With black powder, modern steel barrels wont burn enough powder to case any harm. They just blow unburned powder out of the muzzle. So over loading one is just a waste of powder and there is no benefit in loading max loads. You run into the wall of diminishing returns. It doesn't take a heavy load to kill game. My 50 caliber rifles will exit deer with 60 grains of powder, every time. Accuracy diminishes as you approach maximum loads as well.
When I work up a load for a hunting rifle I start with a "Square" load (50 grains in a 50 caliber) and work up until my groups begin to open up. That's where I stop.
Was a high schooler when I bought a .50 T/C Hawken.
Heard lots of stuff about blowing up, or not blowing up muzzle loaders.
"Can't burn enough Black to hurt them, 2 balls, 3...."
So, I tried!
200, 300 grains of 3F? It kicked a little harder.
2, 3 balls? It kicked harder.
Double charge and 2 balls? Kicked.
Stopped there. Wasn't trying to build a bomb!
My "first" test shots were fired holding the gun over a log pile with the stock against
a log. After 1, they were fired normally.
Everyone seemed to agree that a gap between powder and ball was the most likely
way to blow one up, so I never tried that.
Always ised 90gr FFF for hunting.
My eyes don't see open sights real well, and I'm not the best Flintlock shooter.
Could hit stuff out there, killed deer.
Guess it was Bubba Stylin' the 19th Century!
