muzzle loader experts

[flywise]

Quick question
I was throwing lead all over the place at 50 yards the other day.
Shooting round balls out of a 10 year old CVA optima. I was using 100 gr. pellets and patch.
I ran a brush down the barrel after ever 3-4 shot.
Do you think i might have gotten better results if i had used a lesser charge? Say around 80gr?
Is 50-90 gr with a round ball good enough to kill a deer out to 100yds?

[ArcheryNerd]

any reason you are not using a sabot? You should have a rifled barrel

[twosixteens]

Rifling twist is too fast for round balls would be my guess

[SamSowell]

Quick question
I was throwing lead all over the place at 50 yards the other day.
Shooting round balls out of a 10 year old CVA optima. I was using 100 gr. pellets and patch.
I ran a brush down the barrel after ever 3-4 shot.
Do you think i might have gotten better results if i had used a lesser charge? Say around 80gr?
Is 50-90 gr with a round ball good enough to kill a deer out to 100yds?

I've killed 3 does with using 230 grain roundball shooting 80 grains of loose powder, 1/60" twist barrel. Ranges were 50 to 60 yards with passthrough on all. I'm confident it could kill at hundred if I could do my part with the iron sights. Mine is capable of I believe 100 grains of powder but 80 seems to be the sweet spot.

[tx_basser]

Rifling twist and too much powder. Back powder off to around 60-65 grains and try that and start working your way up. My hunting load for my 50 Hawken is 67 grains Pyro and Patched RB.

[coop2564]

Modern day ML are twist rated for sabots not balls.

[SabineHunter]

drop down to 50

[KoonceCrushed]

100 grains (two 50 grain 777 pellets) - 245 grain Powerbelt in all of my in line muzzleloaders. (both .50 cal) and rifled.

[Phillip Fields]

The Optima has a 1 in 28" twist rate. This is way too fast for a round ball, you need a 1 in 60" or slower for a dedicated round ball rifle. Optimas seem to perform the best with a Powerbelt and around 100 grains of powder (2 pellets of Triple 7 works great)

I've killed dozens of deer with my .54 using 110 grains of FFg loose powder behind a .530 round ball patched with a .015 patch. It will print cloverleafs at 75 yards. I've taken deer out to 125 yards.

[flywise]

Appreciate all the info. I was using the round balls only because my son wanted to use the muzzle loader for youth weekend. I typically use the RB's with my hawken and didnt even consider the rifling....because i rarely shoot these things.
I'll back off to 50 and work back up and I'll buy more appropriate bullets.
All of you have been very helpful, thank you

[Tony Pic]

With the right load, you could be able to shoot 200yds accurately with magnum charges.
My pet load in my CVA Wolf is 2 pellets of 777(100grs) and a 295gr powerbelt.
My TC Thunderhawk likes loose powder(90grs of pyrodex) and a TC 350gr maxihunter.
Muzzleloaders are finicky, right down to the primer.

[moe monsarrat]

I shoot only old time muzzleloaders and use real black powder. All my rifles are round ball twist 1 in 70”. I use 90 gr. FFF powder behind a patched .535 round ball. Devastating.

[175gr7.62]

Rifling not deep enough and WAY too fast twist. Most 50cal round ball barrels are going to be 1-62” to 1-66” twist with deep rifling. Your Optima is probably 1-28” with shallow rifling.

Completely different animals.


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[flywise]

I shoot only old time muzzleloaders and use real black powder. All my rifles are round ball twist 1 in 70”. I use 90 gr. FFF powder behind a patched .535 round ball. Devastating.

Where do you hunt..I see blanco county on your avatar.
My lease is just a few miles west of Hamilton Pool.