What's YOUR load in a traditional ML?

[blackpowderscout]

Do you pour your own lead or buy the balls pre-made? Just curious. I'm thinking I want to expand my hunting opportunities. Can you list your whole set-up as far as loads, powder types, patches, balls, etc? Maybe in a different post...I don't want to hijack this one. Thanks :>)

Personally, I use swaged round balls from Hornady. Yeah, it isn't 100% HC but it's fast and easy. I have shot cast round balls and I have no complaints. It's just easier for me to buy a box of 100 swaged ones...

For my normal hunting load in my .50 I use a .490 RB on top of a .015 ox-yoke Wonderlube lubed patch over 70 gr of FFFg. I used to use 90 gr but I've found that 70 is easier on the shoulder and performs within my expectations. I have used spit lubed patches, tallow lubed patches, patches lubed with various homemade concoctions, etc. It's all good. I just like the ease of the pre-lubed patches. If I'm doing a 100% HC hunt, then I either pre-lube with a tallow mixture or spit lube.

I have a .54 I will hopefully have ready by next hunting season. I have no clue what load I'll use in it.

My .62 smoothie I mainly shoot shot out of. FFFg, then a 1/2 cushion wad, shot, then either another small bit of wad or a card just to hold the shot in place. I use just a hair more shot than powder. Instead of the cushion wad and card, some guys use stuff laying around in the woods. Tow, grass, wasps nest, whatever. These things are pretty versatile.

Maybe Supercracker will chime in. He's probably got some good stuff to share.

[doghunter]

I use to shoot buffalo bullets, 385 I think with 70 grains. I killed my first 2-3 deer with my dad's old hawken. You'd blow the deer in half within 50 yards lol

[Iluv2hunt]

I remember dad and I shooting patched round balls in our old T/C's. Then we switched to buffalo balls when they became main stream. They would flat knock a deer off its feet. It was like Thor's hammer

[9dawgs]

Great info. I'll be checking this out when my gun is finished. The fella who did my Marlin is fitting and finishing the stock to my .50 Panther. I think it will look great.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the wisdom in all things hunting/shooting on this board. This is just what I was looking for.

[30.06]

I shot my traditional ml for the first time this weekend. I went with 70 grains rs to start worked my way up to 100 and then put about 20 prbs through at 70 grains. i was shooting hornady .490 balls and tc prelubed patches .018. Hard to get down the barrel but results were good. I also have some tc maxi hunters that i may try next time i go to the range.

[blackpowderscout]

Try dropping down to .015 patches. You should find it significantly easier to load. Shouldn't negatively affect accuracy, in fact may help it. Each guns different though. So you just gotta experiment.

I haven't used those TC patches in years but I don't remember anything being bad with them. Try finding some OxYoke Wonderlube patches. I really like them a lot. They make my fingers smell good, LOL!!

[9dawgs]

Hey BPS, do you clean your ml at the range? If so how often and how? I normally just shoot about 3 shots at the most through mine to sight it in before a hunt and then take it home and clean it when I get there. I'd really like to to shoot it more to play with different loads but I'm not really sure how to do that in the field between shots.

[blackpowderscout]

I don't clean it at the range but I do swab it every now and then (maybe every 3 or 4 shots) with a cleaning patch. You can use just about whatever you want to swab it with. I use these http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 1_25404_-1 but not for any particular reason other than they are readily available and work ok.

Aside from making it easier to load, swabbing every now and then keeps things level as far as far fouling goes.....fouling can affect accuracy in my opinion. For better or worse. I think it's important to keep fouling consistent when you are trying to sight in a ML rifle.

[9dawgs]

Great! Thanks again.