Thanks for the observations and answers fellas. That makes sense. I guess there really isn't a need for me to shoot 120g with my ML. I'm just going off info that I have collected from reading these forums. That a longer bullet needs to be pushed harder to stabilize. And I have yet to take a shot further than 100 yards but I would sure hate for Ol' Mossy Horns to step out at 200 yards and only have a 100 yards load in the barrel.

I have been hunting with 100 gr triple 7 and a 250 gr shockwave because my Triumph really likes it. I thought it was a 100 yard load til last year when I took 2 deer with that load. one at 234 yards and one at 223 yards . The farthest either deer went was 20 yards. So now I think the 150 gr loads are not necessary. I might go up to 120 but not any farther

I have to stop and think about that heavy charge bit for a minute. I guess that I have found very few gun and load combinations that give me the accuracy I am willing to settle for under 90 gr. It seems like 100 and a 110 are the most common loads for minute of angle accuracy. Now I have used 90 gr. loads on deer a number of times and ate the deer after, so I don't question that it is enough. I guess to me I need a certain level of accuracy to have confidence of a clean kill. Lee

That's awesome! Great shooting! Do you have some sort of compensating reticle scope or did you just aim high on them?

Lee - Seems as though my rifles are just the opposite of yours. I haven't had a rifle yet that shot good with loads over 100 grs.
My Genesis likes 100 gr of Pyro P but over that it starts getting erratic. The little Knight that started this post is shooting 90 gr of Pyro RS under MOA. And all my sidelocks prefer Pyro P or FFg or FFFg in the 80 - 90 gr charge. This is with everything from PRBs to 250 - 320 gr lead conicals and 240 to 300 gr saboted bullets.
I don't dispute your claims bu I guess I am lucky in that I don't have to dump huge amounts of powder down the tube. And its easier on the shoulder too.
Now too, I may be wrong, but in a 28" or shorter barrel, it is my opinion that, because of the burning characteristics of BP and its substitutes, anything over 100 grs is being burned after the bullet leaves the barrel. Other opinions please?

Check out the published velocities in the TC Sidelock Manual.

It shows that the .45 (with round balls) & .50 caliber velocity is still increasing at 110 grains, and the .54 is still increasing at 120 grains, with various projectiles fired from TC sidelocks using ffg black powder.

The PDF manual takes ~30 seconds to download:
See pages 75 - 86:

http://www.tcarms.com/assets/manuals/current/Shooting_TC_Side_Lock_Black_Powder_Guns.pdf

I have Nikon Omegas on 4 of my guns . I really like them. I used the 250 yard mark and aimed only about 2 inches high. I really like the eye relief on the Omega

Very cool! Thanks for the reply.