Well a week or two ago I posted that my Encore's scope had been damaged and it needed replacement. It may or may not actually have been broken but don't tell my wife that!!

Anyhow with a new scope and rings. (Guess the rings got broke also) I went back to the range for the first time today. I am getting better groups now so loading and bullets is what I played with.

One of my main things to try was busting the myth of the crud rings and hard loading T/C weapons and I must say I still don't have the problems others have with T7 and crud rings. I shot 40 rounds out of the rifle cleaning between shots and then started shooting without cleaning for three in a row and it cleaned just as easy as the single shot cleaning.

Now for certain when you get down to the bottom of the bore there is more crud than in most of the barrel but I see that with all powders except the Ovalteen (Pinnical) that has really no chamber crud to speak of I just can't shoot the stuff.

I was using standard shotgun primmers nothing special just plain old Winchesters so I think cleaning methods may be the problem with people shooting magnum inlines.

My cleaning method is to use a rod with a T-handle and a superjag. I cut my cleaning patches to about an inch and a half square. I put plenty of cleaning fluid on the patch and work it into the barrel using quick little strokes that get even smaller near the chamber till I finally hit the breech plug. I then turn the same patch over and stroke the whole barrel knowing I will not get the rod stuck. 1-2 dry and I am back shooting.

Loading was super easy all day except the one 300g Shockwave I loaded and that did not load to hard after the rifling was engaged either. That shot actually gave me a 3x 10 for that group.

Bullet observations,

Still the best loading and shooting bullet for the money is the Hornaday Interlock flatpoint .429 265g pistol bullet with the right sized sabot from T/C or Knight it makes no difference.

The T/C 250g Shockwave Exellent but only 15 shots for $9.

The Nosler hunter 300g .429 bullet works ok but not as good as the first two mentioned, besides there is a lot more kick with that load.

I only shot one of the 300g Shockwaves it hit the x ring and was a bit harder on the shoulder but I will shoot more of them for sure.

I was helping a young man shoot a New Frontier Beartooth Magnum muzzleloader today and he was shooting Triple Se7en. I can not say that there was ever a crud that was out of control, and most of the time there was not one at all. He was shooting a couple of different projectiles and using the new Remington Kleenbore Primers. Perhaps those primers made a difference...

You say out of control that tells me there still was some crud right? I would find it hard to believe there was none because I get it in percussion guns both inline and sidelock as well. I just don't seem to have trouble with it and I am from the old school sidelock Pyrodex born muzzleloading generation.

I think I read that post and you folks were shooting 80g of the stuff right? I think I also read that you were using Cheapshot ammo. Cheapshot is a flat pointed bullet that shoots extreamly well in my encore as well I guess the b/c of a flat point is much better than a hollow point.

The thing I was trying to point out is almost all powders leave crud in the chamber and care should be taken when cleaning your rifle. I have stuck my rod with plain old black powder this is nothing new.

Yes, he was getting a slight crud of sorts but a wet swab of isopropyl alcohol and car windshield washer fluid took it right out. Like you, I shoot Goex most all the time. I just bought some Pinnacle again, and some Pyrodex P and even some Triple Se7en.. but 98% of my shooting is with good old Goex. When something is not broke then there is no need to fix it...

I was gonna say 90g of 3F Goex with the Cheapshot would work pretty good I bet shoots great in my Scout.

Those rifles still on sale at Cabela's?

Yes, he said he bought his at Cabela's for $109.00 plus shipping. I see that is what they are listed at. Like I said, if I had a kid that was interested in shooting, that would make a nice inexpensive rifle. I was sure impressed when he was shooting the Powerbelts.

I had to laugh, he shot a dead X bull with the first shot, then he shot just under that one on the second shot and touched it. When he fired the third shot he looked at me and said, I thinkI missed. I then looked and saw how big the second hole was. So I pointed that out, and he was grinning ear to ear.

He liked the way they loaded, but was concerned if they would work on deer. I told him I saw no reason why they would not work just fine.