ryanhm82

I am currently using 2 50g. 777 pellets. I only have shot my gun 10-15 times and did notice a crud ring down towards the breech plug in my barrel. I was thinking of trying something different but didn't know what to get. I wanted to know if powder or pellets are better and which kind. I want something that will have some power in it with less cleaning. I also don't care about prices.

BigDaddy12t

HI, I am new to this sport too, matter of fact, I have to go to Cabelas today and pick up my new TC Omega. Anyways, I have been told by many, that loose powder is better, becouse you can tweek your load better than with the pellets. I like the idea of the pellets myself, they just look easier to use, but I plan on shooting many different combinations out of my gun at first, so I can find out what my gun likes better. Good luck.

cayugad

You can get the same effect using powder loose or pellets. I personally think you can tune a rifle better with loose powder then pellets but a lot of it would depend on how well the rifle is shooting with the pellets. If it is shooting good, why change?

You state you only have shot the rifle 10-15 times so you are not an avid shooter. Also money is not a factor to you. For that reason I would suggest you stick with what works for you, pellets.

Addressing the problem of the crud ring. Put a wire bore brush on your ramrod and wrap a patch around that. After each shot. Apply some good black powder solvent such as Rusty Duck, Butch's Bore Shine or even Windex to the patch. If all your shooting is Triple Se7en, simple tap water will work.

Work that brush and patch down the barrel in short strokes starting from the muzzle to the breech. When you reach the crud ring area, slow down and pay a little more attention with the patch in that area. The wet patch and the brush should remove the hard crud left by Triple Se7en.

If the crud ring is really bad, then you might try switching to Pyrodex Pellets. You will still get the fowling but the crud ring will not be as tuff and hard as some find using the Triple Se7en. Since you are concerned with clean up though, then stick to the Triple Se7en.....

Triple Se7en

Ryan

You are the perfect candidate for more Black Mag-3 powder testing. Same approximate power as 777 loose but with less fouling.... softer too. The problem I'm having is mixed results from shooters reporting their target range forum reviews using Black Mag. It costs around $28 per jug. Should be in a big city mega-hunting store near you. Report your findings right here please when you're finished.

Old (last decade) Black Mag Review right here

MLKeith

If you don't care about cost and want higher power with less loading problems and easier clean-up the only thing I find that fits that is Black Mag3. I bought four pounds have three left and wish I had bought more as I had to pay the hazmat fee to get it shipped to me. The corrosion with this powder is almost non existent also. I'm not sure I would let my rifle sit after shooting but I have been told it can and will not corrode. Don't blame me if it does. I have seen very little residue on a patch after shooting three or four shots in a row without a swab between shots. Accuracy is there for me and the velocity was higher than equal volume of ffg 777. Less felt recoil than 777 also. Chalk me up as a BM3 fan. Most already know that anyway.

Tahquamenon

I prefer loose powder over pellets. It is less "convenient" and does require some additional handling equipment and procedures, but you can tailor your loads with more precision.
I prefer cleaner shooting powders...
I've had great success with 777 loose and pellets.
Pioneer works well also.
I'm having the best success with Black Mag'3.

My .01

roundball

It doesn't get much better than loose Goex FFFg and Natural Lube 1000...40 shots per range session and never have to wipe between shots...no 'crud rings', no frozen breechplugs, etc...makes a trip to the range a real shooting event instead of a wiping, scrubbing, cleaning event...$9.00/lb delivered to my front door.

PS: ALL muzzleloaders need to be cleaned after a shooting session...real Blackpowder, substitute powders, doesn't matter...be very careful of the advertising hype

RedAllison

I LOVE the new powder I switched too this year when I got a new smokepole (well technically its a smokeLESSpole). Vhitivouri N110 @ 44.5 grns of it. Pushes a 300grn SST to a click or two past 2300fps.

Crude rings, residue, pellets, cleaning... what is this evil of which you speak? [&o]

lmao, sorry couldnt resist,
RA

roundball

I understand...no sweat...just hope you'll understand when I ask: why in the world would someone want to use a "smokeless" muzzleloader...lmao, sorry I couldn't resist.

Seriously, to each their own, no flame intended...but I have a houseful of fine scoped centerfire smokeless rifles already...shot deer for years out to 300yds over beanfields...basically if I could see the deer I could shoot it...got boring.

I enjoy muzzleloading for the sake of real old fashioned muzzleloading...learned to do it like the settlers did...ie: real black powder, real flint rocks for ignition, patched round balls, etc, etc...nothing more staisfying than laying a flintlock back down across your lap with smoke curling up out of the vent and a big 8 point buck laying in the leaves 50 yds away...

RedAllison

lmao round glad you could understand it was just a jab! I'm sure for a novelty maybe 1ce or 2ce a year I could see the allure of doing the "buckskinnin stuff". But in all honesty I HATE cleanin muzzleloaders. My constantly misfirin Hawken in the 80s and the Wolverine I shot until lastyear when I got the Savage, they just didnt "do it for me". I hated havin to clean the nasty, stinkin things. [:'(] But I realize some guys love it, too each his own.

When I get the urge to "go primitive" I restring my Martin takedown and "think em" into whatever I wish to hit! But at least I aint gotta go home and clean it once done!

Have a blast (pun or nun) thats what its all about!
RA