.45 cal. load

[columbia]

Can anyone recommend a PRB load for deer and lighter load for general shooting from a 45 cal. rifle I use 3fff. It has a 40 " 13/16" barrel Green Mountain barrel. Has anyone tried a .45 cal. 200 gr. Ballets in this type of barrel. Thanks in advance.

 

You need to work up your own accurate load, but for guidance sake: I use 50 gr fffg for targets and 65 gr fffg for deer hunting, both with PRB only. I know many others who think that 65 grs fffg is a fine .45 deer load, but you will get advice that you need 90 grs or some other heavy load from others....I humbly disagree, but that is what makes the world go round.... :m2c:

 

[Ohio Rusty]

My wife shoots 70 Grains of 3F behind a .440 patched rb in her flinter. That is an excellent load for accuracy in her particular rifle. Each gun is different but that is a good load to try in yours to see how it hits on paper.
Ohio Rusty

 

[chuck-ia]

I have a .45 flintlock I use 55 gr. 3f goex, round ball. Shot 2 deer with it last year, no problem. flinch

 

[roundball]

Can anyone recommend a PRB load for deer and lighter load for general shooting from a 45 cal. rifle I use 3fff. It has a 40 " 13/16" barrel Green Mountain barrel. Has anyone tried a .45 cal. 200 gr. Ballets in this type of barrel. Thanks in advance.

As referenced above, I'm one who likes stout hunting loads for big game as there's less question about the outcome, particularly when using a smallish caliber like the .45cal...so I just follow published load data from companies like TC and use near max charges for deer hunting, leaving the lighter charges for plinking and targets.

In my .45cal Flintlocks, I use the following:

TARGETS
50grns Goex 3F
.018" pillow ticking
Hornday .440's

HUNTING
90grns Goex 3F
Oxyoke wonderwad
.018" pillow ticking
Hornady .440's

The several deer I've taken with this load have all dropped within sight of the stand...it's proven to be an outstanding .45cal deer hunting load.
:redthumb:

 

[dixie3]

I use 60 gr. 3f for hunting Deer , works fine. Shot a big Doe in the chest and the ball ended up lodged in the hip. At the m`loader shoots usually shoot 40. grs. of 3f.

 

Ain't nuthin' wrong with heavy loads, kinda like 'em my own self.

Having said that, in my 45 I shoot 35 gr. FFFg for targets and 70 gr. FFFg for deer sized game. Both are superbly accurte and shoot to point of aim. Another advantage is I am going to make one 35 gr. charger out of an antler tip. One charge for targets, two charges for hunting.

Vic

 

[riarcher]

Sharps-
Hmmm, same loads as mine. With 35gr. I'll use a .440 w/ ticking, but for the 70 gr. I'd get blown patches so I use a .445 ball w/ ticking or the .440 w/ medium (heavier) denum. (.440 w/ denum is a little better)

Jensenkill-
As you can see, the .45 is a strange round. Seems all are unique in their diets of load.
Guess you'd say a "good" load is between 35 & 90 gr.? ::

 

[Gordon Horn]

My Tennessee has a GM barrel like yours. I think the max load for it is 80 gr. I use 30 gr. fffg for target work out to 50 yds and 40 gr. from there to 100 yds. The deer load is 60 gr. fffg and .445 ball with .020 patch. For target work I use a .440 ball with .020 patch. This barrel on my rifle does'nt seem picky about loads, it shoots these with good accuracy.