Range Report with question

[zimmerstutzen]

Thanks guys. Especially Art C. That charts relieves my brain. Not all that much difference between 60 and 80 grains. I have tried .015 patches. Even with a clean bore it is very difficult to get a 490 ball rammed home. 495 ball requires a mallet.

While I agree that too much emphasis is placed on ft pounds of energy, keep in mind that energy is also a factor of velocity squared. On the chart 80 grains may not be much faster than 60 grains, the energy may be nearly double at that distance. I use 80 grain hunting charges in nearly every gun, from 45 to 58 and never had a problem knocking them down. While the charts seem in line with my experience, I also take issue with computer calculated distance velocities.

There was a famous bull manure study done in PA that allegedly found shot gun slugs, centerfire rifles and muzzle loaders all had similar terminal ranges. The alleged scientist took a hefty pay check for his study, the study was published in lots of places, even magazines. The man made some crucial errors. He assumed that every shot was fired level at 36 inches above the ground. (which would mean all hunters shoot from a sitting position), that all guns are fired level with no mid range trajectory to account for bullet drop and he totally ignored air resistance. In fact, he never fired a shot to even test his conclusions. The study was full of holes and yet some people still quote the study as gospel. His velocity and travel figures were all generated based on manufacturers muzzle velocity. Nothing else.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Have you read Dutch Schoultz' book? Lots of good advice in it on how to deal with this. As a rule of thumb, most accurate loads are usually in the 1.3x-1.4x caliber range, so your 1.2x best results are within reason of that number. You should also look at the davenport formula for what your maximum efficiency load would be (for full powder consumption).

 

[longcruise]

Yes, killed a mature mulie doe with a 50 and 60 gr 3f from a 24" barrel.

Patches look good, but what do they look like with an 80 gr charge? Id wager they don't look good.

If it were my rifle I would work on the crown to taper it for easier loading and probably also work on smoothing the rifling. Then try a thicker patch .010 is very thin. You might also consider a smaller ball and thicker patch.

 

[Loja man]

Here’s my deer taken with my 50 cal using 60 grains and PRB. Bullet was lodged in skin on far side.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

As others have posted, sixty grains is plenty for deer... especially those dog-sized creatures down around Florida. Most important factor by far is shot placement. Spend some serious time learning to estimate your range and bullet drop at various ranges with that load. Don't shoot past 100 yards just yet.... and maybe not past 50 yards until you are confident enough to hit the kill zone reliably. In my neck of the woods (Wisconsin) most deer are killed at less than thirty yards because of the thick cover. Also, put a few hundred rounds down range over the next several months. At some point, aiming/shooting almost becomes second nature if you are shooting the same gun all the time. I am not so fortunate as you. I have a dozen or so guns, so I have to go to the back yard and learn the gun all over again every few months.

 

[kyron4]

Shot a younger buck with 50 grs. of fffg and .490" ball. Complete pass through at 60 yards.