Richland Arms "michigan"

[Confused.45]

I inherited a muzzleloader from Richland Arms, in very good condition and a decent bore. It's a .45cal and was hoping someone could tell me what I should load it with, how much, and if it's good enough to take a deer under a 100 yards. Thank you in advance.

 

[Bnewberry]

I have read you should start with about as many grains of powder as the caliber. So for a .45 start with 45-50 grains by volume of fffg black powder and a patched round ball, assuming it isn’t a more modern style that uses bullets rather than ball.

A .45 will take a deer if you hit it well. For a hunting load you will likely want to work up to a load with more powder.

 

[ohio ramrod]

As stated a grain per caliber is a good place to start. Accuracy is more important than maximum velocity. Try three shot groups as you work your way up on the charges. Remember only change one variable at a time as you try for the most accurate powder charge, ball size, patch thickness, and lube. .440 balls are most often used in 45 calibers, though some like a .445 ball. .015 thick pillow ticking is a good starting point on patches. You want as tight patch and ball combination as you can easily load.Remember exact components isn't as important as consistantcy. I was once at a trail shoot that was won by a man using an old T shirt for both shooting patches and cleaning patches!The Dutch Schultz method will save you a lot of time playing around. Dutch has made shooting consostancy a simple process.

 

[Critter Getter]

I have shot many deer with any of my .45’s. Round ball, maxi ball, or maxi hunter. Hit them in the vitals and they work as well as my .50’s. I use 60-80 grains of fff depending on the rifle and the projectile being used. Greg