I was shooting Sunday with my 45 caliber, 42 inch flintlock and was stretching the range out of my rifle. I am shooting a .440 round ball with.018 lubed pillow patches with a bit of spit on them-(I hold the patches in my mouth while measuring and pouring the charges). The gun shoots great, it is on the sights at 25 and 50 yards.(I used 40 grains of FFF BP)I moved out to the 100 yard range and shot 10 shots with a little time between shots and the rifle was about 4 inches low at that range. I upped the powder charge to 60 grains for 3 shots: they were touching one another about 3 inches low and an inch right. The next 3 shots were with 65 grains and they were 4 inches low and a bit scattered (3 inches apart), and the last 4 shots were with 70 grains with 2 shots going low (4 inches) 1 shot pulled left about three inches (9 o'clock) and 1 shot opposite of that one at 3 o'clock. I did not swab during this test because I wanted to see if the balls were hitting with the fowling/if it was adding to inaccuracy, etc. I think the shots were drifting a bit by the 9th and 10th shots. Overall I am not complaining, I had 10 shots that had a 8 inch spread and 7-8 shots that could be covered with a tennis ball; but I was wondering if more powder charge will get it there one the money. Aiming 4 inches higher would solve it but I was just wondering. More powder or just aim high?
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Hitting target at 100 yards
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jtmattison
70 Cal.
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Are you working up a hunting load? If you are just target shooting finding the most accurate load and then aiming to compensate for distance is the way to go. For hunting you want accuracy and power in the same package.
HD
HD
I am not currently hunting with it, but I am getting the fever when I shoot the thing. Right now I am shooting for accuracy, I can hit a dear with it as is but I am looking for the best out of this rifle. I usually hunt with my 58 cal mountain rifle; cap gun--(boo) for deer but I am really thinking of using the 45 flinter.
The key to accuracy is consistency - each shot must be prepared the same way as the previous one. You biased the results by not cleaning between shots, so every shot had a different bore condition.
It may well be that fouling is not an issue with your gun and/or the loads you were using, but you haven't established that yet. Shoot a minimum of five shots at 100 yards using the exact same load/technique and cleaning between shots. Then repeat, same load/technique but without cleaning.
It may well be that fouling is not an issue with your gun and/or the loads you were using, but you haven't established that yet. Shoot a minimum of five shots at 100 yards using the exact same load/technique and cleaning between shots. Then repeat, same load/technique but without cleaning.
I will clean between shots and keep the same load for more shots, So far I haven't seen any powder maximum for a 45 cal. I don't want to waste powder; I know I can't hurt the gun-well kind of. Like I said. Even with the dirty bore the rifle shoots really well. Thanks for the comments.
zimmerstutzen
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So much of accuracy depends on consistency, particularly with fouling. Swabbing between shots is a necessity. With the right gun and PRB combo a 5 shot group under 2 inches should be normal off a bench. With smaller groups for those windless, just right days when everything in the cosmos is aligned.
With a 42 inch barrel(?) you may want to check whether 40 grains is an efficient load. There is a point in small loads in a long barrel that the powder is fully expended and the ball doesn't get the velocity it would get in a shorter barrel, almost as if it starts to slow down again before exiting the barrel.
With a 42 inch barrel(?) you may want to check whether 40 grains is an efficient load. There is a point in small loads in a long barrel that the powder is fully expended and the ball doesn't get the velocity it would get in a shorter barrel, almost as if it starts to slow down again before exiting the barrel.
hanshi
Cannon
I've hunted with a .45 flint for years and it's my favorite deer rifle. I also use a .440 ball & ticking and use either Hoppes #9 Plus for lube or Crisco. I've used loads from 65 grains of 3f to 80 grains. All seem to be accurate and definitely deer worthy at any range I feel I can make a good shot. Sometimes your hunting load will be your most accurate; only testing will confirm. I agree that if you want the most accurate target load, Simply compensate at 100 yards by aiming higher or whatever works. I keep sighted in for my hunting load and adjust my sight picture for my target load.
hanshi
Cannon
I must admit that I don't wipe between shots. With the lube I use fouling doesn't build up after the first shot and the 50th shot loads as easily as the first. Of course I'm not after the "Nth" degree of accuracy at 100 yards. With the crude longrifle sights and my failing eyes that would be an exercise in futility.
cowpoke1955
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I have a .45 Pedersoli Blue Ridge flinter with a 39" barrel. My most accurate load (which is also my hunting load) is a .440 ball, .018 pillow ticking lubed with Ballistol and 70 grains of FFFg. I haven't tried it at 100 yards, but at 50 yards she gives one ragged hole. That 70 grains really gives the report a real crack when she fires.
mite as well chime in,for huntin load ,I fire a fouling shot nite before,so I start with a bore that ain't whistle clean,I fin you can have flyers ,with a clean bore,I wipe as I do when range shooting.
Yer not likely to get off another shot after the first one anyways,so not wipin between loads ,serves no real purpose for a hunting situation,still nice to see what yer gun will do under all circumstances tho.
To me the most accurate load is the best ,gettin the ball to where its sposed to be is the most important and shootin at 100 yards at a deer ,for me would be a long shot,I've taken them ,but was ideal situation (deer broadside,standing) so aim the 4 inches high and let er go.
Just my thots
Peter
Yer not likely to get off another shot after the first one anyways,so not wipin between loads ,serves no real purpose for a hunting situation,still nice to see what yer gun will do under all circumstances tho.
To me the most accurate load is the best ,gettin the ball to where its sposed to be is the most important and shootin at 100 yards at a deer ,for me would be a long shot,I've taken them ,but was ideal situation (deer broadside,standing) so aim the 4 inches high and let er go.
Just my thots
Peter
Shoot it for group with loads from about 50 to 70 with 440 and 445 balls and a ticking patch. Use lubes that contain no water for hunting. If it will shoot well at 100 with the higher velocity loads then sight it for there. It will be surprisingly close to line of sight at 25 and 50. The highest trajectory will be between 65 and 80 yards and it will only be 2-3" high at that point and it will likely still be on for deer to 115 or so.
The biggest mistake people make is sighting there rifles dead on too close. I sight my larger bore hunting rifles, 50 and up for 120 yards and this will allow a center hold on a deer from 0 to 130 yards. This is about as far as one should shoot at a deer but it helps allow for ranging errors and having to hold over at 100.
One of the PRBs advantages is a nice flat trajectory to 100-140 depending on ball size and initial velocity. For deer the ball should not be more than 3-4" higher or lower than line of sight for a "point blank" range for deer. If you hold for the vertical center of the chest and the ball is 4" low its a heart shot, 4" high gets the lungs, dead deer either way.
But I would have to run some numbers to be sure of the point blank and the highest point with 100 yard zero and not going to bother its about bed time in Montana.
Dan
The biggest mistake people make is sighting there rifles dead on too close. I sight my larger bore hunting rifles, 50 and up for 120 yards and this will allow a center hold on a deer from 0 to 130 yards. This is about as far as one should shoot at a deer but it helps allow for ranging errors and having to hold over at 100.
One of the PRBs advantages is a nice flat trajectory to 100-140 depending on ball size and initial velocity. For deer the ball should not be more than 3-4" higher or lower than line of sight for a "point blank" range for deer. If you hold for the vertical center of the chest and the ball is 4" low its a heart shot, 4" high gets the lungs, dead deer either way.
But I would have to run some numbers to be sure of the point blank and the highest point with 100 yard zero and not going to bother its about bed time in Montana.
Dan
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