Did you have a power level in mind when...

[Confederate rifleman]

You started inlining?
I went from service level loads in a repop 1853 Enfield, to a Traditions Tracker.
I thought that big bore magnum handgun power levels would be a good start and to that end, shot TC Cheap Shots with 40 gr of 3f T7. Muzzle velocity 1350 fps.
Good load! 8 deer lost their will to live.
I now shoot 2 other .50's with loads in the 454 Casull class. Superb results.
I've killed deer from 15 feet to 150 yards with these modest, by today's standards, loads. I see no need to bump it up a notch.
So. Did you have a power level in mind or did your pet loads just evolve?

 

[MrTom]

I think these so called "Magnum" loads are un-necessary in most instances, but I still like shooting as stiff as possible while staying accurate and COMFORTABLE. Personally I shoot loads using specific bullet/sabot combinations that are "accurate" first, then I work the loads upward while watching to see if/when accuracy starts to falter. To a point. Most all of my long guns enjoy a charge of 77 grains weighed of BH209. Recoil is manageable at that load level with a 300 grain bullet in the 50 cal guns and in the 45 the recoil is mild with a 200 grain bullet. These guns are all under an inch and one holers in five shots. I know that in each gun and caliber I can shoot down to 70 grains weighed before I see the groups loosen some, yet I will load the slightly hotter load just to be on the safe side since field circumstances can change in a heartbeat and the extra umph can make a world of difference in how things turn out.

 

[ENCORE50A]

I think these so called "Magnum" loads are un-necessary in most instances, but I still like shooting as stiff as possible while staying accurate..... .

I'll admit, I feel the same when it comes to most hunters. I'm not recoil shy nor does it bother me, so I'll shoot the most maximum charge (within the rifle's capability) that will remain accurate.
Is it needed for a 30 to 100yd hunting shot? No. But I never found it to hurt.

 

[Bill V]

Since my most likely quarry with my muzzleloaders would be elk or pronghorn, I want the most umph as possible. Generally , 110 gr max with the 50 cal and 110 to 120 grains in the 54. Distances can be long on antelope with shots between 150 and 200 yards most common.

Bill

 

[UPtrapper]

I haven't shot my new muzzleloader enough to determine what load is the most accurate but 84 weighted grains of BH, isnt enough recoil to bother me at all, so Ill be doing what the others have said, shooting the heaviest load I can, that give me good accuracy.

 

[03mossy]

When finding a load for a new rifle I start low and keep going up to find the best accuracy. Then keep going till accuracy falls off or I reach the rifles max load, whichever comes first.

 

[ShawnT]

Accuracy was and is King for me. What ever shoots the best is what the rifle gets fed.

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

What ever load is the most accurate.

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

When finding a load for a new rifle I start low and keep going up to find the best accuracy. Then keep going till accuracy falls off or I reach the rifles max load, whichever comes first.

well said

 

[goco4game]

Years ago I heard Jim Shockey, rep for Thompson Center rifles, say that 100 grains of powder was enough to take any animal in North America. Not sure what bullet he was using. Funny how certain advice sticks with you. So, when working up loads for elk hunting, I went a different route than many. Here in Colorado, we're not allowed to use sabots. I've been experimenting with different conicals, all home cast, four from homemade molds, one custom mold from Accurate, and tried them with the same recipe of 100 grains volume of BH209. My latest mold is throwing bullets, 416 grain wide flat nose thumpers, that are giving good accuracy out of both a New England Firearms Sidekick and a TC Omega. Eventually, I'll be tweaking the powder charge for maximum accuracy.
Like many, I'm waiting for a nice Saturday for my next shooting session. With 8" of new snow yesterday, it could be a while.

 

[ENCORE50A]

Years ago I heard Jim Shockey, rep for Thompson Center rifles, say that 100 grains of powder was enough to take any animal in North America...………..

Shockey might have said that, but after watching years of his shows, including current, he's dumping a lot more than 100grs down that bore to get that kind of recoil. He's not a small guy and those rifles sometimes almost jump out of his hands.

 

[goco4game]

Shockey might have said that, but after watching years of his shows, including current, he's dumping a lot more than 100grs down that bore to get that kind of recoil. He's not a small guy and those rifles sometimes almost jump out of his hands.

Well, I don't know about that, but I do know that I can't tolerate much more recoil than I'm getting from my current load. Trying out my new/used Omega a couple of months ago, I got baptized with my first ever (in 40 years of shooting with an optic) scope kiss. Even with the use of extension rings and positioning my Leupold Freedom 3-9x40 as far forward as possible, it's still too far back.

 

[CatamountRob]

I have 3 daughters that hunt deer with muzzleloaders and have since their mid-teens. I settled on 80 grains of BH209 and a 250 grain saboted bullet because they could handle the recoil, it killed deer effectively out to 100 yards and they could easily reload. We all shoot the same combination. For the sake of simplicity and interchangeability, I’ll sacrifice a bit of accuracy. They are in their early to mid 20’s now and I could probably bump things up but I really don’t see any need to.

 

[ronlaughlin]

Me, i didn't have a power level in mind when i first started shooting the in line, and hunting with the in line. There is a defacto power level; which is determined by regulation of our sights.

Here we can only use iron sights or non magnified optic. My hunting rifle carries a 1X scope. This limits me to about 150 yard max. This leads me to utilize a powder charge of 90 grain, and a soft bullet that will for sure expand at slower speeds. Accuracy is moot. The sights, and the shooter are the limiting factor, not the accuracy of the load. This year the load killed a deer at 55 yard, 60 yard, and 140 yard, and did so quickly.

 

[SuperKirby]

I guess I never thought about it as a specific power level. I had an interest in bullet construction and performance, so I've been particular about that. Once I had a bullet picked I figured no matter how much powder I was throwing down range if I was accurate it would be enough to put a hurt on a whitetail. I looked into it a little more before I went on my elk hunt last fall but I was switching to a new smokeless muzzleloader. There again I looked at bullet options first and found a load that worked with the bullet I decided to use. Didn't get to test it on elk unfortunately but is sure worked well on the doe I shot.

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

The first 7 deer i harvested was shot with 60 grains FFF Geox and a patched round ball. All of my shots were inside of 75 yards. Have came a long way since then.

100 grains would be sufficient for most hunters with just about any powder. But there are a lot of varibles left out. Weight of bullet and distances wanting to shoot.

 

[rangerod]

I usually stick with 100 grains by volume of Black Horn. I do have a few guns that do best with 110x volume. I have shot many different bullets out of my guns. This year shooting a Knight Vision with 100 grains black horn and a 260 grain Hawk bullet proved very accurate. Nice fat doe and six pointer. Keeping a good supply of bullets gives me lots of possibilities. Experimenting at the range for me is very enjoyable.

 

[WPrather]

Personally I have always liked big guns and have never been recoil shy. I shoot 777 and don’t think a 150grs and a 250gr SST has all that much recoil. I hunt National Forrest in southern Missouri. The hollers are really big and steep. I don’t want a deer running any farther than need be. I also don’t want to shoot the buck of a life time and him run over the hill and be shot by a hunter I didn’t even know was there. I have always preferred 30/06, 7mag, 300wsm when it come to deer rifles. The biggest rifle I have owned was a 375 RUM. With the 375 RUM with a 300gr bullet about 100grs of powder at about 2800-2850fps. Your approaching uncomfortable amounts of recoil energy in a Rem 700 without a muzzel break. Setting in the sand bags on a bench that’s a pretty good bump on the shoulder. I have seen it black and bloody some eyes at the range when people just have to try it too. But if the range is packed it will clear 2 or 3 benches on each side of you. Lol

 

[reelamin]

I want a power level because I have a specific want. I'm looking for a 300yd elk load. Hopefully spring is soon as this bad weather is getting old. Needless to say I'm looking for 1k lb at 300yd. I am also looking at doing it with a md weight projectile. Kind of funny as hvy weight has been doing it for centuries but Im trying with Md. Just increased my arrow weight by 100gr because the penetration was 10% better....yes I chase a lot of squirrels.