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I just picked up a lb. of GOEX to use in my new to me .54 cal. White Mountain Carbine. How much powder should I use with roundballs, 435gr. maxi hunter's, and sabots with 300 gr.Hornady XTP's? I have never used a .54 cal rifle before. I am getting verey antsy to fire this gun.
I could tell you, but it is much easier to give you the link...
http://www.goexpowder.com/load-chart.html
Just range shooting,... I use 70 grains.. with a patched round ball.. I have used 100 grains, just to see how the recoil was... which wasn't bad at all..
i shoot .535 balls with 015 saliva wet patches in my TC 1-48 Hawken with 70-80 of FF GOEX or Wano FF. accuracy is 3 shot cloverleafs at 50 and 5 shots stay into about 2"recoil is not too bad either.
George
I have a TC Hawken in 54 with two barrels one is a RB barrel with a 1 in 60 twist and the other is the standard 1 in 48 for conicals. I have never shot sabots in any ML it just is not me but I have shot RB and Maxi hunters in my rifle and they work well. Most of my shooting is for BP Rendezvous and so my loads are for RB 50 gr FFFG for anything out to 50 yards and 80 gr for beyond that range. When I go hunting I use RB for deer and usually 90 gr FFG and for elk I use a maxi hunter bullet with the same powder charge. I found that my rifle likes that load for accuracy and it has sufficient power for the job.
Which ever projectile you use, find the most accurate load, and stick with it. The guys that switch powder charges for different distances are not using the best accuracy for their rifle.
I use 55 gr. 2f for target 25 & 50, 90gr for 100 yd w/ same sight picture. Colerain 38" C weight .54.
100 gr. 2f for hunting. As for accuracy from 55 up to 100 aint a hairs difference for my particular rifle. At least I cant hold that good anyway.
Thanks for the help guy's. I really like the link to GOEX loading charts. Thanks for that link,7of 7. I just need to find a .54 cal. jag, and bore brush. So I can clean this gun, after I have fun getting it dirty.
Most all mail order houses carry what you need. Try Track of the Wolf for nothing but BP supplies. Later David
I was hoping to find one locally, but no . So I had to mail order it. Did that a couple of days ago.
rayzer,
I never use a brush. Not that a brush is a bad thing but they do get stuck in muzzleloaders. Just a good jag of the right size, cloth patches and a good cleaning rod. Brushes may be handy for the inlines that some call "muzzleloaders" but blind hole bores and brushes don't mix well. If you do use a bronze brush make sure it is exactly the right size and not the least bit oversize. Plastic bristle brushes are a different matter and cause no issues.
I don't shoot any sabots,just RBs out of my .54 cal Hawken. It likes 100 grs of 2F. Mostly its a wall hanger nowdays.
405. Yes I know how the bore brushes can get stuck in muzzleloaders. Had one stuck in my first muzzleloader, that had no easily removable breech plug. My friend and I had a tug o war, till we got it out. This .54 has some plastic residue left in the bore, the last owner used just sabots. He said that He could never get the rifle to shoot good. Can't wait to try some round balls. I want to use the bore brush with acetone to remove the plastic residue. The acetone will also eat the plastic bore brush. That is why I want a copper brush.
7of7 - that's a great chart. thanks for the link - G
Rayzer - fwiw I use 60 grains of ff, 015 ticking patch and 530 roundball in my old Renegade. G
All of these with .535 RB annd lubed pillowticking
Lube is TC or 5/4 beeswax EVOO
50 gr. FFFG Target
80 or 110 gr. FFFG hunting
Shot some of the heaviest Lee REALs with 80 gr. FFFG for best grouping in my Green Mountain barrel.
rayzer,
OK, you've had experience with the brush in the bore deal. If the bronze brush is an issue, then an alternative is copper Chore Boy or bronze wool wrapped tightly around an undersized brush for a tight bore fit. I don't know how you know it is plastic in the bore but... it could also be lead. The copper material or bronze wool tight jag will remove either plastic or lead.
405. The previous owner told me that he only used sabots, and that he could not get the rifle shooting accurately. I never thought about using choreboy on an undersized borebrush, I like that idea. Thanks 405.
I know that dead soft conicals can build lead- at times a lot of lead. But if the only thing shot in it has been sabots then there might be plastic build up or if accuracy was always a problem.... sometimes sabots just don't shoot well. Anyway, to remove stuff like lead or plastic you can use Copper Chore Boy strands wrapped tightly around an undersize, worn out brush or even a jag. A tight fit in the bore is important and there isn't much fear of it getting stuck. Use a good cleaning rod. Bronze wool also works as does steel wool (steel wool won't hurt the bore). Just soak the "mop" in a good solvent and go to town.