Powder Charge for a .58

[Pritcher]

Hello all, I just yesterday finished my first custom build flinter. It is a 58 caliber unit with a 44" barrel, and it balances quite well for its great length. I plan on taking it out to the range later this week, but I was wondering what kinds of charges I should expect with it? I have seen folks say their .58 takes anything from 60 grains to 150 grains, 1f, 2f, 3f, really all over the shop. Perhaps y'all have a more concise starting points I could work off when I hit the range.

Cheers,
Jack

 

[Art Caputo]

I settled on 80gr of FFFg, .570 PLRB for a hunting load in my 58 Kibler Colonial. Very accurate, manageable recoil. Using a 50 yard zero, I hold zero at 25 yards(aim point 6 o’clock), and am about 5” low at 100 yards. Velocity approx.1400FPS For practice, I run 70gr of FFFg.

 

[Gtrubicon]

Beautiful rifle!

 

[SDSmlf]

Hello all, I just yesterday finished my first custom build flinter. It is a 58 caliber unit with a 44" barrel, and it balances quite well for its great length. I plan on taking it out to the range later this week, but I was wondering what kinds of charges I should expect with it? I have seen folks say their .58 takes anything from 60 grains to 150 grains, 1f, 2f, 3f, really all over the shop. Perhaps y'all have a more concise starting points I could work off when I hit the range.

Cheers,
Jack

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Welcome to the forum from Western North Carolina.

For a tenth or first build, a very nice looking gun.

Starting point. What black powder do you have available. Probably best to start with 2F or 3F, as long it is not a sub. Most use 4F or 3F in the pan, but 2F will work.

Next you need a snug fitting roundball and lubed patch combination.

General rule of thumb for a powder charge starting point is a little over half the caliber in grains. I’d start with 35 grains and get the feel of things just shooting for fun. Once comfortable, try different loads incrementally increasing the charge 5 to 10 grains at a time to find best accuracy load(s) based on group size. Then it would be time to start adjusting sights for your desired POI.

For reference, I will hunt with my 58s using 80 to 90 grains of 3F Swiss, and plink/target shoot with 35 to 45 grains. My goal is to find a short range (25 to 50 yards) lighter load POI that is the same as my ‘hunting’ load of 80 to 90 grains at 85 yards using the same sight picture.

 

[Freedom]

Love the gold inlays.
For what it's worth, your front sight is installed backwards.

For range and wood walks inside of 60 yards, I use as little as 45 grains of old Goex, 5Fa. It's probably the same powder repackaged as "reenactment" powder.

My rifle is sighted in dead on at a 125 yards with 120 grains of 3fff Swiss.

I use fifty or sixty grains of whatever's in the horn for our 25 yard forum matches using the same sight picture.

My Colonial 58 seems to shoot everything well.... As long as I have it pointed at the target when it goes off.

I use a .570ball and .015 PT patch, wet with soluble oil/h20.

3fffg seems to shoot best, because I get a few flashes in the pan. If I run 2ff.

 

[Flintlock Fellow]

Congrats on finishing your build! That’s one gorgeous rifle! For a .58 caliber with a 44” barrel, a good starting point would be around 70-80 grains of 2F. You can work up from there to see what groups best. Some folks go heavier, but accuracy usually starts to drop off before you hit the max loads. For powder, 2F is the most common for that size, but you can experiment with 3F if you want a bit more punch—just start lower, maybe 60 grains. I’m a big proponent of using as light a load as your desired accuracy at any given range will permit, as it results in less wear and tear on the gun and its components. Have fun at the range!

 

[Pritcher]

Love the gold inlays.
For what it's worth, your front sight is installed backwards.

I got a DM from a fellow saying the same thing haha, once I get home from work I will be flipping it. I had never done metal inlays before, but I figured the rifle would not look complete without them. They aren't perfect but I'd say they're acceptable for a first attempt.

 

[Buff1958]

I use 120 grains of FF and a .015 patch. Sighted in at 75 yards the difference from 50 to 100 is not enough to notice

 

[Pritcher]

Starting point. What black powder do you have available. Probably best to start with 2F or 3F, as long it is not a sub. Most use 4F or 3F in the pan, but 2F will work.

I have plenty of 1F and 2F powder, and about half a pound of 3F. My sporting clays/groundfowl gun is a bit of a giant powder hog, so I stock up on coarse granulation powder. I plan on shooting 2F just because I have it, but if the 3F preforms admirably I may order it in the future.

As far as ball and patch go, I cast my own balls of soft lead, so I'm good there. With the patch, I need to find a material this gun likes. My previous flinter really liked the 30-45 caliber cleaning patches that the local gun store sold. When it comes to lube, I'm a spit patch guy. Call me frugal or old fashioned, I just like jamming a wad of patches in the stock and having them ready lick, stick, and shoot.

 

[ligonierbill]

Chambers Edward Marshall 58: My standard load is 85 gr FFg under a tightly patched 0.570 ball. But nothing magic about it. See what shoots best in yours.

 

[Shortfingers]

Hello all, I just yesterday finished my first custom build flinter. It is a 58 caliber unit with a 44" barrel, and it balances quite well for its great length. I plan on taking it out to the range later this week, but I was wondering what kinds of charges I should expect with it? I have seen folks say their .58 takes anything from 60 grains to 150 grains, 1f, 2f, 3f, really all over the shop. Perhaps y'all have a more concise starting points I could work off when I hit the range.

Cheers,
Jack

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[Shortfingers]

My .58 likes 75 grains FFFg .570 orb .010 patch.
Keep in mind that they are all different so pick a starting load and go up or down in 5 grain increments to find the best group. You might try some FFg too. Who knows you rifle may like it better.
Enjoy experimenting and working up a load on that beautiful rifle.

 

[Topsail]

30 years ago my target load was 70 grains Goex 2f with a .570 patched ball cause thats what my measure threw. My hunting load was twice that. As I got smarter (older) my hunting load got closer to my target load.

 

[Mgbruch]

Pretty rifle. Did you build from a blank, or a kit? I ask because it looks like you used Kibler parts.

 

[Des52]

It depends on the twist rate in your barrel. The slower the twist the more powder you will need for accuracy, the faster the twist less powder for roundballs. . A 58 with a slow twist will be in the 80 to 120gr most likely.

 

[Daveboone]

My .58 likes 80 gr FF just fine. Back "In the days", when powder was much less efficient...or home made, I have no doubt much heavier charges were used, but with todays high quality powder 80 gr will do a lot of killin for average (white tail, black bear) big game.

 

[BJHabermehl]

Hello all, I just yesterday finished my first custom build flinter. It is a 58 caliber unit with a 44" barrel, and it balances quite well for its great length. I plan on taking it out to the range later this week, but I was wondering what kinds of charges I should expect with it? I have seen folks say their .58 takes anything from 60 grains to 150 grains, 1f, 2f, 3f, really all over the shop. Perhaps y'all have a more concise starting points I could work off when I hit the range.

Cheers,
Jack

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I use 80 grains of fffg and a .570 round ball, .017 cotton duck patch. Lube is either Simple green detergent for range use or olive oil for hunting. BJH

 

[olskool]

in the bigger calibers i like 2f but you need to try 2 and 3 f to see whet the gun likes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Bucks Co]

Some years ago I built a 'Leman/Dimick' style Half stock percussion rifle using an NZ made - 1" AF 32" Tony Hawkins 58 Barrel. It shot really well with 90grs Goex FFg and a 570 dia denim - patched round ball. That load shot really well on paper I never had a chance to use it on Game but have no doubt Red Deer would have fallen over real well with it; I know other users of those barrels used much heavier charges up to about 200 grs!!
I'm part way through a build of a full stock Leman with another Hawkins barrel I picked up from Rudyard and will start at 90 grs and take it from there.

 

[Pritcher]

It depends on the twist rate in your barrel. The slower the twist the more powder you will need for accuracy, the faster the twist less powder for roundballs. . A 58 with a slow twist will be in the 80 to 120gr most likely.

I believe the barrel is a 1:66 twist, but I'm not entirely sure. Just given the looks of it, I would imagine it's pretty slow whatever it is.