[Cpt. America]

I use a CVA Optima, 110 grains RS pyrodex or Shockey's Gold with a Hornady great plains bullet.

[4v50 Gary]

535 grain minie ball powered by 65 grains ff. It worked in the Civil War, it'll work on deer.

[MCgunner]

Cabela's Hawken Hunter Carbine built by Investarms. .50 caliber, 1:24 twist, 20" barrel, a bit over 6 lbs in left handed version, no patch box, blacked out fore end cap, sling, good adjustable sights, a much appreciated recoil pad, all modern adornments for hunting, nothing shiny, with the sidelock hawken traditional look that I sorta prefer. It's got nice wood and checkering, too, and a monte carlo cheek piece on the stock. I shoot it with 90 grain equivalent Pyrodex and a 385 grain Hornady Great Plains minie. It will also shoot a 240 caliber sabot Hornady JHP .429" bullet rather accurately, but I like those big lead pills. I cast a 360 grain Minie for it, but it's not as accurate as the Hornady stuff. I'll go with the accuracy. I have converted it to shoot small rifle primers due to the inability of Pyrodex to easily ignite and the inability to buy black powder locally. I've yet to actually shoot anything, but paper with it, but I plan to actually hunt with it this season. I'm in the mood.

I bought this gun 15 years ago, regained interest in it recently, and have been shooting it quite a bit. I know it pretty well, now, so I'm ready to go hunting with it. I got all off into handgun hunting for a long time and sort of ignored it. When I bought it, it was about 180 bucks in left hand version. Check out the price of the right hander on the link, now. My stocks haven't done that well, LOL!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0006380210011a&type=product&cmCat=cchart_trd_blk_pwdr_rfl


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/21/00/11/i210011sn01.jpg

[Cpt. America]

I got a CVA bobcat that I upgraded to a musket primer and I always used Shockeys gold in it. 90grains with a Buffalo ball-et.

[jaybr]

CVA Accura
Burris Signature Select 3x12
105gr Blackhorn 209
270gr Powerbelt Platinum

[messerist]

GPR flintlock .50 cal. round ball, 90 gr. ff, ffff priming powder

[mykeal]

.54 GPR flintlock 90 gr ffg real black 0.015 drylubed patch, or
.54 T/C Hawken 90 gr ffg real black 0.010 drylubed patch

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

XXXX

[jbkebert]

I use a Thompson Encore Prohunter 28". My load is a 300 grain T/C superglide sabot, with 118 grains of 777 and a Winchester 209 primer.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

XXXX

[Cpt. America]

I use the Remington STS primers and have gotten great results with both Hogden RS, Select and Jims Gold. The RS is probably the sweetest shooting with the combination I use.

[Black Toe Knives]

"Only" Deer Rifle I use is a .50 cal T/C Renegade with a scope. Remington caps. Black Powder only. 354 Gr maxi ball.

[MCgunner]

I don't know how you guys are getting any accuracy from JS's Gold. I tried it, burned up half a pound of the stuff, might as well have been banging my head against a wall. The stuff was so inaccurate, I had to put a couple of sheets of freezer paper behind the target to see my hits. :rolleyes: Back to Pyrodex, no problem, 3-4" groups with the Minies, 2-3" with the sabots.

I gave up on Shockey's sh--. :D Truth be told, if I could buy 2f Goex down here, that's what I'd be using. I'm thinking about making a bulk order. Pyrodex works well for me, just have to use the rifle primer adapter to make it go bang. I kinda like that thing, anyway, for hunting. It has an o ring to seal it off, so it's protected from moisture on a drizzly morning and I get more shots out of a pound of Pyrodex. Unlike the real purists, I kinda like Pyrodex. I've got half a bottle of Shockey's Gold, though, for anyone who wants the stuff and lives near by. I gave up on it. Good idea, no corrosion, just doesn't work in my rifle.

[jbkebert]

My son shoots the same Encore mentioned above with a 200 grain shockwave sabot, with 95 grains 777, and winchester 209 primer. He harvested his first doe with this load at the age of 8. The flex-tech stock helps alot with recoil. He still shot around 75-80 loads in the the month and a half before season started. His shot was taken at around 67 yards with open sights. The doe dropped within 20 yards of being hit high shoulder.

[Marlin_444]

CVA Optima Pro, 150 Grains Black Horn 209 under a .270 Grain Platinum Aero Tip...

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x264/M_444/CVA/OptimaProNickle.jpg

Ron

[Cpt. America]

MCgunner
I gave up on Shockey's sh--. Truth be told, if I could buy 2f Goex down here, that's what I'd be using

Goex is made buy the same company that Jims Gold is.

[alsaqr]

I don't know how you guys are getting any accuracy from JS's Gold. I tried it, burned up half a pound of the stuff, might as well have been banging my head against a wall. The stuff was so inaccurate, I had to put a couple of sheets of freezer paper behind the target to see my hits.


My .50 inline guns shoot just as well with JSG as they do with Pyrodex or 777, sometimes much better. JSG likes a tight fitting sabot seated very hard on the powder. When you feel the powder crunch it is just right. JSG was used on my longest shot on an animal; a sow at 192 laser transit measured yards. Killed nice 8 point buck at just over 170 long Army paces with JSG and the 250 grain SST bullet.

JSG is just as good as any other BP substitute out there, better than some. Granted it is not as powerful as Pyrodex. Presently I am using Goex Pinnacle 2F and 3F. Like JSG, Pinnacle likes a tight fitting sabot seated hard on the powder. Pinnacle is a little more powerful than JSG.

In my CVA guns I am using the excellent 240 grain .430 XTP bullet over 100 grains of Goex 3F Pinnacle. That 240 grain .430 bullet has killed 20 deer and many dozens of hogs for me when fired from my CVA Stag Horn. In my Encore I am using 110-130 grains of Goex 2F Pinnacle aht the 250 grain SST bullet.

[Voodoochile]

CVA Bobcat:
.495 182gr. ball
.015 lubed patch
80gr. FFFG Goex
Remington #11 caps.

Lyman Trade Rifle:
.495 182gr. ball
.015 lubed patch
70gr. FFFG Goex
Remington #11 caps.

[BHP FAN]

Trapdoor Spingfield in .45-70, 405 gr. bullet,Wonder Wad,60 gr. Goex 2f. is what I'd use.

[arcticap]

My .54 Lyman Cougar gets loaded with 100 grains of Clean Shot [APP] fffg & a Buffalo Bullet sabot with a 225 grain lead hollow point.
For my son, I load a .50 Traditions Deer Hunter with 90 grains of Pyrodex P & a TC Break-O-Way sabot with a 240 grain lead hollowpoint.

[MCgunner]

My .50 inline guns shoot just as well with JSG as they do with Pyrodex or 777, sometimes much better. JSG likes a tight fitting sabot seated very hard on the powder. When you feel the powder crunch it is just right. JSG was used on my longest shot on an animal; a sow at 192 laser transit measured yards. Killed nice 8 point buck at just over 170 long Army paces with JSG and the 250 grain SST bullet

Well, I have sabots, but prefer minie balls. I guess I wasn't "crunching" the powder seeing as the minie has a hollow rear cavity. The rifle is quite accurate with sabots, I just prefer to shoot cast minies.

[glockgod]

T/C Black Diamond .50 with factory fiber optic sights- 240gr .430 Hornady XTP in a sabot loaded with 100grs Pyrodex RS. Accurate,proven, effective several times combo.

[Macgille]

Hawken .50 round ball, goex 80 gr. Works just fine.

[Douglas34474]

T/C .45 Hawken or Hopkins & Allen .45 under hammer with 70g FFF behind a .440 round ball.

[kanook]

Ruger 77/50 Lee R.E.A.L. (rifling engraved at loading) 260gr and Pyrodex pellets :D

[Hawkeye748]

MacGunner,

If you have a Bass Pro Shop near you they carry BP. You just have to ask for it as it is kept in a safe off the floor.

AS to favorite Deer BP gun:

Richmond Short Rifle, over 470 grain minie ball, lubed with MCM, with 45-65 grains of FFFG Goex depending on the range on the stand. Never had to go more than 10 yards to collect the deer. Long shot about 150-60 yards, most under 100.

I also use a 44 Caliber Ballard CW Carbine. 29 grains FFFg Goex with a 240 grain Magnus RNFPBB bullet. Lubed with SPG. So far only shot at 2 deer. Both dropped on the spot. This one is a lot lighter and easier to carry as I get older. Both were about 100 yards.

I have used a Henry a few times, but so far have not seen one to take a shot yet.