favorite loades for rice 50

[hortonstn]

what are your favorite loads for a 44 inch rice c weight 50 cal round bottom rifling in flintlock
i started at 60 increaced by 5 grains 80 of fff seamed best group at 60 yards benchrest
thoughts appreciated, using .20 teflon ticking and a .490 ball
paul

[PPatch]

You're in the ballpark with that 80gr load at 60 yards. My Rice .50 likes 65 grains out to 50, then 85 past that to 100 yards. Ball is .495, patching .020 cotton ticking. That combination makes for a tight fit in the bore and no wiping between shots unless it is a very low humidity day. In that case I will wipe with alcohol after five or so shots. Spit is the usual lube.

dave

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I'm in general agreement.  I have two Rice .50s - a B weight and a C weight.  Both like 75 grains FFg GOEX, .495" pure lead ball, .020" cotton denim patch with saliva lube for target and trail.  The B weight rifle is too light for serious target offhand work, but the C weight rifle weighs ten pounds, and prefers a little more powder for fine work...85 gr. for 60 yds.

[Daryl]

I have a 48" x .50 - Getz fairly deep, rounded rifling. It seems to like 85gr. 2F with a .022" denim or ticking patch and .495" ball. Easy loading and no wiping - no matter the weather. I suspect for shooting 100yards seriously, more powder would be necessary - like 100 to 110gr. 2F.  I have not shot 3F in it yet.  It is yet new to me.

[hortonstn]

thanks for the answers do most of you use ff instead of fff and is fff hotter than ff?

[Daryl]

Taylor has been shooting more 3F in his .50's - due mostly I think, to running out of 2F.  Years ago I spend considerable range time testing 2F against 3F and found in all rifles tested (.50's and larger), 2F gave better accuracy and LESS fouling.  3f is hotter, as in developing higher pressure and velocity for any given load, yes.  As it develops higher pressure, it's demands on a tight patch are even more severe.  

I've tested 3F in all my guns up to & including the .69 and although even 3F shot fairly well, I could not exceed 95gr. or I got burnt patches - I was using .022" commercial patches then.(I later found out they were only .018" according to my measurements. This barrel has since shown it prefers tighter patches than the 10 ounce denim)  That 95gr. 3F load produced 1,350fps. With 2F, I could run all the way to 165gr. and 1,550fps and not burn those same patches and with that load & .030" patches, the very best accuracy was achieved grossly surpassing 3F at 100 to 300yards.

I did not develop 2f loads for my .32, however the .40 and .45 both shot equally, accuracy and velocity wise, once I raised the powder charge by 10gr. for the slower powder.

Since I recently sold both .40 and .45, but bought a new .50 as well as rebarreling the .32 to .36, I now have 2 "new" calibres to test - with both 2f and 3F.