Previously i had been using 40-60g and was getting a bit of fouling near the breech.I had my pistol measure for my Ruger OA .45 and decided to try it out.At 25 yards its shooting under 1" and very mild.The fouling was gone and i was able to shoot 10 shots before i even noticed a bit of resistance to seating the ball.Cheap way to shoot.
Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries
This is with patched ball? What twist is your barrel?
I've been using 30 grs. of 3Fg or "P" Pyrodex with a patched .495 ball in a 28" twist Green Mountain barrel, actually intended for sabots, but cheap to shoot, like you say!
1-32 Lyman with .498 ball and .014 patch.lube was 1-7 Ballistol and water squeezed dry but still a bit wet.
Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries
This makes me want to buy a fast twist ML for close range plinking!!!
As long as it has deep rifling a you get a tight fitting ball the fast twists will shoot.My great plains hunter .50 shoots 90g of FFF reasonably well to 100 yards.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ght=fast+twist
post 26 has pics this is with 100g of Pyro P.
Last edited by HARRYMPOPE; 11-24-2013 at 10:10 PM.
Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries
I use 30 grains of ffg in my 1-66 50 flinter for close target and small game hunting. It gives me a 30 yd zero, with 60 grains being the 100 yd zero.
Don't buy nuthing you can't take home
Joel 3:10
OP was referring to a Rugar Old Army revolver. I also find that 25 to 30gr powder charges work best at 20 to 25 meters. And as you mentioned a lot less mess. When using subs 777 or Alliant I can usually go three or four cylinders before I have to wipe the gunk out.
I haven't had a big enough mess that I needed to wipe down or clean out my ROA (stainless) using T7 or Olde E, or Pyrodex for that matter, though it does make a mess, to keep my gun operating.
I've decided to give my .50 cal Lyman's Deerstalker a go at light charges for small game at short distances once I've figured out my accurate PRB/conical charge loads. It seems absurd to use a .50 cal for squirrels and rabbits, but the cost of another rifle would certainly buy a lot of balls, patches, caps, etc.! I do plan on a smaller caliber though...
"OP was referring to a Rugar Old Army revolver." ....GSNM
GSNM, No he wasn't referring to the ROA revolver. Rather, he used a powder measure for a ROA.
As for the 25gr. FFFg charge in a .50cal. rifle, George is right on the money. My Lyman GPR (1:60 twist, .50cal.) is very accurate with an equivalent amount of FFg, i.e., 30 - 40grs. or as little as 25grs. FFFg with a .497" RB (Lee mold) and a .018" patch.
Last edited by Maven; 11-25-2013 at 01:27 PM. Reason: additional information
hey pards
i train the 4H kids in muzzle loaders and we have been using loads of 25/35 grains in 50s for years
helps the kids get accustomed to the guns with out the recoil
you would be surprised at some of the groups they shoot at fifty yards with them
mule
[QUOTE=iron mule
you would be surprised at some of the groups they shoot at fifty yards with them
mule[/QUOTE]
I cant see myself using much more than 30g now up to 50 yards for offhand.Why use up powder just to poke paper, i also reuse the patches as they look about new and dont go to far down range.
Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries
Hey Ebenezer why don't you tie a string to the ball and you can retrieve that too!Originally Posted by HARRYMPOPE
My dad started me shooting his muzzle loader when I was about 8, using a 54 cal patched round ball over 30 grains of FFF. Nearly thirty years later, I use the same 30 grain load in my 50 cal TC Hawken for my kids... and for some fun shooting for me too. Accuracy is great, and I can do 10-12 rounds before I get any resistance when loading.
I shoot 25 grains FFFg and a 390 grain boolit in my Original Smith Carbine. Accuracy is excellent
we do the same with our 4H kids in 50s , I really like FFFg 25-30 gr for a nice 25 yard zero it burns nice , and they turn in some very nice 25 yard paper , then they work up a load for chickens pigs turkeys and rams , 60 gr is the max allowed and a 25 yard zero with 25-30 gr then with 60 gr makes a good 100 meter ram load.
it also works in the 1:48 and 1:66 and the faster twist inlines like 1:28
I can't tell you how many prizes I won at ML matches years ago shooting 25gr. FFFg in a .50 percussion gun, 1-66 twist, PRB. That old Ithaca Hawken got stoked with only 50gr. FFFg and a PRB for deer hunting too. Heavy thumping, smoke belching, ear ringing loads are nonsense. Rarely needed, rarely wanted. My current .45 gets 60gr. FFFg for hunting and 20 gr. for paper punching. I don't need to feed my ego with big powder charges!
Now I have to try this. I have never tried shooting low power loads in my smokepoles. It sounds like tons of fun.
Try 25-30 gr PRB loads on unopened canned softdrinks. The results are pretty dramatic. Makes for a pretty fun can opener.
going to give this a try balls and conical's
Frank G.
I will have to try this also. Never thought of reducing the load to less than 50 grains. I'm not one to load it to the max either, never saw the need to load more than 80 grains BP in my 50 cal.
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