Load for a 45 Caliber

[Cowboy]

All my muzzleloaders are either .50 or .54 calibers. I was recently able to acquire a Tingle .45 caliber muzzleloader. ( I will have more on the Tingle on a later post ) My question is what load do you use to shoot your .45 Caliber. I will be shooting a .440 diameter ball with .015 patch. I will only be range shooting only out to 50 yards max. I purchased a .440 mold and will be casting my own balls for it. What do you use for a load? Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[CrossXstix]

For target, I shoot 42 grs of FFF

 

[TAC2]

Hello .
I always start with the size of the caliber if it is 45 use 45 grans of powder. I would 45 grans of FFFg powder and increase 5 grans as needed.

Hope this helps TAC2.

 

[Stringbean]

I hunt deer with my .45 and use 70 grains of 3f under .445 round ball and .015 patch lubed with moose milk. This is out of an old 32 inch Green Mountain barrel.
String

 

[Treestalker]

Cowboy, most .45's seem to settle in at from 50 to about 70 grains or so. Had a CVA Kentucky years ago that I won a 3rd place ribbon with at 75 yd benchrest with a.440 Speer swaged ball and 70 gr 2f Goex and pillow ticking Crisco lube. I just acquired a TC Hawken .45 and it drives a tack at 25 yds (all I've shot so far) with a .440 cast Lee mold ball and 70 gr 2f Elephant powder with a thin linen patch with Wonderlube. Hope this helps it's been years since I had shot a .45 and forgot how much I like them :shocked2: Hope to wring this TC out to 100 yds soon. Good luck with your Tingle, I've heard good of them, but have never seen one. :hatsoff: Treestalker.

 

[daniel collums]

both of my .45 cal's do best with 70grs of ffg at close range. If I am loading for a shot that will be way out there close to a 100yds I load with 80gr. If I use the fffg I have to use a wad over the powder and drop back on the grs or it burns the patch to bad. It seems to me that the fffg powder has more of a magnum effect in the .45's. My loads are for hunting and they will zip right through a chest.

 

[Rat Trapper]

My TC Hawken 45 cal, likes 70 grains of 2F Triple Seven with PRB.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Another one who shoots 42 grain FFF in my 45's.

 

[ZUG]

My .45 Green Mountian barrel likes between 45 to 50 grains for target work up to 50 yds and 65 to 70 grains for hunting out to 100 yds using a .015"-.018" greased patch. :v

 

[galamb]

How long is your barrel?

If you take your barrel length (in inches) and multiply that by 1.88 (grains of powder for a 45 cal only), that will give you your "most efficient" load. From there maybe go up/down by 5 grains for accuracy.

So with a 42" barrel x 1.88 = 78.96 = rounded up to 80 grains

32" x 1.88 = 60.16 = call it 60 grains

In "theory" that formula calculates the maximum amount of powder that can be "totally consumed" within the length of the barrel (the most efficient load)

Loading greater powder will still increase your velocity, but you will burn a higher percentage of powder compared to the percentage of increased speed.

 

[Cowboy]

galamb, I have never heard of that before. It makes total sense to me. I love that formula. I appreciate you sharing that with all of us that didn't know about this formula. A very valuable lesson that I will never forget. Also want to thank everyone else for sharing as well. I think I am going to start at 40 grains of 3f and work my way up to include 70 grains. I will increase in 5 grain increments. I will keep a close eye out when I hit the 60 grain mark. I say this because I have a 32" barrel and I will see how my rifle preforms with this new formula in mind. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[Cowboy]

You say 1.88 for .45 cal. only. How did you come up with that formula? I would like to know because I would also like to know the numbers to multiply with for my .50 and .54 Calibers. Thankyou, Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[galamb]

Not my formula and can't take the credit.

There was a shooter named Davenport who came up with it.

If you search "davenport formula" with the search function on this site you will read more than you would ever want to both for/against the formula :rotf:

I believe it works, others think it's non-sense.

It's based on calculating the available volume of the barrel and the consumption rate of black powder when ignited.

So the theory goes if you use every bit of available barrel space at the same exact time as you exhaust all the black powder, you achieve 100% efficiency - of course, in practical terms that will never happen - temperature, humidity, type and batch of powder etc will change things "a little".

Using less powder means the ball is trying to overcome friction (barrel) while it is no longer under accelerating power - more powder = some to a lot getting ejected from the end of the barrel somewhat after the ball has exited.

The formula has a few variables, but for quick reference with 45 cal it's 1.88 gr/inch. For a 50 cal it would be 2.25 gr/inch since the barrel has more "volume" (bigger hole), all else being equal.

 

[galamb]

Here's the rough numbers that I use (probably rounded them a bit)

32 cal .925 grains per inch
36 cal 1.17 grains per inch
38 cal 1.30 grains per inch
40 cal 1.45 grains per inch
45 cal 1.88 grains per inch
50 cal 2.25 grains per inch
54 cal 2.63 grains per inch

 

[Cowboy]

Thankyou for the information. I will look it up. Only time will tell if this formula works out for me. I already know what my .50's and .54's like from working up individual loads for each muzzleloader. For example; What is good for one .50 isn't the exact for the other .50's that I have. They all have their own personalities. The same goes for both my .54's. The formula does make perfect sense to me though. I will try the formula and compare accuracy to each known worked up load for each of my muzzleloaders and compare the results. Thankyou for sharing this information. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[Chaz]

Gentlemen, I created an excel spreadsheet with the information for efficiency burn. I do not know how to attach it to a post or reply. If someone would point in the directon of "How To", I would be glad to share it. It Also shows Velocity and Ft. Lbs. of energy for the information you enter.