New ML Box
 

Starting to get organized. Went to Sportsman's WH and GI Joe's tonight, down another $95. Finally found 2 tins of Dynamit Nobel 1075 #11 caps at GI Joe's. They fit the Ultra Mag nipples perfect.

RE: New ML Box
 

Amazing how fast all the "extra" stuff adds up. All I can say is, get used to it. Last week I dropped over $130.00 on just projectiles and otherlittle stuff and this week will drop a bundle on another case of powder. I justify it to my self and others that it's the only habit (whether bad or not as they claim)I have left that really costs me anything since I gave up all my other vices. Also it is truly something I find real enjoyment in.

Good luck with your new rifles. Wait until you get into other aspects of this sport such as casting projectiles, and then the traditional rifle bug will bite you as well. It never ends.. :D

RE: New ML Box
 

That looks like my range box. You can always tell the really hardcore types, they make their own custom boxes!

Like Cayugad said, welcome to the club:)

~Robert

RE: New ML Box
 

cascadedad

Man You are HOOKED! I could tell you were going to be hooked that very first day... When you watched Matthew pound that target and load the gun.... you were hooked....

Nice looking range box, you are starting to accumulate - accumulating is part of the sport... you have to be ready for any situation.

That pack of sabots I mailed should be there soon and you can put them in the bottom of the box also...

When you get that peep sight on you will be shooting every chance you get.

I gotta work my second job this weekend so it doesn't look good for me to get to shoot, but I am betting I'll see a few head ofelk, a bunchof whitetails, and since I am starting the Trail Cat on Mt. Margaret, I am pretty sure we will see a Moose or two.

Welcome to the club....

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Thanks guys, this is all very fun.

Cayugad, I think it was you yesterday that mentioned storing the guns without the springs in them. This makes a lot of sense to me. Those springs are under quite a bit of compression just sitting there in the gun and that has to weaken them over time. I think if they are removed when the gun is not in use, those springs should last forever. However, I just ordered 3 spares from Doc yesterday!!!!! Since these guns were fabricated in 2003, I plan to install 2 new ones in the guns, put the one extra that I ordered in my box and store the other 2 at home.

I pulled the cap off both guns last night and pulled out the spring hammer and breechplug. Cleaned the tape residue from the breeches and reoiled the barrel with CLP. I put a loose patch in the breech for storing, put the cap on and put the guns in the safe. All the other parts went right in the top of my box. Prior to shooting, I will run a couple dry patches through, tape the breech plug and reassemble.

One thing to note. Last night when I took the breechplugs out, there was quite a bit of oil there from when I had previously oiled the barrel. I had not put a huge amount in the barrel, but it still ran down the barrel and into the breech plug. I think leaving everything out and putting a dry patch in there to keep the oil from running out or acculating should work well. I think I will now oil even a little more heavily since I know I will be removing most of it prior to taking it shooting.

philnie, if you haven't already bought a capper, I would highly recommend a Cash, flat brass capper. I bought a straight one the other day (not a Cash) and that was a pain in the rear. The Cash is NICE.

I also bought some of the Knight saboted lead bullets. A pack of 260 gr and one of 310 gr. Hopefully will try them out this weekend.

Anyway, just some newbie thoughts.

RE: New ML Box
 

Lookin' good .... but I wanna see conicals in that box!! ;)

Ah told ya bout dem Cash cappers. Butcappers are mostly all a pain in the rear after you use them awhile. The little spring arms on the end get a little misaligned, ya tweak em a little then tweak 'em s'more. :D

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UC, mah wif s gunna kill mah!!!!!!

Actually, I have the conicals that came with the guns. Want to get some patches before shooting them though. I know there are discussions on here and there about conical suggestions. I think I will try the 460's and the 500's from Bull Shop. I think that's what they are.

RE: New ML Box
 

cascadedad
I've already purchased a straight capper from Cain Outdoors I believe (not here yet) - will need to play with it some at the range before making an upgrade decision. :)

Where did you buy the Knight lead saboted projectiles from? Oh and nice range box! I can see where this is heading already ... range box here I come. hehehehe

thanks,
phil

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I picked up the Knights from Sportsman's. I think they had them at GI Joe's also. Was in Ace Hardware today in Richland and they had them.

They were around $8 - $9 for 20 count. Sabotloader was concerned these might fit too loose in the Ultra Mags. I barely started one of them last night and it seemed like it was going to be tight.

RE: New ML Box
 

I've already shot them out of my White Ultra Mag and they did and excellent job. I loaded them with 110 grains of Triple Se7en 2f and the accuracy from the 50 yard line was outstanding. These are the 310 grain all lead Knight sabots. I did not think they loaded all that loose.

RE: New ML Box
 

cayugad

That is good to hear from both of you... I was afraid that they might be made to go down the new tighter bores of the new Knights. Even if they had been it would have been easy to switch sabots...

cascadedad

I either have 30 or 60 of the 300 grain SST's I will bring over next time and you can shoot them up... I never developed a load with them because they would not load in anything I had without changing sabots... Now, they are two expensive to shoot on a regular basis so they are just sitting here in a box...

Griggs in Pasco is another place to get a lot of ML supplies...

RE: New ML Box
 

We will probably only be hunting whitetail deer this year, but I guess there is a chance we could chase some elk also. I imagine sabotloader would recommend that the Knight 260 would be a good choice for deer and probably the 310 for elk. Correct?

So would anyone else recommend that, or possibly the 310 for both? I am also going to try out some of the big conicals that everyone raves about so much. We'll see.

By the way, most of the area around here is pretty open, so longer range shots will present themselves. Just have to determine the range we feel comfortable with, but from what I have read, 150 yards is probably about the max most people like to go. If I remember right I looked at the ballistics of these two and there really didn't appear to be too much difference in drop between them up to 150 yards or so. Can anyone confirm that?

RE: New ML Box
 

cayugad
Good to hear you've already run a few of the Knight 260gr sabots down the tube for us newbies! The whole 2F vs. 3F is still a little confusing here. Info I've read says 2F is pistol powder while 3F is for rifles - I believe they also stated that 2F burns "slower?" Huh? :) I believe there's an ignition point difference and burn temperature differences, but slower burning? Does this relate to the amount of combustible vs. non-(readily) combustable components in the powder? Sorry for asking so many questions here! :)

cascadedad
Thanks for the info on the Knight lead sabots - I'm planning trips to local GI Joes and Sportsmans Warehouse in the next day or so ... I really don't have a clue about what ML supplies are locally available.

cheers,
phil

RE: New ML Box
 

I think you got that backwards for the benifit of anyone who read that.

3F does make a good rifle powder in some arms burning cleaner and faster but is not best for all rifles. 2F is considered rifle powder.

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cascadedad/philnie

Please remember I am not an expert, but if I were you two I would develope a load using T7-3f. Triple Seven requires more heat than the pyro's to start. I would suggest the 3f because it is easier to ignite and on some cold, damp Washington morning that is going to make a big difference since you are limited to #11 caps. You have to keep everything dry and it needs to ignite now! when you pull the trigger. Shooting now and through the summer will not give you a good indication of what your gun will do when it really is cold. In fact your point of impact between the warm weather now and the cold weather later may change a bit... Sabots are really suseptible to heat.

Because of the area that you hunt in I still would suggest the 260 vs the 310. Velocity and accuracy being the key... When you look at the hunting regulations for Washington you will understand what I am about to say about hunting elk. Getting an elk permit in Washington is not automatic and it is not easy... often the seasons do not even coincide. You probably will not be able to do a darn thing about any elk you see. Set up for deer and when you get a chance change to an elk load, although the 260 will job on elk also - if it gets penetration.

I am looking for my range log book but those velocities I got for you aff the Wholesale hunter site a low for what you will actually shoot with T7... I just had the log the other night now I can not find it...Found it I actually put it back with the chronograph...

With 110 grains of T7-2f shooting an Omega I was getting:
1880 fps
1877 fps
1854 fps
That is really getting along for a 260 grain bullet.

Here is ballistic chart for a 250 grain Gold Dot pushed by 100 grains of T7-2f

RE: New ML Box
 

That looks good. So if I sighted in at 75 yards, 2 1/2" high, I'd be good to go out to nearly 175 yards? Is the 885 ft/lbs of energy enough?

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i need something like that...i got crap in bags....and possible bag....i need somewhere to put it all.....i had it all in drawer once.....but it turned into yet another "junk drawer"....ill fall into some form of an organized life sooner or later....probably later! lol...id end up making a sorry excuse not to put something in the box....then something else....next thing i know the box has something diffrent in it! lol.....but one day...one day! your box looks good!

RE: New ML Box
 

cascadedad
That seems a bit low. I like to keep my ft lbs at 1k minimum (all things being equal) within the "kill zone." What sabotloader's chart tells me is that I'd belimited to 125yds or so for that load/components ...

sabotloader
Thanks for the ballistics info here man! I'm very surprised that at 1800fps (effective muzzle) we're getting only 880ft lbs at 175yds ... this has to be why cayugad and others swear by the heavy conicals, eh? :)

Thankfully my Cabelas order arrived today so I have the Hornady 300gr XTP, Buffalo 375gr SSB, T/C 'view' powder volume loader, and anti seize grease at hand! Woo Haa ...

phil