Range/Practice vs. Hunting Loads

[dsayer]

Just another thread for my curiosity. As I've said in other threads, I just recently started shooting often rather than only shooting a handful of times just prior to hunting in the fall. As a result, I've really only worked with loads that I planned to use for hunting. As I was practicing off hand shooting the other day at the range, I thought to myself, "Holy cow! I'm wasting a whole bunch of powder here. I should probably work up (down technically) a load for the range!"

My current hunting load for my 54cal Cabela's rifle is 100gr Graf's FFG, 535 ball, and a 0.010 mink oiled patch. I think I'll start with something around 60gr for plinking at the range when I go this week. I go to the range at least once a week so 100gr per shot will eat through my powder cache pretty fast.

How much do you all lower your powder charges for range/practice vs. hunting use? Or do you at all? Of course I'm planning to do my own experimenting but just curious how everyone approaches this. Money doesn't grow on trees around here, so stretching every pound of powder as far as possible seems a worthy goal.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

D,

When I used my first hunting rifle, a .54"
I used 60 for target/rendezvous, and 120 for hunting. (2F) The hunting load just printed an inch or so higher, so never worried about it.

When I got my .58 flint made, I used 75 grs for everything and it worked so well I never fixed it.
I think the smaller ball needed more powder to get the job done. My thinking anyway.
Neither let me down, and I used the .58 for 9 or 10 years straight.

 

[mooman76]

Depends on the gun but I usually do it the other way around since I range shoot more than hunting shoot. I work up loads for the range and before hunting, I adjust loads higher for what would be good for hunting so I know where I will be when I hunt.

 

[tenngun]

I shot a similar idea, 70 grains in a.54 to shoot with and 110 for hunting. Then I got really looking at the data, and what was often shot of old. I cut back my hunting loads. Target or game my .50 eats 60 grains an my .62, 65 grains.

 

[SgtMaj65]

I've been using 55 grains of Olde Eynsford at the range and getting excellent results on my targets with a .50 GPR. Could probably get by with 50 grains since there's a bit more kick to it than regular Goex BP. I'll probably kick it up a little bit to 65 grains when I get out to 100 yards in a week or two. I like to get by on the least load I can get away with. Hunting load for deer would be 65 grains for me with Great Plains bullets. I've always felt anything over 70 grains is overkill and a waste of BP, at least in my .50 T/C Renegade.

 

[bender20]

Contrary to what you might think the law of diminishing returns is very present when shooting prb. Mess around with some ballistic tables and I think you will come to the conclusion that most of us here on this sight have. It depends on the caliber and barrel length a little but anything over about 80 or 90 grains just isn't worth it. My personal experience has shown that 70 grains of 2f goex behind a .50 prb out of a 30in barrel has never failed to exit a deer even out to 80 yards. Your miliage and gun may vary.

 

[SgtMaj65]

Never hunted deer with PRBs, only conicals for many, many years. Nowadays, my hunting deer is over, and all I hunt is target centers with PRBs and my new GPR. Target centers are much easier to stalk and hit and require a lot less camo and scent killer.

 

[BrownBear]

I'm very sensitive to the "wasted" powder issue cuzz it's so hard/impossible to get and expensive up here. Yet good shooting proficiency for hunting goes away pretty quick if you don't shoot regularly.

I've found most of my guns shoot just fine for 25-50 yard ranges down in the 30-40 grain range. Suits me to a T. I figure 4 practice shots at 30 grains are a whole lot gooder than one practice shot at 120 grains. :wink:

I have several slow twist rifles that simply won't shoot well with light charges, yet are dandy with heavy charges. They're dust collectors in the many months between hunting seasons and only get a few rounds of full charges just before hunting.

 

[Patocazador]

Punching holes in paper doesn't do a whole lot for me. I shoot at the range only to develop an accurate hunting load and to keep in practice. Because of that I always shoot my hunting load of 90 gr. of 3F or the equivalent of BlackHorn 209 in my .50 cal.

I shoot 80 gr. in my .54 and 70 gr. in my .45 flinter.

 

[DarrinG]

I'm much the same. I'm a hunter first. That's the reason I have bows and rifles. I enjoy shooting them also but my main interest is hunting, so I practice as I would hunt, with a hunting load.

 

[Black Hand]

How much do you all lower your powder charges for range/practice vs. hunting use? Or do you at all?

If you aren't practicing with the same load you are using while hunting, you are wasting time. Practice with the same load you will use while hunting so that you know what will happen when you shoot at food.....

 

[azmntman]

:metoo:

I develop the most accurate load and shoot it from then on. I love to get small groups but not as much as I love to see dinner laying there waiting for the trip home :grin:

 

[mamero]

I am with azmntman on this one. I develop the most accurate load for PRB and thats my hunting load. In my .45 TC Hawken its 65gr, my Cabelas .50 65gr and in my Hoyt .54 its 70-75 gr I have not decided yet which is most accurate.

I use Goex FFFG in all my guns and they are all precussion.

All whitetails I killed I did in with the .50 cal Cabelas. Every single one was a pass through. I usually shoot 30-70 yard range.

My brother killed a smallish doe last year with his 50 cal TC Deluxe Hawken using 80 gr of powder at 156 paces away the ball passed through her as well. I should say we shoot in the lungs just like you are thought to do with a bow. Never lost a deer that way.

To me the supreme confidence in my guns accuracy overides any concern for penetration / or energy stats.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I am with azmntman on this one. I develop the most accurate load for PRB and thats my hunting load. In my .45 TC Hawken its 65gr, my Cabelas .50 65gr and in my Hoyt .54 its 70-75 gr I have not decided yet which is most accurate.

My thoughts exactly.
At 50 yards work up your most accurate load. It will probably be in the 60 gr. range. If the game you hunt is no bigger than whitetail deer you are set to go with that load also. Keep your hunting to 100 yards or less. I guarantee, a proper hit on Bambi with that will make him just as ded as with a 100 gr. charge.
Of course, you will need practice to learn to hold a bit higher for the longer ranges. Not hard but does take practice.

 

[Adui]

Never hunted deer with PRBs, only conicals for many, many years. Nowadays, my hunting deer is over, and all I hunt is target centers with PRBs and my new GPR. Target centers are much easier to stalk and hit and require a lot less camo and scent killer.

:grin: Not to mention dressing them out is SO much easier and far less messy. Though.. I never get much thats edible from a paper target.. Odly enough the steel ones dont produce either :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm much the same. I'm a hunter first. That's the reason I have bows and rifles. I enjoy shooting them also but my main interest is hunting, so I practice as I would hunt, with a hunting load.

Amen. Target shooting and plinking is practice for hunting. My sights are regulated for one load - and that's my hunting load.

At one field shoot (bows) someone asked why I used good arrows for stumping. I use the same arrows for everything.

But I will say - with my .54 sighted at 100 yards a 42 gr load (one .45LC case full) was about dead on at 25 yards, and I used that for bunny & squirrel.

 

[coloradoclyde]

One load for everything....I shoot the same load for target as I do for hunting....

If I want economy or more power I switch to a different gun....Once I find a good load for a gun, it stays that way....For the most part each gun is a finely tuned tool for a specific task...

 

[BrownBear]

My sights are regulated for one load - and that's my hunting load.

Interesting enough, I've never found the need to adjust the sights for changes in powder charge on any rifle, once it's sighted in with a hunting load at my usual 75 yards.

In my favorite 54 caliber for example, a 75-yard sight in with 90 grains of 3f results in being an inch or so high at 50 and more or less right on at 25. Dropping to 60 grains puts it right on at 50 and 25. Dropping to 30 grains leaves it right on at 25 and an inch or so low at 50. What's not to like about that?

Much the same for my other 54's, as well as for my 50's and 58's with their favorite charge for that 75 yard sight-in.

I don't punch much paper, but I do a lot of shooting between deer or big game trips. Head mashing small game, blowing up rocks and pine cones, powdering clam shells on a beach or blowing up ice chunks along a frozen creek. Keeps the eye and hand sharp, and there's absolutely zip reason to be shooting 90 grains to do it. Or 60 grains for that matter. The big deal is keeping the eye and hands tuned, and 30 is just fine and dandy.

 

[SgtMaj65]

Maybe I need to try the steel targets instead of paper ... I'm lacking iron in my diet. :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Perhaps because of barrel harmonics I have two accurate loads for each of my rifles.

When shooting paper I use the load that contains the lesser charge of powder.

The basic fundamentals of breathing, sight picture, trigger squeeze and follow through do not change and I find that I can shooter longer strings with a lower charge without getting sloppy about it. My overall shooting scores have now improved no matter which load I shoot.

I suggest that you find the two most accurate loads in your rifle and use the lesser charge when killing paper.