Hunting Load vs. Range Load

[Marinekayak]

I am in the process of working up loads and sighting in my Pedersoli Frontier .54. I was impressed with the accuracy my first time out using 80 gr 2F and .535 PRB with pre lubed Traditions pillow ticking patches. This combo was a bear to get started with a short starter but was ok once I got it started down the barrel . It was fine on the range but I wouldn't want to try and load it in the field especially with a hickory rod and not my range rod. I have .530 balls on order and have new .010 and .015 patches with some track of the wolf mink oil lube. I plan on finding a combination that works with between the two ball sizes and two patch sizes.
My question is for the hunters out there : Do you start with a tight combo loaded in the rifle and have a slightly easier to load ready to go for follow ups if needed? What seems to work for you?

 

[Art Caputo]

It depends on how the particular rifle shoots. When I go deer hunting I’m always loaded with a clean barrel. With a few of my rifles, I find that I need to use a thicker patch(.018”vs .015”) get achieve the same POI with the first shot compared to multiple shots, whether swabbed or in-swabbed. A couple of other rifles did not require this adjustment. Need to test for this.

 

[rdlowe]

It depends on how the particular rifle shoots. When I go deer hunting I’m always loaded with a clean barrel. With a few of my rifles, I find that I need to use a thicker patch(.018”vs .015”) get achieve the same POI with the first shot compared to multiple shots, whether swabbed or in-swabbed. A couple of other rifles did not require this adjustment. Need to test for this.

I've had that same experience. I used to own a Pedersoli rifle that hit off to the left with a clean bore, and as it got dirty, the shots would settle up to POI. I figured this was just how muzzleloaders "work" but now that I own a few different rifles I note that Pedersoli was the only one that behaved that way. I still don't know why it happened.

 

[mooman76]

Even modern guns usually hit first shot different. Usually not much and some people don't notice because of their shooting abilities. After the barrel is fouled it will impact differently.

 

[Marinekayak]

Thanks Guys, Yea one of my unmentionable small bore match rifles needs a few warm up shots. I generally shoot using a six o'clock hold, too much muscle memory for me to do otherwise. I usually sight in so my point of impact is right above the front sight at whatever my zero is. My question wasn't so much about the zero. I'll have my cold bore zero figured out by hunting season gets around. I was more curious about patching; tight vs easy to load for hunting or a combination, tight first shot and slightly easier to load for after?

 

[mooman76]

Some people do that. Just need to try it and take note where the second shot hits. Some guns will tolerate a loose patch, especially after a fouling shot and some not so much. Others prefer to just go with loose patch if it shoots well enough for hunting.

 

[Crow-Feather]

If you dropped your animal with the first shot and just need a finish the job shot, most anything that wont roll outta the barrel will work. If the distance is a factor, get a fiberglass rod for your hunting and use the same load. You already wounded the animal instead of killing it, don't continue the fail.

 

[Marinekayak]

Thanks guys, All my previous MZ hunting has been done with a conical either a TC maxi ball or maxi hunter this will first time with PRB.

 

[Pete G]

Use the same patch. Anything you hunt with a .54 will not notice an extra 1/2".

 

[Art Caputo]

My hunting loads tend to be easy loading, for at least 5 shots without swabbing. Accuracy requirement is minimum 2” at 50 yards.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I use the same load for range, hunting and a follow up shot(havent needed one yet though). My loads are a little different between my percussion Hawken and my flintlock longrifle. They both load about the same, effort-wise.

Ive seen some guys use less powder for target shooting(50 vs 80 grains) but I dont.

 

[Bassdog1]

I use the same load in my small bores on the range that I hunt with and have been able to find combos that load with wooden rod for all of them so far. I am shooting with a 45 Hawken and a 54 renegade the next few days to develop loads for deer season and am hoping to get the same results with combos from those guns. Been busy this evening casting up some .530 and .535 balls for the renegade.

 

[tenngun]

I use the same to target or hunt. I want the gun to do what I practice.
I would say a best bet is to be sure of your range and only take best shots.
Take your time to reload. Spit on a cleaning patch, and swab. Then a dry. Load your normal way. Have a smoke, do some light reading like war and peace. Then go look for your deer.
Hurt your game will run. If nothing is chasing it it will find a place to lay down. Give it time to die. It won’t get up. You can approach with a loaded gun just in case.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I wondered last season about whether I should "up" the charge for deer hunting. I decided not to. 80gr 2f Goex, .490 ball, drylubed .018 pillow ticking precut patch. Shot a fat doe at 42yds, double lung pass thru, she ran 30yds and flopped dead.

IMO, all more powder really does is maybe extend your range a little. Or, allow you to shoot a heavier bullet at predictable distances. If I planned on using heavier Maxi ball conical bullets vs PRB, I might up the charge a bit(10-20gr). But for deer, PRB works just fine.

 

[Okie Hog]

i hunt with the range loads. Hunting rifle carries a sturdy metal ram rod.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I am in the process of working up loads and sighting in my Pedersoli Frontier .54. I was impressed with the accuracy my first time out using 80 gr 2F and .535 PRB with pre lubed Traditions pillow ticking patches. This combo was a bear to get started with a short starter but was ok once I got it started down the barrel . It was fine on the range but I wouldn't want to try and load it in the field especially with a hickory rod and not my range rod. I have .530 balls on order and have new .010 and .015 patches with some track of the wolf mink oil lube. I plan on finding a combination that works with between the two ball sizes and two patch sizes.
My question is for the hunters out there : Do you start with a tight combo loaded in the rifle and have a slightly easier to load ready to go for follow ups if needed? What seems to work for you?

IF you read the recommended loads in the manual, it recommends using a .010 lubed patch with .535 roundball.
That combo works exceptionally well with 70gr of 3f and with my .54 Frontier will produce 1" groups at 50 yards and 1-1/2" groups at 75 yards.
That ball-patch combination also makes loading easy with a quick windex wipe every few shots will keep you at the range all day.
I use that load for range and for hunting. No sense in making things different and that way you always have a great load for whatever you are doing.

 

[Zonie]

The idea of increasing the muzzle velocity for hunting is pretty good if your shooting bullets. Bullets maintain their velocity better than roundballs.
Take a look at this chart.

It shows what happens to velocity 100 yards downrange for a .50 caliber rifle shooting a patched roundball. The horizontal values across the bottom show the powder loads and the values on the left side show balls velocity in yellow (muzzle velocity) and red (100 yard velocity).
For this barrel, a 40 grain powder charge gave a muzzle velocity of just under 1400 fps. At 100 yards, this velocity had dropped to a bit over 920 fps.
With a 80 grain powder load the muzzle velocity was about 1750 fps but this had dropped to about 1050 fps at 100 yards.
Increasing the load to 90 grains pushed the muzzle velocity up to 1850 but it dropped to about 1070 fps at 100 yards.
Going to a 100 grain load the mv went up to about 1950 fps but the ball was going about 1100 fps at 100 yards.

Boiling this down a bit, going from a 80 grain powder load to a 100 grain powder load gained about 200 fps at the muzzle but only 50 fps at 100 yards.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

I've only shot and hunted with my CVA Bobcat and I'd load up a Hornady Great Plains Bullet the night before, but that was just too hard to load in the field for follow-up shots so I'd then load a patched round ball.

Could you try swabbing in the field after that first shot?

 

[Bob McBride]

One load for all scenery for me.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I use the same powder charge for the range and hunting. I use the same charge even when using a .535 ball. Impact point is exactly the same as a .530 ball at 50 yards, however my .535 groups are usually tighter. .

I load my gun with a .535 ball and .018 patch in a clean bore for the first shot. Any follow ups I use a .530 for ease of loading.