After reading about roundball penetration I've lost a little confidence in my new .45 cal flintlock I plan to use for whitetails later this winter. It seems most people use at least a .50 cal. I've lost a couple deer bowhunting, and its a feeling that always makes me sick to my stomach. Anyway one old flintlocker sugguested a load of 90 FFFg with two PRBs. So from a hunting standpoint (seeing as it is against regulations in Ohio), is there any benefit to hunting with this load. The guy told me you lose very little velocity and the two balls will easily shoot within an inch at 50 yards. Just wandered what you all thought...
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Double Ball??
- Thread starter jmo1808
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Only in that if you miss, you miss twice.
It would be illegal in NY, also.
I would not consider it as a good idea. One accurate ball will do better than two smacking into each other and traveling slower because of the added mass. You'd have to adjust your sights to it, and it's probably eventually going to do harm as that is a lot of powder and lead for a .45 to swallow regularly.
The .45 has killed a lot of deer. Be sure of your shot and don't try to punch through from the rear quarters.
It would be illegal in NY, also.
I would not consider it as a good idea. One accurate ball will do better than two smacking into each other and traveling slower because of the added mass. You'd have to adjust your sights to it, and it's probably eventually going to do harm as that is a lot of powder and lead for a .45 to swallow regularly.
The .45 has killed a lot of deer. Be sure of your shot and don't try to punch through from the rear quarters.
jay .45 said:
Well, you might be surprised to learn that in TC's early owner's manuals which contained some load data charts, specifically listed a double .45cal/.440 round ball load.
The .440 weighs 128grns, and the .45cal/255grn maxi-hunter is twice that weight, made of course for TC's 45.
However, I agree with Stumpy that it's probably not the best approiach and may be why TC dropped it from the load data charts in later years.
I think of the .45cal RB as the .243cal of the muzzleloader world, and what has worked for me with the .45cal round ball is this:
1) Practice so you can hit a 3" aim point sticker with the .440 out to 75yds;
2) Use an Oxyoke wonderwad to squeeze more velocity out of the same powder charge;
3) Avoid all major bones with precise shot placement;
4) Limit your distance to 75yds max;
5) Put it directly into his heart;
My .45cal round ball kills have averaged making a 25-35yd dash and collapsed in sight of the stand, using.
90grns Goex 3F
Oxyoke was
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking
Hornady .440
Or, the TC .45cal/255grn maxi-hunter will drive tacks in a standard TC 1:48" barrel.
90-100grns of Goex 2F
Oxyoke wad
Plenty of energy to 100yds and devastating on deer...about like shooting them with a .54/.58cal round ball.
pennsyltucky
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roundball said:
have u seen more velocity with the wonderwad on a chrony? wouldnt the flinsy wonderwad just bend around the ball? i know that a 1/4" o/p wad does in my .62 without a cushion.....
certainly not arguing, just curious.
pennsyltucky
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jay .45 said:
90g 3f would be a heck of a lot of pressure with a double ball load. 2f would be a lot better. maybe even 1f.
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I'd scratch the double ball idea and I'd have to see it to believe both balls would shoot inside an inch at 50 yards. With the 45, if you do your part the 128 gr. round ball will do it's part and roundball's advice should be well heeded.
Vic
Vic
pennsyltucky said:have u seen more velocity with the wonderwad on a chrony? wouldnt the flinsy wonderwad just bend around the ball? i know that a 1/4" o/p wad does in my .62 without a cushion.....roundball said:
certainly not arguing, just curious.
Fair question...no, I have not personally validated OxYoke's claims over a chronograph, but I'm personally convinced of it for a few reasons, as I know the following from personal experience:
* From various forms of shooting & reloading I know that a sealed bore below a payload increases velocity;
* Fired wads picked up off the ground are as flat and as firm as when I loaded them;
* Fired patches shot with and without wads shows the patches fired with a wad to be in like new condition & actually reuseable, indicating a firewall / improved seal has occurred between the powder & projectile;
* Shot to shot consistency / accuracy improves when I use wads, indicating an improved seal has occurred between the powder and the projectile;
:thumbsup:
vermontfreedom
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I've never done it myself, but have been meaning to for some time. I'm going to try it in my wife's $300 .50-cal Lyman Trade Rifle (with a barrel about 2x as thick as it needs to be) instead of in my many times more expensive custom .54 with a nice swamped Rice barrel.
Anyway, I've heard that one ball will print about 1 inch above the other at 50 yards.
ADVICE: if you do decide to do this, ensure your balls are tightly seated and seated firmly on top of the charge (first ball) and the second right on top of the first. If not, things--including your face--could get real ugly if the balls slip forward a bit.
Anyway, I've heard that one ball will print about 1 inch above the other at 50 yards.
ADVICE: if you do decide to do this, ensure your balls are tightly seated and seated firmly on top of the charge (first ball) and the second right on top of the first. If not, things--including your face--could get real ugly if the balls slip forward a bit.
It's nothing to worry about...conicals in a given caliber weigh more than twice the weight of a couple balls in the same caliber...I've experimented with double balls in .45 and .50...and in a .62cal, I've experimented with quantity four .440s in a paper shot cup, then quantity three .490's...I just didn't let the total weight of the balls exceed the weight of the largest conical for each caliber...they all shot fine, nothing unusual, etc
Tried it a long time ago. Didn't work well for me or the other 3 guys who tried it. Used 50 cal flinters and precussions and 80 to 90 grs of 2F and 3F depending on the gun. Groups were not good at 50yds let alone 75 or a 100. The worst was that there was(for us) no consistancy in point of impact. One or both might be on the money or they might be up to 6" off at 50 yds. Give it a try for yourself, your results may well be much better.
Othern
Othern
My mentor has always shot a .40 Pennsylvania rifle. His maximum yardage is 60 yards and he loads 60 grains of FFF. He has taken :winking: a deer almost every year for the past 20. His motto is "they won't go down, if you can't hit them in the boiler room".
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