Hunting loads for my .58 black powder rifle

Zapadach · Nov 4, 2024

lou puleff said:
Yes patched round ball. I really wanted to shoot a deer with my GRRW-CA .58 I've had it since I think 2016 and haven't killed anything with it I could have used a in line with a scope on this hunt but was holding firm on my Hawken for this trip.

Please pardon me if you may, but I am not familiar with all these modern day aberrations. What is a GRRW-

lou puleff said:
Yes patched round ball. I really wanted to shoot a deer with my GRRW-CA .58 I've had it since I think 2016 and haven't killed anything with it I could have used a in line with a scope on this hunt but was holding firm on my Hawken for this trip.

Let me try again. What is a GRRW-CA pray tell ?

jrweis1997 · Nov 4, 2024

lou puleff said:
Shot was 180 yards

damn you were really going for it!

Zapadach · Nov 4, 2024

Antelope Pete said:
Instead of doing that why not do the right thing and work on getting to around 100 yds. give or take a little. Getting closer is what it's all about and the rest of us that hunt open country try to figure out how to do it. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't.

Clay Hays has an excellent video out about an open country stalk for an elk, he did with a .50 caliber flintlock longrifle, in which he was successful.

longcruise · Nov 4, 2024

Zapadach said:
Please pardon me if you may, but I am not familiar with all these modern day aberrations. What is a GRRW-

Pretty sure he is referring to Green River Rifle Works. All trad from my understanding.

Zapadach · Nov 4, 2024

longcruise said:
Pretty sure he is referring to Green River Rifle Works. All trad from my understanding.

Thanks.

HighUintas · Nov 4, 2024

Zapadach said:
Please pardon me if you may, but I am not familiar with all these modern day aberrations. What is a GRRW-

Let me try again. What is a GRRW-CA pray tell ?

Grrw-CA is green river rifle works collectors association, I believe. The CA rifles are more recently made... They didn't come out of the original grrw shop.

lou puleff · Nov 4, 2024

Zapadach said:
Please pardon me if you may, but I am not familiar with all these modern day aberrations. What is a GRRW-

Let me try again. What is a GRRW-CA pray tell ?

Green river rifle work collectors association. Some of the old smiths from green river were making rifles for a while thru the collectors association Ron Paull built my Hawken rifle and trapper pistol for me. He’s actually in the finishing stages of a leman trade flintlock rifle for me hope to have it by December.

Kicking&Screaming · Nov 4, 2024

lou puleff said:
After my missed deer the other day I'm wondering if I shouldn't have set my rifle up differently. Thinking I should have used more powder so it shoots flatter without having to use the rear adjustable sight for different yardages and just hold lower or higher. I was using 100 grains of Swiss 2f and using the adjustable rear buckhorn for different distances I'm thinking I should have gone to at least 150 grains if not more and just use a higher or lower hold any thoughts on the subject ?
Thanks !!

Have you considered a minie ball or a “No Excuses” slug for use at that range? In my past I had a scoped Gonic GA87 50 cal Inline That I shot with 90 grains of 2f behind a 420 grain no excuses slip fit bullet that easily shot into 4” at 200 yards. Admittedly it had a 24inch twist barrel. What twist is your barrel? What is the bore size?

Zapadach · Nov 4, 2024

lou puleff said:
Green river rifle work collectors association. Some of the old smiths from green river were making rifles for a while thru the collectors association Ron Paull built my Hawken rifle and trapper pistol for me. He’s actually in the finishing stages of a leman trade flintlock rifle for me hope to have it by December.

Thank you for the detailed information.

lou puleff · Nov 4, 2024

Kicking&Screaming said:
Have you considered a minie ball or a “No Excuses” slug for use at that range? In my past I had a scoped Gonic GA87 50 cal Inline That I shot with 90 grains of 2f behind a 420 grain no excuses slip fit bullet that easily shot into 4” at 200 yards. Admittedly it had a 24inch twist barrel. What twist is your barrel? What is the bore size?

No I would just use one of my White rifles with my own 600 grain super slugs I cast I shoot them out of my super safari I built they are incredibly accurate.

lou puleff · Nov 4, 2024

Few pics of the Hawken rifle

lou puleff · Nov 4, 2024

Here’s the trapper pistol he built as part of the set the pistol is serial #1 and the rifle #2 they are both .58 cal and the new rifle is also a .58

CuNosecap · Nov 4, 2024

Besides all the technical considerations discussed on the previous pages, I have to ask,
"is it ethical to shoot a deer or any animal beyond the range of common hunting or stalking techniques?" OK, you missed a deer with a long shot that most muzzleloader hunters consider too far. What if you hit said deer and injured but did not drop it? If you can't get close enough for a proper shot, how will you quickly get to tracking an injured deer.
I realize it is a big bore .58, but still, can you guarantee an ethical kill at that range? And if it can't be done where you are shooting in AZ, consider changing spots, changing equipment, (ie 270 Win I hear it shoots pretty flat).

lou puleff · Nov 4, 2024

CuNosecap said:
Besides all the technical considerations discussed on the previous pages, I have to ask,
"is it ethical to shoot a deer or any animal beyond the range of common hunting or stalking techniques?" OK, you missed a deer with a long shot that most muzzleloader hunters consider too far. What if you hit said deer and injured but did not drop it? If you can't get close enough for a proper shot, how will you quickly get to tracking an injured deer.
I realize it is a big bore .58, but still, can you guarantee an ethical kill at that range? And if it can't be done where you are shooting in AZ, consider changing spots, changing equipment, (ie 270 Win I hear it shoots pretty flat).

Wel

CuNosecap said:
Besides all the technical considerations discussed on the previous pages, I have to ask,
"is it ethical to shoot a deer or any animal beyond the range of common hunting or stalking techniques?" OK, you missed a deer with a long shot that most muzzleloader hunters consider too far. What if you hit said deer and injured but did not drop it? If you can't get close enough for a proper shot, how will you quickly get to tracking an injured deer.
I realize it is a big bore .58, but still, can you guarantee an ethical kill at that range? And if it can't be done where you are shooting in AZ, consider changing spots, changing equipment, (ie 270 Win I hear it shoots pretty flat).

This is a muzzleloader deer tag no rifles I could have very easily used a different muzzleloader and killed that deer no problem but I want to use the Hawken before I die finding a new spot for coues deer is not that easy when you find a spot that holds them that has other hunting pressure you stick with that spot if your seeing deer. Another consideration is my age and I hunt alone so my wife has a map of the two spots I hunt if something happens she knows where to send help so those are two great reasons to stay in that spot imo. Even my gun builder said two hundred is very doable if I had done my part. I’ve shot a ton of deer in my life just not here in az your tags only good for one week so when you have a chance like that you have to make a decision pretty darn quick if you shoot or not !

nkbj · Nov 4, 2024

The deer hunting experts say that you're gonna need 800 Ft-lbs to kill that deer so a .58 caliber is no good for 100 yards. Probably best to get a 12 pounder Napoleon for an ethical kill.

longcruise · Nov 4, 2024

lou puleff said:
No I would just use one of my White rifles with my own 600 grain super slugs I cast I shoot them out of my super safari I built they are incredibly accurate.

This is just me here, but if I were trying to do what you are doing, any change to a conical would be with a 45 caliber. Something that will hurl a 400 grain or even a little heavier with a 1:20 twist.

Full disclosure, I'm considering such just for antelope which as time goes on may be the only type hunt I'm capable of.

HighUintas · Nov 4, 2024

longcruise said:
This is just me here, but if I were trying to do what you are doing, any change to a conical would be with a 45 caliber. Something that will hurl a 400 grain or even a little heavier with a 1:20 twist.

Full disclosure, I'm considering such just for antelope which as time goes on may be the only type hunt I'm capable of.

Perhaps a Rod England target rifle w fast twist barrel?

lou puleff · Nov 4, 2024

nkbj said:
The deer hunting experts say that you're gonna need 800 Ft-lbs to kill that deer so a .58 caliber is no good for 100 yards. Probably best to get a 12 pounder Napoleon for an ethical kill.

Yeah I’m getting that feeling too !

nkbj · Nov 4, 2024

Say, just out curiosity how fast a twist do you have in that .58?

lou puleff · Nov 4, 2024

nkbj said:
Say, just out curiosity how fast a twist do you have in that .58?

That’s an original GRRW barrel if my mind serves me correctly it’s a 1-66 but could be 1-60 I’d have to go back and look.

Hunting loads for my .58 black powder rifle

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