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Old 04-04-2007, 08:44 AM
  #13  
Red Lion
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Posts: 4,553
Default RE: Smokeless Powder Muzzleloader

ORIGINAL: Flatland Hunter

Cons? 1) To some the need of a powder scale, unless you use 5744 and then you can scoop, BUT I use a scale for my smokers and weigh out every load... so not really a con for me. 2) The vent liners can be a con... they wear, you can get hardened vents or get the plug modified to decrease wear on the vent. 3) The stigma of hunting with a smokeless ML... not a con for me because I could care less about that. 4) The Savage is a heavy ML... 10-11 lbs with scope. Not a problem for those who stand hunt. 5) Plastic stock is flimsy... laminate stock is at least a pound heavier.

Pros? 1) I can see what I shoot immediately... this year I actually saw the hair fly when I shot a buck with the 10ML2 and most important I saw where he dropped when he ran directly away from me where smoke would have obscured it. 2) I have a Max Point Blank Range of 200 yds for a 6 inch Kill Zone. I just point and shoot at anything 200 or under and do not have to worry about compensating. 3) Can be cheaper to shoot then the avg ML. I use 60gn of IMR4198, Harvester black sabot, and 300gn XTP. Cheap to shoot and effective on game. 4) Clean up is a snap. Toughest part is the plug... should drill out the carbon build up on a regular basis. 5) Can go to a blued barrel with greater confidence. You are not using the more corrosive black powder and BP subs. 6) The Accutrigger on the Savage is one of the better if not the best trigger you will find on a stock ML. 7) The action seals out blowback and the bolt holds and extracts the 209 primer better than most any ML on the market. 8) Rifle grade steal is used for the barrel. This is a safe ML. 9) One of the most accurate ML's I have ever owned and that is a stock (no mods) 10ML2 with the tupperware stock... MOA at 100 yds consistently.

I could probably think of more to say but that covers it for now...
Good post, as I agree with all you stated. I don't worry too much about the vent liners wearing as I do not religiously shoot like some and currently shooting IMR 4759. I usually get around 50-60 shots from a vent liner before wear becomes an issue. I have dabbled with shooting IMR 4198, in the 63-67 grn range, but did not get the same accuracy as I do with 4759. It did have a nice ole slap on the shoulder though with 67 grns.
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