• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Load tuning for Le Page .44

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Sdeve999

32 Cal.
Joined
Dec 10, 2011
Messages
18
Reaction score
0
OK, all this talk about the Le Page has got me interested again. While I have a few ideas on the subject, I'd be interested in hearing from those with experience of the subject on how they go about tuning a load in such firearms. At present I am using a .433 ball (because that's what came with the pistol) and a 10 thou pre lubed patch over 20 grains of fine powder (TS2). It's pointless me talking about my current accuracy because I have nothing to compare it with and I'm not the best of pistol shooters.

So, how do those here with experience of such things go about working up the best load?
 
Start with the ball/patch combo. Switch around balls and patch thicknesses till ya get yer best group. (And since yer not great with pistol do all testing off bench n bag). Then when u got best ball size and patch combo down start using different patch lubricants till ya find one that works best. Then start increasing/decreasing powder 5 grains at a time till its dialed in and if ya want then go from the best powder charge size up/down 2 grains at a time then yer done and shot only what....150 rounds? :rotf: And if yer pistols new it should be close to broke in and ya can really get serious!

I'm actually a better pistol shot than rifle (not that I can shoot same target distance better, just do better with pistol than most my friends at pistol ranges). Keep it up and soon you will be better.

Now those that know can correct me and add more tid bits to make both of us better, after all I learn somethin new here OFTEN! :)
 
Beside the good advice above, get a "pistol" powder measure it goes from 0 to 30 grains.

You can make small changes in the powder charge that way easily.

The manual lists 18 grains as minimum and 30 grains as maximum with a .435 ball and .010 patching.

I would start at 18 grains.

Since you have .433 balls, try .015 patches.
 
Sdeve said:
OK, all this talk about the Le Page has got me interested again. While I have a few ideas on the subject, I'd be interested in hearing from those with experience of the subject on how they go about tuning a load in such firearms. At present I am using a .433 ball (because that's what came with the pistol) and a 10 thou pre lubed patch over 20 grains of fine powder (TS2). It's pointless me talking about my current accuracy because I have nothing to compare it with and I'm not the best of pistol shooters.

So, how do those here with experience of such things go about working up the best load?

Your starting load is too high by about 25% - try 15gr - that is the load that the gun that I shoot gets, BTW.

Depending on where you are located in the UK, it might be plan to go to Wedgenock sometime, where the MLAGB has its own range. If you are ever near the Cambs/Northants border area, you could give me a call. I shoot tuesday evenings, wednesday mid-days, thursday afternoons, firday evenings and sunday mornings.

We also have twelve guest days a year - half on a saturday PM, and half on a sunday AM.

As for not being a good pistol shot - well, trust me, nobody is when they start, so get practicing - especially dry-firing.

And hold the pistol as high in the hand as you can get it...

tac
 
I shoot a .433 ball with a .010 Wonderlube patch.

When testing I started off with Swiss 3f (Swiss No. 2) 15 grns. Tried 17, 20 and 22. 15 was the best. It also shoots equally well with 15 grns. of 777 2f.
 
CKeshen said:
I shoot a .433 ball with a .010 Wonderlube patch.

When testing I started off with Swiss 3f (Swiss No. 2) 15 grns. Tried 17, 20 and 22. 15 was the best. It also shoots equally well with 15 grns. of 777 2f.

:thumbsup:

tac
 
The others have given some good advice about developing loads but unless your a good shot with a pistol you will still be frustrated with the results.

As you know, pistol shooting is the most difficult of the shooting games.
The slightest quiver, tightening of the grip or pushing against the recoil while the gun is firing will send the shots all over the place.

With this in mind, I advise you to be sitting at a shooting bench, resting your shooting arm on a suitable support as you carefully aim the pistol.

Use a moderately firm grip and do not change it as the gun fires. Do not grip harder or looser while aiming or firing.

Concentrate on the front sight and the target and make a mental note to let the gun "do its thing" without you trying to make any effort to resist or correct it.

If you do these things, it will remove most of the movement or involuntary twitch you may have and the gun will shoot to the same point if the powder/ball/patch load are what the gun "likes".

When you can do this repetitively, then you are ready to work on developing the best powder/ball/patch loads because they will be the determining thing that will show up in the target group.

Note, at this stage you are not trying to get the shots in the center of the bulls eye.
You are trying to make the smallest group regardless of where it's hitting.

After you have found the load combination that produces the best group, write it down so you don't forget it.
Then, you can start trying to adjust the sights to bring the group to the point of aim.

After you have successfully completed this, then, you can start trying to shoot "offhand".

Many of your bad habits will show up again but knowing the gun is capable of shooting small groups you will also know its inaccuracy is due to something wrong that you doing.
With this knowledge you can work on eliminating these errors.

I'm sure if you use this approach you will become a very good shot with a pistol and once learned the knowledge will transfer to any pistol you want to shoot.

Have fun. :)
 
On the prior thread I asked if anyone knew the twist and rifling geometry on the LePage pistols. Dropped by DGW Thursday morning to find out. Two Pedersoli models were on display with 16" twist, .44 bore and .46 groove. The Dixie Lepage had a .45 bore 16" twist and .004" deep grooves. Either could probably be tuned to shoot round ball or hollow bases okie dokie at pistol ranges. The powder charges would be fairly light with either.
 
GoodCheer said:
On the prior thread I asked if anyone knew the twist and rifling geometry on the LePage pistols. Dropped by DGW Thursday morning to find out. Two Pedersoli models were on display with 16" twist, .44 bore and .46 groove. The Dixie Lepage had a .45 bore 16" twist and .004" deep grooves. Either could probably be tuned to shoot round ball or hollow bases okie dokie at pistol ranges. The powder charges would be fairly light with either.

I learn sonmething most every time I visit these pages. :bow:

Target pistols usually use low loads and light projectiles for good reasons - keeping shooter fatigue to a minimum and maintaining accuracy over the comparatively long duration of the competition, during which - here in Europe at least - you are NOT permitted to clean the pistol between shots. The little matter of greater recoil, by a substantial margin, compared with the ball-shooter, and the attendant and vital follow-through, should not be overlooked either.

If the OP wants to experiment with conicals, then that's up to him, but as a self-confessed newbie to pistol shooting, he is not doing himself any favours by adopting the shooting of a conical bullet in a sporting discipline where everybody else is shooting ball.

Anyhow, I'm sure he now has learnt what he wanted to, and so have I. :thumbsup:

tac
 
"Target pistols usually use low loads and light projectiles for good reasons - keeping shooter fatigue to a minimum and maintaining accuracy over the comparatively long duration of the competition,"


Some of the shooters here are going to small caliber pistols due to the shooter's age and having arthritis in their wrists.

I shot next a guy who had a .22 revolver this year, that is small, he used 6 grains of powder.
 
Many thanks to all for the really informative advice on this thread. I feel much encouraged to continue trying to shoot this pistol. In particular the lighter loads, as my shooting hand was smashed up in a motorcycle collision many years ago and is much weakened and quite fragile.
 
tac said:
GoodCheer said:
On the prior thread I asked if anyone knew the twist and rifling geometry on the LePage pistols. Dropped by DGW Thursday morning to find out. Two Pedersoli models were on display with 16" twist, .44 bore and .46 groove. The Dixie Lepage had a .45 bore 16" twist and .004" deep grooves. Either could probably be tuned to shoot round ball or hollow bases okie dokie at pistol ranges. The powder charges would be fairly light with either.

I learn sonmething most every time I visit these pages. :bow:

Target pistols usually use low loads and light projectiles for good reasons - keeping shooter fatigue to a minimum and maintaining accuracy over the comparatively long duration of the competition, during which - here in Europe at least - you are NOT permitted to clean the pistol between shots. The little matter of greater recoil, by a substantial margin, compared with the ball-shooter, and the attendant and vital follow-through, should not be overlooked either.

If the OP wants to experiment with conicals, then that's up to him, but as a self-confessed newbie to pistol shooting, he is not doing himself any favours by adopting the shooting of a conical bullet in a sporting discipline where everybody else is shooting ball.

Anyhow, I'm sure he now has learnt what he wanted to, and so have I. :thumbsup:

tac

My thoughts driving away were... heeeey, I should be able to get better round ball accuracy in my .40 with the 16" twist!
 
Back
Top