All 3F loads and PRB's. .32 gets 20 grn. .36 gets30 grn. 45 gets 40-45 grn depending on which measure I grab that day. .50 and .54 calibers get 50 or 55 grns depending on which measure I grab that day. I only shoot paper out to about 50 yards and these loads work ok for this dedicated plinker. If I was to hunt large I'd probably work up a heavier load for the larger calibers.
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Powder charge. How much powder do you use.
- Thread starter ColonialRifleSmith
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I’m automatically TURNED OFF by two words aka golf and inline!! The starting load for all my rifles, .50 .54 and .58 caliber is 100 grains KIK 2F and give excellent accuracy out to 200 yards! The .58 also likes a 140 grain load!
What projectiles and how excellent of accuracy out to 200 yards?
Question asked was how much we use. For my .45 cal. Douglas barrels I find my accurate 'sweet spot' at 45 to 55 gr. 3Fg. For hunting in same guns I up that to 65 gr. which has proven very effective. When I had my Brown Bess my favored charges were more moderate than what many others who post here use. I used in the range of 50 to 70gr. 2Fg. Did not use my 20 ga. fowler enough to settle on a charge, usually I just used the 'square' load method. Still dialing in my .50 cal. flinter. For you, the only answer is to use wat works best in yer muzzle gun.
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
Big loads for long shots. I can't see the sights well enough anymore to make a shot on a deer more than 50-60 yards away. I guess I'd just have to stop hunting out west.
I hunted with a .45 once some years ago. Patched RB with 45 grains of 3fff. It was the guns most accurate load. Shot a doe at 15 yards. Didn't need a magnum load. The last deer I shot was with and 1860 Army. .457 ball over 35gr 3fff. Killed a doe dead at 30 yards. No magnum charge needed. I'd prefer to hone my hunting skill rather than put a scope on my ML.
I hunted with a .45 once some years ago. Patched RB with 45 grains of 3fff. It was the guns most accurate load. Shot a doe at 15 yards. Didn't need a magnum load. The last deer I shot was with and 1860 Army. .457 ball over 35gr 3fff. Killed a doe dead at 30 yards. No magnum charge needed. I'd prefer to hone my hunting skill rather than put a scope on my ML.
Its a bummer for sure when the vision goes downhill. I'm in the same boat now. Have an appointment with an eye doc soon so hopefully that will help things some.
And yes indeed, in terms of a scope on a ML.
Your post got me to going back in time as a younger man. 1986 in fact i was 36, i had a H&R Huntsman in a .45 cal. I am sure i had a load of 50 gr prb. A fat spike eased up to the creek crossing i was sitting above. When he got almost touching the muzzle i shot him in the neck. DRT n i pulled him up out of the creek, field dressed him n drug him home
That's the way to do it, smoke!
Like an old friend used to say......."you can't argue with success".
RB all the way with 1-72 twist! Five shots will average going into 8” group. I use Hornady swaged balls.
It seems like thats something being missed in the conversation. Slower twist generally calls for more powder I think if accuracy is the goal. Likewise longer bullets tend to want more velocity to maintain accuracy.
Of course Im speaking generally.
Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
This is not correct, you left out barrel length. A 28 inch barrel can not handle the load of a 42 inch barrel.
My 42 inch barrel uses 54.5gr for a 1633fps load, but 74.5gr is a full load 2030fps, All that the barrel can burn.
I don't care whey your barrel length is. I merely posted my charges. If you don't find them suitable, too bad.
Brokennock
Cannon
stephenprops1
45 Cal.
I shoot with The Ohio Valley Muzzleloading Gun Club. I use a 45 caliber T/C Hawken or a Perersoli Missouri River rifle. I started out using 70 grains of FFF and an old timer recommended I reduce my load. I tried 60, 50 and 40 grains. I get good accuracy with 40 grains of FFF and that is my standard load for our shooting matches. (I use .495 patched round balls.)
For the Missouri river very light loads will probably be the only way to get PRB to shoot well for a simple reason. It's a fast twist with shallow rifling and therefore isn't suited to prb.
Someone may point out Jaeger's originally having a fast twist. And that they often did, but they had deep rifling. Unlike say a pedersoli jager hunter that has (from memory) 0.006" rifling.
Trooper
40 Cal
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2021
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I’m still experimenting with my .50, I’m currently testing out an accurate mold paper patch conical bullet with a diameter of .497 and a weight of 450 gns. I’m following Mr. Idaho Lewis’ load at 80 gns of Goex FFG and also I'll be testing triple 7 FFG with the same powder charge.
I'm curious about velocities and groups bench rested at 100 meters with these different powders.
I'm curious about velocities and groups bench rested at 100 meters with these different powders.
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Trooper
40 Cal
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2021
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- 370
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- 510
.495 PRB in a .45 cal rifle?
Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
Under powered and squip prone, knock yourself out.
