Best Load for a .50 cal Longrifle

I am currently having a .50 cal flintlock made for me. It will have a .50 RICE SOUTHERN CLASSIC barrel in 42". I will only be shooting PRB. The primary purpose for this rifle is for hunting, but will also shoot at the range and woods walk.

I won't see the gun for at least a few months, but I am curious about what other .50 cal longrifle owners find that their gun likes best.

What is your favorite powder charge for punching paper and your favorite for deer hunting.

As one reference, in my 42" .50cal Dickert:
Range practice / plinking load = 70grns Goex 3F
Hunting load for Whitetailed deer = 90grs Goex 3F

My 50cal green mountain barrel shoots 65gr FFFg......one holers at 50yds all day........120gr max load..not as accurate but power! :youcrazy: ....and Wally world pillow tick patch mat'l.....

Marc n tomtom

In the 43" barrel long rifle my load is 90 grains FFg.
Very accurate early eighties Dixie Gun Works kit gun.

My 42" green mt. Barrel likes 70gr fffg

You are getting good suggestions. Every rifle is different though. I'd suggest you start your load development with 50 grains and shoot groups going up 10 grains at a time. Try both FFg and FFFg. At some point you should see an improvement in accuracy. That's your target load. Then see how much you can increase it without the groups opening up more than you are willing to use on deer sized animals or whatever you plan to hunt. There's your hunting load.

Knap

My .50 caliber Virginia rifle has a 42" Colerain Classic American B-Weight swamped barrel and likes 80 grains of 3F Goex, a .015 patch, .490 round ball, lubed with track of the wolf's mink oil.

When I do my part, my Dickert with a 42" barrel is most accurate with 65 gr of Goex FFFG, .490 RB and .015 mink oil lubed patch.

I'll second that motion.

60 gr FFg Goex, .495 ball and .018 patch for 25-50 yards. 90 gr same for 75-100 yds and deer hunting. 42" 15/16" barrel flinter 1/66 twist .012 deep.

I don't get a seal w/ .490 and .015 patch. Groove to groove = .50 + .012 + .012 = .524

.490 +.015 + .015 = .520

.495 + .018 +.018 = .531

I have a green mountian 42 inch barrel. A .490 is too small and a .500 with a .01 patch works but hard to load. My normal load is .495 with a .015 patch. 60 grains 3 f is good but I get better with 70 3f. 80 dosn't close my groups at all. 70 grains goes through and through white tails.
I never owned a rice barrel so I don't know its size. However any rifle can eat different sized balls. Some one may do best with one size and powder load, some one else may have the same barrel and do better with a different size and charge. You just have to go out and play, er ah work your fingers to the bone to find the best for your gun and shooting style. Above some folks advocate larger charges then I use. This is some of the fun. Get comfortable with your gun you will find you sweet spot. Having a"bigger charge" then you need won't hurt, but you may find some charges " too small" for how you hunt.

tenngun said:

Having a"bigger charge" then you need won't hurt, but you may find some charges " too small" for how you hunt.

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Agree...for the unknowns of hunting conditions, misjudged shot angles in low light, deer starting to turn just as the sear breaks, etc, etc, I've always operated on the principle:
"I'd rather have the extra power and not need it, than need it and not have it"

Every rifle has it's own accuracy "sweet spot". The twist will affect the best charge. As will your ball size, patch mateiral and lube. What others use is only a guide. The charge you will favor can only be determined by you. Select your ball size, patch and lube, buy plenty of real bp and spend time on the bench at the range using 50 yard targets. The long standing rule of thumb is to start with your bore size and work up from there. A notebook for results will be your best friend. Do that then get back to us to tell us what you have learned.

Rifleman1776 said:

Every rifle has it's own accuracy "sweet spot". The twist will affect the best charge. As will your ball size, patch mateiral and lube. What others use is only a guide. The charge you will favor can only be determined by you. Select your ball size, patch and lube, buy plenty of real bp and spend time on the bench at the range using 50 yard targets. The long standing rule of thumb is to start with your bore size and work up from there. A notebook for results will be your best friend. Do that then get back to us to tell us what you have learned.

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:thumbsup:

Barrels are definitely individuals. That along with a thousand other variables means you have to experiment to find what yours likes. 60 to 70 grains of 3F do well in mine for deer. I looking at more experimentation with 30 grains of 2F as a plinking/target/small game load. Limited shooting of this load has so far impressed me.

I like to have as much powder in there as I can comfortably shoot. While with a perfect hit it really doesn't matter what the charge is (within reason), as the hit becomes more and more marginal, and the range gets further and further way, the bigger your terminal "womp", the bigger your target effectively becomes.

Just because you can drill x after x after x on the target range that doesn't mean you can make the same hit in the field under rushed conditions, and uncomfortable shooting positions with a target that may be moving.

54mountain said:

My 42" green mt. Barrel likes 70gr fffg

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Ditto on mine......Wally world pillow ticking and any lube.....


Marc

Years ago I killed several deer (one at about 100 yards) with my .50 Va flintlock. My hunting load at that time was 100 grains of 3F. That load was accurate, powerful and laid out buckets full of smackdown on deer. Velocity in my 42" barrel was nearly 2100fps. My .45 gobbled up 80 grains per shot.

Later on got to thinking that maybe all that power wasn't needed for deer. These days sees 70 grains in the .50 and 60 grains in the .45.

Col. Batguano said:

I like to have as much powder in there as I can comfortably shoot. While with a perfect hit it really doesn't matter what the charge is (within reason), as the hit becomes more and more marginal, and the range gets further and further way, the bigger your terminal "womp", the bigger your target effectively becomes.

Just because you can drill x after x after x on the target range that doesn't mean you can make the same hit in the field under rushed conditions, and uncomfortable shooting positions with a target that may be moving.

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You nailed it
:thumbsup:

IMO 60-90 gr. whatever shoots best. You can't make a .50 do a .58s work by adding powder.