Powder Vs. Pellets

[Alpinebullwinkle]

You folks have been very helpful with your responses to our search for pellets for my 54 cal Knight gun which is very much appreciated. Seems that a debate has arisen as to whether we are better to set up with conventional powder or continue the search for limited availability pellets. This will be my son's first time to shoot a muzzleloader and it is for a highly valued bull hunt in September so we want to minimize problems and optimize our chances for a great bull.

 

So what is everyone's recommendation how we should set up my 38 year old son and I as a novice with a muzzleloader ? Conventional powder or pellets???

[tjhunt2]

If you want to limit mistakes and optimize your chances then you need to stick with pellets.

 

TJ

[Little Creek Calls]

Shoot Blackhorn 209 powder and pick up a bunch of charge tubes you can preload. It is almost as easy as pellets and shoots allot cleaner.

 

[jim]

Blackhorn 209 is the easiest for you as you will be able to shoot more with less cleaning. My grandson at 12 years old can load his own muzzle loader using speed loaders with the Blackhorn powder.

[Bill V]

If your son is shooting a 54 cal Knight, there is a 95% chance it is a plunger type. Therefor, he will need a conversion to shotgun 209 primers in order to ignite Blackhorn 209. New hammer assembly and breech plug. Last year I used a Barnes 275 grain on my elk DRT. I have chronoed that bullet with two 60 grain pellets at 1800fps. Pellets are easiest, loose is easier to find the accuracy sweet spot.

 

Bill V

[DesertBull]

Get loose powder and a scale and weigh your powder charges then use the tubes to have your powder and bullets ready for hunting.

 

If you really want to use pellets You could sell .54 and get a .50 that is set up for 209 primers.

 

You can get a decent new ML $300-ish.

[Will K]

IMO loose powder is a lot more accurate. That's my choice anyway. I use FFFG Jim Shockey.

Best of luck too you.

[Hunterjohnny]

Goex FFFG black powder

[yotebuster]

Depends on what priming system you have. If you have 209 then go with blackhorn 209 without a doubt. 777 is water soluble and cleans up with only water which seams good but what it does is it also takes in water from humidity in the air whether it's in speedloaders, barrel fouling, or in the jug or box. It will make your life miserable. Ask anyone who's shot a muzzy a lot and they'll tell you about how one day it'll shoot lights out and be dead on and another it'll be all over. That's humidity and 777 at play. Black horn is oil soluble like smokeless powder and it's much more consistent but needs a 209 to make it go boom.

[Coues79]

209 wasn't an issue for me as I hunted NM a couple years ago. I really liked how clean it shot. You can be setup with tubes of powder and bullets pretty easy, to make quick shots. But like DB stated, make sure to measure out your powder. A lot of those tube holders can vary in their measurements. I picked up the CVA LR model along with a Nikon muzzleloader scope with BDC. It was very easy to get tuned in... actually a lot of fun as well.

[DesertBull]

The pellets vary widely in actual weight too. Not a real issue inside 100 yards. If you want stretch it out a little its best to weigh.

[Red Sparky]

First no luck looking for pellets in Albq. and Rio Rancho. Loose powder is best since you can tailor the powder charge. I also ran into a guy one time that didn't know the pellets have a darker end to go in first. I guess they use a very fine powder, like ffffg, to help ignite the pellets. That end goes to the primer flash hole. Don't try to tailer them down to the grain like smokeless but rather 5-10 grains. Measure the powder by volume and not on a weight scale. Different powder manufactures powder weighs different but a volume measure gives you what you need. I find max loads are not as accurate as loads close to max..I shoot groups increasing powder by 10 grains up to max. loads. I see my groups shrink and then open up again. When they start to open up again you have found your powder charge.

 

Types of powder are what you want to shoot. I have always shot Pyrodex without any problems and use T/C #13 cleaner and a patch of bore butter to clean and store. Store muzzle down as the bore butter turns liquid in hot temps and will run into the nipple/ flash hole and plug it up. When I say without any problems I shoot Pyrodex P out of my .50. I shoot 250 grain Shockwaves in sabots for elk and 200 for deer. I can load five rounds before I need to run a patch down the barrel. My first ML bull elk was killed with a 250 Shockwave at 200 yards with one shot through the heart.

[300RUM]

Depends on what priming system you have. If you have 209 then go with blackhorn 209 without a doubt. 777 is water soluble and cleans up with only water which seams good but what it does is it also takes in water from humidity in the air whether it's in speedloaders, barrel fouling, or in the jug or box. It will make your life miserable. Ask anyone who's shot a muzzy a lot and they'll tell you about how one day it'll shoot lights out and be dead on and another it'll be all over. That's humidity and 777 at play. Black horn is oil soluble like smokeless powder and it's much more consistent but needs a 209 to make it go boom.

I tried 777 and have to agree. That stuff must have some sponge in the family tree and is absolutely miserable to work with if it is humid. I use blackhorn 209.

[elkaholic]

heres some good read for all muzzleloader shooters

 

as far as what to use -- lots of different views

 

you'll basically have to do trial and error on your own to find out what works best for you

 

try one or 2 of suggested loads--- remember every gun can shoot a little different -just like the person shooting it

 

here some needed information-

 

https://www.hodgdon.com/resources/warnings/

 

 

before all the sabbots/pellets -- basics were 100 gr powder and a 300 gr projectile -- usually very accurate and will KILL

[dsotm]

Blackhorn is stupid expensive but it's the best powder going for muzzys