50s and 54s

[22x11]

Can I SAFELY shoot Triple 7 Pellets. 50gr 50cal in my 54cal Hawken with sabots? Or do I have to get 54cal pellets?

[hollywood]

I would not. I suggest you buy loose powder 777. My 54 cal Hawken does very well with 80 to 90 grains. Secondly, I have never seen 54 cal sabots. ??? I shoot a ball and patch and they are very accurate. I shot a deer this year with this combination.

[MikePal]

You can crush the pellets down with the ram rod before you ram/seat the bullet.

[ET1]

Hollywood

Take a peek at the MMP Sabot web site.

http://mmpsabots.com/store/mmp-standard-sabots/

Nice selection of 54Cal Sabots.


Ed

[22x11]

Holywood I picked up a box of 20 Corelokt 303gr 44cal with a sabot to make them .54 at Gobles in London on sale for $13 yesterday

[huntaway]

I don't think using 50 cal pellets in a 54 would be a good thing.

I would think the air space around the pellets upon ignition would create excessive pressure????

Better off using loose or finding some 54 cal pellets.

HA

[delmer]

According to Hodgdon, the only 54 cal pellets available are Pyrodex. Some other info from the site -

Triple Seven and Pyrodex Pellets are designed for use only in newly manufactured muzzleloading, in-line rifles of 50 caliber, 54 caliber, and 45 caliber. Use Triple Seven only in a 209 primer ignition system. Pyrodex may be used with standard cap, musket cap or 209 primer ignition systems. Use only the correct caliber Pellet designated for the given caliber rifle. They are designed to be used with saboted bullets or conicals together with a fiber wad.

Use of Triple Seven Pellets and Pyrodex Pellets in sidelock muzzleloading rifles, in flintlock muzzleloading rifles, using a patched round ball, or the use of conical lead bullets without a fiber wad is NOT recommended.

WARNING: Do not pound on ramrod or seat projectile with excessive force so as to crush Pellet.

https://www.hodgdon.com/ml-warning.html

[MikePal]

WARNING: Do not pound on ramrod or seat projectile with excessive force so as to crush Pellet.

https://www.hodgdon.com/ml-warning.html

Yes that is correct, my mistake. (never used pellets so I've never seen that warning)

Apparently one of the problems with using pellets, the increased pressures in the barrel if they get tamped down.

Toss the pellets use loose powder.

[22x11]

so basically if I smash up 2 pellets to make 100gr or so of loose powder im good in the hawken? Loose powder, sabot, percussion cap BANG?

[huntaway]

The pellets are coated on one end to help with ignition. I'm not sure you would get the same results if you crush them. The coating on the powder that sticks them together may inhibit a proper burn. I don't see it being worth the effort personnaly.

HA