.45 questions

[bja105]

Hi all, I'm totaly new to muzzleloaders, but I love handloading rifle cartridges, so muzzleloaders seemed to be the next step for me.

Anyhow, My wife's grandfather gave me his .45 Thompson Center, he thinks he bought it in the late 60's. I don't know what model it is, it only has a serial #. The stock was broken, but I fixed it with Accragel.

I need to know what safe max and min loads are, a starting point. Here's what I have:
-FFg in a brass flask (30+Years old?)
-FFFg and FFFg in original Goex cans (15+Years old)
-.440 Round balls, Hornady, I think 128 grains
-.45, 255 grain TC Maxi-Hunter, pre lubed
-A couple different patches
-New CVA Powder measure
-All my metallic cartridge loading stuff, like a powder measure and scale

Any comments on safe max and min loads for the round balls and Maxi-Hunters?

I was suprised at the weight variation of the round balls, + or- 2 grains!

Thanks
Jason

 

[roundball]

A quick call to TC at 603-332-2333 will get you a free copy of TC's owner's manual with load data, etc.

Meanwhile:
.45cal round ball = 50-110grns FFg (40-90grns FFFg)
.45cal/255grn Maxi-Hunter = 70-100grns FFg (60-85grns FFFg)

The .45 is an inherently accurate caliber...and don't sweat a couple grns variation in ball weight, you'll never detect anything from it on the target.

FWIW, in my .45cal TC Hawkens I've settled on:

TARGETS
40-50grns Goex FFFg (3F)
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking patch
Hornady .440 ball

HUNTING with round ball
90grns Goex FFFg (3F)
Oxyoke wonderwad over powder
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking patch
Hornady .440 ball

HUNTING with Maxi-Hunters
90grns Goex FFg...(2F, not 3F)...
Oxyoke wonderwad over powder
255grn TC Maxi-Hunter

All extremely accurate in TC 1:48" twist standard barrels