Your Target & Hunting loads

[Melnic]

I am curious what everyone is using for their target and/or Hunting loads for 50 & 54 cal (or whatever you got , just list them is cool).

 

[Rifleman1776]

My .45s get 45 to 55 gr. 3Fg bp for target. For Bambi I crank it up to 65 gr. which has proven very effective. More damages meat and deer is just as ded.
Never hunted with my .54 Jaeger but for target I use 70 gr. and get lousy groups because of the slow twist. For hunting big stuff, like elk, I would probably go 90 to 120 gr.

 

[cynthialee]

All my shooting is done with the idea I am practicing shooting critters.
So all my targets are shot with the same load as my hunting.
With my TC Hawken I find that 80 grains of 3F with an over powder card, .490 roundball and .015 patches works the best. I use whatever caps are on hand but I prefer the Remington #10 over the other brands of caps.

 

[hanshi]

Practicing with my .50 is usually done with 60 to 70 grains of JBP; I don't have a small game load for this rifle since it is a hunting instrument only. The three .45s like 60 grains of JBP as all around shooting including hunting. One of them does well with 70 grains and 30 to 40 grains work for practice. These also have no small game load.

My one .54 doesn't get fired much but 60 grains of 3F is a fun/practice load. No longer hunt with this fine rifle but when I did I found 110 grains of 3F did a magnificent job on deer and shot targets the same way. 60 grains of 3F gives 1.25" regularly at 60 yards.

All small game is shot with either a .32 or .36 and 20 grains of 3F. That's also my practice load. The .40 is not used on deer (yet) and the best load for all shooting, small game, targets, practice, etc, is 40 grains of 3F. This load gives slightly over 1700fps. If I hunt deer with it I'll use 60 grains of JBP for close to 2000fps.

 

[mooman76]

I shoot 60gr 2f in my 58 and it does fine for paper. For hunting loads I crank it to 80gr and it still shoots good and is dead on at 100y with out adjusting the sights.

 

[Stringbean]

45 cal: 70 fffg, round ball
50 cal: 90 ffg, 370 grain maxi ball
54 cal: 90 ffg, round ball
62 cal: 90 ffg, round ball
I use the same loads whether shooting targets or fur.
String

 

[William O.]

My target load is the same as my hunting load for my .54; 85 grains of 2f Goex. I haven't worked up an accurate load for either of my .50's right now, but I had a fast twist 50 caliber that shot conicals very well using 95 grains of 3f. Recoil was such that it could only be used as a target rifle for 5 or 6 shots before risking a shoulder bruise but I'd trust it to shoot clean through any deer, hog or elk I was likely to come across.

 

[necchi]

All my shooting is done with the idea I am practicing shooting critters.
So all my targets are shot with the same load as my hunting.

Absolutely!!

My target load is the same as my hunting load for my .54; 85 grains of 2f Goex.

Again, good answer and very close to my load.

 

[Patocazador]

Like Cynthia I only shoot targets to get ready for hunting.

.50 Hawken uses 65gr. of 3FG for round balls and 75 grs. 3FG for Maxi-balls.

I shoot a .45 too but you didn't ask about them.

 

[Snakebite]

.54 Cal Hawken with 34" barrel:
25m - 60grs 2f
50m - 75grs 2f
100m - 110grs 2f
Hunting - 110 2f

.40 Southern Mountain Rifle with 42" barrel:
25 and 50m - 40grs 3f
75 & 100m - 60grs 2f

Fairly flat trajectory and no guessing with those loads for targets. Works for me.

 

[galamb]

Only rifle I need is my 40 cal (36" Colerain), 60 grains of FFF for hunting (Bambi) or plinking.

45 (36" GM) gets 70 grains FFF and the 45 that will take over my bambi duties (42" Rice - when finished) will get 70 grains to start and tweaked from there.

My 54 (gone now) and both my 50's (one gone) get/got 80 grains of FFF (31" Oregon/54, 28" Lyman, 36" Green Mountain) - only used for hunting and enough target to make sure they were "hunt ready".

 

[Okie Hog]

i have one traditonal muzzleloader, a New Englander with .50 and .54 barrels. My target loads are my hunting loads.

.50 caliber loads.

Powder: 80 grains of 3F Goex Pinnacle with the fines sifted out or 80 grains of Grafs FFG
blackpowder.
Bullet: Patched round ball
Lube: GoJo
Primer: CCI or Remington #11.
Patch: Drill cloth, pre-lubed.

.54 caliber loads.
Powder: 100 grains of 3F Goex Pinnacle with the fines sifted out.
Bullet: Patched round ball.
Lube: GoJo
Primer: CCI or Remington #11
Patch: Commercial pre-lubed by me.

 

[Spikebuck]

All my shooting is done with the idea I am practicing shooting critters.
So all my targets are shot with the same load as my hunting.

+1 Same for me.

In .54's I've generally found 90 grs of 2F works great. This is a deer load

In my .62 it's 100 grs of 2F or 90 of 3F for a deer load.

I don't think it takes that much to kill a whitetail, but it's what's most accurate for me and gives pretty flat trajectory.

For squirrels in my 20 GA smoothie it's 50 gr 2F and 1 1/4 oz #6. Bump that to 75 gr 2F and 1 3/4 oz for turkey.

In the .32's and .36's it's 20-30 grs. 3F.

I haven't shot 50's much, but in my wife's 50 it's 70 grs of 2F.

I have a 45 & 58 in the works, so will be paying attention to others' loads for those.

 

[bubba.50]

in my .54cal renegade I use 70gr goex with prb & 90gr with maxi-ball because they have the same trajectory out to 75yds or so which is about as far as my eyes are good for these days.

and as has been said, same loads for huntin' & targets.

 

[cafi95]

Hi !

For my Pedersoli Hawken .54 I'm using 54gr. Swiss n°3 with round balls for target shooting, which is 3 times in volume the load of S2 I'm using for my R&S revolver and 2 times the load for my Dragoon. So nothing to adjust when using my Lee Perfect powder measure.

This load works fine.

For hunting, I would choose a 100 gr. S3 associated with a Hornady Great Plains conical (425 gr.) that works fine even in low twist barrel. This load is the maximal for that bullet according to Pedersoli.

Just to consider there the recoil is tremendous according to me and I always got a shoulder bruise
after 8 shoots. Definitely not for target shooting !

Philippe

 

[Shooey]

80 grains of 2F in my 50 cal. Patched round ball, crisco as a lube.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lube: GoJo

:shocked2: Doesn't that contain a pretty agressive abrasive?
Looks like most here use heavier charges than I like or consider necessary. :hmm:
But, this is a do yer own thang game. Pick yer pizzen.

 

[azmntman]

Dunno if abrasive or not but having just done an oil change and used a similar mechanics hand cleaner I am pretty sure there's not much of a slicker lube? (my stuff was non abrasive but very effective for oily hands) Kinda like using KY jelly for lube? I guess I would choose the warming brand if I were gonna go that slick in my rifle :rotf: . Per Dutch system too slick is not good as the ball will jump forward too easily prior to the complete ignition of the powder?

And I too shoot with less powder, having brought home numerous lbs of lean meat for the freezer I find 70 grains in my .50 is more than effective and usually use only 80 in my .54 for elk (same for .58). All 3f but now started using dutch system (slowly) and will be trying some 2f.

 

[coloradoclyde]

My target loads are my hunting loads...whatever shoots the best gets used

 

[oletymepreacher]

Hunting and target loads are the same, 100 grs GOEX 3F in both the 50 and 54 shooting roundballs. Majority of hunting is elk and bear.

Having sighting in rifles, I don't shoot off the bench except to verify zero. When I know I get a tag, I will send 8 rounds downrange at a steel target from 25 to 75 yards, using field positions. I do this daily until hunting season.