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.

 

[mrfritz44]

So if you saw my other post, I got a grand total of 6 shots of my first range session with the 54cal Woodsrunner before the frizzen broke.

I wanted to just get some shots off before I got serious with load development, and so for all shots I used 90gr of Swiss with a .018 red ticking patch and mink oil lube, fully benched shooting at an 18" round target.

My first shot from 50 yards was encouraging 2 inches off at the 9 o'clock position. Second 50 yard shot was 5 inches off at the 11 o'clock position. The 3rd 50 yard shot didn't even hit the target!

My next shots were at 100 yards and none hit the target, and with the last shot I aimed about 9 inches low at the 6 oclock position.

One I get this frizzen repaired and go back to the range, what yardage would you start with given my erratic initial results? Is 25 yards too close and a waste of time? Any other suggestions?

 

[CoHiCntry]

So if you saw my other post, I got a grand total of 6 shots of my first range session with the 54cal Woodsrunner before the frizzen broke.

I wanted to just get some shots off before I got serious with load development, and so for all shots I used 90gr of Swiss with a .018 red ticking patch and mink oil lube, fully benched shooting at an 18" round target.

My first shot from 50 yards was encouraging 2 inches off at the 9 o'clock position. Second 50 yard shot was 5 inches off at the 11 o'clock position. The 3rd 50 yard shot didn't even hit the target!

My next shots were at 100 yards and none hit the target, and with the last shot I aimed about 9 inches low at the 6 oclock position.

One I get this frizzen repaired and go back to the range, what yardage would you start with given my erratic initial results? Is 25 yards too close and a waste of time? Any other suggestions?

I always start at 25 with a new, or new to me gun. Try different combinations of powder, patch etc until you get the best group, then move it back to 50. If you aren’t grouping good at 50, moving back to 100 will only make it worse.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@mrfritz44, starting off at 25 yards is a reasonable start. You need to know where the point of impact is to begin load development. Even great barrels as supplied by Kibler will need some breaking in to smooth out sharp edges in the lands.

Follow the path suggested by @CoHiCntry.

 

[okawbow]

I would start with 60 grains 2f with a .530 ball and .020 denim patch. Shoot at 25 yards and check your patches for shredding or holes. You may need to polish the crown on your rifle. If you get shredded patches, you might have to run some green 3M through the bore a few times. Shooting about 100 shots will also do the job. Once you get a group at 25 yards with 60 grains, try increasing your charge by 5 grains at a time until you either get a better group or it starts to open up. Try 3f also to see if that works for you. Your patches need to come out good enough to re-use. A felt wad under the patched ball can do wonders if your patches are shredding. If you are new to flintlocks, practice, practice, practice!

 

[mrfritz44]

I would start with 60 grains 2f with a .530 ball and .020 denim patch. Shoot at 25 yards and check your patches for shredding or holes. You may need to polish the crown on your rifle. If you get shredded patches, you might have to run some green 3M through the bore a few times. Shooting about 100 shots will also do the job. Once you get a group at 25 yards with 60 grains, try increasing your charge by 5 grains at a time until you either get a better group or it starts to open up. Try 3f also to see if that works for you. Your patches need to come out good enough to re-use. A felt wad under the patched ball can do wonders if your patches are shredding. If you are new to flintlocks, practice, practice, practice!

Thanks for the advice on polishing the crown. I did notice the balls were very hard to start but then slid nicely even after several shots.

 

[Buff1958]

I use .535 ball with a .015 lubed patch with a 28 gauge oxyoke wad between the powder and patch. 120 grains of FF goex

 

[olskool]

my hunting load is 75gr. of 2f goex, i killed this doe 93 long paces. with that low charge it did not bounce off, it came out the other side. a huge charge is not needed on deer. this gun was zeroed at 50,yds, i held dead on where i wanted to hit,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[ChuckJonesWagon]

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/pa-conical-vs-54-rb-advice.188582/#post-2758315

I just posted the above link yesterday. I shoot a 435gr. Minie over 100gr FF. Read my post as the Minie "needs" the hollow base bumped out so it stays "put" in the barrel when loaded. 1.5" groups (bench of course) at 100 yards is very good!!

 

[Thingamajiggy]

I shoot .530 RB with a .018 mink oil patch over 85grs of 2F Goex. Groups well as far as I'm comfortable shooting it. A .535 RB and .015 patch does well for mine too over 80grs 2F.

 

[mrfritz44]

I finally got some quality time at the range and was able to try the load development technique @Flint62Smoothie suggested in an older thread. Ironically his name doesn't come up in this forum for whatever reason.

The first picture shows that 70gr FFF Swiss worked the best using a .530 PRB with .018 blue pillow ticking at 25 yards.

The second picture is that same load at 50 yards.

Past 50 yards my eyes and bad shooting made any grouping hard. I've got an eye appointment to get rid of the progressive lenses I have now so I think anymore fine tuning will need come after that.

Anyone know what happened to Flint62Smoothie?

 

[Freedom]

Your targets look good.
But 3 shots can't be a group... what I learn by looking at your targets is that if you were to aline all of your black bullseye-dots, you would have a 12 shot group.
It didn't matter whether you're shooting 60gr, 70, 80, or even 90grains of powder, all 12 of your shots went into the group that reveals how you were shooting that day. And it looks pretty darn tidy!
You should join our monthly shoot just for fun.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...4-is-national-candle-day.188259/#post-2759307
Come on folks we need some more folks shooting with us. You can find miles of advice here, be nice to see a little more powder getting burnt.

 

[oldwood]

In custom longrifle barrels , 1 turn in 56" , to 1 turn in 60 " , with a .350 ball and .015 grease patch , 80 gr. fffg gives good accuracy to 100 + yds.. A friend sends me photo's of mule deer and elk he kills in Colorado. I've killed many Pa. white tails using a .50 , with 80 Gr. FFFG. This load in a .50 longrifle , shot through the left front shoulder breaking the joint , and passing through the entire deer diagonally , then the 170 gr. rb stopped under the hide on the right rear ham. He didn't go far , like 50 yds.. The ball was well obturated.