the you know what with the open sights at that distance today. I sprayed the target. I know the rifle shoots better then that. So maybe it was the powder it did not like. I had my suspicions.

I then went and got my Wolverine LK-II .50 caliber. In the past it liked Pinnacle and APP better then most of the other rifles. Since this was the 2fI decided to stick with the 100 gr load and changed to a projectile I know the rifle likes. Sabotloader had told me about the Hornady HP/XTP which are not really a true XTP but the copper jacket seems to stay with the bullet better. These were .44 caliber .430 300 grains. (you can see some of the hits I got shooting the GMB and shockwaves.. not impressive at all)

I swabbed the Wolverine with alcohol. I dried it, and fired two caps. The first shot (Group A)with the APP 2f and the Hornady in a crushed rib Harvester sabot was high and right. The second, third, and fourth shot were much better. I still had not swabbed the barrel. I then shot Group B. I was pleased with the group but not the fact they were out of the bulls eye. Still no swabbing I shot two more (Group C) again, nice and tight but moving further away from the bull for some reason.

So I looked at the barrel and noticed the rifling of the barrel was completely crusted with a white powder/crud/hard to describe substance. I suspected this was the cause the group was moving away from the bull. So I swabbed the barrel clean with Rusty Duck Black Off, then an alcohol patch and finally two dry patches.

I picked out the lower right bulls eye and fired. The first shot hit low. I credited that to the clean barrel. The next two hits were very pleasing. The fourth shotI know I pulled. I even chewed myself out as soon as the rifle fired because I anticipated the shot for some reason. The fifth shot was again getting back on target for me.

The weather was damp (it rained earlier) cold and windy. But overall I was pleased with the way the Wolverine shot. I want to test this powder with the Knight Disc rifle next.

A few observations. This powder is very course. I had to change to an old brass powder measure because it was too course to pour out of my clear funnel see through powder measure. I even had to change the top on the pound of powder from a small spout to a larger spout for the same reason. There does seem to be some excellent power with this powder and rifle as well as acceptable accuracy.

Has anyone else experienced the white crud that builds up in the barrel when shooting APP?

txjourneyman

I do get the white crud build up. I shoot APP 2f in my shotgun with good results. My .50 CVA Graywolf percussion doesn't care for it much.

Newhunter1 at work

I think you should try black mag 3

cayugad

I've shot Black Mag3 and liked it a lot. Lots of power, easy to clean up, Expensive, Hard To Find, but a great powder. It worked real good out of a number of different rifles.

Newhunter1 at work

Yea, I love it too. In fact, myself and a friend just ordered 6 pounds. Now I've got about 4 1/4 pounds left. I'll start shooting here next week as I'm off for about 10 days.

Paul

outdoorslover

APP is great powder! Glad to know you found out. Nice way to stack'em!

I've been to busy shooting the new toy of mine to shoot my ML. I can shoot 3 inch groups with open sights at 50 yards with the new slug gun. It's too damn spendy though. I hate shooting it---only for that reason.

Boom--two bucks!!!! It sucks![:@][&:]