small game v. target v. deer loads

[Don B]

Being new to the sport, and having no personal experience yet to lean on, I've become confused about what I've read here about load development and using different loads for different purposes.

I gather that each piece has its own particular best combination of powder load/patch/lube/ball that will yield its smallest groups. This is the combination that would be used for deer hunting, and will probably be around 90gr in my .54 GPR.

On the other hand, some of you use lighter-than-deer loads when targeting small game and paper, both requiring at least as much accuracy as needed for large game.

I assume changing loads affect POA v. POI. Do you have to adjust your hold for the different loads, or do you adjust your sights for the squirrel/paper season? And don't the lighter loads result in larger groups?

I'd be interested in understanding your various strategies for using one rifle for different purposes.

Don B

 

[Headhunter]

Don,

Thats a good question you have there. I am sure a lot of people are confused with what is said on here from time to time.

I can let you know what I do and what works for me. I shoot 50 Caliber, and a 490 ticking patched round ball. Goex FFFG powder exclusivley.

Small Game 50 Grains. I have shot 1 deer with 50 grains. It was a doe at 65 yards, Behind the shoulder Complete pass thru.

Target and novelty shoots, I shoot 50 grains out to 50 yards, then bump it up to 80 for 75 or 100yard shooting.

For deer, I shoot 80 Grains and have shot deer out to 120 yards using KANtucky windage.

HH

 

[nchawkeye]

I shoot a .54 caliber flinter with a Rayle barrel...It is rifled 1 in 72 and the rifling is cut deep, about .012-.015 of an inch...My deer load is 80gr of Goex FFF...My "target" load is 50gr FFF...

When I set up the gun I sighted in about 1 1/2 inches high at 50 yards with the 80gr load...I also kept checking the impact at 25 yards with 50 grs while I filed the front sight...I'm dead on at 25 yards with the 50 grain load...

Accuracy is no problem because a slow twist barrel with deep cut rifling is very forgiving...I have also shot 100 to 120grs. With these hotter loads I need a wad between the powder and ball as it will burn the patch...But accuracy is still outstanding...

 

[romeoh]

A very good question.

I usually load my .54 Pedersoli RM Hawken with 65gr.
That´s my favorite load because it works with roundball AND maxiballs. Hole-in-hole-groups.
I guess that´s called clover-leaf, am I right?

I use this load for target shooting but I can imagine if the game is not to big and the distance isn´t to far it could work for hunting too.

Greetings from bavaria :hatsoff:

romeoh

 

[roundball]

I use Goex 3F with most calibers...
50grns targets
90grns w/wad for hunting


From old recovered powder measures that were around 50-55grns, there's some speculation that a single measure was small game, and a double measure was for large game.

IMO, as close as most of the settlers were probably able to get to deer size game back then, I doubt they'd bother with a 100grn charge...the 50grn charge would have worked at close to moderate distances

 

[Larry Pletcher]

. . .
IMO, as close as most of the settlers were probably able to get to deer size game back then, I doubt they'd bother with a 100grn charge...the 50grn charge would have worked at close to moderate distances

I like Roundball's explanation here. I use a gr/caliber as a milder load and bump it if needed. My favorite caliber is .40. I use 40 grains of 3fg for squirrels and bump the load if needed. In Indiana a .40 is not legal for deer, so the largest game I'd likely get a chance at would be a coyote. An increased load probably isn't needed unless you want to shoot flatter.
Regards,
Pletch

 

[Idaho Ron]

I use one load for all my shooting. Varmits, target, deer and elk. here is my best group, but this gun shoots 1 1/4" groups at 100 yards regularly.

 

[BrownBear]

I've been shooting my GPR 54 a lot over the last few years and in mine anyway, I've never had to touch the sights when changing charges, at least for shooting out to 50 yards. I sighted it in about 2" above POA at 50 yards with 90 grains of pyro P, and a switch to the same charge of Pyro RS doesn't change things a bit. 60 grains of Pyro P seems to drop POI to POA at 50, but that's a guess based on offhand shooting. I haven't benched it in about 3 years.

My small game load is 35 grains of Pyro P and POI is about an inch above POA at 25 yards, and POA and POI pretty much coincide out close to 50. I haven't benched that load at 50, but it still splats bunny heads on the few occasions I've tried longer shots.

All these are 6 oclock holds on a 3" bull, but I'm guessing you should see the same if you prefer a different sight hold.

 

[Slamfire]

Yes, my deer loads run 25 grains heavier charge than target/small game loads, and do open up a wee amount. However, deer are a little bit larger than targets or small game, so it don't matter. :winking:

 

[Walks with fire]

Idaho,

Is that a 1/28 twist Green Mountain Barrel? Do you use a wad over the powder? How thick and what kind if you do? Is the Horndady 410 hollow base or flat? I have an RMC with 1/28 twist and it has a QLA on the barrel, I can't get it too shoot conicals worth a hoot.

 

[d.thomson]

I'v found that in my T/C Hawkens that I only get good groupings with between 85 and 90 grns of 2f anything lower or higher I don't get good groups . So if I used lets say 50 grains my goups at 50 yards would open up to 4 inches were they clover leaf with 85 grains. I havent tryied 3f yet. how doses every one else group at lower charges, is my gun an anomaly. I didn't meen to steal the thred. Regards Fisher King. :hmm:

 

[MikeChapin]

Almost all my rifles have fixed sights. The one that doesn't hasn't had the sights moved of twenty years so I generally use two charges. I do a lot of target shooting at 25, 50 and 100 yards.

I work up a light load that will keep everything within an inch or inch and a half at 50 yards. This is usually around the caliber or a little less in grains. I then work up a load that will shoot the same POA at 100 yards. This load I want to be able to hold it within three inches. That's about as good as my old eyes can do at 100 yards. The 100 yard load will be the hunting load for the rifle.

A couple of examples: In my Santa Fe .53 uses 50 grains under a .515 ball with a .026 denim patch for 25 and 50 yards. For 100 yards, it uses 80 grains to print dead on at that range. My Tennessee .50 shoots 50 grains under a .490 ball and .026 denim patch for 25 and 50 yards but only needs to go up to 70 grains for the same POA at 100 yards.

 

[Idaho Ron]

Walks with fire,
My barrel is a 1-28 twist. The load is 100 gr of Pyrodex select RS. No wad was used and the Bullet has a hollow base. This was my best group. Most of the time at 100 yards I can bet on 1.25" some times better.
This is the gun

 

[renovato]

Don, I find that most of my guns have 2 sweet spots. A lesser load (usually in the 50-70 grain range for my .50-.54 rifles) that's the most accurate, and a second, more powerful sweet spot that isn't quite as accurate, but accurate enough for hunting. I use the more accurate of the two for target and small game and reserve the heavier one for hunting larger game.

 

[Don B]

Plink,

I assume the light load sweet spot is the load at which the rifle is most accurate. What defines the heavier load's sweet spot?

Don

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

A balance of power vs. accuracy, that is the most powerfull loading that is accurate enough to shoot straight enough to get the job done. This varies from rifle to rifle, sometimes two of the same rifle will have a slightly different sweet spot. Only testing will tell for sure :winking: Dave