Conical help

[Hawken1820.50cal]

Asking for opinions of best commercially bought conical for .50cal w/ 28" & 1:48T barrel, for reproduction St.Louis Hawken, cap.
Will be used for hunting only, white, mule,elk.

Thanx yall.

 

[kyron4]

I shoot round balls most of the time, but the Hornady 385 gr. Great Plains Bullet is a solid performer in my Traditions 1:48 Hawken. 90grs. of 2F , average around 2" groups at 50 yards and packs a punch.

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

I shoot round balls most of the time, but the Hornady 385 gr. Great Plains Bullet is a solid performer in my Traditions 1:48 Hawken. 90grs. of 2F , average around 2" groups at 50 yards and packs a punch.

I had planned on getting a boz of these already...thank you for confirming my gut.

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

I had planned on getting a boz of these already...thank you for confirming my gut.

So in all honesty I'm "new/old" to this...messed around with BP as a kid plinking paper...but never learned all the knowledge needed for figuring twist, barrel length, projectile, charge ...add infinitum .....I did find out that 90g of ffff with a .490 ball with real pillow ticking shoots a foot high at 100yds and will blow the rear sight plumb off because indident torque screw enough....I thing I need back it back down to 40-70g fff......
..what are you're thoughts of using fffg with a conical in my 1:48t 28" barrel?.....should i.buy 2 ffg ?....and hey thanks for the help and shop talk.

 

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So in all honesty I'm "new/old" to this...messed around with BP as a kid plinking paper...but never learned all the knowledge needed for figuring twist, barrel length, projectile, charge ...add infinitum .....I did find out that 90g of ffff with a .490 ball with real pillow ticking shoots a foot high at 100yds and will blow the rear sight plumb off because indident torque screw enough....I thing I need back it back down to 40-70g fff......
..what are you're thoughts of using fffg with a conical in my 1:48t 28" barrel?.....should i.buy 2 ffg ?....and hey thanks for the help and shop talk.

I am sure its a typo but you did say "90grs of ffff"?

Use whatever powder works best. Just remember that 3f is faster than 2f so compensate down when using it. If you can find a copy, get Sam Fadala's book,
The Gun Digest Black Powder Loading Manual, an invaluable reference.

 

[kyron4]

So in all honesty I'm "new/old" to this...messed around with BP as a kid plinking paper...but never learned all the knowledge needed for figuring twist, barrel length, projectile, charge ...add infinitum .....I did find out that 90g of ffff with a .490 ball with real pillow ticking shoots a foot high at 100yds and will blow the rear sight plumb off because indident torque screw enough....I thing I need back it back down to 40-70g fff......
..what are you're thoughts of using fffg with a conical in my 1:48t 28" barrel?.....should i.buy 2 ffg ?....and hey thanks for the help and shop talk.

70 to 80 grs. of 3F would be close to 90 grs. of 2F and will have a bit more punch .

I would advise against using 4F as a main charge, that's a lot of pressure inside a barrel.

 

[kyron4]

I am sure its a typo but you did say "90grs of ffff"?

Use whatever powder works best. Just remember that 3f is faster than 2f so compensate down when using it. If you can find a copy, get Sam Fadala's book,
The Gun Digest Black Powder Loading Manual, an invaluable reference.

I just got a copy, the 1979 edition, from the local used book store. You are correct it is an invaluable reference.

 

[Steve Wagner]

I shoot round balls most of the time, but the Hornady 385 gr. Great Plains Bullet is a solid performer in my Traditions 1:48 Hawken. 90grs. of 2F , average around 2" groups at 50 yards and packs a punch.

Good call kyron. 70 grains of 2f, t-7 works great in my Traditions Woodsman as well. Same for the Hornady PA conical that weighs 240 grains [60 more than a round ball]. Remember, 85 grains 2f, t-7 is approximately equal to 100 grains of the real McCoy.
Many here with experience believe [and I don't doubt this] the round ball is sufficient for elk in .50, so 240 grains should work too. The PA is not a hollow point and penetrates well. Can't speak about elk, but I have killed several decent sized whitetails with these and have not recovered a bullet. 30 to 85 yards so far. Very effective.
I watched my son in law drop a large whitetail buck at 25 yards with the Great Plains bullet. Shot was quartering to and went through about 24-30 inches of deer to the opposite side hide. Perfect one inch mushroom and no weight loss. For the bullet that is. The deer was a couple of quarts low afterwords. SW

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

So in all honesty I'm "new/old" to this...messed around with BP as a kid plinking paper...but never learned all the knowledge needed for figuring twist, barrel length, projectile, charge ...add infinitum .....I did find out that 90g of ffff with a .490 ball with real pillow ticking shoots a foot high at 100yds and will blow the rear sight plumb off because indident torque screw enough....I thing I need back it back down to 40-70g fff......
..what are you're thoughts of using fffg with a conical in my 1:48t 28" barrel?.....should i.buy 2 ffg ?....and hey thanks for the help and shop talk.

Ikr lmao

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

70 to 80 grs. of 3F would be close to 90 grs. of 2F and will have a bit more punch .

I would advise against using 4F as a main charge, that's a lot of pressure inside a barrel.

Yes only in a pan