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.58 Caliber PRB Load

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FredMcIntire

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I was lucky enough to find a very nice Investarms Hawken type percussion rifle in .58 caliber a few years ago. I'm wanting to hunt with it this year in our Indiana muzzleloader season. I plan on using a Hornady .570" patched round ball, weighing 228 grains.

What powder load would you suggest ? I plan on keeping my shots under 75 yards.

Thanks in advance for your help....
 
Hey Fred. I hunt a lot with my 58 Cal Hawken. My whitetail hunt load is:

100 Grains FFFg
.015 Patch with Track's Mink Oil
.570 cast round ball.

Anything over 100 grains and I put a felt wad between the ball and powder charge to keep the patch from tearing.

I have found the 58 with 100 grains will shoot clean through any whitetail and is a pleasant load to shoot, accurate too. If I were after Elk, or was planning a long shot of over 100 yards, I would probably bump up the powder charge. But as you say, 75 yards and closer is where everything gets shot, so 100 grains FFFg works for me.

DSCN6041.jpg


Headhunter
 
I have two of those rifles. I have really only worked up a load for one. It shoots elk dead as dead can be with only 85 gr and a PRB. Elk weigh about 550lbs on the hoof as an average and they go down hard IF HIT RIGHT. I been hunting BP since I was 17 (shooting since 10). I can tell ya the most important part of the load is accuracy. I would shoot 70 gr if it was the most accurate load, or 120 gr. Mine likes 85. My .50 (the one I shoot most hunting) likes just 65 and it has dropped several deer. None (elk or deer) have run out of site after being hit in the boiler room by a .50 or bigger PRB. We are not shooting a .30-06 here, you do your part and put the ball in the center of the chest and you will be eating venison that evening. SHOT PLACEMENT
 
I WOULD SUGGEST 87 TO 90 GRAINS OF 2FF powder, A .575 ball if possible a fairly tight patch and not too slick a patch lube.

I would also suggest some practice shots with this mix making sure the ball hits where it's aimed.

Dutch Schoultz

FredMcIntire said:
I was lucky enough to find a very nice Investarms Hawken type percussion rifle in .58 caliber a few years ago. I'm wanting to hunt with it this year in our Indiana muzzleloader season. I plan on using a Hornady .570" patched round ball, weighing 228 grains.

What powder load would you suggest ? I plan on keeping my shots under 75 yards.

Thanks in advance for your help....
Click to expand...
 
I only have one .58 so I will yield to others with more extensive experience after a brief statement. You need to find the most accurate load. In my .58 (with a PRB) it is 60 grains FFg. It will shoot a Minnie ball most accurate with 95 grains. Either one has been devastating on deer out to 100 yards. Best of luck!
 
My .58 with a 42" Don Getz barrel likes 75 grains 2F.
I hunted for about ten years with this rifle and nothing else, and always seemed to bring home the bacon.
Only shot mule deer and whitetails with it, but I don't recall ever recovering a ball. All seemed to shoot right through.
I used a deer tallow lubed patch. Rifle has a Chambers English round faced lock. Very dependable!
If I was looking for elk with it, I'd go a bit higher on the powder, but most important is what Azmtnman says above.
 
Kinda gotta watchit with the Investarms 58 cal Hawken. All I've seen have 15/16" barrel, and by the time you hack out dovetails for sights and ramrod pipes and such, the steel is getting pretty thin. NO modern barrel maker or reborer will do 58 caliber on a 15/16" barrel for that reason.

I have five 58 caliber rifles and I snort the loads up purty good on those with thicker barrels. But the short hair on my neck gets to sticking out pretty good when I get up to 100 grains of 2F (and never 3F) on my own Investarms Hawken due to that thin steel. In fact I've settled on 80 grains of 2F in mine. Sure I could "probably" go a little higher, but I don't see any need. That big ball kills like crazy with only 80 grains of 2F. I snort the others up for flatter trajectories, because in fact things get a little loopy with only 80. Sighted in dead on at 75, I'm about 2 high at 50 and 8 low at 100 (maybe closer to 10 low). Goodenuff for me, anyway.
 
FredMcIntire said:
Thank you everyone for your help and insight into the .58 caliber. I'll post up pictures if I have success with it during muzzleloader season.

Fred
Click to expand...
Just getting started with my 58 green mountain barrel. These are the first 8 shots taken. Only difference is the 60 vs 75grains of 3f ole eyensforth, distance and shooter.
 

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BrownBear said:
Kinda gotta watchit with the Investarms 58 cal Hawken. All I've seen have 15/16" barrel, and by the time you hack out dovetails for sights and ramrod pipes and such, the steel is getting pretty thin. NO modern barrel maker or reborer will do 58 caliber on a 15/16" barrel for that reason.

I have five 58 caliber rifles and I snort the loads up purty good on those with thicker barrels. But the short hair on my neck gets to sticking out pretty good when I get up to 100 grains of 2F (and never 3F) on my own Investarms Hawken due to that thin steel. In fact I've settled on 80 grains of 2F in mine. Sure I could "probably" go a little higher, but I don't see any need. That big ball kills like crazy with only 80 grains of 2F. I snort the others up for flatter trajectories, because in fact things get a little loopy with only 80. Sighted in dead on at 75, I'm about 2 high at 50 and 8 low at 100 (maybe closer to 10 low). Goodenuff for me, anyway.
Click to expand...


I have a Lyman Plains Rifle in 58 cal 1-48 about the same thing. It likes 90gr FFg w/PRB and a tight patch.

Brown Bear, I respect your experience but with the above barrel I have put through many Hornady GP bullets 525gr with a max load of also 90gr, kicks like a mule. I found that overkill for deer, as it kills too many trees behind the deer.

The above gun also came with a 15/16 factory barrel (lyman/investarms) in 20ga smoothie. I does PRB pretty good and can also throw shot O.K.

I have a Toledo 15/16 TC/Investarms drop in barrel in 12ga, it came with the proof certificate from Toledo. Mighty fine turkey barrel it is tightly choked.
 
My IA .58 has the thinner barrel too. I found it settled in very nicely with a .575 ball, a .010 patch with mink oil and 85 grains of OE2f. Out to 100 meters it will print a 2" group of 10 balls (or better).
 
azmntman said:
I have two of those rifles. I have really only worked up a load for one. It shoots elk dead as dead can be with only 85 gr and a PRB. Elk weigh about 550lbs on the hoof as an average and they go down hard IF HIT RIGHT. I been hunting BP since I was 17 (shooting since 10). I can tell ya the most important part of the load is accuracy. I would shoot 70 gr if it was the most accurate load, or 120 gr. Mine likes 85. My .50 (the one I shoot most hunting) likes just 65 and it has dropped several deer. None (elk or deer) have run out of site after being hit in the boiler room by a .50 or bigger PRB. We are not shooting a .30-06 here, you do your part and put the ball in the center of the chest and you will be eating venison that evening. SHOT PLACEMENT
Click to expand...
Shot placement is one important aspect of hunting. I have been searching for an answer to something I was told back many years ago about loading patched round ball for dangerous game. I was told by a very old friend that when the mountain men and long hunters of the era knew they were going in on a dangerous animal in close quarters they loaded there rifles with a little less powder and 2 patched round balls. Less powder because of the increase of the weight in-front of it (chamber pressure) and they started one ball on top of the other and pushed the down at the same time to make sure there was no gap between them. I've been trying to confirm this but have not yet done so. Does anyone out there know. I've been trying to find a place to ask this question but my computor skills are limeted if this needs to be move please do so. Thanks
 

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