A friend bought a brand new scoped Remington Model 700ML in .50. Wanted me to help him work up a load. Went to the Gun Club and the best we could do was a 2.5" at 50 yards. I asked him if he cared if I shot my .54 cal T/C Hawken kit gun I received for Christmas in '81. I shot two 3 shot cloverleaf groups at the same range with stock T/C open sights. We cleaned the Model 700ML really good and he traded it the next day 🤣😂😃
I have a 54 caliber flintlock designed similar to Southern mountain rifles. It has a 42" barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 72". I load it with swaged .530 round balls, a .10 patch, and 100 grains of FF. I get 2-3" groups at 100 yards. I built mine myself. I bought a curly maple stock blank, the barrel, buttplate, trigger, lock, etc., and fit them to the stock. I built it back in the 1980s. The only brass is the front site, the rest is all browned iron or steel.
Really enjoyed this, I've been hunting with my 50 cal tc hawken and been using 490 ball with .10 patch and at 50 the best I could get was 2.5" group which for hunting has been fine. But if I can get it tighter with using a thicker patch I've got to try this. Great video
I've been looking for your video about your procedure for polishing the bore. Has it been removed? Seems like a lot of your older videos are no longer on CZcams. What's happened? Love your videos. You really stay focused and don't waste time on fluff. Great shooting on top of that!
Really enjoyed this. I have a 54 hawken. Been having it for about 25 years. Besides making sure it was still sighted in I only used it for the muzzle loader season in our state. Our gun and sporting goods stores don't have a big selection of muzzle loading supplies. 54 caliber balls, bullets and patches for 54 caliber much less patches in different thicknesses are almost impossible to find. You opened my eyes with the accuracy tests with patches. I always thought a patch was a patch. I would use any old peace of cotton cloth I could find. Looks like I am going to get mine out and play with it. Thanks
I've a similar rifle as yours, being a T C Hawkens .54, 28"barrel with 1:48"twist. Idaho Lewis is spot on. Patches make a big difference as does patch lube and the amount of lube you use. Do some testing changing different variables but only change one at a time. Find out what your gun likes and stick with it. Be consistent. I cut my own .016" pillow ticking and lubed with TC Bore Butter for several hunting seasons around Thanksgiving week in E Mt successfully for m. deer. It was always cold and that bore butter was hard to squeeze from the tube. Read Consistency. Then one year it was about 70F and that lube gushed from the tube. Result was I was way over lubing my patches and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Not even the inside! Also like he demonstrates in another video, he got better results when using a .005" larger ball. The key seems to be a good, thick patch and bigger ball(.535") making a tight fit. Good shooting.
In my ML rifles I like a very tight patch. You seem to find the same results with your rifles. On special days I can keep a one ragged hole three shot group at a hundred yards.If the sun is at my back and the blade on my rifle glints in the light one can do some very good shooting. I have never shot at the distances you shoot. You impress me with your accuracy.
So the tight as you can get down the bore and a back up patch over the powder first. Am I hearing that right. I always wondered about a back up patch for better gas check.
I’ve used .015 patches with .490 balls in my .50 caliber Traditions Springfield Hawken and the holes touch at 40 yards .. After watching this video I gotta try some .018 patches ..!
I’m also gonna try some “ no excuses “ 460 grain flat nose bullets, they have a slightly hollow base but I’ll try them with 1/8” wool wad over the powder .. I’ve read great reviews on them, had anyone out there tried them ?
Hmm. IIRC, a .535 loaded plenty tight with .010 in my Renegade and shot around an inch at 50 yds, but I usually loaded 60 gr with that combo. Will have to see what works in my new-to-me barrel.
Have you shot .530 ball just curious about reloading for second follow up shots or have to wipe patch down barrel often- I was looking to order Lee mold for either 530 or 535 just got .54 & have no experience- thanks
@@jacklowe3788 the standard recipe back then was .530/.010. I started out with that, but switched to .535/.010. In either case, reloads with BP or Pyrodex were tough without wiping the bore. .535 will limit your patch options more than .530 will. If you're just starting I'd rather try a box each of both sizes before buying a mold. Heck, I've never done any casting, but the ridiculous supply situation has me considering it.
Everywhere is Sold out right now, I bought a Full Case a few months ago, I am sure glad i did! Now with GOEX Closing down Blackpowder is gonna get tougher to Find
I can vouch for the accuracy of the Hornady Great Plains conical, at least for The Spanish made, 50 caliber, Traditions, "Hawken" Woodsman, in 48 twist. It's extremely easy to push the conical down the barrel with the ramrod, (although not loose enough to move, after it is seated), and no patch is required, but it's still very accurate. The Hornady Great Plains conicals are still pretty cheap, compared to smokeless powder bullets. Unfortunately, Hornady no longer makes Great Plains bullets for 54 caliber. If someone could tell me why, I'd appreciate it.
Video is uploading on the Over Powder Patch 👍 A wool Wad is the WRONG way to go behind a Ball, They work GREAT behind Flat Base Bullets, But I wouldn’t use any Flat type Wad behind a Ball.
Round balls are so nice to shoot, but I never use them for hunting ever. I wound up chasing animals for hundreds and hundreds of yards. The conicals of anything are much more efficient and just as accurate, but the shot is brutal on both ends. On the Thompson center I will use 100 grains to 120 grains of FF. It'll go lengthwise through a grizzly or anything else. It's just brutal to shoot though.
A friend bought a brand new scoped Remington Model 700ML in .50. Wanted me to help him work up a load. Went to the Gun Club and the best we could do was a 2.5" at 50 yards. I asked him if he cared if I shot my .54 cal T/C Hawken kit gun I received for Christmas in '81. I shot two 3 shot cloverleaf groups at the same range with stock T/C open sights.
We cleaned the Model 700ML really good and he traded it the next day
🤣😂😃
I confess I want a Moose in my big freezer.
I have a 54 caliber flintlock designed similar to Southern mountain rifles. It has a 42" barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 72". I load it with swaged .530 round balls, a .10 patch, and 100 grains of FF. I get 2-3" groups at 100 yards.
I built mine myself. I bought a curly maple stock blank, the barrel, buttplate, trigger, lock, etc., and fit them to the stock. I built it back in the 1980s. The only brass is the front site, the rest is all browned iron or steel.
I get best accuracy with the 0.18 patch also but they can be difficult to load for the 2nd shot in the field.
Really enjoyed this, I've been hunting with my 50 cal tc hawken and been using 490 ball with .10 patch and at 50 the best I could get was 2.5" group which for hunting has been fine. But if I can get it tighter with using a thicker patch I've got to try this. Great video
Great video. Very informative.
I've been looking for your video about your procedure for polishing the bore. Has it been removed? Seems like a lot of your older videos are no longer on CZcams. What's happened? Love your videos. You really stay focused and don't waste time on fluff. Great shooting on top of that!
Very Interesting thank you👍
Really enjoyed this. I have a 54 hawken. Been having it for about 25 years. Besides making sure it was still sighted in I only used it for the muzzle loader season in our state. Our gun and sporting goods stores don't have a big selection of muzzle loading supplies. 54 caliber balls, bullets and patches for 54 caliber much less patches in different thicknesses are almost impossible to find. You opened my eyes with the accuracy tests with patches. I always thought a patch was a patch. I would use any old peace of cotton cloth I could find. Looks like I am going to get mine out and play with it. Thanks
I've a similar rifle as yours, being a T C Hawkens .54, 28"barrel with 1:48"twist. Idaho Lewis is spot on. Patches make a big difference as does patch lube and the amount of lube you use. Do some testing changing different variables but only change one at a time. Find out what your gun likes and stick with it. Be consistent.
I cut my own .016" pillow ticking and lubed with TC Bore Butter for several hunting seasons around Thanksgiving week in E Mt successfully for m. deer. It was always cold and that bore butter was hard to squeeze from the tube. Read Consistency. Then one year it was about 70F and that lube gushed from the tube. Result was I was way over lubing my patches and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Not even the inside!
Also like he demonstrates in another video, he got better results when using a .005" larger ball. The key seems to be a good, thick patch and bigger ball(.535") making a tight fit.
Good shooting.
In my ML rifles I like a very tight patch. You seem to find the same results with your rifles. On special days I can keep a one ragged hole three shot group at a hundred yards.If the sun is at my back and the blade on my rifle glints in the light one can do some very good shooting. I have never shot at the distances you shoot. You impress me with your accuracy.
Real Good!
Thank You!
So the tight as you can get down the bore and a back up patch over the powder first. Am I hearing that right. I always wondered about a back up patch for better gas check.
I'm going to try the over powder patch this afternoon. I wanna see if I can get the same accuracy as marksman Lewis.
I’ve used .015 patches with .490 balls in my .50 caliber Traditions Springfield Hawken and the holes touch at 40 yards .. After watching this video I gotta try some .018 patches ..!
I’m also gonna try some “ no excuses “ 460 grain flat nose bullets, they have a slightly hollow base but I’ll try them with 1/8” wool wad over the powder .. I’ve read great reviews on them, had anyone out there tried them ?
Hmm. IIRC, a .535 loaded plenty tight with .010 in my Renegade and shot around an inch at 50 yds, but I usually loaded 60 gr with that combo. Will have to see what works in my new-to-me barrel.
Have you shot .530 ball just curious about reloading for second follow up shots or have to wipe patch down barrel often- I was looking to order Lee mold for either 530 or 535 just got .54 & have no experience- thanks
@@jacklowe3788 the standard recipe back then was .530/.010. I started out with that, but switched to .535/.010. In either case, reloads with BP or Pyrodex were tough without wiping the bore. .535 will limit your patch options more than .530 will.
If you're just starting I'd rather try a box each of both sizes before buying a mold. Heck, I've never done any casting, but the ridiculous supply situation has me considering it.
Have u studied the hawken book? Sam hawken did his rifles in 1n 48 twist
Man! That is so awesome! Thank you for sharing.
Were can I get some swiss ff? It's hard to get any black powder stuff down here
Everywhere is Sold out right now, I bought a Full Case a few months ago, I am sure glad i did! Now with GOEX Closing down Blackpowder is gonna get tougher to Find
@@idaholewis265 man, that is awful
My PRB accuracy was much better yesterday. My group was three inches at 50 yards.
where are you Here in the Video? north Idaho?
I run a .530 with a .015 patch and holy shit is it accurate
I can vouch for the accuracy of the Hornady Great Plains conical, at least for The Spanish made, 50 caliber, Traditions, "Hawken" Woodsman, in 48 twist. It's extremely easy to push the conical down the barrel with the ramrod, (although not loose enough to move, after it is seated), and no patch is required, but it's still very accurate. The Hornady Great Plains conicals are still pretty cheap, compared to smokeless powder bullets. Unfortunately, Hornady no longer makes Great Plains bullets for 54 caliber. If someone could tell me why, I'd appreciate it.
@@michealfriedman7084 I have those! I haven't shot them, yet, but they get good reviews.. Fast service and great price, and they're pre-lubed.
A patch over the powder seems bulky and uneven , what about a wool wad and then the patched ball?
Video is uploading on the Over Powder Patch 👍 A wool Wad is the WRONG way to go behind a Ball, They work GREAT behind Flat Base Bullets, But I wouldn’t use any Flat type Wad behind a Ball.
@@idaholewis265 do you just use the ram rod to set the patch on the powder or a special tip?
Round balls are so nice to shoot, but I never use them for hunting ever. I wound up chasing animals for hundreds and hundreds of yards. The conicals of anything are much more efficient and just as accurate, but the shot is brutal on both ends. On the Thompson center I will use 100 grains to 120 grains of FF.
It'll go lengthwise through a grizzly or anything else. It's just brutal to shoot though.
Does that mean that your bullet tumbles?
Have you ever shot lengthwise thru a grizzily bear? Don't lie now.