[roverboy]

Anybody have any good load data for .58 muzleloaders? I'm thinking about buying a H&R Huntsman .58 and I was wondering what would be a good hunting load for it. All I see anywhere is loads for Zouave rifles or something similar. The rifle comes with some hollow based conicals. I don't know the weight of them. If I get this rifle I'll weigh some of the bullets. They look like mean bullets because they have a wide meplat. I was wondering if 100 gr. ffg would be ok. This is a strong rifle made on a smokeless powder shotgun action.

 

[HardBall]

Do you know what "rate of twist" your barrel has?

 

[Oberndorf]

It depends

I would suggest looking ip load data in the Lyman Blackpowder Manual or see what H&R recommends for their rifle. Take care...
Oberndorf

 

[nwtradegun]

58 cal loads

unless ur hunting moose or bear 100 gr is overkill. 570 rb 75 gr 2f lacb not pyrodex and 15 th. patch to start or the same loads for rifled muket. those loads 500 gr minnie ball and 65 gr pwder will drop anything u lower 48

 

[Montoman]

If you have a fast twist, shallow grove barrel...I've had great success w/ the Lee REAL bullets...they're a 3 band flat base conical, but unlike the old Thompson Center Maxi, only the top band engraves the rifling, the 1st 2 bands are the diam. of the bore (also help keep the bore clean for a follow up shot in hunting situations).

If you have a deep grooved barrel, it's probably a slower twist & strictly a patched round ball affair…

 

[roverboy]

I didn't shoot this rifle for a long time after I got it. I've been shooting it some the last few months though. I tried the wide flat nose bullets and some Minie bullets and they both fit really loose. I think if I had fingers about 30" long I wouldn't need a ramrod. Anyway they shot awful. About 8" group at 40 yards. I was using Tripple 7 with them. I really don't think it would make much difference what powder because they fit the bore so loose. I tried the last time I shot it some Hornady patched round balls with Goex 2f black and got a lot better accuracy. Looks like that will be what I use.

 

[cayugad]

Minnie Balls don't like large powder charges. It splits the skirt on them and they tumble. The old .577 bore military rifles shot them with 60 grains of 2f powder. And that was deadly out to hundreds of yards. Also remember, the minnie was not made for pin point accuracy. They were made for volley fire, when large groups of men shot volley into the other side.

With your rifle, try 70 grains of Triple Seven and a .570 patched round ball and see what they do. It might surprise you and for deer that is a great plenty of power.

 

[roverboy]

Cayugad, I've heard since I tried them that Minie's don't like a lot of powder. I was shooting 90 gr. 777. The other bullets I have are a flat point style. They don't shoot good either. I shot 90 gr. Goex 2f with the round balls and they did pretty good. I was gonna shoot more but, it starting getting dark.

 

[cayugad]

I have a ,58 with a 1-70 twist and figured it would shoot Minnie, Boy was I wrong. But when you consider the size just a roundball and the down range energy of them, that really is a very effective load. Do you know the twist rate of that H&R?

 

[kb2112]

Hey Cayugad, what are you shooting?

 

[roverboy]

Cayugad, I don't know the twist. I think its on the slower or intermediate side though. Yeah, a .570 roundball is big and heavy and I think mine are 278 gr. It really wouldn't take a lot of velocity to kill deer and bigger game. I'm sure they drop like old foster style shotgun slugs though and probably not really flat shooting past 100 yards. I'm hoping for at max a 75 yard shot and hoping for closer. Our ML season opens here on Nov. 9.

 

[cayugad]

Hey Cayugad, what are you shooting?

I have more muzzleloaders then any man could ever need. I shoot EVERYTHING!! I have inlines, percussion, flintlocks, custom barrels, specialty barrels, for my rifles. Let just say, I shoot a lot of different kinds of rifles.

If my custom made rifle gets here in time, I will hunt with a .54 caliber flintlock, I have a GPR flintlock I would like to hunt with also. But if I go into the thickets, I have a White Rifle shooting a 460 grain lead conical bullet to hunt with and plant them buggers.

 

[Tammany]

Find someone with a set of plug gauges and mic your bore. Minies do well when 1-2 thousandths under bore size. I have been using only BP with my minie rifles for 30 years. Your loads are too high. You can take a deer with one shot using a minie and 40 grs 3 F

Hope this helps

 

[kb2112]

I have a 70's Zouave is like to hunt with that I've never used before. I've used 50s and 54s with great success.