Striper Phil

I don’t understand the obsession with more power/powder is better. I’m an accuracy fan. From comments here a lot of guns shoot more accurate at lighter loads. Seems for most US big game 80 grains is plenty of oomph. I particularly like a cushion when BP shooting, Only been 3 years of experience with no one to shoot with to learn from so I am much more comfortable at lighter loads. Fact is most or all that I have learned is from manuals and this site.

What’s your take on load size?

MikeE51848

Find the one that's most accurate for the projectile you use for your particular gun for a particular game. I read of a guy who uses as little as 50 grains of FF in a 50 cal flint and is successful. I never go above 80 in my flint or 100 in my in-line.

bigcountry

What is wrong with both I say. If you can shoot well at 150 yards with a 2100fps 250gr load, then I say go for it.

I mean its pretty common sense to shoot what is accurate. Thats a given.

MLKeith

I agree that the max loads don't make a lot of sense unless you are doing something really different like trying to shoot 200 yards (which by the way takes a lot of practice to do well). I kill elk at 100 yards or less with a 300gr. bullet driven by 80-90gr. of Black Mag'3 which is about 95gr. of Black Powder level energy (maybe a little bit more). Don't know what in the US is harder to knock down than elk. Maybe big bears but I wouldn't try shooting something that shoots back with a single shot muzzleloader.

Tahquamenon

Shot placement is everything.
What is the most accurate within your effective range and with enough energy to effectively harvest the intended game is all that is required.

For deer, large or dangerous game;
I'll always opt for the heaviest, yet still accurate load for hunting within the loading limits of my given rifle. Recoil does not bother me one bit in a hunting situation. Why? I prefer to deliver as much down energy as possible and I'm only shooting once.

Whatever you feel comfortable shooting and within the limits of your weapon is "Better".

With inlines and optics, I prefer to load heavy enough to the threshold of accuracy pattern at 150-200 yards.

With sidelocks, 100-125 yards is the limit as I'm shooting open sights.

cayugad

Powder charges depends on the rifle your shooting and the projectile you load. Powder charges are also influenced by the kind of powder you shoot. The shooting circumstances also dictate the powder charge. If you're going to be shooting a heavy projectile over extreme long distances, then powder charge is important just as if the projectile is very light. We have to be able to deliver a certain amount of projectile energy down range as well as the accuracy to place the shot.

I think powder charge size also depends on the animal I am going to be hunting. I am not going after the large bear with a small charge and light projectile.

I agree with many, 80 grains of powder is plenty of juice to get most jobs done. I seldom shoot over 100 grains. On the target range the load can vary from 50-150 grains. All depends on the mood I am in and the other circumstances mentioned above....

bigcountry

I got a question and observation.

I observe that its has been so troublesome to alot of ML hunters that the 150gr loads have hit the scene. Posts, (nothing wrong with them) have been so common place on at least 10 ML forums.

I wonder why? I never have questioned what is too mcuh or too little. If a guy is hunting deer with a 338win mag. I don't care. Doesn't bother me any. Why do some care so much?

Tahquamenon

Yea I notice the same thing as well.

But I look at it this way, new folks to BP & ML are coming into the sport every day. They have questions and there is a river of mixed signaling floating around at least from a marketing perspective. All of the inline mfg's are puffing about 150gr Magnum loads.
Then you have the powder manufacturers like Hodgdon saying "no more than 100gr regardless of your rifle" and more opinions in the forums like this one than there are stars in the sky.

Plus many folks mix the loading data theories for Inline rifles and Sidelocks. Which I disagree with. These are very close, but the shear nature of the sidelock design really can't tolerate charges up to 150gr. The modern inlines that allow for heaver charges are engineered to do so for additional power and range capabilities.

And, you are loading your own "cartridge in the barrel", which is much different than just grabbing a box of bullets. Talk to center-fire shooters that do their own loading and you will also see much of the same chatter and discussions with new folks coming into hand loading.

Makes me confused and I've been shooting BP for over 35 years. And I've added yet another opinion.

By the way, I read somewhere that you had a EE shingle and were into fiber?

MSEE here, with a major in photonics design.

bigcountry

Yep, been into classical optics for several years, and stickly fiber optic systems now for about a decade. We do some gov. work, but in the past mostly for the private sector.

I am in MD/DC area, so you can guess who my employer is.

We unfortuately have laid off most of our photonics group. Relying more on vendors data.

Do you do 40G work?

I am mostly into centerfire reloading. I would say 10% ML and 90% centerfire. I jump back and forth. I am in MD now, and it just pays to be good at ML's. All the state parks require ML only. So with a good ML, you can get buy with only one gun in this state.

We have rules however. And our pressure signs are much more obvious in the centerfire world unlike ML.

To be honest, I have only shot two deer with a 150gr load. It was alot more devastating than I imagined. More so than any PRB, or 1600fps XTP I have ever witnessed. Everything else was with 80-95gr loads. I plan to only use the 150gr loads in swamp areas where 100 yards shots are common.

In this state, you have to get them down quick. I hunt on 5 acres alot behind my house surounded by other farms, and if it gets off that 5 acres, you probably lost the deer. People are not very nice about it usually. so its entirely different than Ky where I grew up.

Tahquamenon

10G DWDM for the DOD is the extent for me. Now I've got my lobotomy and am into management.
[8D]