[Jbar4Ranch]

I had an old H&R Huntsman in .58 and could never find a factory recommended max load for it. Lyman's BP handbook quotes H&R as recommending 100 grains FF as a max for a 505 grain minie, but that's it... nothing on any other projectile. I worked up to 140 FF with a patched round ball and it never came apart... Elsewhere in the handbook, Lyman specifies up to 180 FF with a patched round ball in their Universal receiver.

 

[Jbar4Ranch]

Yep, the heavy loads are for the wily wapiti or an occasional moose when I'm lucky enough to draw a permit. 110 fff/.54 patched ball (TC Hawken), 140 ff/.58 patched ball (H&R Huntsman). When this fun & entertaining probation thing is over, I want to experiment with REAL's/maxi's, & minie's too.

I, too, have shot BP for a few decades, but I've never used anything but a patched ball in rifles, I was always much more of a handgunner.

 

[Jbar4Ranch]

I tried both Pyrodex RS and 2F black... Goex I think it was. It had a pretty good whallop with 140 grains alright!