54 Caliber Woodsrunner Hunting Loads

[mrfritz44]

Been reading a lot about how to best identify the load that best groups within a muzzleloader. That said I'd like to hear very specifically what 54 caliber Woodsrunner owners settled on as their hunting load. I'll be shooting PRB at whitetail, hopefully.

Ball width? Patch width? Grain size? Grains?

Any other variables i haven't included?

I'll compile in a table as numbers come in.

 

[Phil Coffins]

.530” ball, heavy pillow ticking cut at the muzzle, 80 grains 2fg GOEX
I don’t use any lube on the patch for the load I carry then spit if I reload.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Sight-in @ 75Yds is awesome for MZL’dr hunting. This ballistics chart (by Garmin chronograph) is for a 54-cal Virginia LH’d, but otherwise pretty much identical to the Kibler.

Load = 80-grns Goex 3Fg, red stripe pillow ticking patch, mink oil lube; shoots a nickle-sized 5-hole group @ 50Yds benched.

But you should test YOUR rifle using the load development process I’ve posted many time … link = https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/importance-of-‘load-development’-to-find-the-best-group.169960/

 

[tunadawg]

Mine likes 70gr of Swiss 3F with .020 pillow ticking lubed with mink oil.

 

[Terry Lightle]

80 grains Swiss 3f in mine,530 ball and 18 thousands thick pillow ticking with Frontiers Bear Oil patch lube

 

[PathfinderNC]

.535 ball, .018 ticking (mink oil paste for hunting lube) and 75 grains 3f.

 

[Roughneck]

All 3 of my .54s shoot 3” or less groups at 100 yards with 90 grains of 3F Old Eynsford .535 ball and .018 pillow ticking mink oil patch. 2 of them are Woodsrunner rifles and the other is a Chambers

 

[mrfritz44]

Thank you! This will make a great starting point once my Woodsrunner is ready for the range.