50 cal hornaday great plains load

[BIG JAKE]

Looking for a load recommendation for deer. Would like to use this bullet in a lyman deerstalker this season.

[tacklebury]

I use 90gr. pyrodex or 75gr. 777.  Good accuracy and consistency.    Kicks like a mule though!

[Winter Hawk]

75 grains of FFFg with a patched round ball.  Or the Lee R.E.A.L. bullet over 80 grains of FFg.

-WH-

[BIG JAKE]

Winter hawk what do you shoot that load out of?

[woodswatcher]

moons ago in my formative years (12 years old) with no real direction in BP hunting i used a big maxi ball (385gr buffalo bullet) with a 90gr charge of Goex or Pyrodex. it shot really well out of my .50 Renegade- but....

the numerous instances of memory loss from the recoil made me begin to wonder why i was shooting a massive chunk of lead at a 150lb whitetail at distances of less than 30 yards.

i then began to experiment at the farm on dead steers and heifers with different possibilities. i had scoffed at the idea of the original loadings as archaic and outdated. i was wrong. really wrong. i was shocked at the efficiency of a .50 round pill with loadings as low as 50gr of powder.  it was faster to load, less mess and a heckuva lot easier on my shoulder and cheek.

i have shot alot of things with the Hornady Great Plains bullet (deer, hogs and one elk). it's devastating. 90gr of black powder produced on my most accurate loadings in 30 years of shooting BP rifles. i have a target saved from 1987 that has five .50 holes in a space not much larger than a quarter from 40-45 yards. literally one jagged hole.

you will know when the charge is ignited, that is for sure.

[Hooker]

In my CVA 50 I started with 90gr of Pyrodex and worked my way down to an accurate load which in mine is 70gr.
My Knight likes an 80gr load you wont know what yours will like until you play with it some. Every ML I've had performed at it's best
some where well below max loading whether I was using BP or Pyrodex regardless what type of projectile I used.

Pat

 

[jd45]

I like 80grs 777-2f under the Hornady GP 385HP out of my Lyman Great Plains Hunter. The twist is 1-in-32, for conicals & sabots, but your 1-in-48 barrel should handle the bullet just fine. My shootin buddy just introduced me today to the Lyman Deerstalker at the range. What a sweet little rifle. Have fun with it, & hope you get your deer. jd45

[BIG JAKE]

Thanks but mine is a flintlock so 777 won't work.

[jd45]

Are you not able to use FFFF BP in the pan to ignite the main charge, Big Jake? I'm not familiar with the finer points of a flintlock rifle. My only experience has been with caplock guns. Sorry about that, jd45.

[Bigeasy]

Big Jake-

I have the same gun.  I use the Great Plains Bullet with a 90 grain charge of Pyrodex RS, along with a pan charge of FFFFG BP.  Killed a fair number of deer with it, and it works well.  Recoil is not bad at all in the Deer Stalker, with its modern styled stock and recoil pad.

Larry

[BIG JAKE]

From what I understood 4f in the flash pan isn't hot enoungh to ignite the 777or pyrodex rs. I'll have to give both a try and see.

[Bigeasy]

From what I understood 4f in the flash pan isn't hot enoungh to ignite the 777or pyrodex rs. I'll have to give both a try and see.

Well, cant speak for 777 powder, but have shot plenty of Pyrodex RS with FFFFG in the pan, in the same rifle you are asking about with complete reliability.  But assuming the internet experts are correct, and FFFFG black powder is not hot enough as pan powder, then just what would you use?  C4?....

Larry

[BIG JAKE]

I'll give it a try. Do you use the 90 grain load in the deerstalker?

[AlbanyCO]

90grs of pyrodex RS and a hornady great plains....like others have said it's just devastating. I have a recoil pad on my rifle though so, that helps alot. I wouldn't want to shoot that load with a steel or brass buttplate.