GPR loads

[Sharp Shooter]

What kind of loads do you all shoot in your 54cal GPR? I just got a flinter but I thought I would see what loads your caplocks like to. Just to get a general idea of what the GPR likes.

 

[DanChamberlain]

SS

I'm pretty simple. I use a .530 swaged ball with a .010 thick prelubed patch using Wonderlube. For best accuracy, I've found 80 grains gives me the tightest groups, but I pump it up to 100 grains for hunting. My accuracy isn't as good at 100 grains, but it only opens things up an inch or 1.5 inches at 100 yards so I'm happy with the extra oooomph!

I normally swab the bore every 3rd load with a spit patch and a dry one to follow. I have never had a misfire with the .54 when doing this, but have had a couple with the .36 long rifle. I believe with the small bore, I'm pushing fouling down into the flash channel when I swab, so to be safe I fire a cap before reloading when I follow this procedure, with both the large and small bores just to be sure I haven't messed up my channel when hunting. Caps are cheap.

Dan

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Sharp Shooter,
I'm still getting to know my GPR; I use a .530 ball with .018 pillow ticking patches. I started out with 70 grains of ff. I'm shooting 50 grains now. Shoots a bit low at 25 yards, close to on at 50 yards. Great rifle to shoot!
Scott

 

[Gordon Horn]

For match and rondy shoots I use a .530 ball and .020 patch over 60 gr. 2f Goex. For Deer hunting I use 80 gr. 2f Goex and same patch and ball combo. Shoots real well with the 80 gr. load.

 

[PreglerD]

Owning a .45 GPR and waiting for the change barrel I use 75 grs WANO PPP, .445 selfcast RB and 0,12 mm patch, spittled.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Everyone seems to likes charges below 90gr flint of percussion. My percussion Renegade with a 1-48" twist likes 100gr FFG. I remember someone saying on here that their GPR will shoot up to 130gr FFG accurate.

 

[captgary]

Use .530 ball, Wally world .018 pillow ticking, 50 grains Goex 3f for target and bump up to 80 grains 3f Goex for hunting. I ran a search on this subject and guys are knocking down deer with this size load.

 

[BrownBear]

Mine started out liking .530 ball with .015 patch, but as it shot in it migrated to .530 with .018 and finally .535 with .015, all patches commercial wonderlube prelubes. When it started out new anything bigger than the first combo would barely go down the bore, but things seemed to loosen up as the barrel shot in. It started liking that last combo after a couple hundred shots. It requires a quick slap on a short starter to get it going, but it seats the rest of the way with ease.

It's really forgiving about powder and charge. My big game load is 90-100 grains of FF or Pyro RS. General plinking and target load is 50-60 grains FFF or Pyro P. Small game load is 30-35 grains of the same powders.

Clean the heck out of that bore beforehand and often while shooting it in. Lyman's shipping lube is tough to get rid of, and your best accuracy isn't going to develop till it's gone.

I'd sure be hesitant to buy a mould right away, at least till you've got a couple hundred rounds of commercial balls through it. Try both .530's and .535's with different patch thicknesses as you go along. I'd regret having bought a .530 mould when I started out, but by all indications at that time it was surely the right diameter.

 

[Mad Professor]

Everyone seems to likes charges below 90gr flint of percussion. My percussion Renegade with a 1-48" twist likes 100gr FFG. I remember someone saying on here that their GPR will shoot up to 130gr FFG accurate.

Be careful with 130 gr FFg, Lyman lists a max load of 120 gr for 54 GPR

 

[renovato]

60 grains of 3F with a .530 ball on a .015 patch gives me the best accuracy. 80-90 is pretty close and is a better hunting load. My gun isn't terribly picky about charge weights though. Anything from 60-90 shoots really well.

 

[dry ball john]

:hmm: I just gone thru this today with my new GPR 50 cal. trying to work up loads. I started with 60 gr.3f at 121/2 yds,ball printed 1 inch low--50 yds printed 8 inches low, 100 yds 18 inches low soooo worked up to 80 gr,ball printed up 3 inches. I am now working on the sights, finally settled with .490 ball .015 mattress ticking--60 gr.3f clover leaf groups @ 25 yds.with a 11/2 inch bull hope this might help
cheers dry bal john

 

[PreglerD]

It would work with 130 grs in cal. 54 without danger. German gun law lists maximum allowed loads of BP and bullet weight for practice shooting. There you are allowed to use 136 grs BP FFg with a 410 grs bullet. All ML-rifles which comes on the german market have to fullfill these law. Therefore the german authorities(Beschussamt) make test shots which special powdercharges which are 30 % over the practice loads. All Investarm rifles fullfill this. So the US-guys mostly use PRB which has about 215 grs in .54.
But I think this amount of powder won't burn totally.