just got a .45 cal KY long rifle last year.want to take it deer hunting this fall.What would be the best powder to use in it and how much? and round balls or can you shoot sabet through it? have a Encore .50 cal.,but dont know anything about shooting a .45 cal side lock cap & ball. rifle.help please

Check to see what twist the barrel is - if it is a 1-48", you can shoot sabots out of it no problem. I'd suggest a 200 grain XTP or 200 grain Shockwave, starting off with 70 - 80 grains of FFFG powder.

If it is a 1-66" twist, you'll need to shoot roundballs out of it.

Just in case you don't know.
The way to check the twist is the mark a spot on your ramrod and measure how many inches of move ment it takes to make one full turn. Lee

know,i dint know how to check the twist.thanks ill check it.the rifle is a c.v.a.a friend put together a few years ago form a kit.if you can shoot either which is better round ball or sabit?

even with the slow 1:66 twist, it may shoot the lighter weight powerbelts very well. My kentucky has a 1:66 twist ( 50cal) and it does surprisingly well with the 295gr powerbelt. The shorter the bullet, the better, in slow twist.

This has been said before but I'll say it again. To check the rate of twist you can place a patch on your cleaning rod and insert it at the muzzle, just barley get it started. Now, tape a business card to the upper portion of the cleaning rod and push down the bore untill it has turned 90 degrees and stop. Mark the still inserted ramrod flush with the muzzle. withdraw and measure from the rear of the cleaning jag to the mark on the rod. multiply by four and you will have your rate of twist.

Is that the one with the brass spacer in the stock??? If so, try 75grs of FFF Goex, a .440 ball and a lubed .015 patch...

A .45 round ball will kill deer quite easily, I killed 25 or so with that load out of my flinter back in the 70s and 80s...I had a buddy that had one of those CVAs and if memory is correct it is a 1-66 twist and the above load is what he used simply because it worked in mine...

If you have a 1-48 twist or faster and you think you might need to shoot over 75 yds a sabot is best if you have a slow twist you can load the round ball heavier even so I would not go over 90 yds for deer size game, may be a 100 for target. Some times you can get a short bullet in a sabot or a ball and a half length conicals to work even in a slower twist. Lee

My .45CVA Kentucky has the 1:48 twist and shoots the TC Maxi-balls very well.

If you try this projectile, I'd start with abt 50 gns of FFF and work up.

I use to get almost 1600 fps with this slug over 66 gns of Pyro "P".

Cloverleafs @ 50 yds...

BP