Deer load.

oldrodder

oldrodder

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This question is for those of you who hunt deer with a traditional .50 cal muzzleloader. The range is from 20 to 75 yards. What's your powder charge (Goex FFg) for a 380 gr. minnie?
I only use this rifle to punch paper (70 Grs Goex FFg) but my son is taking it to Manitoulin Island this coming week for deer, hoping to bloody it up!!!
TIA!
 
For many years I hunted whitetails with a .50 cal Lyman deerstalker, using mostly a .495 round ball and 80 grains of ffg. I also used the maxi, and mini balls with the same charge, but liked the round ball best. I found most round balls flattened on the off side just under the hide, and deer seldom went more than 50 yards. Using the heavier bullets I got pass through penetration, but the animal would sometimes travel a 100 yards.
 
Anywhere from 70 to 90 grains will get the job done. Will ultimately boil down to which powder charge delivers the best accuracy in your rifle. If your 70 grain powder charge is plenty accurate with that bullet weight, I'd hunt with it and not worry a bit. It's shot placement that really counts, after all. I've seen big Saskatchewan white tail taken down cleanly with patched .490 ball, driven by a 65 grain powder charge, at upwards of 70-75 yards. So I imagine your 380 grainer should be just fine within your expected hunting range.

My old .50 cal. TC Renegade for example, prefers 90 grains Ffg with the 320 grain TC maxi bullet. Same powder charge with .44/310 gr cast bullets and sabots. Accurate and lethal.
 
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I use round balls only for hunting and have great success in doing so. Either a .495 or .535 round ball depending on the rifle that day and the game. BP loads will be 80 to 100 grs of FFG. Both accurate at 100 yards. My patch will be lubed with a SPG type lube in the event that it stays in the barrel for a day or two. No water based lubes used for hunting as it may cause corrosion if allowed to sit for a few days. I keep an small feather in my flash hole to keep out moisture. I tried a round tooth pick once and it broke off. It was frustrating to get it cleared so now I use small feathers from the chickens. They will flex and not break off. I also put tape or a finger cot over the muzzle to keep moisture out.
 
I am somewhat confused by this thread.
The OP stated his son would be using a .50 cal. traditional muzzleloader which, to my mind, would be a muzzleloader designed for round ball and likely having a roughly 1 in 66 twist for a 50 cal. Some respondents might be referencing modern muzzleloaders designed for conicals and sabots which, I believe, would likely have a rate of twist in the area of between 1 in 28 and 1 in 48. If the OP is indeed referring to a rifle with a slow twist, it is unlikely to adequately stabilize a conical. Better to stay with a patched round ball. My preferred load is 70 grains of Goex 3F behind a .495 ball and 16 thou. patch. Barrels are Getz and Green Mountain.
 
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B_noser: The OP did state that he was looking for opinions on loads for a 380 grain "minnie". This slang term usually refers to a "minie". A type of conical bullet. Not ball. Which is how I interpreted his question. Otherwise, your advice is accurate. Though conical bullets have indeed seen use with muzzleloading arms, since at least the early 19th century.

Perhaps the OP can clarify which projectile type he was referring to? That might clear up some confusion.
 
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oldrodder said:
This question is for those of you who hunt deer with a traditional .50 cal muzzleloader. The range is from 20 to 75 yards. What's your powder charge (Goex FFg) for a 380 gr. minnie?
I only use this rifle to punch paper (70 Grs Goex FFg) but my son is taking it to Manitoulin Island this coming week for deer, hoping to bloody it up!!!
TIA!
Click to expand...

I never used a Minnie in my .50's, just patched round ball and 100 grains of FFFG Goex.
Cat
 
I use a Minnie cast from a lee mold and 50 gr of fffg powder and the deer don't go far. I usually shoot about 50 yards in my area due to the thick woods.
 
I am aware the OP stated a desire to use a minnie. Some folks do not know that a conical requires a faster rate of twist than a round ball to stabilize and fail to take that into consideration when selecting a projectile. The primary intent of my post was to bring that to the OP's attention on the off chance they were not aware of that.
 
Gentlemen: I can see where my post might be confusing to those with a lot of experience/knowledge on the subject. When I said traditional I meant as opposed to an in-line. The rifle is a Lyman (InvestArms) Great Plains rifle. It came to me "used" So I don't know the twist rate. I have shot patched ball, Minnie ball and R.E.A.L bullets with varying degrees of success. I chose a conical bullet for ease of loading as this is my son's first foray in the realm of BP. He's a bow hunter and he wants to give muzzle loaders a go. I will try to find the rate of twist. I have Sam Fadala's book and I've read it a few times over the years, maybe time to read it again!!! B Noser's comment about twist rates struck a chord.
 
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If it is a Great Plains it will have a slow twist best fir round ball
I personally boycotted Fadala when I read his comments about the inadequacy of round balls, I have killed everything from bears to moose with PRB in .45 to.58!:mad:
Cat
 
Oldrodder: Thanks for the update. That clears things up a lot. I figured that's what you meant, by "traditional". I often separate the two, the same way.

By the way, your Great Plains rifle should have a rifling pitch of 1:60". So ideally suited for patched ball. But, still fast enough to stabilize conical bullets, using the lower end of the powder charges. So if you're getting acceptable hunting accuracy with your conical bullets, it should still deliver good performance for your needs.
As your son is new to the bp game, I can understand why you'd like to keep the process as simple as possible.


Al

ps: Is your rifle a .50 or .54 caliber? If .54, that 380 grain bullet should be stubby enough to stabilize fairly well. So reasonably accurate. Is that your observation, too?

ironcat: I disagree with Fadala, too. Having taken quite a few head of game with various calibers up to .75 (.62 cal being a favourite)....like yourself, I don't believe patched ball is all that inadequate for the job.
 
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I use a .490 Caliber patched round ball in my Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifle 1:62 Twist. I usually plink with a 50 Grs. load of FFg. For deer hunting I boost up the load a little bit to 120 Grs. of FFg. This load is dead on at 100 yds. (never shot a deer at this range, 50 yds. max) and it's also the most accurate one for my rifle.
 
Alex McKr said:
Oldrodder: Thanks for the update. That clears things up a lot. I figured that's what you meant, by "traditional". I often separate the two, the same way.

By the way, your Great Plains rifle should have a rifling pitch of 1:60". So ideally suited for patched ball. But, still fast enough to stabilize conical bullets, using the lower end of the powder charges. So if you're getting acceptable hunting accuracy with your conical bullets, it should still deliver good performance for your needs.
As your son is new to the bp game, I can understand why you'd like to keep the process as simple as possible.


Al

ps: Is your rifle a .50 or .54 caliber? If .54, that 380 grain bullet should be stubby enough to stabilize fairly well. So reasonably accurate. Is that your observation, too?

ironcat: I disagree with Fadala, too. Having taken quite a few head of game with various calibers up to .75 (.62 cal being a favourite)....like yourself, I don't believe patched ball is all that inadequate for the job.
Click to expand...

The rifle is a .50 cal. I have verified the twist at 1 in 60" and other shooters have had great success using the short LEE R.E.A.L. bullet I have some cast and I will try them tomorrow!
Thanks everyone for all your comments and advice!!
 
Oldrodder: Thanks again, for the update. I like the LEE REAL bullets, too. Have had great success with them, over the years. Have no idea how many my old .50 cal. TC Renegade caplock(purchased in the early 1970`s and still used regularly) has digested. But it does like them. Best of luck to your son. Good hunting!

Al
 
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I was at the range yesterday and we settled on the LEE 250 gr. REAL bullet lubed with Paul Mathews "Premium" lube & pushed by 80 grs of Goex FFg. I can't post the targets as my son took them with him when he picked up the rifle and the "possibles" bag.
Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge.
 
oldrodder: Hope you'll share some stories about your son's muzzle loader hunt. Good choice of bullet and powder load, by the way.

Al
 
Alex McKr said:
oldrodder: Hope you'll share some stories about your son's muzzle loader hunt. Good choice of bullet and powder load, by the way.

Al
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Here's an update on my son, Jim's first muzzleloader deer hunt. He left yesterday afternoon for Manitoulin Island. He got maybe 30 kms down the highway when the right wheel bearing on the 12' trailer, carrying his side by side decided to blow up, causing the hub to come apart and shearing the 5 studs holding the wheel on!! The wheel assembly is yet to be found.
The week before, while plowing his property, he blew a power steering line! And now this! His wife, Angie, told him he best stay home as bad things happen in three's.
Muzzle loader hunt postponed till next year.
 
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