Benefit to a PRB hot load?

[Gettincloser]

Let me start off by stating that I am new and know very little. Please do not think I am seasoned or have tried everything. With an almost 5 month old, I have limited shooting time and I have not had a chance to try all solutions yet...

Rifle I am working with - Thompson Hawken 50 percussion.

With that said, I am not familiar with terminal ballistics/performance of a patched round ball. Initially I started finding an accurate load at 80 grain by volume of pyrodex fff. I fired a 3 shot group running wet and dry patches between each shot (pretending every shot was the 1st shot of a hunt). I increase by 5 grains all the way up to 100 grains by volume. (Max for the rifle according to the book is 110 grains. I stopped at 100.)

I am using Hornady .490 ball and .18 prelubed pillow ticking. We noticed the more powder, the higher on the paper (makes sense) and tighter the groups got! I see many people using 70 grain to 80 grain by volume for thier prb loads.

I am wanting to hunt whitetail (in our part about 170# to 180# is a good size buck and hogs (much tougher hide, bone and all around tougher.) Average hog in our area is 120# to 180# with the common bigger hog at 260# to 280#.

The question, should I look for an accuracy point for a lighter load of 60gr to 80gr by weight knowing I am keeping my shots inside 50 to 75 yards? Or keep it at 100 gr for the size of hogs?

Never shot an animal with PRB and need to know your experiences. Thanks!

 

[Idaholewis]

Let me start off by stating that I am new and know very little. Please do not think I am seasoned or have tried everything. With an almost 5 month old, I have limited shooting time and I have not had a chance to try all solutions yet...

Rifle I am working with - Thompson Hawken 50 percussion.

With that said, I am not familiar with terminal ballistics/performance of a patched round ball. Initially I started finding an accurate load at 80 grain by volume of pyrodex fff. I fired a 3 shot group running wet and dry patches between each shot (pretending every shot was the 1st shot of a hunt). I increase by 5 grains all the way up to 100 grains by volume. (Max for the rifle according to the book is 110 grains. I stopped at 100.)

I am using Hornady .490 ball and .18 prelubed pillow ticking. We noticed the more powder, the higher on the paper (makes sense) and tighter the groups got! I see many people using 70 grain to 80 grain by volume for thier prb loads.

I am wanting to hunt whitetail (in our part about 170# to 180# is a good size buck and hogs (much tougher hide, bone and all around tougher.) Average hog in our area is 120# to 180# with the common bigger hog at 260# to 280#.

The question, should I look for an accuracy point for a lighter load of 60gr to 80gr by weight knowing I am keeping my shots inside 50 to 75 yards? Or keep it at 100 gr for the size of hogs?

Never shot an animal with PRB and need to know your experiences. Thanks!

If Your 100 Grain load is giving you good Accuracy, i would STICK WITH IT Also stick with your 50-75 Yards. You Might as well get as much Velocity as you Accurately can with PRB. Lets face it, A patched Roundball is not the most Aerodynamic, efficient projectile to begin with, The Xtra Velocity is a Good Thing

Shot placement RULES, Put the Ball through the Animal’s ”Living Room” and it Dies, simple as that! On a perfectly Broadside shot, Shoot just behind the Front Leg, This will Take the Lungs out, They can‘t live without Lungs

 

[Gettincloser]

Thank you Lewis!
I was not sure if the answer was going to be "why waste the powder, if you blow through them with 70gr then save the 30gr per shot..."

With your extensive experience, I will keep the 100gr PRB load. Sooner or later, I will start playing with connicals. You seem to get great results with your stock 1:48 twist.

Thanks again!

 

[Rlsmith]

I shot a buck in late October with a tc hawken 50 using round ball 85 grains. Goex ranged at 120 yards one shot buck ran 25 yards dead don't let no one tell you a round ball don't work it does very well. Now I'm on the east coast those fellows out west well they are a different breed so they use different bullets

 

[Renegadehunter]

The 110 grains max load recommendation in a TC .50 cal Hawken manual is for 2f BP or Pyrodex, not 3f. You stated you are using Pyrodex 3f. Pyrodex "RS" is 2f and Pyrodex "P" is 3f.
It is recommended to knock 15% off a 2f charge when using 3f, as 3f is finer and burns much quicker, so that you don't create a dangerous over pressure condition. The quicker burning of finer 3f in comparison to 2f means higher pressures.
Knocking 15% off the 110 grain 2f max equals 93.5 grains of 3f to stay within TC's max recommendation.
Just wanted you to be aware you are actually over the max recommendation per the TC manual.

 

[Gettincloser]

The 110 grains max load recommendation in a TC .50 cal Hawken manual is for 2f BP or Pyrodex, not 3f. You stated you are using Pyrodex 3f. Pyrodex "RS" is 2f and Pyrodex "P" is 3f.
It is recommended to knock 15% off a 2f charge when using 3f, as 3f is finer and burns much quicker, so that you don't create a dangerous over pressure condition. The quicker burning of finer 3f in comparison to 2f means higher pressures.
Knocking 15% off the 110 grain 2f max equals 93.5 grains of 3f to stay within TC's max recommendation.
Just wanted you to be aware you are actually over the max recommendation per the TC manual.

Thank you for the info! I remembered incorrectly. I just had my wife (at home) go and check. It is the Pyrodex RS! I appreciate the correction.

 

[Dwayne]

It is all about accuracy. . . .always pick your most accurate load. Then there is no excuse for a miss.

 

[Renegadehunter]

It is all about accuracy. . . .always pick your most accurate load. Then there is no excuse for a miss.

I have all kinds of excuses for a miss.

 

[edmehlig]

I have all kinds of excuses for a miss.

And I carry a list with me while hunting just in case I forget!

 

[The Big Game Hunter]

Sounds like you found a great load that works!
I'd stick with that 100gr powder charge if it's giving you the best accuracy. The extra velocity is a plus. Like others have said, those bullets will work really well, but they're not very heavy or aerodynamic (relatively speaking), so every little bit of velocity helps.

 

[Renegadehunter]

And I carry a list with me while hunting just in case I forget!

Geez, it must be nice to need a list.
Mine are used often enough that they are fully committed to memory.

 

[Gettincloser]

Thanks guys. I will stick with the load.

 

[Dwayne]

Geez, it must be nice to need a list.
Mine are used often enough that they are fully committed to memory.

Must be nice. . . I have sometimers. . . I seem to forget everything at the
in-appropriate time. . . time after time after time aft. . .

 

[snapbang]

Please do not under estimate a patched round ball. 180 grains of lead at 2000fps or 1000fps is going to put the hurt on a deer or hog. Yes, accuracy is all. Put that ball in the boiler and its dead. Might take 100 yards to give it up but it will be dead.

 

[Gettincloser]

Well gentlemen, it worked! At a whopping 12 yards I took this buck this morning. This is my first muzzleloader buck!

Entered front left leg muscle, broke a rib going in, took out the plumbing on top of the heart and the front of both lungs, out through a rib and it was flat under the hide after going through the off side shoulder muscle.

To be honest, I expected a pass through. Either way, thought I missed as you couldn't see a thing for 7 seconds (longest ever). He made 37 yards and that was that! Thank you for the advice!

 

[HC]

Great Buck! Congrats!

 

[edmehlig]

Congratulations! Nice Buck!

 

[Bad Karma]

Well gentlemen, it worked! At a whopping 12 yards I took this buck this morning. This is my first muzzleloader buck!

Entered front left leg muscle, broke a rib going in, took out the plumbing on top of the heart and the front of both lungs, out through a rib and it was flat under the hide after going through the off side shoulder muscle.

To be honest, I expected a pass through. Either way, thought I missed as you couldn't see a thing for 7 seconds (longest ever). He made 37 yards and that was that! Thank you for the advice!

Well done... often the close range hits with pure lead round ball don’t exit but flatten out into a .70 caliber pancake. Beautiful animal you’ll eat well this winter!

 

[patinAZ]

Details on a 12 yard shot!

 

[Bad Karma]

Details on a 12 yard shot!

His handle is @Gettincloser ... he appears to take it to heart!