New to BP Muzzleloader Hunting

[jkholmes]

So, I guess the title is half right. My dad and I used to use precussion cap muzzle loaders to deer hunt when I was a kid. I've recently picked one up to expand my deer season a bit. I picked up a Traditions Deerhunter precussion muzzleloader (in .50 cal). I figure it will get me started for now. Don't want to go the in-line route or anything.

Anyways, I noticed that I can't seem to find how many grains of powder to use. I don't remember how much to use specifically (for some reason the number 95 grains comes to mind), and I'm trying to find the charts on how much powder to use.

Anyone able to give me a bit of direction? The powder I'm using is Hodgden Pyrodex.

 

[Mgderf]

For a .50cal bp rifle, the general consensus is 100 or 150gr bp or equivalent substitute.
A lot of people run the 150gr load for a "Magnum" shot, but in my opinion it's unnecessary.
100gr is a 150-200 yard shot with a good muzzle loader.

 

[jkholmes]

So my memory of possibly running 95gr may not be outside the realm of possibility? We spent most of our time hunting in fairly dense forests that you really could not get a 200 yard shot in (heck you where lucky to get 100 yard shots at all).

I'll probably start with 100gr and see where I go from there.

 

[Mgderf]

95 would be reasonable.
I think most people use the pellets which mainly come in 50gr pellets.
I've seen 30gr pellets but not for years.
It's very easy to just drop 2 or 3 pellets down the barrel and ram a bullet on top.

 

[jkholmes]

Thanks for the help! I appreciate it

 

[Mgderf]

Thanks for the help! I appreciate it

There is actually a thread discussing the preferred pellets.
I think the thread is titled something like "Pyrodex vs Triple 777 vs something else..."

 

[G192127]

Hold on there,friend.
If it's a traditions deerhunter it's got a 1:48 twist. A compromise for patched round balls and conical. If you're shooting a prb then 70 grs is tops you should shoot( a heavier charge will strip the ball). 80 grs will stabilize a conical. That rifle was NOT ment for 150 gr loads- leave those to the in-lines.

 

[Mgderf]

Hold on there,friend.
If it's a traditions deerhunter it's got a 1:48 twist. A compromise for patched round balls and conical. If you're shooting a prb then 70 grs is tops you should shoot( a heavier charge will strip the ball). 80 grs will stabilize a conical. That rifle was NOT ment for 150 gr loads- leave those to the in-lines.

Wow! 1:48?
I had no clue anything had that slow of a twist.

I defer to those who know more than I about the traditional style muzzle loaders.
I use nothing but in-lines now and have for years.
I just got tired of the unreliability of standard #11 percussion caps. I switched to musket caps for a while and that was a major improvement, but pales compared to the in-lines.

Seems years ago I remember someone using 3 Pyrodex 30gr pellets but I don't remember what firearm he was shooting.

 

[JTKelly]

So, I guess the title is half right. My dad and I used to use precussion cap muzzle loaders to deer hunt when I was a kid. I've recently picked one up to expand my deer season a bit. I picked up a Traditions Deerhunter precussion muzzleloader (in .50 cal). I figure it will get me started for now. Don't want to go the in-line route or anything.

Anyways, I noticed that I can't seem to find how many grains of powder to use. I don't remember how much to use specifically (for some reason the number 95 grains comes to mind), and I'm trying to find the charts on how much powder to use.

Anyone able to give me a bit of direction? The powder I'm using is Hodgden Pyrodex.

Double the caliber is a pretty fair guess for a top power load.

 

[G192127]

Keep in mind a 45-70 uses, well, 70 grs. 150 grs would be like "proof" load.

 

[Squirt239]

100gr dropped this one.

 

[Max Volume]

I have hunted with a T/C Hawken in .50 and taken several deer with it. Best load for me was 90 grains real black powder, .015 patch and .490 lead ball. It is rather tight pushing in but very accurate. I mainly hunt thick woods and the farthest deer taken with that load was broadside at 90 yards and dropped the deer in it's tracks. Tried conicals which included powerbelts, T/C maxi hunter and Buffalo Bullet Co. which weren't as accurate. Not sure if some of those are made anymore.

 

[Purdue1991]

100 grain is plenty for woods hunting where you'll shoot well short of 100 yards. I've used Pyrodex pellets as well as FFG. The Pyrodex pellets made it as easy as it gets and had no issues igniting them.

 

[Dirty Steve]

My kids used muzzle loaders when they first started hunting. It was a very easy way to manage recoil for an 8 year old and only having one shot was good training. They both cleanly killed plenty of deer with a mild 70 grain load. Deer are not armor plated.

Dirty Steve

 

[FredMcIntire]

I highly suggest Triple Seven granulated powder over Pyrodex. You reduce the load by 15 percent over traditional black powder. So, if you were loading 100 grains of black powder, you'd only load 85 grains of Triple Seven granulated powder. I run 80 grains of Triple Seven in my Knight .45 caliber inline.

 

[Remington 90T]

Tompson Center Black powder guns had button rifling and a quick turn --With a patch and round balls anything over 90 grains of black powder I found you can get flyers from stripping over the rifling -- have shot eleven deer with 70 grains of ff black powder. my cut rifling gun, with a slower twist I can push a round ball up to 120 grains. Then again most black powder shooter aren't tradition black power shooters.