Pet Loads

[Top Jaw]

A buddy and I are working loads up for three guns right now.  Since this board is a wealth of knowledge, I thought a few of you may have developed some of your own pet loads for the following barrels & calibers (grains BP, bullet diam., patching thickness).  That would at least give us a good starting point. 

#1 is a .40 cal Rayl barrel (square bottom rifling)
#2 is a .50 cal Colerain (round bottom rifling)
#3 is a .50 cal Greem Mtn (square bottom rifling)
All are 42" long.  Thanks.

Top Jaw



 

[roundball]

An excellent rule of thumb that's been good to me for range plinking PRBs is just use the "caliber" as the powder charge.

My .40cal GM = 40grns Goex 3F
My .50cal GM = 50grns Goes 3F

NOTE:
You will possibly need a different combo in the round bottom groove .50cal, compared to the square groove .50cal.
The round bottom groove bore will probably require a thicker patch...ie: a .018" did fine in my straight groove GM .58cal, but I needed a .022" in my Rice .58cal round bottom to get a good seal on the deeper .016" radius grooves

[northmn]

Pet loads for what?  I have yet to see a 50 with a roundball twist, that cannot be made to shoot well with 50 grains of 3f for close range target work.  Deer hunters and longer range shooters sometimes up it to 70 grains 3f for good results.  Roundball's suggestion about caliber as grains of powder hold for the medium bores but starts to drop off a bit on either extreme.  Also more for 3f than 2f.  Especially the higher ones where I have found that a 58 may like a little more powder than 58 grains of 2f.  40's will works with 40 grains.  Pet loads get into loading combinations. powder brand and techniques as well as grains of powder.  My 40 likes 60 grains of GOEX 3f for longer range shooting and will handle about 40 grains up close.  One old standard that more or less seems to hold is half the ball weight.  I had a 58 that liked 140 grains.  I did not.  90 grains does make an intersting deer load in a 50.

DP

[Daryl]

The type of lube can make a difference in what a barrel 'likes'.

In my .40 with a 48" twist, I can get away with as little as 55gr. 3F or 65gr. 2F when using a 'water-based' lube. If I use an oil or grease, I must incease that 10 gr. with 3f and 15gr. with 2F.  This barrel will not shoot less than 55gr. 3F at 50 yards or further so there is no sense in using less. Wth grease or oil, it will not shoot less than 65gr. 3f - same deal - 50 yards.  If I use even 5 gr. less fliers begin to show in the groups. It lacks consistency.

In my .45 Gm, with a 60" twist, I shoot 75gr. 3f or 85gr. of 2f - same deal- less powder promotes fliers in groups.

Using the above loads - both of these rifles will shoot 1/2", 5 shot groups at 50 yards off the bags.

I don't have a .50 at this time - I've had many in the past and they all used 80gr. 2F or more powder to obtain reasonable accuracy at 50 yards or further.  Taylor has increased his charge to 85gr. 2F in his Rice Barrel and likes the increased consistance extra powder gives.

.45 cal is the largest calibre in which I use 3F.  I've always obtained better accuracy with 2f in these calibres and 2F GOEX does not foul more - for us - if the ball/patch combination is a tight one.  If 2f fouls more for you, it is because your ball/patch combination is weaker than what litterally all of the Fort George Free Trappers use here. We see no difference in fouling and that includes shooting in humidity from 6& to 90%.

[Roger Fisher]

The type of lube can make a difference in what a barrel 'likes'.

In my .40 with a 48" twist, I can get away with as little as 55gr. 3F or 65gr. 2F when using a 'water-based' lube. If I use an oil or grease, I must incease that 10 gr. with 3f and 15gr. with 2F.  This barrel will not shoot less than 55gr. 3F at 50 yards or further so there is no sense in using less. Wth grease or oil, it will not shoot less than 65gr. 3f - same deal - 50 yards.  If I use even 5 gr. less fliers begin to show in the groups. It lacks consistency.

In my .45 Gm, with a 60" twist, I shoot 75gr. 3f or 85gr. of 2f - same deal- less powder promotes fliers in groups.

Using the above loads - both of these rifles will shoot 1/2", 5 shot groups at 50 yards off the bags.

I don't have a .50 at this time - I've had many in the past and they all used 80gr. 2F or more powder to obtain reasonable accuracy at 50 yards or further.  Taylor has increased his charge to 85gr. 2F in his Rice Barrel and likes the increased consistance extra powder gives.

.45 cal is the largest calibre in which I use 3F.  I've always obtained better accuracy with 2f in these calibres and 2F GOEX does not foul more - for us - if the ball/patch combination is a tight one.  If 2f fouls more for you, it is because your ball/patch combination is weaker than what litterally all of the Fort George Free Trappers use here. We see no difference in fouling and that includes shooting in humidity from 6& to 90%.

Holy kats now I have to kick up my measly powder charge in my .45.  Darn good information.,...    Again shows the value of this site...

[Swampwalker]

I've switched to 2F for all rifles, .40 cal and above.  It definitely tightened up groups.  My loads are:
.395 ball, .017 ticking patch, spit or L.V. lube, 55 gr 2f, in .40 cal, 40 inch long GM barrel.
.490 ball, .019 denim patch, L.V. lube, 80 gr 2f, in .50 cal, 38 inch Colerain barrel.
These loads give single hole five shot groups off a rest at 60 yards in good light (and if my eyes are workin')

[g.pennell]

Since we're talkin' pet loads...how about for a .54?  Barrel is a 42" Colerain.

Greg

[LynnC]

Heck, I even tried 2fg in my .36 - Cut the group size in half! .......Lynn

[Leatherbelly]

Heck, I even tried 2fg in my .36 - Cut the group size in half! .......Lynn

See! Tolja!!
 with 50grs of 2Fg in my forty,(7/8"x38Rice sq.groove,48" twist) it prints one inch high offhand at 25,dead on at 50 and show a little front sight at a hundred. If your gun don't shoot good with 2f, you got the wrong combination! LOL! :  
                2f is for rifles
                3f is for pistols.....Lyn.Mac...

[hanshi]

Two things I have noticed: #1.  I can't see/shoot well enough to fine tune a load past 25 yards.   #2.  My rifles seem to shoot fine with whatever load I put in them; this may be due to #1.

As for what works, all loads are with 3f.  The .40 does fine with 40 & 60 grains, the .50 shines with 60grns though I up that a bit for deer, and last but not least, the much used .45 works well with 40 on up to 80 grains with 70 being my latest choice.  Specific load depends on what I need it to do.

We hand cast all our ball - .440 (.45), .490 (.50) and .390 (.40).  For all calibers: Hoppes #9 Plus BP lube, .016 (+ or -) patching and over powder wads in all.  I can't shoot 1/2" groups at 50 yards except by accident so I figure why try.