Muzzleloader Question (powder)

[tcba1987]

I hunt with a CVA Wolf 50 cal and have always used 100 grains of pyrodex pellets and a 240 gr hornady sabot with it and i get GREAT groups at 100 yds . Heres is my dilemna........my son who is a small guy (100 lbs at most) has been offered a CVA Wolf to use for muzzleloader season to try to get his first deer...........the guys who owns it SAYS it kicks like a mule with 100 grains of pyrodex (mine doesnt) and that he would only load ONE 50 grain pellet in it for my son to use it............my question is this ............with a 240 gr sabot will the 50 cal have ANY knockdown power out to say 50-75 yds only using 50 grains of powder in it ?? ive never shot under 100 grains in mine and my dad uses 80 grains in his ML .........i just dont want my son to use this gun with ONLY 50 grains of powder in it and not have enough knockdown power.........what do you guys think

[olhillbilly]

While I dunno squat bout black powder, it would seem ta me that if its the same gun basically as yers, Then I would try it with the same load an see for yerself what it does. To some folks kicks are different. Mite just depend on how the feller holds it. I would tho, be sure an test a few rounds with different grains in it and have yer son try it a few times to make sure they are compatible.
Experiment!

[Sinker]

I no longer have th rifle but when I had it I shot a .454 ball in a bed-tick patch. It was a home grown muzzle loader with a Sharon barrel. The round ball was 153 gr., and I used 125 gr. of Pyrodex P. It says its th FFFG equivelent. Never used pellets, so I cain't be no help there. That ol rifle didn kick much, an my boys neither one weighed a hunnerd lbs at th time, an had no problem. I killed an 8 point 2 yr old with it. Knocked him winding. One lung shot done him in in short order. I now use th same ball, without a patch in my CVA muzzloader replica 1853 revolver. Still lethal, an usin this smaller projectile, it don't kick ta speak of either. I only use 100 gr. of th same powder.
Ya would hafta buy th different powder an ball, but ya would still have a hunting experience.

[gonecatfishing]

I no longer hunt but when I muzzleloaded I used a 54 cal T.C. Renagade loaded with 70grs of FFFG pushing a 225gr buffalo bullet. I collected several deer out to about 100 yards with not much kick....I never used the pyrodex but a couple of times and did not care for it ..

[tcba1987]

my son ended up shooting 100 grains of powder at targets and he handled it well, in fact he says he likes shooting the muzzleloader more then his 20 ga shotgun !!! He didnt get a deer with the 50 cal this year but he got to see alot of deer and learned alot about deer hunting in the process !!!

[Sinker]

Glad ta hear he enjoys th muzzle loader. It's still perty popular some places. I love it! Wanta git me a Hawken .50 cal some day.

[daveedka]

If the pyrodex is truly equivalent to real gunpowder, then 50 grains is plenty. We ran chrono checks with my Fifty Cal Pennsylvanioa rifle years ago, and patched round balls quit picking up speed at 75 grains and thats with a 33" barrel. pyrodex burns slower than Black powder as far as I know, so even with te well compacted pellets, it isn't apt to burn 100 grains in the length of a short barrelled rifle.

I killed by first Black powder deer with 60 grains of fffg and a maxi ball (270 grains I think) in 1989, that deer was 148 yards out and dropped like a rock. I killed my second black powder deer at just over 100 yards with a patched round ball and 75 grains of FFFG that deer ran less than 20 yards. I have killed multiple deer since and none with more than 75 grains of black powder, The loads I use are accurate enough to bust eggs at 200 yards, and although a few more grains might gain me some speed, there is no reason to use it as far as I can see. When I shoot black powder with the scouts, The BSA regulations state no more than 1 grain per caliber. so a 50 call gets 50 grains of powder. We frequently have boys in the 65-80 pound range shooting black powder without recoil complaints.
Dave

[rick brumback]

I shoot a Thompson Center Hawken cap and ball.50 cal.But I use powder not pellets.With 100 grains of powder and a powerbelt round at 100 years I am pretty consistent putting 5 rounds in a silver dollar size grouping,from a rest.

[famfish]

I am more of a BB gun guy just to keep me up to date shooting so I don't loose my touch! i can do speed shooting with a bb or pellet gun in the yard in town! What do you think of carrying a pellet gun in a car for protection!

[rick brumback]

I think you are asking for trouble doing that.Get a carry conceal and if worse comes to worse,you can actually defend yourself instead if pissing off the bad guy with a pellett gun.

This is a couple of my Sigs,used for carry-conceal.