• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

2f In my Kentuckian 45?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
What are you going to do with it, for shooting- plinking- small game I use 30grs of FFG in my .45, Hiking-longer range shooting I load with 50 grains, if sitting in the deer stand 70 grains shoots great. If it shoots accurately why burn more hard to find powder than necessary. My .45 flint is my most used small game gun for squirrels, grouse and the occasional creek duck and light charges of FFG are perfect.
 
I'd say a load of 60 to 70 grains of powder will likely be an accurate load. Certainly it should be a safe load with no excess pressure.

Load development would start at 50 grains (volume of course) and evaluate each five shot shot group before adding more powder. Clean well between each change in powder charge.
 
For just putting holes in paper out to around 50 yards, 2f or 3f will work just fine especially if you use the rule of thumb "caliber = number of grains. In other words, 45 grains for 45 caliber, 50 grains for 50 caliber, etc.

All of my 50 caliber rifles will shoot 2 inch groups or better out to yards with 50 gr of 2f. I see no need to waste powder.
 
Last edited:
More than 50 years ago I bought powder locally and had to use whatever they had. Sometimes it would be 3F and sometimes it would be 2F and I used them interchangeably. Not much difference in performance that I saw.
 
In the old days 2f was rifle powder, 3f pistols 1F musket, even small bore was shot with 2.
Powder it self differs. Swiss 2 is about as hot as GO 3, and I have 3f Elephant that’s on par with 2f GO
You just have to experiment and adjust as needed
 
As stated, you need to do some testing to find out what is the best charge . I like to start 5 grains below the caliber and work my way up, taking five shoot groups at each stage.My Douglas .45 likes 45 grain FF or 40 grain FFF.
 
Really wanting to shoot it but I only have 2f on hand, any suggestions on a starting load?
Load development is pretty strait forward. I rough in my sighting so that I'm at least on paper at 50 yards.

This process will take place over time, not a one day trip to the range.

Post a target and write on it the load being used, patching material, primer and any other data that you think is pertinent.

Shoot a 3 shot group from the bench. Replace target and increase the load by 10 grains and shoot another 3 shot group. Post another target, increase load by 10 grains and so on and so forth.

At some point you will hit a load where your shots will nicely group and then at another load your shots will noticeably open up...This load where the group opens up is the end point. From the end point go back a couple loads and repeat the process but now you are only increasing each load by 5 grains for each target group.

Eventually you will find a load that is the most accurate with that combination of Ball, Patching and primer. Once you are satisfied, sit down and put the final touch on the sites.

I had a friend out working on a load for his gun and he selected a load because it grouped nicely around his point of aim. I looked over his targets and asked him, "What about this load here...that group is about 1/2 an inch...it's the smallest group you've got?" His reply, "Yeah but that group is low and not in the bullseye" So I showed him how to adjust his sites...so yeah..know the difference between accuracy and precision...they need to work together.

I'll use several different patching materials and change ball sizes...eventually you'll find a load for that gun that is perfect.

.45 calibre using 2fg powder...start a bit low say 30 to 35 grains and go from there...might find a real accurate squirrel load and a solid deer load as well.

Once you get some 3fg, try it again and see what changes...if nothing else you'll learn a lot about your gun and where it hits at various ranges etc.

I have a sweet little .45 that I use for deer and I patch it with heavy denim and a .40 calibre RB to hunt squirrels and rabbits...so it becomes my squirrel rifle at times. Pillow ticking and 6o grains will put a .440 ball into the vitals on big game every time out to just beyond 100 yards. Heavy denim patching and 40 grains is deadly with a .390 RB hunting squirrels....
 
Last edited:
Quote
Load development is pretty strait forward. I rough in my sighting so that I'm at least on paper at 50 yards.
Thanks for the info and the time it took to respond with the information. Now it's time to hit the fabric stores for more patching material then the range! When 3f becomes available I'll get some of that too!
 
Quote

Thanks for the info and the time it took to respond with the information. Now it's time to hit the fabric stores for more patching material then the range! When 3f becomes available I'll get some of that too!
Remember, pillow ticking works the best but seems there are three different thickness of it, wash it out first. I found some thinner stuff called Super Muslin at JoAnne's years back that worked well for lighter to midrange loads. They will sell you partial yards.
 
For some, pillow ticking works best. For others, its mattress ticking. For me, its #40 Pocket Drill cloth. Then there's all the choices in the denim aisle. If you seek really thick patching, you can peruse the selections of canvas. I won't mention that linen from 100% flax is also available. I haven't used linen for several years. The best canvas seems to be found in the art supply stores. There I have found linen canvas, but I decided to stick with my Drill Cloth.

As @Flintlock says, be sure to wash it out. Sizing that makes the cloth feel good in the store does no good for accuracy. Sizing can also make for erroneous reading when measuring cloth for thickness and compression.
 
I've walked through the Isles caliper in hand measuring various cloths, I told the one gal this may seem weird and she told me not at all, her father used to shoot at clubs and rondies all the time. I've had other women tell me about the same, they always are willing to help and often have suggestions to try. Seems in this day and age our hobby-lifestyle is far from the oddest they see,
 
Back
Top