What is everyone's recommended Muzzleloader rifle?

[Oldschool280]

I have a doc white/mti 50 and it is scary accurate with the cabelas sabots made in canada , and the hornady's

 

[ENCORE]

... Had a good load with BH209 but it was not always igniting properly with the stock breech plug so I switched back to 777.

Are you chipping out the carbon from the flash channel? Are you at least using standard shotgun primers and NOT dedicated muzzleloader primers? Seating the bullet hard on the propellant?

 

[del2les]

I like traditional, TC Hawkens 50/54 for the non-scope and non-inline areas, but I do have a Knight breech action KP 1 stainless convertible with matching 30-06 barrel that pulls double duty in the legal areas.

 

[Peddler 76]

TC Encore with 50 cal Bergara barrel. Shoots great (moa at 100 yards) with 150 grains of 777 and 250 grain Hornady sabots. That combo also works well with my BDC reticle. 100 yard zero and basically 150,200,250, and 300 is the heavy plex. Had a good load with BH209 but it was not always igniting properly with the stock breech plug so I switched back to 777.

Try Magnum primers. 777 doesn't come close to BH 209.

 

[MWood]

Does anyone own the new CVA Paramount ? If so is the performance as good as listed by CVA , hunting mags and videos?

 

[ENCORE]

Does anyone own the new CVA Paramount ? If so is the performance as good as listed by CVA , hunting mags and videos?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/498407667366865/

 

[26Reload]

I have not taken any game yet with my KnightUL....but whitetail up north in an any weapon is calling again.....i like hunting the brush and feel the need to smoke something......
Or in another drainage I can hunt mulies with the UL...
By i have shot enough mulies...need to kill whitetail.....

I also pour my own lead bullets....50 cal...325 grain......about 80gr of 777 or RLBlack....adjustable peep is awesome set up on a mzldr....smoke little rocks at 250 yards.....

 

[bassassassin104]

Are you chipping out the carbon from the flash channel? Are you at least using standard shotgun primers and NOT dedicated muzzleloader primers? Seating the bullet hard on the propellant?

Using CCI 209M. I can get three shots before I have to pull the breech plug and clean it thoroughly. BH209 shoots great, I should probably just buy the modified breech plug and switch back.

Try Magnum primers. 777 doesn't come close to BH 209.

I was using CCI 209M. Should I try something different?

 

[PBR driver]

I have about 19 1/2 muzzle loaders, ( I am building one about half done).
All but two are front stuffers, Percussion or Flint Locks.
One is an online and one 1863 Shaps Csrbine .54 cal using musket caps.
Yep I like to do it the hard ole way.
I want to keep my shots very close, takes more skills and wood craft not just shooting skills.
I kill more critters trying to get close by the holding their sides rolling down the slope breaking their necks laughing at me.
I have a lot of fun, kind of like catch and release for another day...

Dial is more accurate. 10sec and a pounding heart you should not be making a long range shot you are not going to be precise.

View attachment 147509 This is my first time shooting Berger bullets.
Shot the Berger 156gr. EOL Elite Hunter over a MAX load of RL-17, Remington 9 1/2 primer, FL resized Hornady brass in the Savage Model 11 Long Range Hunter, 6.5 Creedmoor, 24" rifled BBL, 1-8 twist.
Should give me about 2650-2700FPS.
I have not touched a screw on this rifle other than to mount the scope.
Tried IMR 7828, it did not perform as well.
Waiting to try RL-26 with this bullet.
.

What is the intelligence of developing the 6mm CM, when you have the 6mm Rem?

My contact at Sierra says there are no solid plans to offer a .25 cal TGK, but he'll keep pushing for one. Maybe next hunting season if we're lucky.

I'v a load for one of my 6.5 Creedmoor's, using the Berger 156 EOL and @2655 avg velocity it stays supersonic to 1660 yds, but energy drops off to 1200ft-lb @844yd and 1037 ft-lb @around 1000yd. Been shooting an elk size vital steel at 1044yd, it's gets there with authority and makes holes in 3/8 mild steel. A 6.5 Creedmoor with this bullet, as a back-up elk gun, works for me.

Sectional Density is a nice number, but it ain't everything? It was what we went by, before we knew wth "ballistics", really were. With a handheld ballistics solver, we can do so much more than sight in for 2" high at 100yds!

BC-ballistic coefficient
SD-standard deviation
ES-extreme spread
SD-sectional density

I have been shooting a new build for a few months (6.5-284 Defiance action with proof barrel) and have really struggled to find a load with low ES. After several attempts I ran a ladder that showed 53.4 to 53.6 of H4831SC was single digits for ES and shoots 1/2 MOA out to 500 yards. Problem is that with fire formed brass I get a hard bolt lift (last 10 degrees), not real hard but there is some pressure there. I know if I drop to 53.2 it will go away but the ES goes to 20 plus. Deer season is just around the corner and I would like to stick with this load (53.4) and maybe try something different in the off season. So the questions is, is this a horrible idea? Will it damage my Defiance action? Any thoughts from you more experienced gentlemen would be appreciated!!!

9/11 After some thought I realized that the hard bolt issue at 2950 fps seemed new. I have loaded several hundred rounds (ladder testing and fire forming brass) with some loads running over 3000 fps and never had a heavy bolt issue (did have some primers start to crater). I then realized I had changed my brass prep a few weeks ago and started wiping each case below the shoulder with Lyman case lube prior to full length sizing. I would wipe the brass off with a paper towel after sizing but never really cleaned the case. Today as a test I cleaned the rifle chamber and several rounds with de-greaser and went to the range. No heavy bolt lift!!!! So crazy how the small things can cause problems

Thanks for all the thoughtful ideas and info, I will do some more shooting this weekend and give updates if something changes.

Thanks Jeff

Yeah no. My opinion, does more bad than good.
I'm gonna shoot this until it gives turkey choke patterns @100, like my 7STW did, at it end of it's life!

Hi guys just looking some advice. I am slowly getting into reloading for my 308. Guidelines in lee reloading manual min 43 - 47 max gr . I loaded around 100 between the guidelines and think I was grouping good at 47grs. I haven't shot in awhile, I am using 165 hornady gr gmx. I have around 50 rounds loaded at the max 47 gr maximum guideline. Is this OK? Or should I have kept a little below it? I've probably been reading to much different opinions on this on the web and now I'm a bit concerned I shouldn't have loaded at the maximum figure incase its not safe.
Any help from someone with experience would be great thanks. The rifle I am using is a Remington 700 varmint.
Maybe it's a stupid question I've asked but I've limited knowledge of reloading and want to keep everything safe.

Looking for x2 affordable optics with adjustable mil based turrets and reticles.

I have a heap of higher end scopes but need two cheap units for budget builds.

What recommendations are out there ?

No more then $500 USD

A

Although I lean towards being in your court (I'd rather archery hunt), this is "Long Range Hunting", probably not the best place to take that kind of stance. Let's stick together as hunters and just be happy that it all worked out for them.

I have to assume that someone that can execute a shot at that distance on such a hearty animal has likely spent as much time honing his shooting abilities as I have my woodcraft/stalking skills.

6

 

[Peddler 76]

Using CCI 209M. I can get three shots before I have to pull the breech plug and clean it thoroughly. BH209 shoots great, I should probably just buy the modified breech plug and switch back.

I was using CCI 209M. Should I try something different?

Nope that's what I use. Have you tried cleaning out the hole in the breech plug.

 

[bassassassin104]

Nope that's what I use. Have you tried cleaning out the hole in the breech plug.

Yes, but I only get a few firings before I have to SCRUB the breech plug. I field clean every few shots and that is not effective to remove the BH209 fouling from the breech plug of my rifle. The barrel is very easy to clean with BH209. With 777 I can dissolve fouling in the breech easily with rusty duck black powder solvent and keep on shooting. Is there a solvent that will quickly dissolve BH209 fouling? At one point, I was carrying around two drill bits, one tiny one to clean the flash hole and one to clean the channel in the breech plug. Sorry to the OP for straying from the topic.

 

[Peddler 76]

Yes, but I only get a few firings before I have to SCRUB the breech plug. I field clean every few shots and that is not effective to remove the BH209 fouling from the breech plug of my rifle. The barrel is very easy to clean with BH209. With 777 I can dissolve fouling in the breech easily with rusty duck black powder solvent and keep on shooting. Is there a solvent that will quickly dissolve BH209 fouling? At one point, I was carrying around two drill bits, one tiny one to clean the flash hole and one to clean the channel in the breech plug. Sorry to the OP for straying from the topic.

Now I'm puzzled! Don't know what to say.

On another note we were the Rusty Duck/Marksberry Muzzleloader Rifles reps about 30 years ago. I didn't know they were still in business. I believe their original business was cleaning solvents for locomotives.

 

[ENCORE]

. Is there a solvent that will quickly dissolve BH209 fouling? At one point, I was carrying around two drill bits, one tiny one to clean the flash hole and one to clean the channel in the breech plug. Sorry to the OP for straying from the topic.

Two things I've used since BH became available. Montana Extreme BH209 Cleaner, and the other is a 50/50 mixture of 91% alcohol and Hoppes synthetic.
With production rifles I never swabbed between shots and have fired up to 50 rounds. The flash channel is all that needs the drill bit, unless you chip a piece and it gets stuck in the flash hole.

 

[ANDREW RICKETTS]

I have the Accura v2. Shooting 90 GR by Volume with a Hornady SST 250GR. With Harvester Rib Sabots.
https://imgur.com/a/8CrU4GA

Final 3 round group at 100 yards. Almost same hole.