50 cal patched round ball

Still, velocities are low enough that range will be limited. My jackrabbit load is now 30 grains of alliant mz over a thin patched round ball seems good out to 50 60 yards. Loaded with 35 to 40 grains it rivals the modern 9mm and. Traditionalmldata1 north american muzzleloader hunting. I chose to start with patched round balls to get a feel for the rifle before i decide if i want to experiment with conical bullets. You can buy good quality patches in your local blackpowder shop, but you can also make your own. Have a hawken style rifle that i want to use a patched round ball in. Oct 05, 2009 i settled on a 60 gr ffg load in my 50 cal a long time ago. I use basically the same load i use for lead ball except i use a thicker greased patch.

I like the idea of traditional round ball hunting, but as i look at published muzzle velocities and consider how fast energy drops off with a sphere in flight it seems like such a choice means effective hunting ranges would be really short. The winds do blow when there is a cross wind, a portion of the speed of the wind is added to the velocity of the projectile the vector sum, so the ball. Traditional hunters in ca appreciate having a patched roundball. Grains listed after projectile type represent bullet weight. My question is, which is the best size to use considering the lubed patch. Theyre saturated with our natural lube formula that helps reduce fouling and lubricates the barrel as you load. I see all kinds of different patch thicknesses and ball diameters and thought maybe i could save myself some efforts by asking. A good patch is made of good quality, dense natural material. In that case you may want to look at rifle with a false muzzle, one of my rifles has one a. He said the round ball can move forward, causing an air gap. Bumping a round ball to the proper diameter is the only way to get any accuracy from them. Thompson center muzzleloading bullets 50 cal 490 diameter. For me, round ball loads tend to shoot higher than point of aim in a revolver and lower than point of aim from a rifle. Aug 04, 2014 the patching material is the key to be accurate with a round ball load.

Loading blocks for patched round balls track of the wolf. Additionally my gun is too slow of a turn to shoot anything but round balls. The 4045cal were the preferred deer round ball in the eastern half of the usa. Thompson center muzzleloading bullets 50 cal 490 diameter 175. Fyi my rifleis of the modern, inline type, an hr1871 huntsman, with a. Data reflect changes in velocities and energies depending n barrel. In talking with the guy he said his best load was with 65 gr of 3f using a. In the typical lightweight rifles that a young hunter can handle 67 lbs. A 50 caliber round ball will punch a hole clear through a buffalo and will expand to over 1. I use for lead ball except i use a thicker greased patch.

Can you put musket balls rather than sabots in a modern. The winds do blow when there is a cross wind, a portion of the speed of the wind is added to the velocity of the projectile the vector sum, so the ball feels like it is going a little faster than it. I figured it would amortize itself after about 700 patches. I was invited to attend a competition type shoot this springsummer that is round ball only, i have 3 different stock 1. It worked for hundreds of years, and still hasnt stopped. Completely uniform in size, weight, and roundness, hornady round balls deliver consistent and accurate performance. My forty ball shooter has taken many deer with 65grs. Muzzleloading bullets 50 caliber 490 diameter 175 grain round ball box. Shot a lot of matches and killed a lot of game with this load. I was reminded of this fact last month when i used an original. I have taken deer with both but never studied the numbers on these. The patching material is the key to be accurate with a round ball load. May 20, 2018 we test out the differnce between a minie ball and a lead ball with a varity of targets.

I have a very good idea of what kinds of shoots i can make with it. This evening i skinned and quartered the carcass of the deer. Loading the plr or muzzleloader with a patched round ball. It was by far the most accurate load in that gun, and while labeled light by a lot of guys, it killed with alacrity.

Single ball loads single round balls can be loaded in almost any caliber without much. But you may just find your rifle shoots much better with one, and there certainly isnt a problem using one over a ball. A kit with all the high quality components needed to fire 10 traditional round balls with your favorite. Offered as dry, oiled, wonderlubed, or premium lubed on select sizes. Traditional hunters in ca appreciate having a patched roundball option for. Precision shooting patches for round ball precision shooting patches. The elk in the picture was shot with a 50 cal round ball. I have used sabots and powerbelts with 7090 grains of shockeys gold powder. Loading block, for caliber patched round ball, 5 by maple, sanded, unfinished. A round ball is unique among projectiles in that its ballistic characteristics are solely dependant upon its diameter unless its made of something other than lead. Because it is such a tight fit, i run a wet patch and a dry patch after every shot.

Also, traditional muzzleloader only shooting orgnizations generally require the use of patched round ball only during official muzzleloading target competition. Out of a quality bore, a properly loaded patched round ball can prove deadly accurate at the ranges it was truly intended for and that is 25 to 50 yards. Tc hawken and it shoots prbs at a with acceptable accuracy, however not nearly as good as my johnathan browning mountain rifle in 54 cal which is twisted for prbs. It is effective on them so there isnt a need to use a bullet or conical for a mule deer. On this page, north american muzzleloader hunting will bring you the loads and ballistics for the. My question is are round balls humane on deer when shot in the vitals at close range. Round balls loose velocity quickly shoot within effective range. Round balls in fast twist rifles white muzzle loading. Serious target competitors commonly load with a ball thats just. Ive put a swagged round ball through a 300 lb hog at 80 yards with my 50 cal tc, using 90 grns of pyro p. For me, round ball guns are best considered 100 yard guns for deer.

For deer, the round ball is imho, a terrible choice. I am thinking of trying to hunt with it next year 2015. Constant thickness, weave, diameter, weight and thread count help eliminate these variables from your shooting. Maxi ball loads specify the use of maxilub as a lubricant. At the lunenburg gun show i picked up an old traditions 50 cal shenandoah flintlock for pretty much dirt cheap money. The local walmart and the local gun shop both carry. Of the larger bore round ball rifles suitable for taking big game, more have probably been sold in this caliber than any other. Minimum deerkilling muzzleloading loads for young and. The lightest projectile in this caliber is a patched round ball. The patch round ball challenge long range hunting forum. Jun 05, 2014 i currently have a hawken style muzzle loader in.

Patch and lube, two of the most important components to improve accuracy duration. I have a 50 cal tc hawken coming my way with the idea that i might be able to get a muzzleloader tag next year. What distance do you sight in and what grouping do you get with your chosen load. Now im not sure if the patch gets spun off the ball or if patch and ball just skims the rifling but either way a round ball wont shoot for squat out of a fast twist barrel unless you cut the powder down to an absolute minimum which makes it impractical for most purposes. My wife and i shot some informal muzzle loader competition many years ago with 50 cal. Also barrels will differ in their likes regarding the patch and ball combo even though they may be the same caliber or come from the same company. I have found that with 70 ish grains of powder and a 180 ish round ball and a lubricated pillow ticking patch i shoot considerably lower than i do with a 370 gr maxi with 90 grs by volume of 777. Load a sixpound rifle with a hundred grains of 2f black powder and a 180grain patched. And the smoother, rounder surface assures better rotation and consistency. A round ball doesnt touch the rifling itself, the patch does. A 50 round ball and 80 to 90grs of powder is plenty for black bear. Precision shooting patches for round ball track of the wolf.

Loading blocks for patched round balls ball, 50 caliber, blocks. What kind of accuracy can i expect out of this gun with round balls. Despite this fact, fast twist barrels will shoot round balls accurately. I shoot a lot plan old lead balls in my hawken rifle. Round ball accuracy at 50 yards in a modern inline. Anyone who tries to tell you that a bullet is needed to kill at ranges of 100 yards or under is full of hot air. When i went to load the rifle i found the patched bullet to be an extremely tight fit. Loaded with 45 and 50 grains it starts to approach the power of a lightend. Youll have to play around some to get the best load for your rifle. Roundball ammunition casting 50cal lead bullets for the hawken rifle duration. Major ferguson of the british army was killed at kings mountain by a 40 ball. As i recall as i was working up the load all i got over 60 gr, was more recoil and less accuracy. Round ball loads specify tc patch material lubricated with tc no. Includes 1200 grains of extra fine black powder, 10 flawless.

Not much has been written recently about the effectiveness of round ball loads on deer and larger game. This ballistics calculator is a computer simulation which analyzes the behavior of a round ball in its flight from the muzzle to the target. Douglas barrel at 50 yards it will shoot 5 shots into a inch. Loading blocks for patched round balls this is a primitive riflemans ball loading. Pyrodex powder, i forget what i bought last time but it. Patches are available in 10, 15, 20, and 25 thou thicknesses in most good muzzleloading stores.

We load one of our precision long rifles with a patched round ball. Of the larger bore round ball rifles suitable for taking big game, more. In 50 caliber, charges of 5070 grains black powder or pyrodex equivalent seem to be ok. Round ball loads i became interested in round ball loads and multiple round ball loads several years ago and experimented with them off an on for about a year in both rifles and revolvers. I make the short starter and the patch seater out of nylon then make a large thandle for the short starter that i use as a hammer.

I am having trouble finding the best load for hunting. Patched round ball gun and game the friendliest gun. Theyre cold swaged from pure lead which eliminates air pockets and voids common to cast balls. What would be a good patch and ball combo to start practicing with. I generally save the patched balls for new shooters not hunting loads. Precision made from special tightly woven cotton, to insure uniformity. Personally, i dont see how that is possible with the tight fit that my roundball has in my particular muzzleloader. I have never shot a round ball out of it, only maxi balls. More modern bullets are deffently more effective, but the round ball still works. My particular rifle is sensitive to the patch lube used, but not to the extent you are talking about. Loaded with a light 28 grain load and a round ball, it rivals a modern. Shenandoah 36 caliber cap an ball 20 shots no cleaning and a. Now, pull that round ball and add a 300grain conical and you have a load that approximates the old sharps.