Projectile of choice?

[Rick Tucker]

In a .54 cal 28" 1:48 twist hunting rifle, what is your preferred load and bullet set up?

 

[Art Caputo]

.530 lead round ball. .015” patch,TOTW Mink Oil Lube, 80gr FFFG.

 

[smokepolehall]

I have 3 all like 80 gr the .530 prb with .015 pt lubed with Tow mink oil. A 300 gr REAL & sab** using .45 cal ST Fury 250 gr.

 

[tenngun]

Ball for me. The 1/48 is called a compromise twist, but the original Hawkens were 1/48 and this was typically used on American rifles

 

[leadhoarder]

.530 ball .018 patch and 70gr FFF Goex.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Ball for me. The 1/48 is called a compromise twist, but the original Hawkens were 1/48 and this was typically used on American rifles

Most all the original Kentuckys were rifled 1 in 48.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

What are the groove profile and dimensons?

 

[Phil Coffins]

My 54 with round ball will shoot clean threw a deer most every time and works well for match shooting. Any charge from 70 to 110 depending on target. No magic load.

 

[deerstalkert]

.535 RB and bear greased .007 patch. 65g fff. can't remember the last time i went above 65g fff.
for conical it's the great plains bullet. forget the weight right now. sundowners syndrome you know.
what were we talking about? Oh.. that conical will ruin a bears day.

 

[SDSmlf]

In a .54 cal 28" 1:48 twist hunting rifle, what is your preferred load and bullet set up?

What will you be hunting? Squirrel? Deer? Hogs? Elk? Grizzly?…. Could make a difference when selecting a preferred load.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

What will you be hunting? Squirrel? Deer? Hogs? Elk? Grizzly?…. Could make a difference when selecting a preferred load.

I am into Swiss rifles especially the .41 ml
Fedstutser ml 1851 I bid £850 on a good one , photo black background , but it went for a total of £1600 at holts uk auction.

So Bid …….on one that needs a bit of love in holts sealed bid 20 June auction See our Hungarians friend on utube They shoot very well at 300 yards. , And surprisingly it’s 1/90cm twist or like 1/37” that’s what this comment is all about The second live in hope ,photo ,i but lost any hope for the first photo Monday past.
. I just also spent £863 on a smooth bore 1833, heavy barrel, the 577 rifling drilled out in distant past , contemplating getting it rifled 1/28 or 1/37’. The slower one almost ok for patch and ball. I think 1/37 is the winner , no other choice of rifling twist. See previous comments on 10.4 mm

 

[HSmithTX]

Roundball and a tight patch, however much 2F or 3F makes it shoot the tightest, doesn't matter what I am hunting or shooting this is what I am going to use.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

I have 2, for PRB I load 85gr 2F, 015 mink oil patch and .530 ball and I have 325gr deerslayers that like 90grs of 2F.

 

[64Springer]

It doesn't matter what bullets and balls other people use in their rifles.

It only matters what an individual rifle likes.

Yet we continue to have these threads.

Buy expensive powder and balls. Burn expensive powder and balls. Find a load that YOUR rifle likes.

There are no shortcuts, inexpensive or otherwise, to proper load development.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

I disagree that there are no shortcuts in load development. Maybe i'm the white elephant here but I buy another gun, for example I just got a custom .58 Lehigh. Over the last 40 years of modest muzzleloader shooting, admittingly only till recently, primary for hunting seasons only, I already have a pre conceived load for a new gun of an already owned caliber. A new .50 is 70grs of powder, .54 is 80grs and .58 is 90 grs and all with a .010 under ball diameter with a .015 patch. Will it be the best load for each gun, most likely NOT but it will be close to what I aim for in a load and that's an accurate load with good velocity/energy. For all my current arms, it's within 5 grs of powder and spot on for patch/ball sizes for my choice loads.
It's not a law, or and absolute but it is supported by my findings. Even if you look at the posted loads currently, it would easily be surmisable that 70-80grs with a .530 ball and .015 patch would most likely be a good load. Again, not the best or most accurate but would probably be a really good starting point. That's not to say that if the OP is new to BP, they should definitely spend copious amounts of time behind the weapon putting PRB's down range developing their weapons best load. But to say they cannot gleam at least a good starting point is inaccurate.

 

[64Springer]

I disagree with the Close Is Good Enough method of load development.

Every barrel has its own sweet spot.

It's not hard to find it and it's like angels singing when you do.

It just takes a willingness to put in the time and the effort.

 

[Highmark1]

430 grain maxi ball or no excuses wad cutter pre lubed, 100gr goex ffg, wool or fiber wad between powder and projectile. This in a T/C renegade .54 1:48 28” barrel hunting rifle
good for a big cow, up hill at 115 yds.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

In a .54 cal 28" 1:48 twist hunting rifle, what is your preferred load and bullet set up?

I'm not sure how experienced you are with flintlocks so I don't want to sound like I'm talking down to you at all.
I use a .530 roundball, approximately .015 patch and 80 grains of 2f in my .54 with a 1:48 twist.
That said, I only shoot roundball out of my flintlock rifles. If I was trying this rifle out, I'd probably use the.530 ball and patch mentioned above and take some shots with 60gr through 90gr in 5 grain increments (60, 65, 70, 75, etc), stabbing between groups, to see what your barrel likes. Your looking for the best group. After that, play with sites to get your group on target.

 

[64Springer]

The above is spot on.

And when you find the best five grain increment powder charge, try 2.5 grains above and below that powder charge.

May change nothing. May tighten things up some.

As the above pointed out DO NOT adjust your sights during your ladder testing. Only adjust your sights AFTER the best load has been developed.

Good luck with it.

 

[longcruise]

80 gr scheutzen 3f, Joanne's #40 drill (about .018), 533 or 535 ball. Proven adequate on deer and elk.