.54 Ballistics with FFFg?

[bowbender68]

I am having a hard time finding any ballistics data for a .54 PRB load using Goex FFFg. Everything seems to be for FFg powder. Can anyone help me out? Also is 70gr of FFFg sufficient for whitetails out to about 50 - 75 yards?

 

[paulvallandigham]

The velocity you get with FFFg powder is about 15% greater than what you get with FFg. Since 70 grains of FFg generates about 1400 fps., your load will be putting out about 1650 fps. I should think that will be quite sufficient to put that ball completely through both sides of the ribcage of any deer out to 70 yards, with authority.

 

[Trench]

I can't speak to the ballistics of the .54, but I can add to Paul's assurance that 70gr FFFg is enough. I took my first deer with a .490 ball and 60gr of FFg at 40yds and the ball passed through the rib cage. I've settled on 70gr of FFg for out to 75yds on deer.

 

[BrownBear]

I am having a hard time finding any ballistics data for a .54 PRB load using Goex FFFg. Everything seems to be for FFg powder. Can anyone help me out? Also is 70gr of FFFg sufficient for whitetails out to about 50 - 75 yards?

Pick up the Lyman Black Powder Manual. It's loaded with ballistic tables including lots on 54 with 3f in several barrel lengths.

Without stepping into the theory poo pile recommending otherwise, you'll find that most 54 shooters on here use a little more 3f in their 54's- usually on the order of 80-90 grains. Both of mine simply shoot more accurately, the faster you drive the ball. I've never quite decided whether to use 80 or 90 grains, as both my guns like them equally well.

I couldn't tell you which measure is hanging from my 54 caliber bag right now. Once the guns told me they liked the load I was using, I went on to thinking about other things. I recommend the same for you. Paper ballistics and keyboard ballisticians will drive you nuts if you let them. If it's a hunting gun, find out what it likes, then shoot it lots.

 

[paulvallandigham]

By all means, listen to what BrownBear is saying. You asked a specific question, and we gave you a specific answer to that question. But in working on loads, find out what your gun likes to shoot.

A lot of members here DO shoot 80 grains, and 90 Grains of FFFg powder in their guns, because those are the powder charges that shoot the most accurately IN THEIR GUNS.

You didn't ask for the BEST load using FFFg in our guns. You only asked if 70 grains of FFFg would be adequate to kill deer in your .54 out to 75 yards. We could only assume you had a reason relating to the gun, or how you shoot, that caused you to be shooting that particular charge of powder. A lot of deer have been killed with .54 PRB in front of a lot less powder.

Accuracy is the key to a successful hunt. That RB weight a bit more than 1/2 oz. and puts a huge hole into a deer. The pure lead ball will expand to make that an even bigger hole going through the vital organs, if YOU place the ball in the right place on the animal. And, that heavy ball will completely penetrate the deer on a broadside shot, causing massive hemorrhaging inside, and out of the deer. If you take a shot other than a broadside shot, the ball will travel a long distance through the deer's body, and deliver a mortal wound. Give the animal time to sicken, and lie down, and bleed to death quietly, before chasing after it. It won't go far if you don't keep pushing it.

Have a good hunt. :thumbsup:

 

[Bountyhunter]

If you dont take a shot that you wouldnt take with a bow, then you wont have to chase the animal anyway.

Choose your shot for a heart or lung shot and you should have dead meat at your feet.

 

[roundball]

I am having a hard time finding any ballistics data for a .54 PRB load using Goex FFFg. Everything seems to be for FFg powder. Can anyone help me out? Also is 70gr of FFFg sufficient for whitetails out to about 50 - 75 yards?

Another approach is to apply the well established rule of thumb when using 3F...pick the load you want that is usually listed as 2F, and simply reduce the 2F load data by 10 or 15%. For example, instead of 120grns 2F in a .54cal, a 15% reduction would be 102grns, call it 100grns.

Me personally, I use 90grns 3F in my .54cal...very accurate, good pow3er and trajectory...when zeroed at 50yds I know from testing it drops 3.5-4 inches at 100 yards, so I'd just hold at the top of the heart if I ever had a shot at 100yds...but the longest has only been 70, most are 30-50 where I hunt...but...I don't ever want to have to pass on a trophy buck if one ever shows itself at 125 yds because I'm carrying a mild load.

IMO, 70grns would be a little on the light side in a large volume bore like a .54cal...

 

[kevthebassman]

I can't help you out as far as ballistics tables are concerned, but out of my TC's Green Mountain barrel (32 inches, I think) my hunting load (read; most accurate load) is 110 grains FFFg goex. I once had occasion to run it over a borrowed chronograph and it clocked at 1820 fps, making the 225 grain roundball the ballistic twin of a 240 grain .44 magnum out to 100 yards.

 

[Herb]

Brown Bear nailed it for you. Get Lyman's "Black Powder Handbook & Loading Manual, 2nd Edition" by Sam Fadala. You don't say what barrel length, but there are some surprises here: all with .535 balls and .015 Ox Yoke patches and Goex FFFg, 24" 1-48 twist barrel gives w/ 60 gr, 1484 fps, 70 is 1553, 80 is 1622 and 90 is 1690. With 28" barrel, 1-48 twist, velocities are 1435, 1512, 1590 and 1636. With 32" barrel and 1-60 twist, velocities are 1334, 1373, 1412 and 1475 fps.

Two very experienced black powder shooters here, one uses 80 grains of 3F in his Green River .54 Hawken, used it for tens of pounds of powder over the years. The other in his .54's uses 83 grains of 2F (because that is what the measure holds). He has killed 24 deer with that load.

 

[rkite]

I use 80 grains of GOEX 3F in a Great Plains rifle with 32" barrel. My rear sight has 2 elevations one for 50 yards and one for 100 yards. With the 100 yard sight picture I am 4 inches low at 125, 12 inches low at 150, 3 feet low at 175 and about 7 feet low at 200. The farthest shot I have made is 115-120 yards on a buck that dressed at about 120lbs. The ball went all the way through him broadside and was stopped by the skin on the other side. He took 2 or 3 steps and dropped.

Oh yea at a large caliber competition I attended, Targets were at 50, 100, 125, 150, 175 and 3 foot tall bears at 200 where you have to really have to lobe them in.

 

[jimmy82]

My .54 loved 80 grs FFFg. Three shots touching at 50 yds :grin: Then I blew the nipple out But that was covered in a different thread.

 

[mobasscat]

i use 100grns.ffg goex,.535rb,.020 teflon coated patch.my barrel is a 1-70 twist Jim Goodoien. this load cronographs @ 2065 fps average 10 shots and groups 5 shots in 1.565" @ 100 yds. hope this helps. P.S.- it'll kill anything on this continent. Mobasscat!!!

 

[Vern]

This is some info I pulled together:

w/ 54-cal
80 gr FFFg Goex = 1460 muzzle fps w/ patched ball & 1150 muzzle fps w/ 380 gr. conical

.540 380gr conical ballistic coefficient .150
50 yds-1057 fps/942 ft lbs, 100 yds 987 fps/ 823 ft lbs

.530 230gr ball ballistic coefficient .067
50 yds-1145 fps/670 ft lbs, 100 yds 971 fps/482 ft lbs


I use 80gr Goex FFFg w/390gr Hornady Buffalo and got a