What will more powder get you?

[zimmerstutzen]

the rifling makes less difference than the length of the barrel. A GPR generates more velocity from a given charge because the barrel is 4 inches longer. More room for powder to be consumed. If you were to shoot 120 grains in a thompson renegade a portion of the powder would be wasted in muzzle flash. 26 inch barrel.

 

[TC Tommy]

An older and wiser friend of mine, used to build muzzle loaders for people. He would then help them find a good working load for it. For his personal guns, he would fine tune a load to shoot at gatherings as he called them, and he would hunt with the same load. He told me that he would work up a load to match the barrel length first. To much flash out the end was a waste of powder, try to keep it so the powder was done burning by the time the ball leaves the muzzle. Then fine tune your load from there. Plus or minus a grain or a 1/2, patch thickness, etc. Oh and of course tap on the sights.

 

[akapennypincher]

Each Brand of Powder has different amounts of let use the word 'power, or energy' per grain, to make this simple.

Swiss seems to pack the most power per grain.

Elephant, Schutzen, Goex are not as powerful as Swiss.

Swiss is the most expensive, but you get more power per grain.

Honeslty each time you change brands, or LOTS or BATCHS with the same brand you have to take the time to fine tune your load.

As simple, as I could make it. Have fun, be safe, and have fun.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Thanks for the replies. I am happy with the load I have. My barrel is 36", straight and there is very little muzzle flash. I can't decide if I am going to go up any. I might shoot a few groups with 90 to 100 grains and see how the accuracy and recoil are. I will get the chrono out too.

 

[Elkeater]

He told me that he would work up a load to match the barrel length first. .

What load would he have started with on a 50" .54 calibre barrel?

 

[zimmerstutzen]

a 54 has a different powder burning curve than smaller calibers like 50. It is wide enough in diameter that velocities keep climbing where lesser diameters reach a point of diminishing returns. You would probably see steadily increasing velocities until breech pressures reach critical. according to the Lyman Black Powder handbook 1st ed. a 54 cal barrel 43 inches long continues to build velocity at a constant rate for every ten grains until 90 grains. then velocity gains drop to almost half for each ten grains up to 130 and then velocities start climbing at a high rate again for every ten grains. But breech pressures get pretty high, recoil would be nasty. The air resistance on those big 535 balls is also pretty stiff. A ball moving 2100 fps at muzzle is dropped to 1230 fps at 100 yds. with a muzzle velocity of 2000fps, it drops to 1165fps at 100 yds, at 1900 fps, it drops to 1109 at 100 yds. 1800 fps drops to 1062 fps and 1700 fps drops to 1020. you can achieve 1700 fps with approx 105 grains of powder. you need to increase powder to 160 grains to get 2100 fps. So 55 grains more powder gets you 210 fps more at 100 yds. (not to mention possibility of catastrophic failure) it is not worth the shoulder punishment for that few extra yards. In eastern woodlands hunting, 100 yds is a long shot. The PA game commission decades ago found most deer are shot at an average of 35 yds. worrying about a flatter trajectory out at 100 yds, only matters in a small percentage of shots. My personal view, is that modern hunters are too inclined to take long shots. With the stock sights on a TC renegade, the front sight completely obscures a deer at 100 yds anyway. If you are hunting Elk out in big sky country, that is a whole different type of hunting and one would be better off with a bullet than a ball anyway.

 

[hanshi]

Also, it doesn't take all that much velocity to kill deer with that 230 grain ball. As long as I use 50 grains of "powdah" I'm legal here in Va.; I like 60 grns and it's very accurate. Might go up to 70 or even 80 grns if the situation calls for it; and rarely does it. :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

I like 60 grns and it's very accurate.

That's my wife's favorite 54 cal load. It kills deer with aplomb out to 50 yards, as far as she's willing to shoot them.

 

[MSW]

I would recommend that you plonk down some of your hard earned, over taxed, God entrusted dollars on Dutch Schoultz' method. The cost is about twenty of twenty five buck, if I remember correctly.

Here's a link: http://blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

this is far and away (to my mind) the best non shooting accessory you can get. Mr. Schoultz guarantees that your groups will shrink, and he has some good advice on the subject of a "hunting load."

 

[Tom Compton]

It’ll get u different barrel harmonics so maybe better accuracy.

 

[TC Tommy]

Each Brand of Powder has different amounts of let use the word 'power, or energy' per grain, to make this simple.

Swiss seems to pack the most power per grain.

Elephant, Schutzen, Goex are not as powerful as Swiss.

Swiss is the most expensive, but you get more power per grain.

Honeslty each time you change brands, or LOTS or BATCHS with the same brand you have to take the time to fine tune your load.

As simple, as I could make it. Have fun, be safe, and have fun.

Yes all of the different powders have different variables. 30 years ago he only shot Goex and bought several keg's and stored it in Mason jars. That batch would last a long time. He shot a lot, matches, and rendezvous'. When he had to order more keg's he did and made a few adjustments as needed, and went with it. That's all I'm saying.

 

[TC Tommy]

He told me that he would work up a load to match the barrel length first. .

What load would he have started with on a 50" .54 calibre barrel?

That's kind of hard to answer and I can't ask him since he died six years ago. Now let me ask you something. Do you have a 50" 54 cal barrel, and can you lift it to your shoulder let alone lift it?