Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Traditional Firearms => Flintlock Long Guns => Topic started by: oneshot72 on June 21, 2008, 01:37:37 AM

Title: Cabelas Blue Ridge Rifle load
Post by: oneshot72 on June 21, 2008, 01:37:37 AM: I WILL BE WORKING UP A LOAD FOR MY SON'S 50 CAL BLUE RIDGE RIFLE AND WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAD A LOAD WORKED UP FOR THIS GUN? I WAS THINKING A CONICAL MIGHT BE THE BEST SINCE WE WILL BE GOING ELK AND DEER HUNTING THIS FALL. I HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THESE LITTLE CAL. AND THE 1 IN 48 TWIST. MIKE
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Post by: BEAVERMAN on June 21, 2008, 11:17:17 AM: Whats the caliber?
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Post by: Groundhog on June 21, 2008, 01:16:30 PM: 50 start off with 75 grains behind a roundball. work up by 5 grs.
Roundball will get it done.
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Post by: Bigsmoke on June 21, 2008, 02:00:16 PM: Mike,
Take your load for Big Brother, divide by 3. Good place to start. Then like the Groundhog says, work up by 5 grains at a time - 3 shot groups. Hope you can even hear the little thing go off. It ain't much, but better than throwing stones.
I am going to guess that the gun will be pretty happy somewhere around 75 - 80 grains of Ffg. Maybe a little less of Fffg.
Connicals? Round ball? Try both and see what works the best. Accuracy always trumps velocity or energy.
Note to self: Mail Mike's stuff to him.
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Post by: tg on June 21, 2008, 02:52:27 PM: I would not hesitate to use the .50 with ball on Elk at the ranges open sights allow, best to keep arouind 75yds as a max in my opinion but many others have taken Elk at 100yds with a .50 using ball, as mentioned above placement is the key. I would guess around 80gr3f give or take that is what I found worked in a few .50 guns I have had in the past, though some guns .50 and above like 2f better.
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Post by: BEAVERMAN on June 21, 2008, 04:08:45 PM: 50PRB is a meat maker when it comes to elk out to 125 yds no problem, but when shooting that far ya bettter know exactly where your hitting and aiming, practice, practice, practice!
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Post by: snake eyes on June 22, 2008, 07:23:19 AM: oneshot,
I think a 1/48 twist is certainly capable of handling both
the PRB and the conical. It will be up to you to work with both and
see which works with the barrel.What works for my barrel may not
work in yours.That is one of the fun parts...trial and error.
I don't take game shots over 75yds.Longest I've made is 60 yds,
most well under that.My rifles are a lot more accurate than my eyes
at my age. Good luck with your hunts!!
snake-eyes
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Post by: Groundhog on June 22, 2008, 07:59:07 AM: I know 50 roundball is deadly on whitetail out ta abouts 183 yards.
That BLUE RIDGE rifle has a tight little breech area ... keep it clean.
Soft lead balls do a smashing job ...
lol
Title: Re: Cabelas Blue Ridge Rifle load
Post by: windwalker_au on June 26, 2008, 12:17:52 AM: Quote from: "oneshot72"
I WILL BE WORKING UP A LOAD FOR MY SON'S 50 CAL BLUE RIDGE RIFLE AND WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAD A LOAD WORKED UP FOR THIS GUN? I WAS THINKING A CONICAL MIGHT BE THE BEST SINCE WE WILL BE GOING ELK AND DEER HUNTING THIS FALL. I HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THESE LITTLE CAL. AND THE 1 IN 48 TWIST. MIKE

the blue ridge rile is just the pedersoli frontier rifle here is the load chart from the pedersoli web site
its in pdf just scroll down till you see frontier rifle the find the .50 cal they list a max charge of 100 grn of powder and a suggested load of 50 grns of powder.they have a 1 in 47 twist.
Bernie
http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/ArmiCat ... 90&lang=en (http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/ArmiCategoria.aspx?CategoriaId=190&lang=en)
http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/default ... to&lang=en (http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/default.aspx?item=supporto&lang=en)
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Post by: SquirrelHeart on June 27, 2008, 09:01:52 AM: I have a cabelas hawken in .50 with a 1:48 twist. My roundball hunting load is 85 grains of ffg. Like mentioned above in other replies, I would start about 70 grains and work up in 5 grain increments. I use a .490 swaged ball and .18 pillow ticking patch.
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Post by: Leatherbark on July 18, 2008, 05:43:05 AM: Your Blue Ridge will be more reliable with 3fg black than with 2f or pyro..............That communication hole is only .20 inch at the breech and 2f seemed to bridge in there and misfire......................I used 70 to 80 grains of 3f black...........with round ball of course.............I believe if i were going to use a conical it might be a 370 grain maxi ball and 60 to 70 grains of 3f (recoil)................Good luck.................Bob
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Post by: Pitchy on July 18, 2008, 07:47:48 AM: I had the same rifle but now have one in 54, my hunting load was 80 grains of fff under a patched roundball and it seems to really like 60 grains of fff for a target load.
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Post by: oneshot72 on July 26, 2008, 04:42:46 PM: Finally got the gun out to the range with my son today. Started with 70 grains of 3f and a 270 grain TC maxi. First 4 shots were 2" left of bull at 25 yards and 3 were touching. Moved front sight slightly and shot the X out of target. Think we are done sighting in, now just need to practice and find an animal that will cooperate this fall.
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Post by: Bigsmoke on July 26, 2008, 06:16:39 PM: Mike,
How is it past 25 yards?
Did you take Big Brother out with you too? Nice thing about that gun, it only takes one shot to completely remove the x ring (and a big part of the 10 ring as well.)
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Post by: Loyalist Dave on July 28, 2008, 12:51:45 PM: Mine always liked 70 gr of 3Fg, covered with a ticking patch, spit lubed, .490 round ball.

LD