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Old May 5, 2012, 04:34 PM   #38
BDM 9MM
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Join Date: June 21, 2011
Location: Grand Junction, Co.
Posts: 90
Seadog:

My favorite rendevzous rifle is a Santa Fe Hawken that I shot out and had to re-barrel. The new barrel is .54 Cal, 35" green mountain. I use this rife for rendezvous and use one load - 70 grains Goex 2F, .015 cotton patch, .526 pure lead ball and a handmade lube. I have the gun zeroed for 50 yds so it shoots about about flat 0-50 yds and about 1 1/4" low at 75 yds. Very few rendezvous have trail walk target set in excess of 80 yards.

As other have stated the hunt for a good load that works IN YOUR GUN is the fun part of shooting black powder. For a .54 I would start with 60 grains Goex 2F, .530 lead ball, .015 - shoot three, five shot groups at a 1" black circle at 25 yards (your not shooting for score but the best grouping) - record your results. Increase the load by 5 grains (leave all other componets as is) and shoot three more groups - record your results. Do this all the way up to 100 grains. For a .54 cal you will most likely see your rifle qroup well around 65-70 grains and then around 90-95 grains. Once you have found what powder charge your rifle likes try different balls with those two powder charges .535, .530, .526. And last using the best powder charge and best ball size change the patch thickness .020, .018 & .015 I do not like to use below .015 due to patch blowout.

Remember to only change one componet at a time and record all of your results. If you go to a shoot and shoot the trail walk with 5 other good shooters, all shooting the same caliber, you will likely find them all shooting different loads.

A good source for muzzleloading trajectories is the fine work by B.E. Spencer. His web site is insightbb.com

Best of luck in your search! Dan
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Dan Bromley
NRA Instructor
NM Game & Fish Instructor
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