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hunting load?
- Thread starter renagade
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My recomendation would be 70grs of 3f or 80grs of 2f powder. You might get by with less, but there is always the chance that the only shot you get may be a bit more than 50yds. and the shot angle may not be perfect. Why chance it.
I agree, you would want to have enough energy to make a humane kill...
70 to 80 grains of black powder sounds about right...
With a 26 inch barrel and a .490 patched round ball, 70 grains of FFFg will give you ~362 FT/lbs. of energy at 100 yards...
50 grains of FFFg will give 304 FT/lbs. of energy at 100 yards...
70 to 80 grains of black powder sounds about right...
With a 26 inch barrel and a .490 patched round ball, 70 grains of FFFg will give you ~362 FT/lbs. of energy at 100 yards...
50 grains of FFFg will give 304 FT/lbs. of energy at 100 yards...
I'm from the school that likes stout hunting loads to cover all reasonable conditions and distances, and I use the published max loads: 110grns Goex FFg / 90grns Goex FFFg
There's enough to worry about when deer hunting and I don't want there to be anything nagging in the back of my mind about the results of a ball when it arrives on target.
There's enough to worry about when deer hunting and I don't want there to be anything nagging in the back of my mind about the results of a ball when it arrives on target.
I read a book once about a fellow that always hunted deer with his flintlock. He used the "same powder to prime as to charge," so I am guessing he was using 50 grains of FFFg black powder and a round ball. His thought was he did not want a pass through. Instead he wanted the ball to release all its energy inside the body. (I personally think this would still get pass through but might be wrong) He claimed in his writing that this was good to 100 yards.
I have to disagree with his reasoning and tend to lean towards the other views here. I like to push the load to the near max when I hunt. In my .50 caliber sidelocks, I use 70 grains of FFFg. I have found that with a roundball I can still break an animal down to plant them better, and I usually (last year was a real puzzle) get full pass through.
But instead of telling you what the minimum load might be, I would suggest find out what your most accurate load might be. (Unless this is for a very small person, then you might have to take charge into consideration) and that would be my hunting load.
I have to disagree with his reasoning and tend to lean towards the other views here. I like to push the load to the near max when I hunt. In my .50 caliber sidelocks, I use 70 grains of FFFg. I have found that with a roundball I can still break an animal down to plant them better, and I usually (last year was a real puzzle) get full pass through.
But instead of telling you what the minimum load might be, I would suggest find out what your most accurate load might be. (Unless this is for a very small person, then you might have to take charge into consideration) and that would be my hunting load.
What some don't understand is that while a bullet that doesn't have enough power to punch thru does dump all it's energy in the animal, the bullet that has the power to punch thru still dumps more energy inside the animal and some on the otherside too. Also makes 2 holes, better for bleeding. Instead of looking for a minimum, look for a maximum that the shooter can handle and shoot accurately.
I use 69-70 gr 3f in a .50 all my shots are less than 75yds as I have set a strict limit and practice self control for the sake of the animal,(more go past than are shot at) I would not go below 50gr for deer even at closer ranges....your guns tastes from a point of accuracy need to be factored in as well.
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Both of my guns manuals have 70 grains of 3f and 90 grains of 2f as the max load.Don't forget to to check the max load for your gun.110 grains of anything might be too much for your gun.
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