ORIGINAL: Semisane
Balls are a heck of a lot cheaper, and as sabotloader will tell you - I'm cheap.
You got an excellent buy with that gun Rafsob. Your load is a little on the light side but obviously great for 50 yard targets. The service load for a 400 grainMinnie ball in the Zouave was 60 grains FFg and a muzzle velocity around 750 fps. My chart doesn't go down to 40 grains, butshows a 50 grain load of FFg yields 680 fps under a 400 grain Minnie.
The twist rate in mine is 1:62.
I can understand cheap, especially with todays prices.
No as for the powder charge, I am using recommended charges thatmost, if not all, skirmishers use. I am sure the troops must have used a heavier load back in theday. I amtotallyhappy with the mini ball I am using, but now you got me going with PRBs. I willtry it. I can say that I amreally happy shooting this gun. Itis fun to shoot!
I alsothink somefolks are into trying tostretch out the effective distance with inlines. I don't havea problem with this, I just don't need to dothis with the area I hunt in Virginia.