Need a good light load recomendation for .45 cal mtn rifle

[Docgp]

I have recently finished a 45 cal Kibler Mountain rifle that I would like to chase some bushy tails with. It is just such a light, sweet, slim rifle to carry. Looking for a squirrel load sighted at about 100ft. Thinking 25gr 3f, but wanted to see what input anyone else might have. Will see what kind of accuracy I get, but how low can you go??? (Blackpowder limbo, if you will!!)

Doc

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

No way to tell , you're going to have to put it on paper and see what it likes.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Mine shoots best with 55g FFFg.

 

[SDSmlf]

For 100 feet I’d start at 15 or 20 grains of fff and step up in small steps increments until I found that ‘accuracy’ load.

 

[roadgrader]

I have recently finished a 45 cal Kibler Mountain rifle that I would like to chase some bushy tails with. It is just such a light, sweet, slim rifle to carry. Looking for a squirrel load sighted at about 100ft. Thinking 25gr 3f, but wanted to see what input anyone else might have. Will see what kind of accuracy I get, but how low can you go??? (Blackpowder limbo, if you will!!)

Doc

I shoot 35gr in a CVA .45 for squirrel and rabbits with fine accuracy. Stacey

 

[Huntschool]

Doc:

If this is just going to be a tree rat rifle I would keep the load down. I don't know what the twist is in your barrel but that will have at least a bit to do with your load. You get too "hot" and any hit but the head and there may only be back legs to eat. If your touch hole is lined up with the breech plug face then I would start with 25-35 gr of 3fffg and see where it gets you. Remember no two barrels are alike even in the same caliber from the same maker when it comes to loads and this whole thing may take some tinkering to find the load and patch and ball size combination that works best for accuracy which should be your first concern.

Once the group is tight then you can start to bring it to the X on the target by manipulating your sights.... group comes first.

JMHO

 

[Stony Broke]

25 grains of 3f should be a good place to start, considering you want it for fairly close accuracy and the taking of small game. The accuracy with these light loads might just really surprise you...

 

[Vaino]

My squirrel LR in .45 cal. has head hit 100s of squirrels and the load is an .018 thick patch, a .445 swaged RB and 30 grs of 3f. It was built in 1977 and the load has never changed from day one......Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

My squirrel LR in .45 cal. has head hit 100s of squirrels and the load is an .018 thick patch, a .445 swaged RB and 30 grs of 3f. It was built in 1977 and the load has never changed from day one......Fred

Methinks the voice of experience is the one to listen to.
However, with that small a charge you will have low pressures. And that means incomplete burning and the bore getting dirty very quickly. Do some shooting and find out what works for yourself.

 

[hanshi]

Finding an accurate, low-power load is certainly the first step. With a little luck you can find such a load that has near the same poi as your deer load. I tried mine on a couple of squirrels while deer hunting and can verify the damage that can result.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

I shoot a cal .45 York County rifle with swamped barrel from TVM. A sweet rifle that I load with a .20 Jeff Tanner dry patch (soaked in a 7/1 Water/ballistol solution - then dried) and a .445 ball... Underneath a 45 grain Swiss 3f powder load...
I started with a load of 25 grains and augmented with 5 grain increments until I reached 55 grains ... The 45 grain load is a winning keeper! Proof: one target shot off hand at 50 meters (55 yards) with said gun and load...

 

[Dr5x]

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH I SPENT QUITE A FEW EARS WITH TWO .45 HAWKEN TYPE RIFLES ANDDID MOST OF MY SHOOTING AT 50 YARDS and after much it picking and fussing settled on 73 grains of 2FF or 3FFF and had pin point accuracy.
When squirrel hunting you will be doing a lot of shooting aiming up at an angle and therefore must consider where the ball is going to go if it doesn't settle on a Flickentailer.
While shooting cat beer cans down in Tennessee some years ago we got a phone call from a concerned farmer who mentioned that a lot of our shots were clearing the rise of the ground and hitting his barn which completely out of sight.

Dutch Schoultz

I have recently finished a 45 cal Kibler Mountain rifle that I would like to chase some bushy tails with. It is just such a light, sweet, slim rifle to carry. Looking for a squirrel load sighted at about 100ft. Thinking 25gr 3f, but wanted to see what input anyone else might have. Will see what kind of accuracy I get, but how low can you go??? (Blackpowder limbo, if you will!!)

Doc

 

[Vaino]

Methinks the voice of experience is the one to listen to.
However, with that small a charge you will have low pressures. And that means incomplete burning and the bore getting dirty very quickly. Do some shooting and find out what works for yourself.

 

[Vaino]

The pressure might be low w/ my squirrel load, but w/ 3f, the burning is complete and the bore never req'd add'tl cleaning. ....Fred

 

[Docgp]

Dutch,
Thanks for the thought. I have the blessing of having access to about 250,000 acres of Corp's of Engineers land around a local lake to hunt on, so don't have too much problem with that. Although a fowler or .32 would pretty much eliminate all possibilities.

Thanks everyone for the input.

Doc

 

[Dr5x]

I would be jealous If I were still able to do any shooting.
As it is I have to drive strait west for about an hour just to get out of the residential areas.
I was talking to someone at breakfast about the people I'm in touch with who have a 50 and 100 yard range out their back door.
Dutch

Dutch,
Thanks for the thought. I have the blessing of having access to about 250,000 acres of Corp's of Engineers land around a local lake to hunt on, so don't have too much problem with that. Although a fowler or .32 would pretty much eliminate all possibilities.

Thanks everyone for the input.

Doc

 

[Carbon 6]

Usually what I do for reduced loads is half my accurate load and half my distance.