Tingle rifle, how much powder to use?

[yonnie]

I have a Tingle rifle, #552.  It's a .45 with 32" octagonal barrel.  What size is the percussion cap?  What type of powder and how much?  What size of patches to use? 

[rich pierce]

Typically the percussion cap would be a number 11. If you don’t have a nipple wrench it would be time to get one and inspect the nipple. If the tiny hole looks ragged it’s time to replace the nipple.
Not knowing your rifle specifically I’d suggest you get some .440 balls and patch material in 0.018” thickness to start out. I’d begin with 50 grains of 3-F powder.

[Daryl]

Hello yonnie, welcome to the forum.

[heinz]

Yonnie, I had a Bob Tingle rifle back in the mid-1960s.  It was a very good shooting rifle with a .440 round ball and a feather-proof pillow-ticking patch.  I believe that patching is about 0.012 inches thick and very tightly woven cotton.  It shot well with anything from 40 grains to 70 grains of fff powder.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I concur with Rich's advice, but I would not rule out a .020" thick denim patch either.  My experience with .45 cal rifles is this load for accuracy....440" pure lead ball, .020" denim patch (any juicy wet lube, saturated patch), 70 gr. FFFg GOEX.  I employ a starter, and shoot all day without needing to wipe.

[Daryl]

Exactly - as little as 55gr. 3F might shoot with a water based lube, such as spit, or one of the others. Slippery lubes usually
require more powder be used.

[heinz]

I went back and checked my feather-proof pillow ticking patch.  It is  18 thousandths.  So pretty much in agreement across the board on 45 cal loads.