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Patch Lube
- Thread starter EDP1
- Start date
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EDP1
It would help if we knew the caliber of your CVA rifle. What rate of twist is the rifling?
Do you have the Manufactor's Manual on the rifle. Never go over the Manufactor's max. stated powder load.
You can cut your patches round or square. Just make sure that they cover the sides of the round ball completely. ( good contact with rifling).
It would help if we knew the caliber of your CVA rifle. What rate of twist is the rifling?
Do you have the Manufactor's Manual on the rifle. Never go over the Manufactor's max. stated powder load.
You can cut your patches round or square. Just make sure that they cover the sides of the round ball completely. ( good contact with rifling).
The minimum charge is always a variable, but in my book it's the one that gives you the best accuracy.
The idea is to experiment, each gun and barrel will have a bit of a different charge for accuracy because each individual shooter will have his/her own style or technique for loading things as small as tapping the powder measure and how hard you push the final time can change things, don't worry too much what you do will be good for you.
Start at about 50-55grns, shoot 5 rounds at a target aiming at the same point, then increase the powder charge 5 grns and shoot 5 more times at a clean target. Continue the 5grn increases up too around 80-90grns.(Max is seldom accurate)
It helps to clean the barrel between these charge changes, kinda give each charge a fair starting point.
Somewhere in there you'll find one target that has a better group than the others.
It'll take some shooting to find it, but a "hunting load" is one that will place the ball in the kill zone accurately and repeatably.
A 50cal rifle with a round ball is plenty for Deer and Blackbear size game, Many states require a .40 cal or more for Deer, the 50 is plenty
The idea is to experiment, each gun and barrel will have a bit of a different charge for accuracy because each individual shooter will have his/her own style or technique for loading things as small as tapping the powder measure and how hard you push the final time can change things, don't worry too much what you do will be good for you.
Start at about 50-55grns, shoot 5 rounds at a target aiming at the same point, then increase the powder charge 5 grns and shoot 5 more times at a clean target. Continue the 5grn increases up too around 80-90grns.(Max is seldom accurate)
It helps to clean the barrel between these charge changes, kinda give each charge a fair starting point.
Somewhere in there you'll find one target that has a better group than the others.
It'll take some shooting to find it, but a "hunting load" is one that will place the ball in the kill zone accurately and repeatably.
A 50cal rifle with a round ball is plenty for Deer and Blackbear size game, Many states require a .40 cal or more for Deer, the 50 is plenty
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My wife and I use 80 grains of Goex 3f or Pyrodex P as deer hunting loads in most of our 50 cal rifles.
You could probably do just fine down around 60 grains to at least 50 yards. Goodness knows, 80 grains is more than enough for deer. Only reason we use that much is to provide adequate trajectory over the ranges we usually hunt. Sighted in dead-on at 75 yards, 80 grains results in a ball that's barely an inch high at 50 yards and only around 3" low at 100. Makes for easy hitting and very dead deer, and the recoil is not even a factor.
You could probably do just fine down around 60 grains to at least 50 yards. Goodness knows, 80 grains is more than enough for deer. Only reason we use that much is to provide adequate trajectory over the ranges we usually hunt. Sighted in dead-on at 75 yards, 80 grains results in a ball that's barely an inch high at 50 yards and only around 3" low at 100. Makes for easy hitting and very dead deer, and the recoil is not even a factor.
hanshi
Cannon
I use 60 grains 3F in all calibers from .45 to .54 as a target/all around charge and it is accurate. Patch shape makes no difference; square is what I use.
hanshi
Cannon
Oh, need to add that I do use heavier loads for deer, Hoppes BP lube for everything except for the first load of the day. For that I use Bore Butter or Crisco.
By "Grevious" do you mean "Grease"? If so make doubley sure that you use a non petroleum grease such as Lard, Crisco, Olive oil and such. PAM in the spray is a decent patch lube if you want a grease type lube. If you use motor oil or axle grease you will find black gunk in your rifling that is a bear to remove.
Bob
Bob
the CVA manual i downloaded a while back shows 50gr min and 100gr max of FFg for a .50 caliber rifle. my cva hawken is dead on @ 100 yards with 50 grains of FFFg for targets, but for hunting i bump it up to 70 grains FFFg. for patches, i cut a stirp of ticking, then cut that into squares. then i melt down some lard and saturate them, squeez out the excess an let them cool. good to go. experiment a little find out what flavor your rifle prefers. :thumbsup:
