Curious about Loads

[Hanshi]

I belong to that school of thought that says use a different gun dictated by your targets & uses.  Others may use the same rifle/gun for everything but have different loads for different uses. 

I believe in small bores for small/etc targets and larger bores for more heavy duty targets, inanimate targets as well as hunting.  What guns do you have (or not)  that gets fed two or more loads rather than a caliber for each use?  Photos are highly recommended.

[Patocazador]

Photos of anything on here would be appreciated ... except maybe photos of politicians.

[Hanshi]

This guy is the front runner for the senate and also the smartest candidate for the job.


This is the present incumbent in that seat.

Photos of anything on here would be appreciated ... except maybe photos of politicians.

[Hanshi]

Come on!  This is a good topic and one worthy of some real posts so POST!

[james8719]

My do everything smokepole is my TVM .50 cal. flintlock. I load it with various loads, depending on the task at hand. Anywhere from 30 to 120 grains of 3f, depending. By and large, my most used load is 60 grains. 

[Hanshi]

James8719, My .50 is a TVM flintlock.  It replaced a TVM Virginia flintlock that I shot well and loved but became far too heavy for my arthritic hands.  Anything even close to 10 lbs is just too much for me. 

Mine started off with plans for an early Lancaster that was altered (customized) until it had emerged as a rifle with early Lancaster/late Lancaster/York/Youth rifle influence  The stock is gorgeous and sports a Rice "B" wgt X 38" swamped barrel with radius rifling.  To fit my build the lop is 12.5"; all my others are 13" which I can handle okay.  It is definitely what some would call a "Frankenrifle".  It's never hunted and likely never will unless I give in and go out after deer.  I stopped small game and large game hunting several years ago.  It is accurate with about any load from 50 grns of 3F up to 70 grns of 3F.  The best results (so far) is 70 grns of 3F, a .490" ball and a .024" canvas patch.  But best of all it weighs only 7 lbs & 2 oz which is only 2 oz heavier than my lightest .45 at 7 lbs even.

The mourned .50 VA rifle got loaded with 100 grns of 3F and killed deer at up to 100+ yards.  It was the most accurate offhand rifle I've ever shot, with its 42" straight barrel.

Just one of the targets fired offhand at 50yds, which actually was ,measured AT 60 YRDS.
  .50 e. VA.
The keenly mourned early VA. rifle.


The "Frankenrifle".

The light weight .45.  For many years my go-to deer rifle.

[flintboomer]

For many years I shot a .50 Pedersoli Kentucky and it won me many matches and collected a few (Actually quite a few!) elk but it shows its age and I can't get consistant accuracey with it any more, It worked fine with loads as light as 35 gr 3f at 25 yds to 65 gr 3f at 135 yds.
My .40 GM drop in on my TC Hawken likes 45 gr 3f best but handles 60 just fine at 100 yds.
My >58 GM drop in on the TC Renegade likes anything I put in it and that varies from 45 gr 3f  at 20 yds to a hunting load of 85 gr 777 for hunting and I have never seen a need to go higher than that even tho GM suggests 120 gr.

Some of my others shoot whatever I put in them and some are extremely picky like the 54 that won't shoot anything over 45 gr or the 32 that wont shoot anything over 18 gr.

[beowulf]

my .40 and.45 are fed 40 to 50 grains  for target , ,50 cal gets 60 , highest grain loads I use would be 60 grains in the .45 , and 70 in the .50 , those being hunting loads ! 40 grains in the.40 is accurate , and enough for taking all small game , and it gives that satisfying crack when fired, unlike the boom of the bigger calibers ! lol

[Fredredcj]

Havent had the 45 very long but shoots very well with everything Ive put through it. 50-70 gr 3f. One 58 gets 85 2f with 570 ball and .018 patch. The other 58 gets the same but with bees nest wadding between charge and patch. For some reason it just shoots better that way. 62 smoothie gets 90-95 2f .600 ball .018 patch and bees nest.  Havent put much shot through it but when I do its been 85-95 of 2f. Not sure what my shot measure is set at.  54 is cheap traditions frankenrifle percussion converted to flint and shoots poor so dont shoot it much. Seems to do better with light charges. Lube all my patches with mink oil from TOTW.

[Hanshi]

My .40 got best accuracy with 40 grns of 3F.  My .50 shoots very tiny groups at 25 yds with 30 grains of 2F.  My .54 gets fired with 60 grns of 3F but when I killed deer with it I loaded it with - hold your breath - 110 grns of 3F.  I used to load 80 grns of 3F in my go-to .45 but that was not necessary as 60 to 70 grns does the job. 

But now I don't need a hunting load and weeny charges that prove accurate are all I need to use.  Best accuracy to date with my .32 is 20 grns of Swiss 3F while the .36 does it's stuff with 30 grains of 3F.  20 grns of 3F gets used most in the .36 and is "virtually" as accurate as 30.