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Offline rickyp

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« on: July 22, 2004, 12:45:58 PM »
what loads are you using in your 50 cal. and how do they work on game?

Most everyone I know uses 100 grs of powder.
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Offline Longcruise

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« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2004, 12:59:28 PM »
Quote
what loads are you using in your 50 cal. and how do they work on game?


I've relegated my .50's to pretty much deer only but when forced to use it for elk I go to a conical.

For deer it's a .490 ball over 60 to 90 of ffg with 70 grs of ff having proved itself to be quite adequate. :-)
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Offline roundball

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« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2004, 01:01:02 PM »
My .50cal deer hunting load is:
90grns Goex FFFg, Hornady .490, TC .018" prelubed pillow ticking
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Offline rickyp

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« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2004, 01:12:35 PM »
how does the FFF work compared to FF
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Offline roundball

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« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2004, 02:05:37 PM »
It's faster and cleaner...I use it in .45/.50/.54...then switch to FFg for the larger .58 and .62cal.

Example:
TC lists their max load for .50cal RB at 110grns FFg...they told me when using FFFg to reduce the charge 10-15% off their FFg load data.

15% off 110grns = 93.5grns and I just rounded mine on down to 90grns, very accurate, and a solid deer hunting load.
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Offline rickyp

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« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2004, 02:15:09 PM »
so the FFF is about 15 % more powerful the FF and more efficient
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Offline roundball

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« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2004, 02:35:30 PM »
I don't think of it in terms of being 'more powerful'...it's simply a smaller granulation so it's faster burning, and develops a faster, higher pressure spike so you have to reduce the charge to stay within safe pressure limits, acceptable recoil, etc...Goex FFg is also outstanding
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Offline quickdtoo

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« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2004, 02:36:32 PM »
Quote from: rickyp
so the FFF is about 15 % more powerful the FF and more efficient


It not only is a bit more potent, it is cleaner shooting and you get more shots per pound cuz you can use less, even when I was gettin it at $6 a lb, as much as I shot, it helped a lot. The only 2f I ever liked to use was in my  shotgun, it didn't blow the pattern as easily as the 3f. FWIW
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Offline Ramrod

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Re: 50 cal rifles
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2004, 02:47:49 PM »
Quote from: rickyp

Most everyone I know uses 100 grs of powder.


Why are they all using the same 100 grain load? It can't possibly work best in everyones gun. Are they all using a couple of Pyrodex pellets? Stay away from folks who don't trust themselves enough to measure their own powder!
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Offline rickyp

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« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2004, 02:52:54 PM »
some switched to the pellets. I for one do not like them much. I mostly use pyrodex P (because this is what is  available) but when I can find real B.P. I get several cans. I like to measure out my charge my self and when hunting I put them in plastic tubes or I make paper tubes and roll the ends once the powder charge is in place then seal it with tape.
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Offline lostid

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« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2004, 02:53:09 PM »
wrong! sorry to burst folks bubbles, but please don't get caught up in "hot, fast,magnum" load syndrome,. It's all hooey and hype.
 The best load for the rifle is the one that places the projectile most accuratly for the shooter. Period.
 An accurate "target" load for .50 cal still has enough energy for North Carolina  White tail.. Only sub-sonic loads aka;"pop" gun loads on short paper would be in adiquate
 For a .50 prb,,55 grns of 3f or 70 grns of 2f is plenty of "kill power".( if you can hit the mark!) The saddest thing I see is when un-practiced shooters feel the need to compensate for in-accuracy with heavy charges,,it's an issue of ethics for me..
  I have never seen any rifle or shooter have his/her best accuracy using the firearms "Max" load, ever,,,,,,,and I have seen, alot of game takin with loads way under "max" for all firearms.
 
 Shoot a bunch, become proficiant/confident with your fire arm,,,,,,,,,,,,,then consider "hunting",,,,

best wishes to all,,,,
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Offline roundball

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« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2004, 03:30:21 PM »
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Offline rickyp

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« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2004, 03:33:43 PM »
nice deer. Did you get tehm both with a single shot?
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Offline roundball

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« Reply #13 on: July 22, 2004, 03:36:17 PM »
8 pointer was a head on heart shot at 55yds, the 7 pointer was a broadside heart shot inside 50yds...both dropped after about a 25yd sprint
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Offline Redhawk1

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« Reply #14 on: July 22, 2004, 04:03:04 PM »
Quote from: roundball
90grns Goex FFFg with Hornady .530, .490, and .440 patched balls, heart shots, 50-60yds

http://members.aol.com/wjcutbush/54cal8pointer.jpg
http://members.aol.com/wjcutbush/50cal8and7pointers2.jpg
http://members.aol.com/wjcutbush/45cal6pointer.jpg


I can't wait to start shooting my Renegade with roundballs. :) I have the Hornady .490 roundballs  and Ox yoke patches. I am going to start out at 70 gr. of Goex FFg, and work up to a good accurate load. But if 70 works the best, that is what I will stay with. I am only using 60 gr. of Goex FFg by volume in my Shiloh Sharps 45-70 with 550 gr. paper patch bullets. So I guess 70 gr. should work good in the Renegade. I have about 9 1/2 pounds of Goex FFg on hand, so I guess I will be shooting quit a bit.  :D
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Offline Longcruise

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« Reply #15 on: July 22, 2004, 05:13:53 PM »
Here's some data that I recently put together.  Mostly just to satisfy my own curiosity and because I have come to the belief that one cannot rely on typical published data about firearms and politics :)

Wish I could have gotten more chrono data but the brightness and angle of the sun played havoc toward the end.

[Added via edit:  Forgot to mention that these were shot with a Lyman GP with 1/66 twist with .530 Hornady balls and Soluble oil lube at 1/5 ratio.  Wiped with 1/10 moose milk after each shot.]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Average velocities for various powders
With charges thrown from 50 grain volumentric measure.

Graf 3f

1405
1388
1370
1391
1396
Avg  1390


Elephant 2f

1135
1208
1215
1215
1238
Avg  1201


Swiss 2f

1546
1531
1574
1558
Avg  1552


Goex 2f

1349
1362
1376
Avg  1362


Goex 3f

1469
1516
Avg  1492  These two velocities were the only ones obtainable due to bright sun and erratic chrono behaviour

Pyrodex RS

1494  Only one good reading due to sun on chrono

Then, there are these specs on some of the same powders.  I set my RCBS scale at an arbitrary setting and then weighed various powder charges just as they came out of the scale.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BP Weight Comparisons

From an RCBS measure at an arbitrary setting.

Graf 3f
55.9
55.5
55.5
55.3
-------
55.55

Goex 2f
51.1
51.7
51.3
51.4
-------
51.37

Goex 3f
52.2
52.1
52.5
52.2
--------
52.25

Elephant 2f
60.2
60.4
60.4
60.1
---------
60.27

Swiss 1.5f
55.9
56.1
56.4
56.2
------
56.15

Swiss 2f
57.4
57.2
57.2
57.4
-------
57.30

Pyrodex RS
37.0
37.1
37.5
36.8
-------
37.10


And, just from memory, a few years back I did some chrono work with my .50 TC Hawkin with 28 inch barrel and 370 Maxi-Balls and found that 80 grains (by volume) of goex 2f would run right at 1320 fps.  Using the same measure and Pyrodex RS, they ran right at 1315 fps.
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Offline crow_feather

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« Reply #16 on: July 22, 2004, 06:41:44 PM »
rickyp,

My wife uses 3f GOEX with 70 grains under a patched round ball.  But each rifle is an individual.  You will have to find the load that works best in your rifle.  It is just part of the fun of shooting a traditional rifle.  

I would want my rifle the most powerful and accurate that it can be.  If I miss or wound an animal, I want to know if it was me or the rifle.  If you hunt with a hard kicking rifle, you have to learn to handle the recoil.  If the rifle is a sidelock, you have to learn what it prefers to shoot fast and straight.

But you already know that stuff, I just like to see myself write.

C F
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Offline S.S.

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« Reply #17 on: July 23, 2004, 12:16:20 PM »
I use 60 grs FFG and a patched .490 round ball.
Same powder charge in my .54 with a .530 ball!
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Offline Larry Gibson

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Re: 50 cal rifles
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2004, 02:42:06 PM »
rickyp

"what loads are you using in your 50 cal. and how do they work on game?

Most everyone I know uses 100 grs of powder.[/quote]"

Guess I'll offer a bit of a different load.

Rifle; TC Black Mountain Magnum with TC aperture rear sight/ post front
Bullet; 350 gr Maxi-ball cast from older TC mold with 1-16 alloy
Powder; Hodgdon 777 FFG, 90 gr by volume
Cap; CCI #11
Velocity; 1524 fps
Accuracy; 2 - 2.5 MOA for 5 shots without cleaning between shots.  1st shot from clean barrel always goes in group at 100 yards.

How does it work on game?  Extremely deadly.

Larry Gibson
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