50 cal load for youth?

spur60

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 14, 2020
Messages
233
Anybody have an effective lower recoil load and or bullet reccomendation for low power loads for a 50 cal? (CVA Optima). My 10 year old wants to hunt with me in MN this fall, and my MZ would be a much more accurate option versus slugs in the youth 20 gauge shotgun we own. Shot range will likely be inside 50 yards.
I've got some blackhorn 209, and powder pellets are in stock around town.
 
Joined
Oct 4, 2021
Messages
9
I’ve always just ran 100 grains of powder. Recoil is nothing compared to a 20 gauge and slugs.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,618
Location
Colorado Springs
My 16 year old daughter used 100gr BH209 (by volume) with 338gr Platinum Powerbelts on her bull, and my 14 year old daughter used 70gr BH209 (by volume) with 420gr No Excuses bullets.
 
OP
S

spur60

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 14, 2020
Messages
233
My 16 year old daughter used 100gr BH209 (by volume) with 338gr Platinum Powerbelts on her bull, and my 14 year old daughter used 70gr BH209 (by volume) with 420gr No Excuses bullets.
Interested in the performance you saw on the 70 gr load? What distance was the shot taken?
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,618
Location
Colorado Springs
She didn't take any shots. She got tired of carrying the gun after a couple days and my buddy had a bull tag so he was the priority. One morning she was tired of hiking and had rolled her ankle, so she sat in a spot while we continued on. On the way out we picked her up and she showed us a video of the herd that passed by her at 40 yards while she sat there without her gun....LOL.

With that lead No Excuses bullet I'm sure performance would be great. That's the load that shot the best at the range.
 

mhoff15

FNG
Joined
Nov 4, 2016
Messages
63
My 10 year old started hunting with a muzzleloader when he was 8… I sighted the Optima in with 75 grains (volume) of Blackhorn 209 and a Barnes TMZ/TEZ 250 grain bullet.

I have him practice with 50 grains but then put 75 in for the hunting load - when there is a deer in front of him, in his excitement he doesn’t notice the heavier load’s recoil. He’s taken a deer the last two years. He’s very confident in his shooting, and having him practice with a light load helped him to not be nervous due to recoil. It has left a ton of damage with the bullet expanding and passing through on both deer with very short track jobs. We keep shots to 75 yards or less.

I personally shoot 90 grains (volume) of BH209 as that is what was most accurate in my gun with the Barnes bullets.

Here is his first deer from 2 years ago…

cc45bcdce820b279da0e30b5633dc6f4.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

mparks270

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
134
Location
Michigan
I ran 50gr of powder for my son in my .45 cal Knight. .40 call 200gr Hornady XTP in a sabot. I bought a wood stock to put on it can cut 2" off the butt. He was clay pigeon accurate at 50 yards with a makeshift bipod.

He was 9 at the time.:

I'd say 50gr with a 200-250 bullet would be good for broadside shots <50 yards.
 

FredBear86

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
151
Back ttt. Looking for a light recoil set up. Got an older knight that no longer gets used that I was gonna set up for the kids. I was thinking 70 grain triple 7 and 250 grain hornady sst. How light of charge can I go on the powder. That's by volume BTW. Shots would be inside 50 yards although I would shoot it at 100 just in case
 

Scoutfarm

FNG
Joined
May 28, 2019
Messages
57
My son started with 2 pyrodex 50gr pellets and 250gr sabots where we could use pellets. 81gr/ volume loose pyrodex were required. He had a hunt requiring lead bullets and some 460gr conicals kicked the crap out of him.

At your yardage I would start at 70gr/ volume pyrodex and a light saboted bullet.
 

AnchorF22

WKR
Joined
Oct 26, 2019
Messages
1,391
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
My 10 year old started hunting with a muzzleloader when he was 8… I sighted the Optima in with 75 grains (volume) of Blackhorn 209 and a Barnes TMZ/TEZ 250 grain bullet.

I have him practice with 50 grains but then put 75 in for the hunting load - when there is a deer in front of him, in his excitement he doesn’t notice the heavier load’s recoil. He’s taken a deer the last two years. He’s very confident in his shooting, and having him practice with a light load helped him to not be nervous due to recoil. It has left a ton of damage with the bullet expanding and passing through on both deer with very short track jobs. We keep shots to 75 yards or less.

I personally shoot 90 grains (volume) of BH209 as that is what was most accurate in my gun with the Barnes bullets.

Here is his first deer from 2 years ago…

cc45bcdce820b279da0e30b5633dc6f4.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great photo!
 

CMF

WKR
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
667
Location
Mississippi
I let my then 11yo practice with 100 instead of 150 for a few shots, then mostly practice with a rifle(270 w/ low recoil shells). Then went to full load for a hunt. He did get wopped by the scope the first shot on a elkz(no kill), but it was because the tripod wasn't set high enough in a rush which put him at a worse angle. He killed his elk(in profile pic) with no hit from scope including a second shot that probably wasn't needed. Now he's 13 and shot a full load 3 shot group with the muzzy the other day for fun.
I think getting their first shot on animals with higher recoil than practice helps with their confidence.
 

Fieds3536

FNG
Joined
May 7, 2023
Messages
5
Anybody have an effective lower recoil load and or bullet reccomendation for low power loads for a 50 cal? (CVA Optima). My 10 year old wants to hunt with me in MN this fall, and my MZ would be a much more accurate option versus slugs in the youth 20 gauge shotgun we own. Shot range will likely be inside 50 yards.
I've got some blackhorn 209, and powder pellets are in stock around town.
42 gr bh209 mmp sabot(blue). 155 grain 40 cal Hornady xtp great for 50 yards and kills and kicks like a 22 mag. My 6 year shoots this. Penetrates 1 gallon of water
56 gr bh209 mmp sabot 180gr 40 cal xtp is what I just moved him to. .410 recoil 1 inch group at 100 penetrates 2 gallons of water and stops in the third.
The xtp performs incredibly as far as expansion goes. His first deer didn’t have a pass through at 50 yards with the smaller charge and bullet but only went 10 yards.
Also shooting a cva wolf
 
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