rossi .50 cal pyro loads
04-12-2004, 01:17 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Yorkton Sk Canada
Posts: 22
rossi .50 cal pyro loads
How many grains of pyrodex rs do I need for buffalo ball-ets and as well for sabots? I am currently using 100 grains and I was wondering if I could go down to 50 grains and as well is it recommended to use balls in a gun like this or just use a traditional muzzleloader for that?
04-12-2004, 02:38 PM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: rossi .50 cal pyro loads
I am not sure of the rate of twist in your Rossi. I will guess they are 1:28 twist. This means you can get the best accuracy by shooting a number of different projectiles, but you need to find what the rifle likes the best.
If you are going to shoot patched roundball I would suggest very slight charges in the 50 grain range. If you have a fast twist and shoot a patched roundball too fast, it will skip the rifling and accuracy will suffer a great deal.
Ballets should shoot well but you might want to work with the powder charge some. Get some loose powder and start your charge around 70 grains and work up in 5 grain steps until you get the best group out of the rifle. Be sure and swab between shots.
Sabots should shoot well, again, start with 70 grains and work up until you get the best group. You might want to shoot some Hornady SST's, Hornady XTP's and Barnes Expanders. They tend to shoot well in most rifles.
Even though many rifles will shoot 150 grains of powder, few will do it accurately. There are some out there that will hold true with the massive powder charges, but most start to fail around the 100 grain range. For instance I have a Staghorn which will shoot 150 grains. It shoots best at 90 grains of Pyrodex RS loose powder. My Black Diamond XR which is made for shooting max loads will shoot best around 120 grains of loose powder.
The best ways to learn your rifle is get some loose powder and a see through measure and a number of different projectiles and then go have some fun. You might also want to look into some of the conicals for that rifle. Many times conicals shoot very well. Both my inlines shoot REAL concials excellent. They also shoot the T/C maxi hunter and maxi balls excellent.
Have fun with your rifle.
If you are going to shoot patched roundball I would suggest very slight charges in the 50 grain range. If you have a fast twist and shoot a patched roundball too fast, it will skip the rifling and accuracy will suffer a great deal.
Ballets should shoot well but you might want to work with the powder charge some. Get some loose powder and start your charge around 70 grains and work up in 5 grain steps until you get the best group out of the rifle. Be sure and swab between shots.
Sabots should shoot well, again, start with 70 grains and work up until you get the best group. You might want to shoot some Hornady SST's, Hornady XTP's and Barnes Expanders. They tend to shoot well in most rifles.
Even though many rifles will shoot 150 grains of powder, few will do it accurately. There are some out there that will hold true with the massive powder charges, but most start to fail around the 100 grain range. For instance I have a Staghorn which will shoot 150 grains. It shoots best at 90 grains of Pyrodex RS loose powder. My Black Diamond XR which is made for shooting max loads will shoot best around 120 grains of loose powder.
The best ways to learn your rifle is get some loose powder and a see through measure and a number of different projectiles and then go have some fun. You might also want to look into some of the conicals for that rifle. Many times conicals shoot very well. Both my inlines shoot REAL concials excellent. They also shoot the T/C maxi hunter and maxi balls excellent.
Have fun with your rifle.
