Heavy 50 cal?

[joatmon]

Whats the heavyest 50 cal boolit you've shot in a sidelock?

Thanks Aaron

[bubba.50]

I've never seen the need to shoot anything heavier than T/C maxi-balls. they do everything i'll ever want a muzzleloader to do. I think they are 320 or 370 grains. and as far as huntin' goes, the plain old r/b will handle most anything ya run into around here.

[joatmon]

Not really a need more of a want to! Being out of the maxi's I'd like to use something already cast for our late season and was eyeballing some 50 cal boolits.
Thanks Aaron

[DIRT Farmer]

I'ts more of a question of what will stablise. My guns are almost all round ball guns except a few 45s that are set up for a 535 grain slug.

[Lead Fred]

It would depend on the barrel twist

[rodwha]

Try a Lee REAL (320 grn). They show great potential in my 1:48" twist. But I also have to use a felt wad as I have a RB barrel with ~.008" grooves (~.502 X ~.520").

[joatmon]

Thanks for the replies. I've got a TC renegade, think I'll try some 440gr lee meant for the 500S&W if they fit the barrel.

Thank again Aaron

[dlbarr]

Never could get decent accuracy with the Maxi-ball bullet. Hornady's Great Plains bullet was no better nor was the Lee REAL bullet, but the Buffalo Bullets grouped real well. The Barnes TMZ is a tack-driver out of my 1:28 fast twist barrel. This all out of my own guns of course. YMMV...

I am of the same mind regarding game that most of us hunt - the PRB is completely adequate and anything more is probably overkill.

[bubba.50]

idahoron has a ton of posts on here about usin' the Lee 440's in his "hot rod hawken". he gets some awesome results with'em. you can do a search of his posts & find lots of info on the subject. I think I recall that he uses a fast twist barrel & that ya hafta run'em through a sizer after ya patch'em. luck & have a good'en, bubba.

[Good Cheer]

I've used the Lee standard fifty cal (like for the 50-90 cartridge) siazed down to muzzle load in a Green Mountain fast twist barrel. That was about 460 cast from straight lead.
Got a Lyman mold now and a .52 cal barrel coming to paper patch them with. Could go heavier but gonna try these first and see how fast they will be accurate.

[dlbarr]

I've used the Lee standard fifty cal (like for the 50-90 cartridge) siazed down to muzzle load in a Green Mountain fast twist barrel. That was about 460 cast from straight lead.
Got a Lyman mold now and a .52 cal barrel coming to paper patch them with. Could go heavier but gonna try these first and see how fast they will be accurate.

GC, so that's for a .45 cal barrel? I have the GM fast twist in a .50...

What's the rest of your load with this bullet, specifically your wad between powder & projectile?

[idahoron]

The heaviest I have shot is 525 gr. Bubba is right I shoot the lee 500 S&W bullet a ton. In fact I made up 250 of them yeterday. On hole pours at 458 grains with the lead mix i use. The other pours out at 460. I paper patch them and size them at .501 then shoot.

[Larry Gibson]

370 gr Maxi cast of 16-1 to withstand the magnum load. Rifle is a TC Black Mountain Magnum with 28" twist. Load is triple FFFg. Velocity is 1570 fps. Target was at 100 yards. First shot was down clean bore with 5 additional shots from speed loaders w/0 cleaning or wiping between shots.

Larry Gibson

123986

[triggerhappy243]

the maxi-ball groups much better if you lube ONLY the lower lube groove and dont push them too fast. good bullet fit is important with the T/C rifles.

[swheeler]

110-120 grs Goex 3f?

[joatmon]

Thanks all, guess I'll read up on the paper patchen and try some of these lee's!(that's what I got cast)

Aaron

[idahoron]

How hard are they? if they are over 7 BHN the method I wrote about will not work. The lead has to be soft.