dave300
Well-Known Member
Hello all, anyone running one and find a successful load, or any other valuable input.
Thx
Thx
Maxim 50 reloading input/help
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retegret
Member
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- Dec 9, 2017
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My best so far has been using the BOR Lock over the 90 gr BH 209, just like their manual says. 3" groups at 100 yds, 6" group at 200. Groups are tight vertically, but spread horz. Suspect that's me. Getting a 17" drop at 200 yds with 100 set 1" high. Gonna change that for hunting, but that's what I've got for range work. Averaging 1550 fps, +- 50. Using the 350 gr bullet. Would like to try the 270 gr bullet, but can't find them in stock. Have used some 250 gr other bullets and measured them at 1700 fps, so would expect the 270 to be in that area. Lighter bullet helps bullet drop, but energy levels fall off, so sticking with the 350 for now. Next test will be to start increasing powder amount while using the chrono to see if I can gain any speed or if I'm just blowing excess powder into the moderator. Yeah, it heats up faster than the barrel.
Things to watch for. It's easy to slightly lift the load tube during loading process and get some of the powder into the moderator. Makes it a light load and the bullet falls short of target. Makes a sound like a flintlock, only instead of flash-boom, you get a bang-flash and you'll feel less recoil.
If you lift the load tube substantially during loading, the bullet can fall into the moderator. Goes bang, but no recoil. That's your warning! I actually had two in the moderator at once. Fortunately, heard something rattling and started investigating before continuing to fire. Makes for an interesting game to try and tease the bullet upright in the moderator where you can then push it down the barrel to remove it. Think of the little plastic games with the ball bearing rolling around we used to use as entertainment while waiting in the airport. Pre-cell phone game days of course, yeah I guess y'all don't remember that. On a serious note you would think the manufacturer would make that first baffle close enough to the can back where a bullet couldn't fit in the gap. Dunno…guess they're smarter than I.
If you do try the BOR Lock bullets be aware that the BOR thingee is loose on the bullet and the Traditions supplied bullet seater will stick to the bullet when loading if you pack it hard, you know like your supposed to, to make sure the bullet is seated all the way. Then as you remove the ramrod, the bullet comes out with it leaving the BOR thingee in the barrel. Initially, I put some stuff in the bullet seater cavity to help it from grabbing the bullet. Now I'm using a CVA bullet seater and the cavity in it must be different as it hasn't had this issue.
hope this helps
Things to watch for. It's easy to slightly lift the load tube during loading process and get some of the powder into the moderator. Makes it a light load and the bullet falls short of target. Makes a sound like a flintlock, only instead of flash-boom, you get a bang-flash and you'll feel less recoil.
If you lift the load tube substantially during loading, the bullet can fall into the moderator. Goes bang, but no recoil. That's your warning! I actually had two in the moderator at once. Fortunately, heard something rattling and started investigating before continuing to fire. Makes for an interesting game to try and tease the bullet upright in the moderator where you can then push it down the barrel to remove it. Think of the little plastic games with the ball bearing rolling around we used to use as entertainment while waiting in the airport. Pre-cell phone game days of course, yeah I guess y'all don't remember that. On a serious note you would think the manufacturer would make that first baffle close enough to the can back where a bullet couldn't fit in the gap. Dunno…guess they're smarter than I.
If you do try the BOR Lock bullets be aware that the BOR thingee is loose on the bullet and the Traditions supplied bullet seater will stick to the bullet when loading if you pack it hard, you know like your supposed to, to make sure the bullet is seated all the way. Then as you remove the ramrod, the bullet comes out with it leaving the BOR thingee in the barrel. Initially, I put some stuff in the bullet seater cavity to help it from grabbing the bullet. Now I'm using a CVA bullet seater and the cavity in it must be different as it hasn't had this issue.
hope this helps
retegret
Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
- Messages
- 21
Follow up: Started my velocity test back at 90 gr as above. Got 1540fps, right at my average for that amount of powder. Went to 100 gr, 1647fps. Next 110 gr, 1772fps. Hum, I'm surprised at this point. Don't know why but I just was expecting velocity to top out not far over the 90 gr loads. So put in 120gr, get an average of 1844fps over 10 shots, +/- 60fps. Cool barrel gives the slower speeds. Still keeping 3" groups at 100 yds, a welcomed surprise. I stopped there and decided that will be my hunting load.
I set the scope 6" high at 100 yds. Ballistic calculator says that should put me sighted in at 200 yds and -27 at 300yds. Stopped at the 300yd range on my way back from the deer lease and shot an average of -33 1/2" (28 to 38 inch drops) with a 14" group size. There were on and off drizzles, maybe the air was thicker than my calc inputs.
Interesting (more so if I knew what it indicated) the horz spread at 90 gr powder tightened and the vert spread opened at 120gr. Gives me a more circular group shape.
A side note, I retested some all metal bullets. I would dearly love to shoot those and eliminate the one more loading issue / concern of the BOR Lock bullets. It's weird, I've tried a 3 different brands of all metal bullets and they at times seem fine (fairly tight groups), but then for unexplained reasons, things go wonky (flyers and open groups). I also tried the PowerBelt brand bullets. They shot well, but then I noticed pieces of the Belt hanging in the moderator. Oops, just like they said in the manual! Seems the Maxim 50 (or at least mine) just likes some type of saboted bullet, but the BOR Lock looks to be the only one the survives the trip thru the moderator. I've bought so many bullets that aren't gonna work in the Maxim that I went out and bought a sister pistol, without the moderator, so I can shoot up all of them.
I will say I think the BOR Lock does help with powder fouling, like the package says. I stopped swabbing after every few shots because I wasn't getting any resistance with loading and there didn't seem to be degradation of the group size. Not thoroughly tested, but I'm beginning to suspect it does better with a fouled barrel. That's my plan for hunting. Shoot some practice shots to foul, then load and go hunting. As mentioned, the cold shot is a little slower. I noted 1" lower at 100 yds.
Wish me luck, I take off next week for a mule deer muzzleloader hunt in NM. Just gonna have to tell the guide that we'll need to belly crawl another 100 yds closer!
I set the scope 6" high at 100 yds. Ballistic calculator says that should put me sighted in at 200 yds and -27 at 300yds. Stopped at the 300yd range on my way back from the deer lease and shot an average of -33 1/2" (28 to 38 inch drops) with a 14" group size. There were on and off drizzles, maybe the air was thicker than my calc inputs.
Interesting (more so if I knew what it indicated) the horz spread at 90 gr powder tightened and the vert spread opened at 120gr. Gives me a more circular group shape.
A side note, I retested some all metal bullets. I would dearly love to shoot those and eliminate the one more loading issue / concern of the BOR Lock bullets. It's weird, I've tried a 3 different brands of all metal bullets and they at times seem fine (fairly tight groups), but then for unexplained reasons, things go wonky (flyers and open groups). I also tried the PowerBelt brand bullets. They shot well, but then I noticed pieces of the Belt hanging in the moderator. Oops, just like they said in the manual! Seems the Maxim 50 (or at least mine) just likes some type of saboted bullet, but the BOR Lock looks to be the only one the survives the trip thru the moderator. I've bought so many bullets that aren't gonna work in the Maxim that I went out and bought a sister pistol, without the moderator, so I can shoot up all of them.
I will say I think the BOR Lock does help with powder fouling, like the package says. I stopped swabbing after every few shots because I wasn't getting any resistance with loading and there didn't seem to be degradation of the group size. Not thoroughly tested, but I'm beginning to suspect it does better with a fouled barrel. That's my plan for hunting. Shoot some practice shots to foul, then load and go hunting. As mentioned, the cold shot is a little slower. I noted 1" lower at 100 yds.
Wish me luck, I take off next week for a mule deer muzzleloader hunt in NM. Just gonna have to tell the guide that we'll need to belly crawl another 100 yds closer!
dave300
Well-Known Member
Thanks, it looks as if I will not receive a reply about my Maxim 50 from Silencerco, unfortunate but pretty consistent with their CS these days.
Ill stay in tune with this thread to see your hunt results and watch for your continued testing. I appreciate you taking the time to post, good luck. Thanks again
Ill stay in tune with this thread to see your hunt results and watch for your continued testing. I appreciate you taking the time to post, good luck. Thanks again
retegret
Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
- Messages
- 21
What issue are you having that you tried to contact them?
dave300
Well-Known Member
While they were on sale, would they drop ship the Maxim if I purchased one to the town I was hunting in, if not I would arrange my schedule to head back home and pick it up and return back to hunt with it, the rep I spoke with promised me a call back after he gained an answer, no return call, no answer from them when I called back, then a follow up email explaining with no return reply, then the sale price showed it out of stock, a second email has went unresponded to.
Soap opera quality stuff going on right there
dave300
Well-Known Member
Well, I am that guy to praise as well as critique. Although some time has passed, Silencerco replied to me today, clearly saying they have been overloaded with tasks since the buy one get one and apologized for the duration and will do what they could for me once the item comes back into stock, giving me his direct contact info. So, I am back into looking for any info or updates to the maxim 50.
Thanks all
retegret
Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
- Messages
- 21
Well not to throw cold water on your decision, but I'm still suffering poor accuracy with the gun. Today was range day before the hunt. Wanted to shoot after travel and at this elevation, but it's still a scatter gun. Came in kind of as expected at 100 yds, but 300 yds was wildly unpredictable. With impact feet to the side and higher from where they 'should' be. Didn't help that the winds were variable and we were shooting across a ravine, so maybe a smarter shooter than I could figure it out. To sum it up neither I nor the guide has confidence in the Maxim 50 for this hunt, so I'm going to use his gun. Now I'm the one that is frustrated!
retegret
Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
- Messages
- 21
Just a follow up on the hunt. I did get a mule deer. Just over 200 yd shot. I used the guide's gun. It was interesting as this was my first exposure to a really good muzzle loader. It was custom built on a Remington 700. Which allows turning it back into a centerfire with a barrel change. He loaded with 120 gr of Blackhorn 209 and used a Parker bullet which had been swaged to mold in the lands, then they run the bullet thru the barrel and mark it's "up" position. When you load the bullet you put the mark up and that aligns it with the proper barrel lands and grooves.
Follow up on our pre-hunt range day shooting. Playing with a wind chart that evening, perhaps the unexpected points of impact were wind related. Kind of guessing here, remember my comment about a smarter shooter than I. If the Right 3 foot was wind drift, then it may have been that the High 3 foot was a wind drift running up the ravine and pushing the bullet up.
I'll play with this Maxium 50 more later, but even in ideal situations I don't think it ever will be classified as an accurate gun. I'll use it where my shots are expected to be under 150 yds. If I ever pull another ML tag for the open country, I'll look into getting a better gun.
