loose or pellets?

[More D]

Scotty

 

I went with 777 loose only because I was determined to find the most accurate load for my muzzle loader. Loose powder lets you try charges other than 50 or 30 grain increments.

 

I did find that 300gr Barnes Expander over 120gr of 777 gave me the best result. Three inch group at 200 yards and +3 at 100, -3.5 at 200 yards. Muzzle loaders, at least mine, are very finicky. The 285gr pointed hollow point from Barnes would shoot +5 inches at 100 yards even though the bullet only weighed 15grns less, it did have a different sabot though. Finding the right comb for my rifle only took 10 trips to the range with some 19 different charge/bullet combos.

 

 

 

Have fun!!

 

 

 

[Kilimanjaro]

Those 285 Barnes boattails are the ones giving me fits.. I love Barnes bullets, but I can't for the life of me get them to group, consistantly, better than 2 to 3 inches at 100.. I am getting better groups with the TC shockwaves, but am still leary to use them on a bull elk.. Heard alot of stories where they weren't expanding properly and just going through animals like solids.

Might try some Noslers or Hornadys next to see what they'll do.

Thanks for all the info guys! Keep it coming if you have am suggestions to add..

 

And yes, they are FINICKY!!!

[GameHauler]

I will be the first to admit I don't know squat about ML's

I have a box (49) of Montana Precision Swaging Paper Patch bullets

They are ".45Cal 450 grain Cup Base, Dia. .450, Tapered Paper Patch"

Is this something you could use?

Because of your help in the past and standing as a CWT family member

I would send them to you if you could use them.

[Kilimanjaro]

Mike,

thanks for the generous offer, but the muzz I bought is a .50 cal.. I'm not even sure I can use those old school patch bullets in this new fandangled rig I got!!

 

Thanks again for offer, Mike!! I really do appreciate it.

 

I'm gonna see if they have any muzz stuff at the Tucson gun show tomorrow.. Might get started in this whole loose powder shooting!

[firstcoueswas80]

Scott, even if they dont expand a 1/2" wound, and the amount of force a 300 grain bullet hits with is still not a bad combination!

[bobbyo]

If you are using sabots one thing to remember they are all not the exact same size for a particular caliber sabot. There is slight differences. Which will shoot significantly different. My ML only likes one kind. I believe there are only three propriety manufactures of sabots (probably old info) and all the bullet manufactures buy from them to put in their packages. Once I figured out which sabot my gun liked ( 2 year process of frustration) I could get many different bullets to group. Check these sites out for some help. Randy Wakeman has written more than any other person on the web about ML. He is an arrogant bastard and really pushes his own sponsors, but he does give a lot of valuable info on ML

http://www.chuckhawks.com/sabot_bullet_guide.htm

http://www.chuckhawks.com/barnes_bullet_for_muzzleloader.htm

http://www.chuckhawks.com/index2h.muzzleloader.htm

Bob

[Bill Poole]

I thought I'd go with 777 pellets and a saboted 300gr Hornady, in my 700ML 209. but I found I was getting slight hangfires, a slight, non-consistant delay, so I went to loose powder and the brief delays went away.

 

Javelina went away too..... never did see one....

 

Poole

[Redman]

While I am new to ML, I have been doing a lot of research on powder and sabots. I have found nothing BUT GOOD things said about Blackhorn 209 powder. http://www.blackhorn209.com/ , in fact I cannot find a bad opinion on it other than the price.

 

I also found an interesting sabot testing article: http://www.hpmuzzleloading.com/Technical.html. I am going to try the Dead Center 260 grain sabots (and others) http://www.prbullet.com/ Finally I am going to use Federal Primers.

 

Redman

[TAM]

As most of you know I am also a rookie to muzzleloader hunting. I bought a new TC Encore Pro Hunter and have been using the Blackhorn 209 powder with great results. It has been very accurate so far, but the best attribute of it is the fact that I don't have to clean the barrel between shots. In fact it seems to get easier to load the bullets the more fouled the barrel is. I've shot as many as a dozen bullets through it without cleaning... try doing that with T7 or anything else!

 

 

 

[Kilimanjaro]

Casey went to PHX to Cabelas and take his girlie out to dinner and such and he gladly picked me up a bottle of the BH209 and all the stuff to start shooting loose while he was there.. I haven't had a chance to yet, but if it works as well as it does for TAM, I will be glad I made the switch!!

 

I'll give a report when i make it out to the range in the next week or so.

[bobbyo]

I don't have to clean the barrel between shots. In fact it seems to get easier to load the bullets the more fouled the barrel is. I've shot as many as a dozen bullets through it without cleaning... try doing that with T7 or anything else!

 

 

Well with my 777 i have to clean between every shot. Wow i have heard rumors about the stuff. It is really true? Is the velocity on the bullet the same as 777. Oh yea two pounds of 777 loose for sale!

Bob

[Red Rabbit]

Scott,

Did you use the Ultra Bore Coat?

http://www.ultracoatingsinc.com/ubc.aspx

 

[TAM]

I don't have to clean the barrel between shots. In fact it seems to get easier to load the bullets the more fouled the barrel is. I've shot as many as a dozen bullets through it without cleaning... try doing that with T7 or anything else!

 

 

Well with my 777 i have to clean between every shot. Wow i have heard rumors about the stuff. It is really true? Is the velocity on the bullet the same as 777. Oh yea two pounds of 777 loose for sale!

Bob

 

 

No BS on the cleaning stuff I don't even run a dry patch through it between shots. Not only is it easier to load after a few shots, but the groups seem to tighten up after three or four shots as well. I'm not sure about the velocities since I haven't shot through my chrono yet. For what it's worth my best groups have come with 110 grains BH209 pushing a 290 grain Barnes TEZ.

 

Like I said, I'm just a rookie with this stuff. I'm just letting you guys know what my experience has been.

[catclaw]

I had the ML bug for a while and had a White systems muzzleloader. I found that I couldn't use more than ONE pellet with the standard #11 percussion cap doing the ignition. My velocities were all over the place with 2 pellets. I could easily run 120 grains of Pyrodex RS and had best accuracy with the Barnes Sabot bullets. I bought a little gizmo from Barnes that was supposed to seat the bullets straight- it did and my groups shrank. I could get 1" groups at 75 yds I had peep sights so I sighted it in at 75. I killed a pig with it at 9 yards and NEVER could draw a ML deer or elk tag so I sold it last year.

 

I was able to shoot about 12 shots through it before I had to clean it. I used it a lot with the boy scouts and we would go through 2 cans a day! We would shoot until we couldn't get a bullet started!

 

I don't know about all this new fangled powder but some of it is downright scary expensive! Doesn't anyone use BLACKPOWDER any more??

[Rio]

I drew a muzzle loader mule deer hunt this year, and was going to head out to the range to sight in a new scope. I had been using 110grs of Triple 7, with 250gr T/C shockwave, but I'm now really curious about the Blackhorn 209 powder. Scottyboy were you able to work up a load that work for you? I have the T/C prohunter encore like TAM, so was thinking of trying his load, but maybe going with 250gr bullet instead.

 

Karl