How light of a load can i go? - The Firearms Forum

LoganWade · 04-03-2009, 12:33 PM

Hello all ive been running around the net trying to get an answer and havent had any luck.
I do alot of squirrel and small game hunting and normally use my ruger 10/17 conversion, but sometimes i would like to go out with my muzzleloader for small critters just for fun.
I have a CVA Wolf .50 cal inline and a supply of 777, pyrodex,select and bh209 bp substitutes.
What i am trying to find out is what is the lightest load i can safely shoot? I would like to go lower than 50 gr. if possible preferably about 35 gr. by volume with a 180 - 200 gr .429 saboted bullet. Ive never tried patched balls that would be fine too if it would help to beable to use a lighter load.
How light can i go while still being safe?

jjmitchell60 · 04-04-2009, 03:25 PM

We have kids in 4-H shooting sports that shoot 30 grains in a 50 cal with great results. One of our boys has taken 2nd in the sttae in BP rifle and first in BP istol. I have hunted many for years with my flinters (45 cal) and my 50 cal percussion rifles. You can kill squirrel with 30 grains in it but remembr to try to shoot right under the squirrel hitting the limb they are on. It is called barking and will kill a squirrel without wasting a lot of meat like a body shot with a 50 cal will do. Main thing is shoot it a lot at targets with 30 grains of powder so as to get a good idea how to site him in at different distances. Hopethat helps.

LoganWade · 04-04-2009, 08:32 PM

Thank you so much, that is a huge help and great news.
I will site in for 25 yards, then do some testing to check trajectory for other ranges.
Really glad to hear I can go down to 30 gr, will save alot on powder,recoil and sound. I think it will be alot of fun going out with my muzzleloader. It will add alot of challenge and technique to my normal squirrel hunting practices.
Thanks Again

newbee · 04-05-2009, 09:41 PM

A lite load won't in itself cause harm. The worst that would happen is a squib load, where the projectile doesn't leave the barrel. To avoid loading ontop of that mark your ram rod, and drop it down the barrel before doing anything to reload, after firing a test load. And if it doesn't reach the mark for the breach. Use a bullet puller to remove the projectile.

I hope this helps.

LoganWade · 04-06-2009, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbee

A lite load won't in itself cause harm. The worst that would happen is a squib load, where the projectile doesn't leave the barrel. To avoid loading ontop of that mark your ram rod, and drop it down the barrel before doing anything to reload, after firing a test load. And if it doesn't reach the mark for the breach. Use a bullet puller to remove the projectile.

I hope this helps.

Thanx alot I was wondering if back pressure from a lodged projectile could be dangerous. My ramrod is marked, i will mark another spot for a much lighter load than my mark for deer ect.

quegbeau · 04-06-2009, 05:15 PM

hello there! i belong to a blk powdr gun club. and alot of the guys shoot inlines with patch round ball .490 with 30 gr to 50 gr of 3f black powder. just remember with subsatute powder. pistol&rifle is the same as 3f. and rifle or rs pyerdex is = to 2f blk powder. yes you can kill squirrels with that load cause every fall on opening day of squirrel season we all go out for a day of smoking up the timber and bring home the bacon so to speak.

LoganWade · 04-07-2009, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quegbeau

hello there! i belong to a blk powdr gun club. and alot of the guys shoot inlines with patch round ball .490 with 30 gr to 50 gr of 3f black powder. just remember with subsatute powder. pistol&rifle is the same as 3f. and rifle or rs pyerdex is = to 2f blk powder. yes you can kill squirrels with that load cause every fall on opening day of squirrel season we all go out for a day of smoking up the timber and bring home the bacon so to speak.

Thank you for your input, but im afraid you confused me abit. Im using BP FFG substitutes, I can use 30-50 grains safely with this correct? And also initially ill prolly be using saboted bullets as opposed to patch balls do you see any problems with using them? Later down the road after some research i will likely try patched balls too, but i have read normally with 1 in 28 twist that sabotted bullets usually work better than patched balls. Altho with this light of load its prolly hard to say.

newbee · 04-07-2009, 10:07 PM

If the load is too lite it won't produce enough pressure to force the prjectile out of the barrel. There fore it is too lite to be harmful to the barrel. The only danger would be loading another charge on top of it. Then you would have to disassemble the fire arm and soak the barrel before it would be safe to pull both projectiles out. You should never try to pull a load without soaking first.

04-03-2009, 12:33 PM	#1
LoganWade Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 5	How light of a load can i go? Hello all ive been running around the net trying to get an answer and havent had any luck. I do alot of squirrel and small game hunting and normally use my ruger 10/17 conversion, but sometimes i would like to go out with my muzzleloader for small critters just for fun. I have a CVA Wolf .50 cal inline and a supply of 777, pyrodex,select and bh209 bp substitutes. What i am trying to find out is what is the lightest load i can safely shoot? I would like to go lower than 50 gr. if possible preferably about 35 gr. by volume with a 180 - 200 gr .429 saboted bullet. Ive never tried patched balls that would be fine too if it would help to beable to use a lighter load. How light can i go while still being safe? --> Last edited by LoganWade; 04-03-2009 at 12:34 PM..

04-04-2009, 03:25 PM	#2
jjmitchell60 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Raised in Buzzard Roost near Frog Town in hillls of Kentucky Contributor Posts: 1,471	Re: How light of a load can i go? We have kids in 4-H shooting sports that shoot 30 grains in a 50 cal with great results. One of our boys has taken 2nd in the sttae in BP rifle and first in BP istol. I have hunted many for years with my flinters (45 cal) and my 50 cal percussion rifles. You can kill squirrel with 30 grains in it but remembr to try to shoot right under the squirrel hitting the limb they are on. It is called barking and will kill a squirrel without wasting a lot of meat like a body shot with a 50 cal will do. Main thing is shoot it a lot at targets with 30 grains of powder so as to get a good idea how to site him in at different distances. Hopethat helps. __________________ Oath Keepers NOT ON OUR WATCH www.oathkeepers.org 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." -- Benjamin Franklin When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes Duty... Thomas Jefferson

04-04-2009, 08:32 PM	#3
LoganWade Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 5	Re: How light of a load can i go? Thank you so much, that is a huge help and great news. I will site in for 25 yards, then do some testing to check trajectory for other ranges. Really glad to hear I can go down to 30 gr, will save alot on powder,recoil and sound. I think it will be alot of fun going out with my muzzleloader. It will add alot of challenge and technique to my normal squirrel hunting practices. Thanks Again

04-05-2009, 09:41 PM	#4
newbee Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 19	Re: How light of a load can i go? A lite load won't in itself cause harm. The worst that would happen is a squib load, where the projectile doesn't leave the barrel. To avoid loading ontop of that mark your ram rod, and drop it down the barrel before doing anything to reload, after firing a test load. And if it doesn't reach the mark for the breach. Use a bullet puller to remove the projectile. I hope this helps.

04-06-2009, 05:15 PM	#6
quegbeau Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: rockbridge ill. Posts: 7	Re: How light of a load can i go? hello there! i belong to a blk powdr gun club. and alot of the guys shoot inlines with patch round ball .490 with 30 gr to 50 gr of 3f black powder. just remember with subsatute powder. pistol&rifle is the same as 3f. and rifle or rs pyerdex is = to 2f blk powder. yes you can kill squirrels with that load cause every fall on opening day of squirrel season we all go out for a day of smoking up the timber and bring home the bacon so to speak.

04-07-2009, 10:07 PM	#8
newbee Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 19	Re: How light of a load can i go? If the load is too lite it won't produce enough pressure to force the prjectile out of the barrel. There fore it is too lite to be harmful to the barrel. The only danger would be loading another charge on top of it. Then you would have to disassemble the fire arm and soak the barrel before it would be safe to pull both projectiles out. You should never try to pull a load without soaking first.