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.45 powder charge

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Depends on who you ask and what your loading for. Target shooting at close range is different than shooting target at longer range and hunting is different still. For hunting 80-90 is what I would use. Paul V would say alot less for sure. I shoot the largest charge I can with good accuracy but I don't shoot target unless I am sighting in for hunting.

I like 90-100 3f in my 50 cals with just about every bullet or ball I shoot. Most times I am only shooting once so what makes the difference if it kicks a bit as long as it's accurate and flat. For plinking around with the 50 cal ball guns I generally use 60 grains.
 
tundrawolf said:
how many grains of 3f should i shoot in my tc hawken .45 w/round ball?

I spend 99% of my range time plinking / practicing at 25 & 50 yards and essentially just use the caliber, 50grns 3F in my .45 & .50cal T/C Hawkens...90grns for a deer hunting load
 
For targets 50-60grs has done well for me in the past.....just up it to 65-75 for hunting..all I ever used
 
No big with .45 in my state so it's a target, plinking and small game gun for me. Not all .45 barrels have the same twist rates. TC is a 1:48. The GM barrels are a slower twist, etc.

My .45 tc loads are in the 30 to 45 grain range. I have shot bigger charges up to 65 but gained nothing in accuracy so.... for me anyway there is no reason to go there.
 
For target shooting with my frontier cal. 45 I use 56 grains of 3f Swiss Black, over a round ball, .020 thick wonder lubed patches, and a felt OP wad, for a distance of 55 yards.
 
It depends on what you are doing with it.

I understand that the typical barrel will have two or more loads that it really likes. One will work good for hunting and the other for plinking/target shooting. For the hunting load start at the max and work down in 10 grain increments until the group tightens up and then widens out again then 5 grain increments on either side of the tigther group area and you will have a hunting load. Then go to the minimum and work up in 10 grain increments until the group tightens up and then widens out again work up and down at 5 grain increments from the tight group and you have a target load. IF you really really want to get super tight then you need to be weighing your charges and 1 grain will make a difference but generally a couple grains up or down from the sweet spot wont make enough difference to matter.
 
Not sure what you "should" shoot but I have three .45's and shoot 35 gr for target and squirrels and 65 for hunting deer. No matter what I do about any load from 30 to 70 grains seem to be equally accurate or at least as accurate as I can shoot them. Have shot lots of deer with 60-65 grains and .440 ball, all mostly 40-60 yds all very dead within 50 yds. Sorry, not trying to be boastful this is just what has worked for me for over 40 years. Some will shoot heavier loads and if your gun shoots more powder accurately more wouldn't hurt a thing, only burn more powder. A deer can only get so dead. More powder may extend your effective killing range if you can still put them in the chest.
 
Killed 2 doe with my both of my 45 TC Senecas.Both guns like 50 grs of FFFg.One I use Maxis in and the other .445 RB's.
My Hawken 45 likes 55 grs of FFFg,.015 green pillow,and a .445 RB.
All my 45's give 1"-1 1/2" at 50 yds.
 
For most rifles, if you were to start with one grain per caliber, and then work up from there, you couldn't go too far wrong. For pistols, cut that in half. So for a .45 rifle, start with 20 or 25 grains for a pistol, and in a .45 rifle, 45 grains would be a good start.
 
make sure there's enough powder to fill the patten breech ...that's what I was told about low loads in a T/C barrel.

....never found out the volume of the breech anyone know for sure???is it the same one all there barrels??

I shoot 70 grs FFF that's what shoots the best in this barrel.
 
thanks for the help freinds !!if this stinkin snow ever melts enough for me to gimp thru it to the target post ,i figure to make enuff smoke to blot out the sun :grin: .
 
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