Colerain .54 Rifle Loads

[Jerry]

Anyone have a good round ball load for a Colerain .54 rifle. I know all barrels are different, but would like to see others accuracy loads for round ball. Thanks, Jerry

[smylee grouch]

Hi Jerry. I think you answered your own question. Shooting is the best way to find the best load as someone else,s best might not work for you and your shooting style\technique and rifle.

[MuskratMike]

I agree with Smylee but for the record I use 75 grains of GOEX 3F a .530 round ball with .018 ticking patch greased with a 50/50 mixture of TOTW Mink oil and 100% pure Neatsfoot oil. My 54's are primarily for hunting hence the load of 75 grains of 3F which equates on a chronograph to 92 grains of 2F.

[EC121]

85gr. 2F with a .526 ball and thick patch.  I have several .54s with Rice and Colerain barrels and that has worked in all of them.  I don't care for the sharper recoil of 3F.

[Daryl]

Buddy of mine uses 75gr. 2F for trail walk shots out to 50yards and 90gr.2F for the longer shots out to 110yards.
These are with almost water soluble lube.WWWF + tich of Neetsfoot oil.(shake and apply to pre-cuts)

[Bigmon]

I have one I been shooting since 1996, a 36" Colerain 54 cal swamped.
Have tried more than a few combinations over the years.
Always worked best with 75Gr 2F.  Moose milk for trail walks and any kind of grease lub for hunting.  Used .530 balls and .018 patches, now using .535 balls same patch and load.
It is a tack driving deer killer.  Killed one once near 200 yds, plenty at 50 to 80 yds.
Truth is I have killed more with it than all my other guns combined, including a 270 Winchester.
As my Sons started hunting I let them use the 270 and I took a black powder gun, usually this 54 cal.

[smylee grouch]

EC 121 makes a good point about the recoil. Less recoil helps shooters to shoot better.

[Darkhorse]

.54 Colrain, 60 grains 3 fg, .015 cotton patch, LeHigh valley lube, round ball.

[John SMOthermon]

My Tip Curtis made rifle with a 42” Colerain barrel with radius bottom rifling.
 .016 patch , .530 roundball it likes  70 grn of fffg Goex.

[alacran]

Buddy of mine uses 75gr. 2F for trail walk shots out to 50yards and 90gr.2F for the longer shots out to 110yards.
These are with almost water soluble lube.WWWF + tich of Neetsfoot oil.(shake and apply to pre-cuts)

I have found that muzzleloading rifles have a lower velocity load and an upper velocity load. I currently have two .54 caliber rifles.
One a cap-lock has a lower load of 60 grains 2f Goex and an upper load of 100 grains 2fGoex. The other a flintlock has a lower load of 70 grains Goex and an upper load of 95 grains of Goex. On both rifles I use a .530 ball.
One thing that is worth mentioning a patch that works at the lower loads may not be adequate at the higher load.
I have found this to be the case with all my rifles.

[Bigmon]

Years back I was told that to switch from 2F to 3F one could use about 15% less powder.  It seemed to work in my 50 cal rifle just fine.  But for that 54 Colerain it seemed to produce less consistent accuracy?
Anybody ever heard of that 15% less theory?  It has been years since I tried it out, but I do remember it was something I was told, not read somewhere.