Great Plains 54 load questions

[adkmountainken]

recently aquired a Great Plains pistol from a member on here. was wondering what to start with for a target/plinking load and what to use as a hunting load. what can i expect for effective range and accuracy? any info would be appreciated.

 

[Zonie]

Congratulations on you new pistol.

Before any recommendations can be made about a load we need to know which caliber pistol you have.

The Great Plains Pistol comes in .50 or .54 caliber.

 

[napolean]

I would suggest just starting at 20 grains and shoot a few groups and then go up 5 grains and shoot again. Change nothing else during working up your load (patching, lube, ball size) Groups will tighten until you go past the "pet load". I would think you will find it somewhere before 35 grains on a .54 caliber. If the groups don't suit you, change one thing (patching, lube, ball size) and start over.
You'll find the load sooner or later.
Jon D

 

[adkmountainken]

it is the .54 cal. thanks for the info.

 

[jbtusa]

I use 20 grs. GOEX FF in mine with a .530 ball. Seems plenty hot.

 

[bangfxr]

I have a .54 flint and it uses 40 grains FFG with a 530 RB and ticking for patchs and she shoots well.

 

[CaptainKirk]

Since you acquired it from a member here, might it not make sense to ask him what he used as a pet load, and use that as your starting point? Just a suggestion...

 

[CoyoteJoe]

The second edition Lyman BP manual lists a .54 caliber 8" barrel with loads of 35-50 grains.
35 grains of 2f Goex gives a .530" patched ball 792 fps and energy of 309 ft.lb.
35 grains of 3f goes 909 fps and 407 ft.lb..
50 grains of 2f gives 939 fps and 435 ft.lb.
50 grains of 3f is good for 1044 fps and 537 ft.lb.
Pyrodex "RS" gave velocities very close to 2f Goex and Pyro "P" is very close to Goex 3f.

 

[matt denison]

Lyman reccomends 35 grains in order to fill the patent style powder chamber. You can expect so-so groups with that load.

I reduced to 25 grains of FFFg and can shoot clover leaf groups at 20 yards with my .54 using a .530 ball, .015" spit patch.

 

[Dphar]

recently aquired a Great Plains pistol from a member on here. was wondering what to start with for a target/plinking load and what to use as a hunting load. what can i expect for effective range and accuracy? any info would be appreciated.

Anything under 30 grains is probably not going to shoot all that well unless its a fast twist barrel. I would rather shoot 45-60. 60 in a slow twist barrel in 54 caliber will shoot well enough for most purposes to 75-100 yards. With a 66" +- twist a 54 pistol after load developement should shooting into 2" or so at 25 yards.
I have used as much as 70 in a 8" barreled percussion pistol with a 70" twist to get good accuracy. 45 grains or more in a 8" or larger pistol will kill deer at 25-30 yards with no issues.
With 50-70 grains they will kill deer about as far as the shot can be properly placed.
With heavy loads the 54-58 caliber ML pistol is comparable to 44 mag to 25 yards of so.
Recoil will be pretty snappy too. Pistols with poorly designed stocks and/or trigger guards will limit powder charge due to recoil.
This pistol is a 54 with a 1" to 7/8" tapered barrel. The TG will whack the middle finger with more than 45 grains of FFF. But the guard is a dueler type and these never used much powder anyway.

This is a 58 caliber with a 1" straight barrel and this TG will tolerate any powder charge. Being used as a hunting backup I think the owner shoots between 60 and 70 grains.

Dan

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Those are both beautiful pistols Dan and appear quite practical as well. :hatsoff: