Propellant

Muzzleloading firearms use a special type of propellant, often referred to as black powder. But be warned: traditional black powder is a corrosive material that can cause the barrel of your firearm to rust quickly. There are brand-name substitute powders such as Pyrodex®, Clean Shot® and Hodgdon's Triple Seven®, which are all safe to use when handled properly. These are sold either in granulated or compressed pre-measured form.

Modern muzzleloading firearms now can fire both smokeless powder and black powder. However, using modern smokeless powder in a firearm that is not designed to handle it can result in serious injury to the shooter and damage to the firearm. Remember: always follow the manufacturer's instructions for propellants to use in muzzleloader firearms. 

Black powder comes in six granulation sizes: