I think what happened was that when the "magnum craze" seemed to take over in the muzzleloader world people didn't want to buy a gun that couldn't handle the large loads. I know that Knight told me over the phone that my Bighorn could handle 150 grain loads of Triple 7 powder.
I don't think I ever shot more than 100 grains of powder in any of these rifles. I know I have never used anything other than a #11 cap or a musket cap on occasion. At the time I read as much as I could find to read about shooting and most people (that I had the impression that they knew what they were talking about) shot between 70 and 90 grains of powder.
I do shoot some heavy conicals. I don't try to push them too fast.
With what I shot I never felt unsafe.
For what its worth,
Art