.54 Caliber Round Ball Whitetail Load

[slumlord44]

Trying to find load for round ball for my CVA Hawken this week. Using 777 2F. I understand that you load 777 with slightly less volume than BlackPowder to get the same results. Went up to 90 grains but recoil is getting stout. 80 grains is about as much as I am comfortable with. Could I drop back to 70 grains and be good out to 100 yard max? I normaly limit myself to 75 yards and most shots are 20 to 50 yards. CVA lists 110 grains of 2F black powder as max load.

 

[wattlebuster]

I've never shot any 777 but if you keep your shots around 50 yrds like you said then 70 grns will get er done if you put the ball where it NEEDS to go :thumbsup:

 

[Richard McCullough]

It seems you are more concerned with powder charge than group size.

Load 777 10% less than black powder load. I would start at 70 grains and see what the grouping is.

 

[playfarmers]

My load for a .54 Lyman Trade rifle is 80g of 3f Graff or 90g of 2f Goex, behind a .535 ball.

 

[roundball]

I understand that you load 777 with slightly less volume than BlackPowder to get the same results.

Hodgdon recommends at least a 15% reduction in a powder charge compared to real blackpowder...15% off the CVA 110max would put the 777 max charge in the 90-95grn range...70grns is really kind of down to a mid-range charge for general purpose big game hunting.
http://www.hodgdon.com/loading.html

Went up to 90 grains but recoil is getting stout. 80 grains is about as much as I am comfortable with.

Remember, recoil can always more of an issue at the range where you're possibly shooting a large number of stout hunting loads...AND...made even worse if all hunkered down & over a rifle shooting from a bench.
The occasional recoil from a shot while hunting is usually never even felt or noticed due to the concentration on the game at hand, so IMO, don't let "range recoil" push you down to milder powder charge just because it has less recoil.

Could I drop back to 70 grains and be good out to 100 yard max?

All specualtion at this point...under ideal / perfect hunting conditions, 70grns should get it done through the boiler room at 100yds.
I personally wouldn't drop below 80grns as I prefer the flattest trajectory possible and any extra margin of power I can get in case a deer starts to turn just as I'm making the shot and then has a big shoulder in the way by the time the ball gets there.

I normaly limit myself to 75 yards and most shots are 20 to 50 yards.

Again, we're just speculating here, but if those limitations can be adhered to, 70grns of 777 should be just fine.
There is often a lot of discussion about only using the most accurate load for hunting as if an additional 10grns of powder is going to throw the PRBs off the target or something...my reality is I've never experienced that...usually the hotter the load the more accurate my results are.
If accuracy starts to suffer with higher powder charges, its usually nothing to do with the inherent accuracy of the firearm but the PRB combo being used...ie: you can't "over-stabilize" a round sphere.
Inreased powder charges can sometimes require a better patch or lube, or an over powder wad to act as a firewall to protect a patch from failing which could affect accuracy, but a ML doesn't simply develop unacceptable accuracy based on increased powder charges alone.

NOTE for hunting:
Even if a hotter load made a 3" group at 100yds instead of a 2.5" group, I'd much rather have the added power at 100yds than a 2.5" vs. 3" group...the latter is no benefit to me for deer hunting but the flatter trajectory and additional power is.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Some very good advice! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[jamesthomas]

Here too, very good advice. :thumbsup: Might see if you can get some Goex so you don't have to worry about the 10 to 15% difference. Cleans up just has good.

 

[BrownBear]

I'm just getting set to get to know 777 better. I inherited 6 jugs of 3f from a friend who was moving, and it's been his go-to sub for years. He has lots of experience with it and really likes it in his 50, 54 and 58 cal rifles because it's so much cleaner burning and less prone to fouling than Pyrodex. Since it's possible to run out of real black up here, I want to know it better.

I'm rambling and justifying. Bottom line his 54's shot it really well with 70-90 grain charges, and he settle on 80 grains for all around. We both sighted in all the time at 75 yards, and his trajectories were virtually identical to the ones I get with 90 grains of Goex 3f- roughly dead on at 25, an inch high at 50 and roughly 3" low at 100. Fine for our needs and I can tell you it really flattens deer at all those ranges.

 

[Io]

100 grains is plenty and 75 yards it's a killer. I know guys who like to go to 120 and all, but I'd suggest that you start with a bore full of powder, meaning 55 grains and work a load up from there in the black till its spreads then stop. Actually it might get tighter first too, then open up, but I'd go for the accuracy part first.

If you're using a roundball, try different lubes on your patch too. Slickness makes a difference.

 

[slumlord44]

Lots of good advice. Accuracy difference betweeen 70 and 90 grains is not enough to make much difference on a deer sized target as has been said here. Most of my shots are short range but I want the option to take a 100 yard shot and hit and kill the deer if I chose to take the shot. I am leading to the 80 grain load but will try the 90 again also. Will do some more shooting and see how it goes. I have a good supply of Black powder but 777 is a little easier to clean and my Blackpowder will keep forever. Not sure about the 777. Thanks for the input.

 

[Maynerd62411]

I use 75 gr Triple 7 , in my TC GreyHawk .54 . Most of my shots are less then 40 yards.
Seems to be the load it likes best.
I wouldn't go over 85-90.

 

[slumlord44]

90 grains is starting to rattle the fillings in my teeth so that would be my max.

 

[William O.]

Accuracy is the key and it sounds like you need to work up the most accurate load for your rifle. Using Triple 7, start with 50 grains, shoot three times at the same place on the target, swab the bore, increase by 5 grains, repeat until you get the tightest 3 shot groups. My .54 shoots best with 85 grains of 2f Goex, which is about 72 grains of T-7, more than enough power for a through and through hit.

 

[slumlord44]

Accuracy seems to be better with 70 grains of 777 than 90 but I am not totaly sure if it is not more of a recoil problem than an accuracy one. Will do some more shooting before I settle on a hunting load. Got till the end of Novembea so no problem.