special load
 

i normally hunt with inline rifles and am used to one inch groups out of my knight disc elite.......i shoot three hundred grain barnes hps using 150 grains of loose 777........i know for me this load is good out to two hundred yards.......NOW MY QUESTION........i plan on using one of my thompson centers,probably my renegade 50 cal......i normally shoot a patched round ball using 110 grains of 777 to shoot paper targets out to 100 yards........what is a good hunting bullet and powder charge,i am partial to heavier bullets 265-300 grain. old semperfi

Re: special load
 

Well, if you had internet connection you could go to the Hodgdon site and see what the manufacuter lists ... :D

With the patched ball, Hodgdon lists 100 grains as maximum for 777 in FFG, for 1,988 fps.

With conical projectiles 265 to 300 grs., 100 grs. of 777 in FFG is listed as maximum.

Go with what Hodgdon recommends. It's the one with the ballistics lab that can measure pressure as well as velocity.

Re: special load
 

Round ball works fine, it was good 300 years ago and I still use it today out to 100 but prefer my target deer be within 60 yards. No, I'm not really that old, just feel like it sometimes.

Re: special load
 

I agree. Round balls make great hunting bullets, but that 110 grain charge seems a bit high.

Re: special load
 

In my .50 Renegade I usually use a round ball and 90 grains of ffg. It works well on deer. The usual distance around here is 50 to 75 yards for a shot.

Re: special load
 

Maybe its just my gun but I found best accuracy for 25 yard plinking to be 45 grains. for 100 yards my groups stayed tight between 105 and 120 grains so I settled for 110 gr for warm weather shooting. In cold weather, (below 20 degrees) 90 grains works best. I have a buddy who won't go over 75 grains and he can hit pop cans at 100 yards with his consistently, I can't. I also know a few who don't shoot anything less than 120 grains, I'm not that brave and my shoulder isn't that young. I also shoot the pants off of them but they hunt bear with theirs at close range and that load is their comfort level. Me, I'm happy with venison roast. All of us just use round ball.