Ruger Old Army Loads

[thumbs]

Just wondering what you guys are using as a standard hunting load in your Old Army. I always used a reasonable light load for a finishing shot if needed on deer. It has worked fine. I would like to go a little hotter though. I would like not to have to use filler but what are your guys using?

thanks

 

[AZbpBurner]

I shoot mainly paper targets and water jugs, so accuracy is my primary concern.

23 gr. 3F + a paper wad between ball and powder gives me optimum accuracy.

The paper wad is simply a 1/2 sheet of 2 ply TP first folded in half to make a square. A tiny dab of ball lube is placed in the center of the paper, and all 4 corners folded into the center. Insert into the chamber, ram down over the powder and then seat the ball.

 

[crockett]

I'm told the Ruger Old Army is sort of a thing unto itself- stronger than the other 44 Rem replicas. If you are using a ball- probably okay to put in as much powder as the chamber will hold- then grease over the ends of the chambers.

 

[MSW]

well, it might hold - it's you gun, and it's your risk ... Ruger makes a pretty solid revolver, but I suspect that this load would rattle your fillings loose and run the risk of pushing one of the adjoining caps back into the frame hard enough to cause a 'chain fire' ...

I admit to 'armchair quarterbacking' here, but I think you should stick to a published load ... you would probably be burning a good bit of this powder after the ball cleared the muzzle.

if you think that adding a bit of overpowder card and a bit of filler is too much work and bother, perhaps you should stick to cartridge guns.


just sayin'

 

[thumbs]

What is the recommended load for the Old Army? I made up 6 cartridges using 30 gr or 3f.. To much??

 

[wattlebuster]

I stick with what is the most accurate in mine and thats 30 grns FFFg then a wonder wad and a 457 ball on top :thumbsup:

 

[thumbs]

Ok I loaded 6 paper cartridges using 30gr of 3f but thought I might be a bit to stout so I put a lighter load in with corn meal. The 30 grains with the round ball took up the entire cylinder.

 

[Don]

Mine shoots very nicely with 35 grains of Pyrodex P. Haven't tried 777 or swiss in it yet.

Don

 

[Patocazador]

This is my hunting load for my ROA. It's very accurate at 35 yards which is the farthest that I would choose to shoot a deer.
30-35 gr. FFFG, thin 1/16" fiber wad lubed on the bullet side, and a 200 gr. R.E.A.L. cast bullet.

I killed a small buck with this last year but used a 255 gr. cast FN bullet. The 200 REAL is more accurate. A .457 round ball is the most accurate load but not much of a deer killer.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

40 grains of 3Fg real black Goex will do the trick. Powder, wad, then ball. 40 grains won't stress the gun since it can handle more, and you'll have uniform powder compaction which will result in a lower sdv and tighter groups.

What a lot of Noobs fail to realize is that the rammer connected to the loading lever only goes just "so far" into the chambers. Having a light powder charge with a partially seated ball (since the rammer doesn't get the ball PUSHED onto the powder and compact it) will result in a shotgun pattern instead of accuracy.

Since my guns don't eat cereal, I just use the RIGHT amount of 3Fg Goex for each gun. At today's match I used my Uberti Colt Walker with 52 grains of 3Fg Goex, and got a quarter-sized cloverleaf of three shots in the 9 ring at 25 yards....

Have fun with your Ruger!

Dave
Shootist

 

[don hepler]

In defense of Crockett, you might have to eat a little crow here, the manual does state that a "safe" load is all the chamber will hold, leaving room for the ball. It does state that, it might not be the most accurate, and recommends starting with 20 grains of Black Powder, and work up. Ruger built the gun with chambers bored, so it would "not" be loaded beyond max. Manual, is on line, check it out. I don't think proper fitting caps are any more likely to dislodge, than a 40 grain load in a Dragoon.

 

[crockett]

Less powder is used with a conical because the heavier weight raises internal pressure. I was speaking of round balls.
There's a Florida group that does a lot of hog hunting with Ruger Old Army Revolvers. On a BALL they claim 45 gr of 3fg Hodgdon 777 and with a 240 grain Caido Bullet the powder charge drops down to 32 gr (max) or slightly less-using the same Hodgdon 3fg 777.

 

[tom deinek]

+1

That's how I have always loaded mine with 2F.

There are limit lines scribed inside my pistol cylinders -- I've always wondered how Ruger machined those marks.

 

[gl1200a]

Ruger did not scribe any "load lines".

Load however much blackpowder or sub you want.
It won't hurt a thing.

 

[Patocazador]

If you want perfectly uniform chambers and more powder capacity, order a Classic Ballistx cylinder for your ROA. They are an upgrade of the factory cylinder and are bored deeper to hold more powder or longer bullets.
I've never regretted getting one.

 

[don hepler]

Yeh, I was defending what you said. My response was to MSW.

 

[cynthialee]

30 grains is not going to hurt that old work horse. Filling it full enough to just barely be able to seat the ball will not hurt it.
There isn't a more sturdy BP revolver than the ROA out there that I am aware of.

Now my bet is that somewhere around 30-40 grains of 3F with a .457 roundball is your best accuracy load. Don't be afraid to use fillers to push that ball or bullet closer to the front.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

30 grains is not going to hurt that old work horse. Filling it full enough to just barely be able to seat the ball will not hurt it.
There isn't a more sturdy BP revolver than the ROA out there that I am aware of.

Now my bet is that somewhere around 30-40 grains of 3F with a .457 roundball is your best accuracy load. Don't be afraid to use fillers to push that ball or bullet closer to the front.

This Lady KNOWS what she's talking about! I whole-heartedly agree with everything you just typed, but didn't want to embolden your entire post!

Establishing accuracy in a Cap & Ball means you need to practice, especially with regards to controlling muzzle flip by establishing proper grip technique and muscle memory. Holding the gun either too loose OR too tight will dramatically alter POI. Just like with a rifle, do EVERYTHING the same and adjust loads from there.

I've seen 45 grain loads of 3Fg make one shooter a champion and another a loser--all with the same gun, so repeatable grip tension is extremely important, especially at longer distances beyond 25 yards. A couple years ago I hit a set of Scott Air Tanks (welded together) that Firemen use, from 135 measured yards with the Uberti Colt Walker. It wasn't a stunt, as I was able to do it 3 times out of 5 loaded chambers. With out-of-the-box Colt sights.....

Practice makes PERFECT (and I'm still practicin', lol).

Have a great rest of the week Cynthia!

Dave

 

[M. De Land]

I've never seen nor even heard of a ROA that was not accurate just the way they came from the factory.
The triggers can usually stand some lightening and stoning but other than that they don't need much work up.
Also I have never heard of one being blown up but I suppose it probably has happened with some one trying smokeless at one time or another. Mike D.

 

[cynthialee]

thank you
:grin:

there are only two things keeping me from getting a ROA:
the price tag
the fact they don't make them anymore, without a sure supply of replacement parts, repairs can become problems instead of missions