.54 smoothie rabbit load?

[mark fish]

I have a .54 smoothbore flinter I would like to take rabbit hunting.
What load would you use for this?
Shot or ball?
I am looking for a load that would salvage the most meat yet provide for a quick kill.

 

[roundball]

I have a .54 smoothbore flinter I would like to take rabbit hunting.
What load would you use for this?
Shot or ball?
I am looking for a load that would salvage the most meat yet provide for a quick kill.

There's a lot of talk about head shots with a round[url] ball...in[/url] addition, IMO, a torso hit with a round ball isn't going to spoil any meat I'd use from a rabbit;

I recently experimented with a new GM 33" .54cal Flint smoothbore barrel I got, and settled on the following small game shot load:

70grns Goex 3F
Two .54cal OxYoke Wonderwads
1+1/8oz hard #6's
.28ga over shot card
Strong, even pattern at the 25yds I tested it.

Deer load this fall was:
70grns Goex 3F
One .54cal OxYoke wonderwad
.015" lubed patch
Hornady .530

Could probably use 40grns for rabbits.

 

[Stumpkiller]

42 gr FFg and a .530" ball, 0.018" patch. :winking: At least that's what I use in a .54 cal rifled.

Guess I'll be needing a 36 gr measure (+/-) now that I've got 3F in the horn. :hmm:

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. Oldguardguy,
We are using 60gr 2F and equal volume of #6 shot for Snowshoe Hares. Works great out to 20 or 25yds.
Best Wishes

 

[crgabel]

Roundball's numbers worked great for mine.
Craig