What to expect using a minimal powder load?
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 10
What to expect using a minimal powder load?
I was wondering if anyone has tried a 50 grain pellet load (to clarify, I mean a single pellet, NOT 2 or 3 50's) in a .50 with any grain/type of projectile? If so, what was it and what were the results?
Thanks!
Thanks!
#3
RE: What to expect using a minimal powder load?
you might not want to hunt any large animal with such a load although there are reports of people deer hunting using .50 grains of powder and a roundball... They had to adjust their hunting style some as far as range, etc.
I have a friend who's mother (in her late 70's) likes to shoot rifles. He will often times load his Kentucky .50 caliber with 35 grains of powder and a round ball and she will target shoot with it. Many times people will work up a short charge and squirrel hunt with it or rabbit hunt with it.....
And as suggested.. get some loose powder and save yourself some serious money....
I have a friend who's mother (in her late 70's) likes to shoot rifles. He will often times load his Kentucky .50 caliber with 35 grains of powder and a round ball and she will target shoot with it. Many times people will work up a short charge and squirrel hunt with it or rabbit hunt with it.....
And as suggested.. get some loose powder and save yourself some serious money....
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,445
RE: What to expect using a minimal powder load?
I consider "light loads" to be great for plinking, and basically just getting accustomed to a firearm, building good form, saving money at the range, etc., but I see no reason to hunt with them. Hunting is usually a one-shot proposition and the target may be anywhere from 5 - 150 yds out. I try to find the heaviest load that will produce good accuracy. Then the load will not be a limiting factor in a shot opportunity.
With that said, we all know that the 45/70 was originally a BR cartridge with a standard loading of 70 gr BP and a big lead slug in the range of 400-500 grains. Those loads killed everything in North America just fine.
Hey Muddy - with your 60 gr. charge, would you take a shot longer than 60 yds? How about 75 - 100 yds? If your gun will shoot accurately with 90 - 100 grains, why not go with that for hunting?
With that said, we all know that the 45/70 was originally a BR cartridge with a standard loading of 70 gr BP and a big lead slug in the range of 400-500 grains. Those loads killed everything in North America just fine.
Hey Muddy - with your 60 gr. charge, would you take a shot longer than 60 yds? How about 75 - 100 yds? If your gun will shoot accurately with 90 - 100 grains, why not go with that for hunting?
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: A flat lander lost in the mountains of Northern,AZ
Posts: 3,171
RE: What to expect using a minimal powder load?
that rack was stolen..out of our cabin..
a wicked curse to the a$$hat that took it.
a wicked curse to the a$$hat that took it.
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: A flat lander lost in the mountains of Northern,AZ
Posts: 3,171
RE: What to expect using a minimal powder load?
I shoot ocassionally in a BP competition here in my town its supposed to be traditional only but they have made a few exceptions because they would never get a very good turn out so they started allowing inlines too. the only catch is you have to shoot a patched round ball. I shoot a 50 caliber inline with a 1 in 28 twist and to keep my patched round ball from stripping the rifling and producing extremely poor accuracy I just a one 50 grain pyrodex pellet . the combination of a patched round ball and one 50 grain pellet produces better accuracy for me out to a 100 yards then any of my sabot or conical loadings. I have done very well and have won a few of the matches, My best groupings were 1 inch at 50 yards and 1 and a half inch at 100 yards. I would not hesitate to use this loading for short range deer hunting either.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Mid-Missouri
Posts: 426
RE: What to expect using a minimal powder load?
I have a 13 year old girl that will be going on a youth hunt this year. Where we hunt she has to use blackpowder. The longest shots will be 50 to 60 yards. I want to get by with the lightest load I can, because I dont want her to be afaraid of the gun. She will be shooting a 50 cal inline. What would be the lightest round as far as powder, and grain of sabot we could get by with.I want this to be a positive experience for her.