Need load assistance.

[coyote_tracker]

Hi new here. I have a .50 cal. wood stocked CVA mountain stalker. Just had a Williams peep installed because I can't see the open sights anymore. I shot it today to see where it hit. Was 3 inches low at 25 yards. So I moved to 50. 6 inches low. The load was 80 Gr Pyrodex P Behind a Hornady Great Plains bullet, 385 Gr. I haven't been able to find ballistic data on the Hornady projectile. Any help getting a good load together would be appreciated. This rifle should be a 1 in 48 ROT. Thanks.

 

[hanshi]

Find your most accurate load then file a little bit on the front sight until it's hitting where you want it to hit.

 

[8 BORE]

Thats a heavy bullet
Try 100 gr. 3F Black.
At least use black powder it burns better, more consistant and easier to clean

 

[Carbon 6]

B.C. is 0.148 I'm guessing velocity is around 1500 Fps.
Plug it into a computer
https://www.hornady.com/team-hornady/ballistic-calculators/#!/standard

With those numbers a 25 yrd zero should be about 6" low at 100.

Sounds to me like your peep is to low or you front sight is to tall.

Since muzzleloaders generally aren't long range guns the best way to establish their trajectory is to do it manually. Shoot targets at 25 yrd increments.

 

[BrownBear]

...Williams peep....

You can also raise the rear sight to raise POI without filing on the front sight.

 

[Carbon 6]

Thats a heavy bullet
Try 100 gr. 3F Black.
At least use black powder it burns better, more consistant and easier to clean

Powder is not his problem.
Pyrodex P is just fine and 80 grains should be about perfect in that gun. 100 grains will likely just kick like a mule and cause barrel leading.
Pyrodex has more snot that BP. Pyrodex P is very consistent and is well suited to conicals like the Great Plains and T/C maxi ball.
Yes, It does clean harder than black.

I assume the OP has already established his accurate load. so his problem is a sighting issue.

 

[coyote_tracker]

No need to file the front sight as the Williams is windage and elevation adjustable. I used to shoot 100 Gr pyro. And yes kicked like an Arkansas mule! Tomorrow I believe I will bump it to 90 grains to get a bit more velocity. Then adjust peep to get a tight consistent group about 2" high at 25 yards. I know the drop on that big conical will be drastic. But if I can get muzzle to 100 yards holding center lungs I'll be happy as a clam.

 

[Carbon 6]

No need to file the front sight as the Williams is windage and elevation adjustable. I used to shoot 100 Gr pyro. And yes kicked like an Arkansas mule! Tomorrow I believe I will bump it to 90 grains to get a bit more velocity. Then adjust peep to get a tight consistent group about 2" high at 25 yards. I know the drop on that big conical will be drastic. But if I can get muzzle to 100 yards holding center lungs I'll be happy as a clam.

The way you seem to be describing things is backwards to conventional methods.

Before you adjust your sights you should find your most accurate load. It doesn't matter where it hits on the paper, just shoot for group. Once you have a nice group at 25 yards then take that load out to distance and try it. once you're satisfied with group sizes you can adjust for "zero" or accuracy.

Hope that helps.

 

[coyote_tracker]

I'll try that thanks! I'll post results tomorrow after shooting.

 

[Carbon 6]

I'll try that thanks! I'll post results tomorrow after shooting.

I'll put it another way just to be redundant.

One should not try to alter POI ( point of impact ) by changing the load.
Find the best, most accurate load then adjust the sights to hit point of aim.

Also,
If you hit a deer in the lungs with a 385 grain bullet at 100 yards it won't matter if you are using 80 grains of powder or 100.
That bullet will go clean though.

 

[tenngun]

Try a PRB, it will kill deer black bear and hog just fine. And won’t kick as bad. Don’t let anyone tell you that’s not a round ball twist, most round ball rifles back in the day was around 1/48.

 

[longcruise]

The first elk I ever killed many years ago was with a 370 grain .50 maxiball and 70 grains of goex ff at 131 yards. Broke a rib going in and stopped under the skin on the far side.

I think we tend to way underestimate the killing capacity of our ml guns with conicals and balls.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Hi new here. I have a .50 cal. wood stocked CVA mountain stalker. Just had a Williams peep installed because I can't see the open sights anymore. I shot it today to see where it hit. Was 3 inches low at 25 yards. So I moved to 50. 6 inches low. The load was 80 Gr Pyrodex P Behind a Hornady Great Plains bullet, 385 Gr. I haven't been able to find ballistic data on the Hornady projectile. Any help getting a good load together would be appreciated. This rifle should be a 1 in 48 ROT. Thanks.

The Williams peep is fully adjustable, windage and elevation. If it is hitting low, raise the rear sight. Find the most accurate load, period....

 

[Gowacky]

I’ve got about 70 shots through my peep sights now and I’m very impressed with using them. They seem to be very forgiving. Once I was happy with the windage setting I figured it would be largely estimating your point of impact and adjusting your point of aim accordingly. I’m probably 4” high at 20 yards and about dead on at 100.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I’ve got about 70 shots through my peep sights now and I’m very impressed with using them. They seem to be very forgiving. Once I was happy with the windage setting I figured it would be largely estimating your point of impact and adjusting your point of aim accordingly. I’m probably 4” high at 20 yards and about dead on at 100.

That sounds like DRT deer hunting. I love my peeps. I went with something a lot smaller and less obtrusive/bulky than the Williams. The Pedersoli Ghost fits on the tang and is very trim. It also is adjustable for windage and elevation.
Most important thing is that you are happy with your sights and are getting great results!

 

[Howie1968]

Hi new here. I have a .50 cal. wood stocked CVA mountain stalker. Just had a Williams peep installed because I can't see the open sights anymore. I shot it today to see where it hit. Was 3 inches low at 25 yards. So I moved to 50. 6 inches low. The load was 80 Gr Pyrodex P Behind a Hornady Great Plains bullet, 385 Gr. I haven't been able to find ballistic data on the Hornady projectile. Any help getting a good load together would be appreciated. This rifle should be a 1 in 48 ROT. Thanks.

Hi new here. I have a .50 cal. wood stocked CVA mountain stalker. Just had a Williams peep installed because I can't see the open sights anymore. I shot it today to see where it hit. Was 3 inches low at 25 yards. So I moved to 50. 6 inches low. The load was 80 Gr Pyrodex P Behind a Hornady Great Plains bullet, 385 Gr. I haven't been able to find ballistic data on the Hornady projectile. Any help getting a good load together would be appreciated. This rifle should be a 1 in 48 ROT. Thanks.

I own one of these as well, I went to deer creek products and bought a set of CVA hawken adjustable sights. this made a world of difference. I shoot 2 loads out of this rifle a patched .490 roundball .015 patch a wonder wad over the powder and 60 grains pyro P. a great shooting low recoiling load. I also shoot it with the same bullets the Hornady great plains 383 with 80 grains pyrodex 2F I also put a wonder wad over the powder. I took the plastic but plate off stuffed with rags and a a pound of no roll sinkers in a plastic bag. then stuffed more rags. I bought this rifle for 50.00 at a gunshop and for 50.00 im very pleased. its my loaner gun and also my kayak gun when I go to a couple WMA that can only be accesed by boat. not the prettiest thing and I don't care for the black stock, but for what it is I love a cheap durable gun that goes boom when the trigger is pulled nice and light and handy

 

[coyote_tracker]

Howie mine is wood stocked and pretty good looking. I'll post a pic when I figure out how. I need a peep with my old eyes. I maxed out the elevation adjustment today and got it dead on at 25 yards with the 385 Hornady GPB. Didn't shoot at 50, ran out of daylight. I'd like to file the front brass sight and get it dead at 50 as this is where most shots will be from my stand. I also want to get some round balls to see how point of impact compares. I tried the GPB because I may want to black bear hunt with it also and figure they would be more effective than a PRB.

 

[coyote_tracker]

 

[Mad Professor]

Thats a heavy bullet
Try 100 gr. 3F Black.
At least use black powder it burns better, more consistant and easier to clean

If I remember correctly the lyman manual had 90gr of FFg as a max load for that weight bullet out of a 50 cal. 100gr of FFFg is too much IMHO.

I shoot a similar 385 gr buffalo bullet out of one of my 50 cal renegades w/1-28 GM barrel. It seems to be happy with anything from 70-90gr FFg and a wonder wad. The recoil gets heavy at 90gr , so I'm using 80gr. My avatar shows that load at 50 yds (5 shots), it's about dead on at 75 yds and a bit low at 100.

 

[coyote_tracker]

What is the purpose of the wonder wad? Also with PRB's what kind of accuracy and trajectory should I expect? Also deer dropping power?