.45 cal. for squirrels

[clevefails]

ordered me and my grandson tvm .45 cal. southern flintlocks with 42" barrels,going to be doing squirrel and deer hunting with them,mostly squirrel hunting.what would be a good load for them, i ordered fff goex for shooting and ffff goex for primer.

[Bigsmoke]

I use about 45 grains of GOEX Fffg for my TVA southern mountain rifle w/42" barrel and Ffffg for prime.  .440 Hornady ball and .015 spit lube patch.  Seems to work pretty good for me.  Never really have worked hard on developing a load for it, but that seems to keep me within minute of barn wall.
I recall in the past I tried .445 and even .451 ball in it, but didn't notice much more than increased difficulty loading.
The real bottom line is not to try what others do, but to work up your own loads for what the rifle wants to do.
When are you expecting delivery of the rifles?  Be sure to post some pics of it.
John

[clevefails]

Thanks Bigsmoke, I understand that it will take 6-7-months from when i ordered last week before they ship,but i will post pics. the minute i have them.I have plenty of time to round up supplies.

[RobD]

the powder charge to use would/should depend on what the rifle, bullet and patch likes best, no matter for skwerls or deer.  i typically use 55 grains of swiss 3f down the tube and in the pan of my M&H .45 flinter.

[clevefails]

rfd,I have a lot to learn,thanks for the reply.Is the swiss powder cleaner burning like advertised?

[RobD]

i use swiss 3f exclusively for all ml's, and even in the pan for ignition on flintlocks.  swiss 1-1/2f is my mainstay for bpcr rifles - rolling blocks, sharps, and a cpa stevens 44-1/2.  i've found swiss to be more consistent and cleaner burning than all the rest, and worth the extra $5 per pound.

my newest M&H .45 rifle ... 55 grains of Swiss 3F down the tube, 3F in the pan, .440" pure lead balls that I cast a few days ago, dry lube .010" linen patch strips with a layer of cigarette paper 'tween the patch and ball ...

[clevefails]

DARN,I ALREADY HAVE 5 LBS. GOEX COMING

[RobD]

don't sweat it, goex is just fine!  those are fine rifles ya ordered and you'll have a ball with them and goex!

[Bigsmoke]

Clevefails,
Well, I have been shooting GOEX for 40+ years and have never had a reason to change.
I did try Swiss at one point several years ago, and although it was fine powder, and I got a bit more consistent readings on the chronograph, and it might have been a tad hotter and cleaner, I didn't see enough improvement over GOEX to warrant going for it.
It's kinda like the old car thing, one person likes Fords and another likes Chevys.  And once in a while you find someone who prefers American Motors.  They are all good.
Same with powder.  They are all good.  Some like GOEX, some like Swiss, and some like KIK and other like whatever.  The only thing is, if you do switch powders, then be sure to double check how your rifle is shooting, else you might get a surprise with where it hits.
And that is the fun of it all.  If you are not enjoying it, you are doing it wrong.
John

[Uncle Russ]

Clevefails,........ If you are not enjoying it, you are doing it wrong.
John

Great statement John!

Like many others I have also tried a lot of different "stuff" over the years, all in hopes of finding that magical sweet spot whereas that particular rifle, at that particular time, would fall in love with that particular combination....sometimes you're lucky  enough to just fall into that situation, no muss, no fuss, just a couple attempts with a few different loads, and you're right on the money.... but more commonly you're going have to let the rifle find that sweet spot for you.
You simply can not push your preference, the preference of your friends, or something you read in print on the rifle and have it perform at its best.
The rifle itself will tell you what it likes best, and it will have the final word.

As Bob (rfd) so aptly stated....don't sweat it, Goex is just fine, and you'll have a ball finding that just right load, and that my friend is all a big part of the excitement!

Uncle Russ...

[clevefails]

Thanks guys,Im glad i joined this forum.

[RobD]

Thanks guys,Im glad i joined this forum.

well, i'm sure that i'm speaking for lots of others than me - we're all sure glad to have ya here!    

[RobD]

... You simply can not push your preference, the preference of your friends, or something you read in print on the rifle and have it perform at its best. The rifle itself will tell you what it likes best, and it will have the final word. ...

SO true for all firearms, but imho that's even more true for smokepoles!  

ya play around with this stuff long enuf and ya just gravitate to personal preferences.  when it comes to flintlocks, there are certain caveats that ring true for the vast majority of folks.  like, powder type choices - clearly, real black powder works best for flinters and yer flinter *might* have a preference for one brand or granulate size, which just might render more consistent ignition and overall performance/accuracy.  

and john is SO right - if ya ain't havin' fun with a flinter, yer definitely doing something major wrong!  we can help!  

[amm1851]

That Goex is no good. Best send it to me for proper disposal.

[Bigsmoke]

That Goex is no good. Best send it to me for proper disposal.

AMM, you planning on disposing of it 90 grains at a time?  Maybe a little more, maybe a little less?