bighorn powder and bullets

[Sagedawg]

 I want to try some of the Hydra Cons, but nobody around here has them. Youd think as big as the Cabelas is in Post Falls, their muzzy supplies would be bigger and with better selection.



  Sage

[CP]

You can order them from Knight or Parker.

http://www.parkerproductionsinc.com/agora/agora.cgi?product=Bore_Size&ppinc=1a

[marc10000]

The whole point is if the big slugs are hollow based. TC's are not and it makes a big difference. I've had 2 incidents in shooting BP rifles that were scary one was shooting the CVA Buckslayers with 100 grains of Pioneer powder. The gun kicked and felt like it dislocated my shoulder. Immediately I thought this isn't normal then I found out that there have been kabooms using these bullets with heavy powder charges. I had a close call.

Hollow based bullets tend to kick a lot.

[marc10000]

I thought I would add a little more about the big conicals. Using the Lymans Black Powder Handbook and Loading Manual, I noticed that with the big conicals more powder doesn't really make em go that much faster. This is a .54 caliber, 1-32 twist, 32" BBL, 450 grain Lyman Bullet using Pyrodex RS, cci #11 cap:

60gr  1143 fps
90gr  1360 fps
120   1521 fps

So at some point you have to wonder about diminishing returns. Keep in mind that terminal velocity @100yds is only a few 100 fps less than muzzle velocity. In the old days the Black Powder .45-70 was a 500 grain bullet with 70 grains of black powder. It effectively handled all game even Buffalo.

Shooting a 450 grain slug at 1100 fps is really an effective round. It's actually faster than your average .40SW bullet at muzzle velocity, and 100yds downrange is still faster than .45ACP at muzzle velocity. Also at 65 grains it's comfortable to shoot and extremely accurate, or at least much more accurate. Just some of my thoughts on the subject. Happy hunting!

[CP]

Point taken on the minie ball skirt.  I’ve requested load data from both Knight and Hornady but no response so far.  But I don’t think that I’m over pressure at 100grs.  Getting close …. Maybe. 

[marc10000]

The good thing about Knight rifles is that they are quality. I would trust their barrels above any other brand.

[sss5358]

Lots of good info on this thread.  Just want to add that at a point you can use too much powder even though your rifle is rated for a higher load.  The unburnt powder will empty out the barrel and gain you nothing. Trick is to find the bullet and load that works for your particular rifle. I would pay attention to other shooters who use the same rifle.

I shoot an older TC Thunderhawk with 110 grains of double F 777 against a 360 grain Keith nose soft lead sabot made by precision rifle. Probably to late to be experimenting though. But you may want to after the season is over.