What load do y'all like for .40 at 50 yards?

[tnlonghunter]

I'm mostly just curious - i know all rifles will be a bit different. I've been getting spending some time with my father's (now my) .40 York rifle. It's got a 42" barrel and give me nice clover-leaf groups at 25 yard with 40g of Goex 3f (.395 ball, .018 patch with ToTW Mink oil).

However, at 50 yards it drops about 10" or so, which I admit was a surprise. I didn't have a lot of time to experiment, so another trip will be in order soon. But I'm curious for a starting point.

 

[nchawkeye]

60grs FFF Goex.

 

[olskool]

mine shoots 55gr. of 3f goex .18 ticking,. lubed with dawn and water, 395 ball.at 50yds beautifully. i tried 60gr. it did no better than 55gr. you can't go by 25yd. groups, that means very little, a bb gun shoots good at 25 yds,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[tnlonghunter]

Thanks to both y’all. My last .40 did well at 50 with 40g, but it only had a 34" barrel. I believe I was expecting the same thing (shoulda known better).

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

More here … 13 pages full!

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/everything-40-cal-muzzleloader.149306/

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Your .40 caliber should not drop 10" at 50 yards with a .40 grain charge of fffg. It would drop that at 100 yards but not 50 yards. Are you sighting at 50 yards off hand or from a rest?

 

[oldwood]

Use a solid rest , shooting bench , if possible. Hold the gun with both hands , firmly. Hold the rifle the same as if you will shoot off hand , but using the rest. All that the other guys have said , apply as well. Put a target aiming point up , that is easily seen , like a 4" square of orange duct tape on a target paper. Hope this helps you.

 

[tnlonghunter]

Use a solid rest , shooting bench , if possible. Hold the gun with both hands , firmly. Hold the rifle the same as if you will shoot off hand , but using the rest. All that the other guys have said , apply as well. Put a target aiming point up , that is easily seen , like a 4" square of orange duct tape on a target paper. Hope this helps you.

That's exactly how I set up. I'm also quite confused how I would get a 10" drop at that distance. I'll read through the thread mentioned above and go back to the range soon to restart the process.

 

[Kmcmichael]

I use 27.5 Swiss grains at 50 yards. .015 patch .389 cast ball. I double it to 55 grns and it is on at 82 yards.
I don’t get much of a change of impact from 25 to 50.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

50 grains Swiss FFF. No drop at 50 yards.

 

[Art Caputo]

I use the same load my 42” TVM/SMR 40 cal. I don’t understand the 10” drop ar 50 yards with your rifle. It might be a sight picture dynamic. I get similar POI at 25 and 50 yards which matches quite closely with the ballistics chart which also indicates the same POI.

 

[hanshi]

The best all around load in my .40 was 40 grains of 3F Goex, patch at least .018". Velocity at 15 feet from the muzzle was right around 1700 fps. No drop of 10" occurred at 50 yds and was less than 10" at 100 yds. I preferred 55 grns to 60 grns for 100 yards and that load was great at 100. Sight in at least at 50 yds or a bit farther. Target at 25 yards was probably with 40 grns but could have been with 30, I suppose.

 

[oldramrod]

My nephew and his boy both shoot 35 grain FFF in their 40 calibers at 25 and fifty yards. They have Douglas barrels 42 inches long

 

[longcruise]

consider that your 25 yard sight in may be low enough to result in way low at 50. That's all I got!

 

[oldwood]

If you're getting a large drop at close range , sounds like your patch thickness is too thin for the diamater ball used. The situation involving a .40 cal rifle.

 

[nhmoose]

My target and small game load is 35 grains GOEX 3fg loaded Hornady 95 grain RB, .018 pillow tick, Foggy Mountain bear oil and bee's wax boot dressing for lube.

deer same load as target except 70 grains of the GOEX 3fg (two from the same measure)

 

[Ballshooter]

Well, manure now I am thinking I may need a 40 cal. Those are some fine groups!

 

[Togo]

For shooting matches with my Kibler SMR, 35gr of Goex 3f, .395 ball and a simple green and water lubed .018 patch works perfect at 25 and 50 yds. 100 yrds I have to use a 55gr to put the balls in the scoring rings.

 

[French Colonial]

Well, manure now I am thinking I may need a 40 cal. Those are some fine groups!

It's not the arrows, it's the Indian.

 

[Flintandsteel]

A .40 is, or can be a very flat shooting caliber.
I’ve never seen one shoot at distance very well at low charges.
At 65g of fffg, they are like a laser beam.
Mostly dependent on rifling twist. Slower twist requires more powder.