Best load ?
- Thread starter Milkman1
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I'd say to go with a .490 ball. 015 to 018" patch. 100% cotton material. You could just use 3f powder for the main charge and priming the pan.
You'll have to try different charges for best accuracy. 60 to 90 grains, somewhere in between.
You'll have to try different charges for best accuracy. 60 to 90 grains, somewhere in between.
This load with 70-80gr of FFFg has worked well in my five 50 cal rifles with 1:66 twist barrels.
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
You tell me. Best way to find out is to take a pound of powder out to the range, maybe 2 lbs; 1 of 2fg, the other 3fg and start experimenting. Each rifle is a law unto itself. Following basic safety procedures, you won't have to worry about injuring yourself or destroying the rifle.
Same goes for balls and patches. Take several different diameter balls, and several different thicknesses of patching, and a few different lubes. Vary one component at a time. This probably will not be accomplished in one afternoon. But that's the fun.
You've been on the Forum for 12 years, but few messages. I hope none of what I say will be new to you.
My best load may not be your best load. Everything is determined by load development. So, at some point in time you will come back and tell us what your best load turned out to be.
Powder: Best is black powder such as GOEX or the GOEX premium powder, Old Eynsford. But this too depends on where you are located and the availability of Black Powder. You may be forced to purchase a substitute black powder such as Triple Seven or Pyrodex.
Ball Size: A good start is the 0.490 swaged round ball.
Patch: 100% Cotton patching of 0.015" to 0.018". I do not recommend getting prelubricated patches. The lubrication can cause the patch to deteriorate and this will not be useful in getting the best load. And now since we are talking about patches it is time to specify the patch lubricant.
Patch Lubricant: For hunting, use something like the Mink Oil from Track of the Wolf. It doesn't migrate into the powder and weaken the powder. For target shooting, the choices are many. I would recommend a water soluble oil mixed with water (1 part water soluble oil to 7 parts of water). You can change the ratios. For the oil brand, I recommend Ballistol in the non-aerosol can. Ballistol is also good for one of the cleaning steps.
As per above. Some go so far as to try different brands of powder as well. Swiss powder is known to be a bit more energetic that some other brands. Some report one brand of powder will not shoot well at all while others shoot the same. You got yer work cut out for ya but we expect you will like the job. Let us know.
hanshi
Cannon
My current .50 has a deep groove Rice barrel and really does well with 70 grns of 3F. This target was fired at 50 yds using the .50 early VA. rifle, sadly gone, in the small photo. If memory serves me correctly the load was 60 grns of 3F.
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I have an old percussion .50 TC Hawken and it seems to like around 70 grains of black powder. I use a little more with 2f and a little less with 3f. It shoots best with a tight patch in other words it is hard to load and takes a good pop on the starter to get the load started but for hunting etc. I usually a slightly thinner patch. For a tight fit I use mattress ticking and pillow ticking for easier loading. With an original TC barrel 70 grains will get you in the ball park.
I have hears said by more than one shooter, to find the ideal or best load in a gun, load 1 1/2 times the gran per caliber. So a 50 cal would be 75 gr. I don't know how much truth is to that but it seems most peoples posted best loads are real close to that.
JohnnieT
Percussion Enthusiast
I have owned three different fifties and used the same starting point with all of them. .490 ball, .010 patch, and 60 grains 2fg. All three settled in between 60 and 80 grains. The .50 I currently shoot has settled in at 65 grains ffg with the same patch and ball. It’s mostly used for recreational shooting, not hunting. Your chosen use may dictate some adjustments to your load. I’ve always enjoyed load development. It’s a fun and interesting process. Have fun with it, and as always please be safe.
JohnnieT
Percussion Enthusiast
I have heard that also, and truth be told my results shooting .50, .54, and .45 have actually all come close to that.
hanshi
Cannon
That formula doesn't work for smaller calibers for the most part. Actually I'm not much of a believer in many of these shooting formulas. It's a "formula" that says a bumble bee can't fly. But they most certainly do fly.
I don't really believe in formulas either but, it may work 3/4 the time, don't know. The one hard and fast rule I have learned is, there are No hard and fast rules.
Booneliane
40 Cal
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I bet if you created a poll on here, caliber specific, and all else equal (same grade powder, patch thickness, etc) you’d fine most guys “pet load” is quite similar.
I shoot a lot of long range centerfire, and all else equal, most everyone shooting “that” cartridge and “that” bullet is shooting it right in the same velocity range for optimum accuracy.
Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
We use the davenport formula to determine the max powder charge, then work down for accuracy.
Takes all the guess work and wasting powder out of the equation.
Takes all the guess work and wasting powder out of the equation.
Since you are working down your loads instead of working up, how does that differ as far as wasting powder? I don't really consider it wasting powder, for one you don't really know what you gun is capable of unless you try different loads and that's half the fun of breaking in a new gun, trying the different loads.
The Davenport formula is theoretically a method to establish a maximum powder charge. Its kind of nice to know a theoretical maximum load to compare with the manufacturer's suggested maximum load. In practice the Davenport formula isn't the best for all calibers especially the small calibers. To truly determine the best load, a course of shooting groups for load development will use up powder. Since load development is necessary to determine the best load, this is not a waste of powder.
fillwa
40 Cal
Here is a reference for working up a load:
Traditional Muzzle Loader - Developing an accurate load for a black powder muzzleloading rifle
Traditional Muzzle Loader - Developing an accurate load for a black powder muzzleloading rifle
hanshi
Cannon
ANY shooting of black powder is not and never can be a waste, it's usually called FUN! Of course if you shoot like I do every shot is a waste of powder AND lead. 
I only consider it a waste of powder when people load these heavy loads way beyond useful limits of the ML.
