Loading conicals?

[lebhuntfish]

This is something I should probably know but here it goes. 
I've been shooting a patched round ball out of my caplock for a while.  With great accuracy I might add.  But last year at Marshall Michigan I was given a large bag of conicals.  Now I've always liked the concept of shooting them but im just not sure on the loading process. 
I know they need lubercated in the grooves but do I need to patch them or load just over my powder?   I've been shooting 80 grains of ffg black powder with the round balls and im deadly accurat out to 100 yards with that load.
Could someone give me some pointers with the conicals? Thanks.

Patrick 

[Pat B]

Patrick, it's been many years since I shot my T/C Hawkins .50cal, cap lock. I used Maxi Balls. Killed my first 2 deer(8pt, doe) with that gun back in 1979 or 80. I kept a few in my possibles bag with lube on them. I shot 90gr of powder poured in first then the maxi ball and rammed it to the bottom, no patch. I guess it will depends on the size of the conical and the bore of your barrel but I think these are patchless.

[lebhuntfish]

Thanks Pat,  Ill see how they load.  I can always use a ball puller and pull them back out if im not comfortable.  I may try upping the powder a touch because they are a good bit heavier.

Patrick

[Hawkdancer]

Patrick,
No patch with the conical bullets, but you may have a shift in the strike of the bullet, depending on your rifle.  Are they hollow based Minie balls or solid base bullets.  What caliber?  My .58's have a shift when changing from round ball to conicals.  The service load for the .58 was 60-65 gr 2Fg, but I used 75 gr for hunting.  For .50 caliber, a friend recommended 85 gr 3Fg with solid base bullets, some less for hollow base.  Good shooting.
Hawkdancer

[Stoker]

I use Lee REALS maxis .. Shoot good outta my deer stalker.. Lube and shoot.. 80g fff.. Some people have better luck if they use a card or wad.. If they fly good no problem..
Thanks Leroy

[lebhuntfish]

Thanks guy's,  I will look again when I get home.  But I think they are flat base bullets. 

Stoker,  you mentioned a wad,  if im correct its lubercated as well and pretty much the same size as my bore, correct?
Hawk,  I'm shooting a 50 caliber cva bobcat.  Great shooting little gun.  Im hoping to get my flintlock fixed up before long, but ill be hunting with my bobcat again this year.  I killed a doe with it last year with a patched round ball.  Black powder season opens the 23rd here in Missouri so im trying to get some shooting in!

Patrick

[Hawkdancer]

 Lubed  felt wad over the powder may help with the flat base bullets.  Like sealing a revolver.  I use the Minie hollow base in my .58s, but both in my .50 T/C Hawken.  Haven't made meat with it, but we only get one or two tags here.  Got to start hunting harder, and maybe expanding down to Nebraska.  I will check to see you has .50 cal wads.
Hawkdancer

[Hawkdancer]

Patrick,
Track of TW has .50 cal felt wads, dry and lubed, about $9 per 100.  For hunting, I think dry would be better, but on the range, lubed will probably be best.  Help keep the bore a little cleaner, I think,  smell better, too.
Hawkdancer

[BowEd]

Thanks guy's,  I will look again when I get home.  But I think they are flat base bullets. 

Stoker,  you mentioned a wad,  if im correct its lubercated as well and pretty much the same size as my bore, correct?
Hawk,  I'm shooting a 50 caliber cva bobcat.  Great shooting little gun.  Im hoping to get my flintlock fixed up before long, but ill be hunting with my bobcat again this year.  I killed a doe with it last year with a patched round ball.  Black powder season opens the 23rd here in Missouri so im trying to get some shooting in!

Patrick

Hello Pat...I only shot round ball too and still do if I want to shoot it but I thought some barrels were rifled with a tighter twist for conicals.Round ball shooting slower twist.[1 full twist in 66" if I'm correct].The added weight of the conicals just like arrows will shoot lower then too.Won't make a big diff on close shots I'm sure though.I shoot a .54 Johnny Browning Hawken capper.Use a .52 ball[227 grain] with a .10 pillow tick patch for more ease of loading but still plenty tight.Replaced barrel of stock with a 35" badger barrel from it's 30" original barrel specifically for shooting round ball.Very accurate also out to 100 yards.Hav'nt needed to shoot at a deer farther than that but pretty sure 100 yards is'nt the limit for accuracy yet.I've killed many a deer with just 60 grains of FF.
Don't know about CVA's rifling though so you'll have to target shoot it a bunch.

[gifford]

Well Patrick, you say you are pleased with accuracy of a patched round ball in you Bobcat, you shot a deer last fall with it, so I'm of the group that says, 'if it ain't broke, don't mess with it'.

IIRC, the Bobcat barrel is 1:48 rate of twist so it's a compromise rate of twist. It should shoot both patched round ball and conicals equally well. I happen to favor patched round ball in my smoke poles.

[Ed Brooks]

I use a 50 TC Hawkins, put a TC Maxi Ball on top of 80gr FFF black powder.  I put some Crisco on the bullet in the rings and good to go. for a quick loads while hunting I use the TC four in one. good luck and keep your powder dry! Ed

[lebhuntfish]

Thanks fellas! Thats some great info!
Gifford,  Ill probably still shoot the patched round balls.  They shoot way to good for me.  But I think I will just experiment some with the conicals.  Oh yeah,  the conicals are flat based.

I have some tallo and beeswax made up.  I think I will try to use that as a lube.  Thoughts on that?

[archeryrob]

I have been using PRB out of the 50 cal for a long time. for some reason I got the itch to try Lee REAL slugs last Christmas, so gave the part numbers for the 240 and 320 grain to the wife and she gave them to me. Not sure why as 177 grain round balls has knocked them dead, maybe the one that ran a bit and hoping they would be dead right there?

I cast a bunch or the 320's from a brick of lead I had and pan lubed them using the Emerret's Lube recipe as someone recommended. 50% Beeswax, 40% crisco and 10% oil. After two shots I couldn't get the third round down the barrel. The lube fouled the barrel terribly. I want to try another softer lube, or hope the wads clean the barrel. I am still not set on what lube and if wads will help. I am waiting for warmer weather to start paying with it and hunting with RB's again this year.

On the felt wads, you can buy them or make them. I just made a bunch from Durofelt and use them in the 44cal revolver and I cut a bunch to try the REAL out again with a wad.
https://archeryrob.wordpress.com/2017/12/09/lubed-wool-felt-wads-for-the-revolver/

[Stoker]

The REALS I shoot are the 250g.. I lube with bore butter.. My son has a CVA similar to my deer stalker doesn't shoot them worth a darn.. I haven't tried them from my TC Hawkins 1:48 twist I believe.. Haven't got around to it.. Both guns shoot PRB great no complaints.. I've only shot 1 doe with a real. 30yd's..  Dang does it pound a hole.. If the TC would shoot them might be elk medicine
Thanks Leroy

[Hawkdancer]

The maxi bullet was designed for the T/C Hawken and its close relatives.  Extremely accurate out to about 150 yards according to the PR.  The "Plains" and "Buffalo" bullets are also designed for the 1:48 twist rifles.  You just have to find the load your rifle likes, and pamper it.  Our resident BP gunsmith recommend the Buffalo bullet and 85 hrs 3f in the .50 cal.  He has a lot of pins on the elk kill map, and is a heck of a lot better shot than I am.  That load does pinch both ways, though!  You just have to see what works for you.  Have a good hunt!  Btw, how many seasons are there in MO now, and how many can you hunt?
Hawkdancer