How much Powder?

[tenngun]

To get 2200 fps in a 32 inch barrel takes charges of 150 grains of go 3f, a 43 inch barrel takes charges of 120 grains per Lyman. But if you go with these big charges the deer is clearly more dead. :grin:
Midrange trajectory will be less then 1/2 an inch if sighted at 100 yards.a 1100 fps ball has a mid range of a little over an inch. Important in a paper shoot, but of little effect on game... i think :idunno:

 

[George]

Midrange trajectory will be less then 1/2 an inch if sighted at 100 yards.a 1100 fps ball has a mid range of a little over an inch.

We need to synchronize our calculators. I'm using Hornady's.

For 1100 fps try MRT of almost 5 inches when sighted at 100, as opposed to 1+ for the 2200.

At 150 yards the 2200 ball will be 7" low, the 1100 ball will be 17" low.

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

What's the longest any of you have shot your muzzle loaders?

:hmm: ....Probably about 4 hours.....and another hour to wash the black off my hands... :wink:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Well, I'll just let this speak for it's self... Each can draw their own conclusions.....


https://youtu.be/MBIiMEvs-zY

 

[Britsmoothy]

I once shot a rabbit with a .45" and patched ball at 125 yards or so. Does that count?

If I was you (which I am not,I know) I would just stick to round ball and get close enough to take all the guessing out of it.

Do all the fun shooting at a range or if one wants to live target shoot stick to modern guns.

Just my thoughts.

B :hatsoff:

 

[smo]

Guys I’ve hunted for years with TC guns and killed several deer with them with loads rangeing from 60 grns fffg to 100 grns of ffg .

I have never had any problems dropping a deer even with the light loads .

This year I had rotator cuff surgery in June and while shooting my usual hunting load of 100 grns of ffg prior to hunting season it just wasn’t comfortable on the incision area of my shoulder.

Therefore I chose to shoot my plinking/ target load of 70 grns of ffg Goex.

According to the Goex ballistic charts with a .530 Roundball it shows the load at 1400 feet per second.

That’s over a 1/4 mile in a second, plenty fast enough to drop a Southern white tail within reasonable range.

Most of my hunting areas offer up close shots, 75 yards is about my personal limit.

I shot a buck last week at 30 yards.

The deer ran off the plot favoring its right front shoulder.

No blood sign what so ever....

It ran approx. 250 yards from the area it was shot.

I found a small amount of hair at the spot of the shot.

I searched the woods for several hours without any sign.

After lunch I went back and searched again... still no sign other than the small amount of hair.

After this happened I continued to rethink the shot and luckily had it on video.

After seeing buzzards circling the area, I went back into the deep , thick hollow where I found the carcass.

I had been within 20 yards of where I located the deer on the day I shot it.

I don’t see how I could have overlooked it....

I’m still not convinced that the deer didn’t circle back down in there after I passed through.

I found the deer exactly one week from the day it was shot.

He was untouched, not a buzzard or coyote or opposum had touched him.

I was really surprised considering the amount of howling I hear every night here.

Anyway it appears the “Heart Shot “ missed its mark.

I did not do a forensic study on the rotting carcass due to personal injuries/ scratches received attempting to locate the deer.

I didn’t want to risk an infection from cross contamination .

I do believe if I had of been shooting the heavier hunting load the deer would have dropped in its tracks.

I’m thinking the shot most likely hit the socket bone where the leg joins the shoulder.

I have since gone back to the 100 grn load.

Notice the lack of blood on the carcass , he must have bled out internally.

I truly hate to lose a deer ...

 

[Britsmoothy]

Just an unfortunate shot placement. Could happen just the same with more powder brother. :hatsoff:

B.

 

[Griz44Mag]

What's the longest any of you have shot your muzzle loaders?

:hmm: ....Probably about 4 hours.....and another hour to wash the black off my hands... :wink:

LOL, best in class response. I can say that after this morning it was about 3 hours for me! What a blast. Did not go beyond 50 yards today, was just using today to get used to the gun and the routine. I went through 60 rounds. I had a few 5 shot groups less than an inch and a half, and a few over 5" These tired old eyes need some kinda of help with iron aiming technology. I found some Williams peeps on line and ordered them, thinking maybe that will help.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I just wanted to get in a follow up after my 50 yard range session today. I got in a good morning of shooting and made it home with all my blood and skin intact. The bullets I had picked up shot well, some groups as tight a an inch and a half. Loosely translated, that should equate to a 3 inch group at 100, so the accuracy is there. I will get another session in tomorrow at 100 yards and get some velocity data as well. As several of you suggested, I started light at 70gr and worked all the way up to the last 2 shots at 100 gr. The best accuracy (5 shot group) was with 90gr of Goex 2f. I will still run the gambit when the round balls come in next week, but in the meantime, I am assured that I have a good load with decent accuracy using the maxi-hunters. I had a few ignition issues during the day, which I should probably discuss in the appropriate topic area. Thank you to all who advised and suggested here, I did take it to heart and had a great first outing with the black powder.

Griz44Mag

 

[tenngun]

Wow, I was using Lyman’s figures, perhaps I misread :idunno: will recheck when home.

 

[hanshi]

The short answer, of course, is "enough powder to get the job done". By that I'm referring to enough powder to get the accuracy needed and enough to swat the deer. Specifics have already been mentioned in the previous posts. :2

 

[shootrj2003]

I only use iron sights and patched ball in my traditional rifles. So I only use i load - 85 gr. 3 f in my .50 ,it is also accurate,at least in my renegade ,my self made is just being broke in but seems to be unless it changes after a few shots,I am using it this year for the first time,I just finished it this year and just finished sighting in,well, one more session at the range,I have to close the club range today so my friends range will have to suffice but it is longer anyway,so I may chuck some further than 100 and I may chuck som big conicals just for effect.but i will hunt with patch ball and 85 gr. My sights are just iron with no adj. but a file but you know what ? They will always be where I put them. The renegades of course do adj. and it’s percussion,I also have a .50 bbl and a .54 bbl ,and conicals and balls for both.

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

I will be sighting in and getting ready for a black powder hunt in January. I have yet to fire my first round from a black powder gun, and just want some reassurance that I am on the right track. The rifle is a 50 cal Thompson Hawken and I picked up a couple of boxes of T/C MAXI-HUNTER 275 grain bullets for this outing. I picked up a couple of pounds of 2f black powder. The game is white tail and potentially a Mulie so I wanted to be sure I have enough knock down. How much powder should I use and what is the expected muzzle velocity? I want to maximize the hit and minimize the drop out to 100-125 yards. I will sight in a at 50, then zero at 100. However I do not want to get excessive pressures and possibly damage the gun. With normal powder/bullet loads the heavier the bullet, the lighter the charge to reduce pressure. Is that still true with black powder?
All I see is instructions to not exceed 100 grains of powder but nothing tells me what weight the projectiles are when shot with 100 grain loads. Am I just overthinking this?

Griz

285g Hornady great planes with 100g ffg 777...with brass plated half stock Hawken...1:48t....will stop a Mac truck at 100yds ....I'm going for black bear....after thought,...take stock pad to range next time

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

I will be sighting in and getting ready for a black powder hunt in January. I have yet to fire my first round from a black powder gun, and just want some reassurance that I am on the right track. The rifle is a 50 cal Thompson Hawken and I picked up a couple of boxes of T/C MAXI-HUNTER 275 grain bullets for this outing. I picked up a couple of pounds of 2f black powder. The game is white tail and potentially a Mulie so I wanted to be sure I have enough knock down. How much powder should I use and what is the expected muzzle velocity? I want to maximize the hit and minimize the drop out to 100-125 yards. I will sight in a at 50, then zero at 100. However I do not want to get excessive pressures and possibly damage the gun. With normal powder/bullet loads the heavier the bullet, the lighter the charge to reduce pressure. Is that still true with black powder?
All I see is instructions to not exceed 100 grains of powder but nothing tells me what weight the projectiles are when shot with 100 grain loads. Am I just overthinking this?

Griz

 

[Blackpowderart]

285g Hornady great planes with 100g ffg 777...with brass plated half stock Hawken...1:48t....will stop a Mac truck at 100yds ....I'm going for black bear....after thought,...take stock pad to range next time

That's one hairy butt

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

That's one hairy butt

That's my brused sholder

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

That's my brused sholder

Kinda looks like a butt I'll give ya that

 

[SDSmlf]

285g Hornady great planes with 100g ffg 777...with brass plated half stock Hawken...1:48t....will stop a Mac truck at 100yds ....I'm going for black bear....after thought,...take stock pad to range next time

Kicking a guy who passed away last fall about a 7 year old post. Love or hate the guy…….

 

[Hawken1820.50cal]

1

 

[Sidney Smith]

Many hunters seem to think that if the gun isn't loaded to the max then something is wrong. Deer sized game don't need all that much to take them down. Just remember. A brick moving at 20 miles per hour can still do as much damage as a baseball going 100 mph. I'd say with a 275 grain conical, 80 to 85 grains out to 100 yards is all you need.