Loads for 360 grain Minie bullet

[markc05]

I just purchased some 360 grain Minie bullets on line and plan on shooting them in my T/C New Englander. Any load recommendations using Pyrodex RS? Also, I believe I read somewhere I need to fill the hollow base with lube. Is this accurate? Any help is appreciated.

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany,

which cal are the conicals? I guess .54. So first of all use bp and not a substitute. Start with loads of 50 grs and go up in 5 grs steps. In cal .54 you can use up to 100 grs. I won't lube the hollow base but the lube ribs of the bullet.

 

[markc05]

Sorry, it is for a .50 cal. Why is Pyrodex not acceptable? Is it a preference of yours or will it not work? The reason that I use Pyrodex is because I mainly use an in-line and don't want to have to puchase additional black powder.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you try Black Powder, you will never go back to Pyrodex. That is why. We also don't talk about IN-@#$*! here. This is a traditional BP muzzle loading firearm sight. I am told there are other sites for in-@#$@$ action type readers.

Seriously, you will get much better performance and accuracy shooting black powder over any of the substitute powders. And, if you shoot round ball, as GOD intended ML rifles to shoot, it will wear out your shoulder less, you will do more shooting, more practice with your gun, learn to be a better shot, and learn you gun before hunting season comes along, you load a powder that will absorb moisture faster than Black Powder, and with a bullet you have never shot more than a few times, because its weight causes the gun to recoil so badly you develope a quick flinch off the bench. You don't need a conical bullet to kill Deer! Rond Ball have been killing deer for centuries. A .50 caliber round ball weights about 180 grains, heavier than many of the .357 magnum bullets used today. within 100 yards, which is about as far as most shooters can use open sights, in questionable lighting conditions, can use with any accuracy, that round ball will penetrate both sides of a deer standing broadsides to the shooter. How dead is dead? But, go ahead, use those inferior powders, and use those heavy slugs. Get a good sized flinch, that will affect every rifle and shotgun you shoot to the point that you give up and find a fishing rod to take care of your leisure time.

On the other hand, if you really want to learn how to enjoy traditional muzzle loading hunting, and shooting, hang around here, and learn much.

:v

 

[Runner]

I use RS a lot. I shoot 70 grains under a 495 roundball most of the time. I shoot the Lee 320 grain target minnie when I shoot conicals. I use 90 grains under the minnie as a hunting load. Black powder is as much better as some try to say in many ways, but Pyrodex is usable in a caplock. My conical barrel is 1-48.

 

[markc05]

Paul-
Tell my how you really feel :grin: Thank you for the advice. I have a good supply of roundballs, Maxi-Balls and Maxi-Hunters and thought I would give the Minies a try as well. I am going to shoot all of them and probably go with whatever ones I shoot best. I know they will all do the trick on whitetails. I see you are from Champaign. I live a few hours from you in the Quad Cities.

 

[madd trapper]

My New Englander loves 85 grains of black, with a wonder wad and 360 grain minnie on top.Bambi however may not like this combo as it tends to break bones and cause very nice trama to the chest cavity.

 

[PreglerD]

A cal. 50 RB with a load of 80 to 90 grs BP brings at 50 meters pretty much energy, about 1000 Joule/734 flps. Even at 100 meters it has about 650 Joule. thats more than enough for killing a deer.

 

[playfarmers]

I tried the 360g Mini in my Deerstalker and found the best accuracy at 80g, and a paper patch on the Mini. I also found that real black powder worked much better than Pyrodex with all hollow based bullets that I tried. I have since dropped all conicals in favor of the round ball. They are much easier on my old shoulder, and are very accurate in my rifles.

 

[PreglerD]

Same expirience. I use in my Traditions Deerhunter only .490 PRB with 90 grs. Gives best accuracy, even at 100 meters.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Mark: My first high powered rifle was a .45-70 Trapdoor Springfield shooting 500 grain bullets. I wa sabout 12, and weighed less than 110 lbs. It rattled my teeth, and left me a very sore shoulder, of course. I spent many years learning how to shoot heavy recoiling rifles and shotguns. See my article:
[url] www.chuckhawks.com/controlling_heavy_recoil.htm[/url]

As much fun as I have shooting the big ones, I enjoy shooting my light loads in my ML rifles, and even shooting rimfire rifles much more. I have lots of big ones. But I also own about a dozen .22 rimfire rifles and handguns.

The year I took my first deer I camped next to a couple of guys who were shooting a T/C .50, or .54 shooting Maxiballs. Both the grandfather and the grandson stood no taller than 5'7", and neither weighed more than 150 lbs. They were brusing their shoulders shooting at a paper plate in a gulley when I arrived. What they considered a good groups was " minute of deer". thankfully, the deer they took was about 5 yards from the muzzle of their gun when they fired. I saw the damage it did. They lost a lot of meat. By comparison, my .50 round ball went through both sides of my old doe at about 30 yards. breaking a rib going in, and another going out. How dead is dead?

I recommend conicals if people are going to hunt wild boar, or elk sized game. You need the extra weight for penetrating deep bodies and muscle, or heavy bones. It just is not needed for any deer on this continent.

 

[markc05]

Paul-
Great article. Thanks for the info.

Mark C.