tkstae

It's my first time on this Forum, so hello and hope everyone is having a good hunting season. I took my first roundball buck yesterday. I was using a Lyman 54. and 90 grainsblackpowder.It was something i've been after for a few years now so i'm still smiling. I got a question i'm hopingsomeone will be able to help me with. I bought a Remington 700 MLSwhen they first came out some years ago,andI've taken a few deer with it but it's hasn'tperformed likeI had hoped. Thought I would trade it in on one of the newer in-lines that have comeout. I want one I can use during the regular rifle as well as the blackpowder season here in Missouri. So I'm looking for one that will hit out to 150 yds or so and will hold up in wet weather for around 200.00 to 300.00 There's so many to choose from out there I thought I'd see if you guys might be able to narrow it down some. Thanks for any advice you may have.

dbc5150

Welcome to the forum. Well since there is so many to chose from in your price range it would be hard to give you just one recomendation. But i think your best bang for your buck is going to be a T/C omega. I have seen the Omega z5 and the thumbhole stock Omega here at my local walmart for $298.00 not a bad price at all. I personally do not own one i have a CVA wolf and it kills just as well as more expensive ML's out there. I only paid $134 for mine brand new. I get 2.5 inch groups at 100 yards all the time and thats with open sights. Another one i would recommend is the CVA kodiak or the optima pro.

Happy hunting.

sabotloader

tkstae

You are so correct about number of different rifles out there - It is often a hard decision, and there will be a ton of opinions but it will all come down to what you feel comfortable with.

I have another question?

What is not working well for you with the Remington? The reason I ask is I have two of them and would not trade or sell them @ all right now, course I have an Omega, a White, a A&H anda, anda... and granted the newer guns will clean a little easier, but the Remingtons will shoot with any of them.

If you want a new gun I can certaily understand that - I have that disease along with a lot of other people - but if you would like that Rem to work for you I bet a couple of us here can help you out. It is easily a 200 yard gun with the new sabots and projectiles on the market. Which one do you have a 24" or 26" SS?

cayugad

First let me welcome you to the forum. Its great to have you. Also congratulations on your roundball buck. That sure is a good feeling and the roundball in the right place is as deadly as anything else we are throwing at them.

If you're looking for a 150 yard rifle, it sounds like the Remington you own is already filled that ticket. With a good scope and some practice, then find the right load, a 150 yard shot would not be out of the question. If you're a real good shot you could even stretch that further.

If all you want is a good NEW muzzleloader (and who doesn't) hold off a while and start watching Wal Marts and some of the other stores. You might be able to pick up a Omega Z5 for little or nothing. That would fit all the needs you described. Also there are some good sales I think on some Knight Rifle in the future. With their new move of corporate headquarters from Iowa to Alabama I think it is, I am sure you will see a lot of them come on the market. The problem is there is not a lot of great reviews on their Vision and Revolution like I thought there would be. At least not a lot of them I have read...

But hold off, and keep your eyes open. A new rifle will come your way.

Triple Se7en

Sabotloader and 1-2 others here have the Rem 700 & will gladly help. But if you are tired of it, then the Omega or more expensive Encoreare the most purchaser-satisfied MLs discussed right now. Many of us here own one.

tkstae

When it came down which rifle was best for me I sorta figured it would come down to which rifle felt best to me for theright price.As far as my Remington goes I started put using 90 grains of Clean Shot Powder with Hornaday XTP pistol bullets with fair accuracy 4in group out to 75 yds. Lost a couple nice deer due to poor bullet expansionor so that's what I read might have been the problem. I switched over to a Barnes bullet with 90 grains of 777. Still got about the same type of accuracy but at least the Barnes did drop them in their tracks. Still shooting with no. 11 caps. Its topped with a 3x9 Tasco world class scope and leupold mounts. I can shoot 2 or 3in. groups out to 175 with a borrowed 270 so I don't think its my shooting but it might be. My son used it last week and it failed to fire because the bolt was dirty (Shame on me for not taking the bolt apartand cleaning it) If you can give me some advice on proper loads it might be worth keeping for myself but the new rifle I'm looking to buy is for my Son, so I'm trying to keep it real simple as far as loads. Just drop a Black belt on top of a couple of pellets. Stick in a 209 primer and go. Thanks for your help guys.

sabotloader

tkstae

Your Remington should be able to shoot 1' 1 1/2" groups at a hundred without a problem....

Weaknesses of the Remington....
1. The bolt -> the bolt needs to be cleaned after shooting several rounds and at the end of the season for sure...
2.The hammer spring supllied on the original bolt is MARGINAL - it works well, usually, when it new but decreses in operation over time. The spring needs to be replaced with a new #26 spring - makes all the difference in the world. Especially if you continue to shoot #11 caps. (make sure you are shooting #11 mag caps - IMO Dynimit Nobel's 1075's are the best.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=16583&title=BLITZSCHNELL+ STRIKER+SPRINGS


Scroll down to:


969-000-175
26# fits Remington 700 Muzzleloader
$8.49


The next thing I would do would be to a get a 209 conversion itfrom Cabels. This Canadian conversion is far superior to the Remington 209 kit.
Couple of questions here... did you Remington come with a 209 hammer and a Remington 209 nipple? My original 24" Remington only came with a #11 and a musket nipple - the newer 26" Rem came with a Remington conversion. IMO - it is terrible way to much blow back...

Here is the kit I would recommend - you do have to have a little mechanical ability to make the switch but the directions are really good and you decide to go this way and let me know if you need some help making the change - if you buy this conversion the need for a new hammer spring becomes a moot point it will come with what you need.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0006644214451a&type=product&cm Cat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=remington+conversion&am p;N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&am p;Nty=1&Ntt=remington+conversion&noImage=0

If you do not have a Remington bolt tool this is really a handy little product - it really make bolt dis-assembly easy...

http://www.remingtonle.com/axx/gunparts.htm

Accuracy... There are several things that can cause an accuracy problem but...

The very first thing I would do would be to really clean the barrel to remove as much old material as I could. There are really good bore cleaning products out there. Get the bore all the way back to raw metal and then do a bore polish with JB bore compund.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1161&title=J-B%7e+BORE+BRIGHT

Speer is making an excellent bullet, that is not as expensive as others. The Gold Dot. The .452 300 grain Gold dot in an MMP HPH-24 sabot with a 100 grains of T7-2F makes a real good combination - of course the is nothing wrong with a Barnes.

For your son it is awful hard to beat an Omega even the Z5 Omega...

Hope some of this helps...

Keep asking questions...

Steve8511

I say go with the Savage 10ML II series. There is no stronger barrel and can shoot smokeless powder, and the heaviest loads.
It maybe out of your price range now but it's worth it.

tkstae

Thanks for all the help and advice. My rifle didn't come with the 209 conversion kit andI'm not using anything but standardCCI or Remington caps. I had given some thought to buying the 209 conversion kit, but Iwas having trouble withthe accuracy sowasn't sureI wanted toput any moremoney into it,and I had readsomewhere at that time that it wasn't much of a fix, but I think that was the Remington kit. Sounds like maybe it might be worth it if I can get 2 inch groups at100with the right load.I was wondering if goingto the 209 helps the accuracyas well asimproving the ignition? I'll try the cleaning compound on the barrel after giving it a good cleaning. I've kept the barrel in like new conditon but I realize that the sabot's can leave a residue buildup. Iuse Ballistol onmy blackpowder rifles and it seems to be doing a good job. If there's anything betterlet me know. Thanks again

alleyyooper

I also own a couple of Remington 700 ML's, one 54 and a 50. I switched the 54 to the cabelas 209 kit but haven't had worked with it much to find a workable load useing the 209 kit. It shot great groups with the #11 caps but doesn't like that load with the 209's.
I just bought used the 50 this past spring. I was wanting to be able to work up a load and use it for years as it seems more dealers carry the same lines for 50's every year. It still has the #11 nipple, works well with CCI mag caps or Noble caps. I have had problems with the Remington caps.

Great investment was the bolt tool I bought at Gander Mountian, $10.00 with a cleaning cloth, brush and a bottle of solvent.

If you still want to sell that Remington don't let it go cheap. They are selling now for as much and more than new.

Thanks to sabotloader I'll be shooting a lot of the MMP green sabots and 240 HP XTP Bullets. Havn't got a deer with that bullet yet but have got a few with the XTP's and find no fault with them.

That Remington is a fine rifle, cleaning the bolt is a draw back to some. Never was to me and now that I have the tool It is even better.

But if it is new you want then the T/C Omega would be a good choice.

Al