A black powder substitute is a replacement for black powder used in muzzleloading and cartridge firearms. Black powder substitutes offer a number of advantages over black powder, primarily including reduced sensitivity, reduced fouling, and increased efficiency. Due to property insurance and federal transportation regulations, black powder substitutes also can be transported and stored in interstate commerce in the United States using smokeless powder regulations, instead of the much more restrictive black powder regulations. Because of this, black powder substitutes are thus becoming more commonly available than traditional black powder, which has largely vanished from the shelves of most retailers. The grain is the traditional measurement of the mass of bullets, gunpowder, and smokeless powder; it is the measure used by the balances used in handloading; bullets are measured in increments of one grain, gunpowder in increments of 0.1 grains. Pyrodex, and other black powder substitutes, are not measured directly in grains of mass, but, rather, by a volumetric measure equivalent to an equal grains of mass of black powder (i.e., gunpowder)) measured with a scale. That is, to measure a so-called "60 grain measurement" of Hodgdon's Pyrodex suitable for use in a muzzleloader rifle, one uses a volumetric measure that produces a volume of Pyrodex equal to the volume of a mass of 60 grains of black powder. Due to Pyrodex being less dense than black powder, a measurement of 60 grains of mass of Pyrodex would create an overload, if the Pyrodex were measured on a scale. Pyrodex is always measured in grains by a volumetric measurement technique, not by weight on a balance scale, due to the difference in density of Pyrodex vs. black powder. This primarily becomes an issue only while fabricating black powder cartridges through handloading if using a black powder substitute in place of black powder. With the increased safety of the black powder substitutes often comes a reduced sensitivity to ignition. Flintlocks in particular need very sensitive, finely granulated powder for use in the flash pan, and black powder tends to perform more reliably in these and traditional caplock guns than substitutes. Modern in-line muzzleloaders provide a stronger ignition than traditional designs, and this helps to increase reliability with the less sensitive substitutes. In addition, magnum percussion caps are often recommended for use with black powder substitutes for both inline and traditional caplock guns, in place of the non-magnum traditional percussion caps traditionally used with black powder in these guns, to achieve the best ignition reliability. Hodgdon's Pyrodex was the first widely available substitute on the market. Pyrodex is less sensitive than black powder, and uses the same shipping and storage guidelines as smokeless powder. Pyrodex is more powerful per unit of mass than black powder, but it is less dense, and can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio by volume for black powder in most applications. Pyrodex is similar in composition to black powder, consisting primarily ofcharcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate, but it also contains graphite and potassium perchlorate, plus additional ingredients protected by trade secret. Originally available as loose powder in two granularities, RS (Rifle/Shotgun) equal to FFG blackpowder, and P (Pistol) equal to FFFg blackpowder, Pyrodex is now becoming available in only Select and solid pellet varieties. While Pyrodex offers improved safety and increased efficiency (in terms of shots per pound of powder) over black powder, the level of fouling is similar.

Hodgdon also makes Triple Seven, one of the family of sulfurless black powder substitutes. Triple Seven and Black Mag3 are burn hotter than black powder, and produce higher velocities and pressures. Still burning carbon, the carbon-based fuel burned here is from the sugar family, not from charcoal.

Western Powders Company introduced Blackhorn 209 in 2008. Like other substitutes, it is made to be a volumetric equivalent of black powder. Blackhorn 209 is described as non-corrosive, low-fouling, very consistent in gas generation, and non-hygroscopic.