TC .45 cal RB Target Load

[DCP]

I need a .45 cal RB rifle Target Load.

I Googled it with out much luck

25 to 50 yards

What the minimum load of fffg blackpowder I can go?

Lyman BP Handbook starts at 40 gains of fffg blackpowder
Can I go lower?

Thanks

[bob208]

i find the most aucrite load in my guns is to shoot the cal. .45 use .45 gr. of 3f. i have been using that load for many years. i can shot it all day with out wiping between shots.

in my .40 i use 40 gr. 3f . it is the same as the .45 load can shot all day with out wiping.

i use pillow ticking .018 thick with spit lube or blacksolve.

[Lead Fred]

Being that all barrels are different, you have to figure out your maximum load, then work backwards to find the best load for yur rifle.

The davenport formula will tell you your max load, any more is just wasting powder.

My 45 cal has a 42 inch barrel, and my max load is 74gr of 3f, @ 2030fps.
My min load is 55gr @ 1630fps.
With in 50 yeards both hit in the same place. Its outside of 150 yards where the max load stays flat.

************************************************** **************************

Here is how to calculate the Davenport Formula:

Figured for a 50 cal with 28 inch barrel, use your own numbers.

.50 divided by 2 = .25

.25 x .25 = .0625

.0625 times Pi( 3.1416)= 0.19635

.19635 x 11.5 = 2.2580

2.2580 x 28 inches( barrel length)= 63.22 grains of powder.

[waksupi]

Most likely between 40 and 65 gr. 3F. You can go as low as you want.

[DCP]

Figured for a 45 cal with 28 inch barrel,

.45 divided by 2 = .225

.225 x .225 = .050625 is this correct or do I use .25

.050625 times Pi( 3.1416)= 0.1590435
0.1590435 x 11.5 = 1.82900025

1.82900025x 28 inches( barrel length)= 51.212007 grains of powder.

So my max would be 51.212007 grains of powder.
My min would be 75 % of 51 or 38 grains



Being that all barrels are different, you have to figure out your maximum load, then work backwards to find the best load for yur rifle.

The davenport formula will tell you your max load, any more is just wasting powder.

My 45 cal has a 42 inch barrel, and my max load is 74gr of 3f, @ 2030fps.
My min load is 55gr @ 1630fps.
With in 50 yeards both hit in the same place. Its outside of 150 yards where the max load stays flat.

************************************************** **************************

Here is how to calculate the Davenport Formula:

Figured for a 50 cal with 28 inch barrel, use your own numbers.

.50 divided by 2 = .25

.25 x .25 = .0625

.0625 times Pi( 3.1416)= 0.19635

.19635 x 11.5 = 2.2580

2.2580 x 28 inches( barrel length)= 63.22 grains of powder.

[DCP]

So I could try 30 grains of 3f?????


Most likely between 40 and 65 gr. 3F. You can go as low as you want.

[725]

Is this Davenport formula for round balls? How does it account for various conicals?

[Nobade]

Depending on the design of the rifle, you need to find out how much powder it takes to fill up the powder chamber (if present) in your breech plug. A normal TC 45 caliber breech plug holds quite a bit and if you load any lighter than what it holds there is an air space left when the ball stops on the end of the breech plug. My own TC Patriot pistol holds 15 grains of powder just in the breech plug! So I have to be sure to not load it with less than 20 grains to make sure the ball is on the powder.

[405]

I think you can go as light as you like as long as it gets the RB out the barrel :)
and as nobade brought up with no air space behind RB.

You asked about very light and accurate target type charges for 25-50 yards. I don't know of any formula that can calculate that. A good rule of thumb for RB that has proven a good starting point over many years by many shooters is a charge weight of BP that equals the caliber.

[HARRYMPOPE]

.015 blue ticking patch with .445 Balls and 30-45g of Goex and Schuetzen FFF did well in my 1-48 TC flint and caplocks.Many groups under 1.5" at 50 yards and bugholes at 25 with the issue sights.Good target load but not good in wind at 100 yards.

I use Hoppes #9+ blackpowder solvent as a patch lube and you can shoot 50 shots without bothering to clean it.I shot 90 shots yesterday(in two sessions) in a 50 cal and it shot the last group as good as the first.

George

[JeffinNZ]

30-35gr fo 3Fg will be worth a try. I run one of my .40cals on 25gr for 1400fps burning Swiss 3Fg. Plenty for punching tight groups in paper. My light rabbit load for a .50cal I had was 50gr 3Fg. Bunnies never knew the difference.

[quilbilly]

My T/C Seneca 45 groups at about 2" or better at 100 yards with 55 gr of fff Goex but that is also my deer hunting load.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

start at 20gr and work up , we use 20, 25 , 30, 35 , 40 , 45 50 and 60 gr in our 50 cal 4h guns all the time for 25 yard targets

you will find a sweet spot for your gun

i have one that shoots clover leafs with 60gr fffg and a 50 patched round ball ,just a balls with difference in elevation between 25 and 50 yards

[Boerrancher]

A friend of mine long ago had a tingle in a 45 cal. His favorite load for squirrel hunting and punching paper at close range was a 38 special case filled with 3 fg. I think that is somewhere around 35 grains. I know that one evening he shot 9 squirrels with the same round ball, as it would not shoot through them. On the ninth squirrel he was close enough that the ball went through and he didn't recover it so he got mad and quit for the day.

Best wishes,

Joe