Target vs. Hunting Load

[markinstettler]

I am very green when it comes to muzzleloading. So forgive me if this is obvious. I often read of muzzleloading folk develop a target load and a hunting load. This must change the trajectory of the bullet and therefore the point-of-aim necessary to put it where the shooter intends. How does one cope with that?

I guess that one could just know what's necessary to correct for the different load from practise at the range. Unless the difference in trajectory is insignificant between the two loads, it would take a lot of practise for me to trust myself to acceptable correct my POA in the moments preceding a shot at a deer.

 

[BrownBear]

Not an unreasonable question at all, and one I asked myself when first starting out. But since then I only really notice a change as the range stretches. At shorter ranges POI is pretty much the same. Without touching my sights, my light small game load is pretty well right on the money at 25 yards, but getting low out at 50. My target load is right on the money at 50, but dropping bad by 100. My hunting load is about 1" high at 50 and around 3" low at 100. That's pretty much the same out of 3 rifles, so I could easily use fixed primitive sight on each without looking back. Two of the three have them now, but the last still has a peep. May keep that because for my aging eyes It's sure easier to hit with as the range stretches.

Kinda neat really, not having to mess with sight adjustments as I change powder charges and go from one use to the next.

 

[szihn]

Speaking strictly for myself, I work up the most accurate load I can in a rifle, and then I use that load for everything.
If for example, my best load in my 62 caliber is 140 gr of 3F and a .600 ball with Ticking patch, and 1000+ lube, and it kills elk well, but I need to kill a rabbit, I can. It's WAY more power then I need for a rabbit, but it's accurate enough that I can make a head shot.
I believe that loading for accuracy is the best solution to every shooting situation.
But that's just my openion.
SZ

 

[paulvallandigham]

My brother met a man earlier this year shooting at an off-hand target at 25 yards. The gun sounded like he barely had any powder in it! He talked to the guy, and was told that the man had worked out a load to zero at 100 yds. for hunting, with a heavy charge of powder. Because he had fixed sights, and had a given POA at 100 yds. to get that ball to hit his target, he didn't want to have to aim differently at shorter ranges to hit his target. So he dropped his powder charge until he got the ball hitting at 75 yds., then dropped the powder charge again for 50 yds, using the same POA, and then for 25 yds. He had the 4 loads written out on a small card he had taped to the stock of the gun. His load for 25 yard shooting? 27.5 grains in his .54 caliber gun. When my brother commented that the charge was pretty feeble, the man observed, " It only has to pierce the paper at 25 yds to score! "

I guarantee that even with that small charge, you can kill a rabbit at 25 yds with that big ball!

This may be the best way to work up loads. It certainly worked for this guy. BTW, he also had the mid range trajectories for each load on the card, that is, the maximum height over POA that the ball would reach half way to the range set for the load. His mid- range trajectory for that 100 yard hunting load was about 3.5 inches. You are not going to miss a deer with that kind of MRT at 50 yds.

 

[MikeChapin]

I work up a load that gives tight groups at 50 yards. For target work, this is the same load I use for 25 yards. Since all of my rifles have fixed sights, I add more powder to hit with the same point of aim at 100 yards. I find the load that gives the tightest group at 100 yards.

This second sweet spot may shoot an inch high or low or be right on at 100 yards but it will shoot as well as my eyes can handle with open iron sights. This second load can be from 15 to 40 grains more than the short range load. This is load I use for hunting.

An example would be my Santa Fe. With 50 grains it is dead on at 25 and 50 yards and will place all the hits touching at 50 yards off a bench. To get it to hit dead on at 100 yards I up the load to 80 grains. Off a bench that load will keep everything within a 3" bull at 100 yards. That load will drop a bull elk within 100 yards.

 

[Stumpkiller]

There are them as will argue the only reason to shoot at a target is for hunting practice, so it follows that the hunting load IS the target load.

I use a light load for close-up squirrel, but my horn or bone fixed measure is attached to the horn and is the hunting load for my rifles. As mantioned earlier, my light load hits point of aim at about 30 yards though my hunting load is 2-1/2" high at 50 yards - and that's in my flintlock with fixed sights (filed or driven in their dovetails to regulate & not easy to adjust).

 

[playfarmers]

I too use the most accurate load for everything.

 

[markinstettler]

After reading these comments yesterday, I reached the same conclusion as Charlie based on Steve's post. For me, the major reason to target shoot is to ensure a successful hunt. So I will target shoot with my hunting load and that will be the most accurate load I've worked up.

If I ever find multiple sweet spots that happen to have the same POA, I guess that will be a feather in my cap.

Thanks for clearing this up.

 

[ffffg]

to me the best hunting load will group the best with the first two or three shots and is sighted in for that at average hunting temperature.. some loads (may be due to powder granualation,or lube etc) will print the first and second shot further apart than others.. if you load is very accurate but needs a fouling shot, that wont work for me, as i dont like shooting on the way to a hunt in the dark and leaving my gun unclean for the whole day... the very best hunting load would shoot three rounds in an inch at 100 yards without wiping from an oiled clean barrel.. i havnt found that one yet.. :grin: it probably depends on where you live, but hunting season here goes from 80 degrees to 20 below some years. my black powder guns just wont have a single load for that, that print the same groups or wipe the same, or have the same impact during those extreems.. so continual practice thru the season is important, if you want to be absolutly certain of success.. (shotguns are not an exception). dave.