Gents,

I was just gifted an older cva kentucky lr kit already completed. Does anyone have a line where I can find a manual. Also, I'm thinking 90 grs of 2f. Would that be an appropriate load?

Thank you experts

Ben

Caliber? Projectile? Barrel O.D.?

With a RB, 70gr is a good place to start with a .50, maybe close to optimum with a .45. There are a number of generic load charts online if you can’t find the one for your particular rifle.

https://goexpowder.com/resources/load-charts/

You could go on https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ and ask around about a manual.

Otherwise, start out with a load charge equal to the bore. 45 grains in a 45 cal, 50 grains in a 50 cal, etc. Work up from there shooting a few groups to see what the rifle likes. I wouldn't go above 80 grains max charge with a patched roundball.

Thanks gents.

It's a 50 cal, and I'm thinking about the all lead powerbelt, since it'll be a montana hunt. Im still on the fence whether I'll got with the 295 gr. Or the 405 gr.

I would likely be hunting elk with whatever I decide.

You should determine the barrel twist before you decide on a projectile. If it’s a 1-60” or 66”, RBs are going to be what you’re stuck with, or maybe one of the shorty conicals like the Buffalo bullet or Hornady equivalent. 1-48” will handle most conicals and even some sabot loads.

If your barrel will handle them, the PBs might be okay, but the lighter ones have a reputation for being too soft for big stuff, and none of them like being pushed too hard. My son killed two nice Virginia bucks inside a week with IIRC the 348gr .50 over 80 or 90gr of 777, and both bullets sailed on through, but elk are another story.

Pappy,

Thanks for the help. I took it down and the twist is not marked on the barrel. The best I can tell it's 1:48 because of others replacement barrels I've seen on the internet. Not a lot of information on these old kits that I found.

Do you know how to measure the twist?

Measure the twist before deciding on what bullet.

I don't know how to measure it. I'm relatively new to muzzleloading

With any rifled bore, not just muzzleloaders, all you need is a cleaning rod with a snugly patched jag and a tape measure.

Twist rate is one turn in so many inches. A 1:10 twist means the bullet, and consequently the patched cleaning jag, will rotate one full turn in ten inches. Fast twists like that are easier to measure. Start the jag in the bore, mark TDC on the cleaning rod, mark a starting point in reference to the muzzle or the action, whichever direction you're going. Push the rod in until your TDC mark has turned one full turn. Mark the rod again at the same reference point. Pull rod and measure between the two marks. That measure will be the twist rate.

On really slow twisted bores like 1:48 or 1:66 muzzleloader barrels you have to math in halves or quarters, because you don't have enough barrel length to get a full turn of the cleaning rod. Use the same method but mark TDC and mark exactly 180 degrees from that, which will give you half a turn instead of a full turn. Push your rod down the bore until the "half turn" mark is now on top. When you measure between the two reference marks you will have 24 inches for a 1:48 twist, or 33 inches for a 1:66 twist.

If you still don't have enough barrel length then you'll have to measure a quarter of a turn. Mark TDC and mark 90 from that. When you measure between the two reference marks 12 inches will be a 1:48 twist, and 16.5 inches will be a 1:66.

An experienced gunsmith or gun nut who knows what common muzzleloader twist rates look like to the eye can simply look and see what it is. 1:66 is a starkly slower twist than 1:48, and a 1:24 is obviously faster than either of those.

Thank you so much