That's what we want! A little excitement is what makes this fun. And you caused us to bring up some points that we haven't really thought about.
What I was told when shooting round ball was to start at 10 grs. of powder per tenth of an inch bore size. In other words, .40 cal- 40 grs.; .50 cal- 50 grs., and then work up or down to get the best accuracy and penetration. I shoot a .40 flintlock and I have found that I get my best overall accuracy and distance out to 100 yds. with a 50 gr. charge. With muskets shooting a Minie, I base my load on the 60 gr. charge. For 50 yd. targets I do better with 30-40 gr. charges depending on the bullet weight. If I use a thick skirted bullet I need at least 50-60 grs. to expand it into the rifling. My barrel is a six groove match barrel with progressive depth rifling. You will probably get different results in a standard three groove barrel. Too hot a load in a shallow groove barrel could strip the bullet, especially if the twist is rapid.
Each of us has their own methods of working up a load, based on what we were taught and what we find that works best for our guns. Some use the bullet weight rather than the caliber to get a base figure for their load. In the case of conical expanding bullets this is probably the best route. For military muskets using the Minie, the base load established by the Ordnance Dept. Was 60 grs. in the .58 cal. weapons. For targets and plinking I would work down. For hunting big game such as Deer, 60 grs. is a good place to start. For extra long shots on Deer and Elk or dangerous game such as Grizzly you can up the load like rat does to 80 or 100. Just keep in mind the condition of your gun because these heavy bullets can build pressures up. Also keep in mind the rate and depth of twist and that a higher velocity can cause a Minie to strip, especially if it fits very loose to start with. It may not open enough to grab the rifling. And always remember your comfort. If your gun recoils excessively, you'll find yourself flinching which you know will wreck your accuracy, not to mention make you a very tired and sore camper after a day of practice.
:m2c: :results:
