I have recently (ordered my first ML yesterday) decided to take up the sport of muzzleoading. I have been an avidarchery hunter for the past 15 years and decided I was ready for a change. Due to regulations in my state, I decided to buy the Knight Bighorn SS thumbhole in .50 cal. From allmy research, this seemed like a winner.As far as bullets go,I can use ballistic tip however they cannot be jacketed. I was wondering what would be agood bullet to start with (powerbelt aerotip?). Also, is Triple 7 pellets the standard or regularpyrodex pellets? Should I use #11, magnum #11, or musket ignition? Lastly, I understand that most accurate loads are abtained usingbetween 90-100 grains. Is thiscorrect? Sorry about so many questions, like I said I amnew and would like to get as much info as possible before buying supplies.Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Marc

Loose powder, magnum #11 and Musket are best if you have to use percussion caps. If the bullet can not be jacketed 'copper coated' Powerbelt has the all lead projectile but they are very very soft and with the 295 AT i could not push them with more than 70 grains Pyrodex select or else they over expanded greatly. 348 all lead powerbelt is a good bullet with 80 grains 2f pyrodex. Lots of lead conicals out there to shoot.

What is the state you are hunting?

I am hunting in Washington State.

Marc - welcome to the sport. IMO you selected one of the best work rifles on the market. The Bighorn is a bread and butter rifle that will last you the rest of your life. Especially since you went stainless.

#1 forget the pellets. Since you want to shoot #11 caps or musket caps, they do not ignite pellets in an efficient manner. Granted now, they will fire them. But let the conditions get cold, damp, or extended, and the pellets will be nothing but a head ache. Besides loose powder is cheaper and works as good or better then pellets. Get some Pyrodex RS for starters.

#2 since you need an all lead bullet, consider some of these.. Buffalo Bullet SSB (if you can find them). They come in a number of different weights, but I like the 375 grain. They are good for anything you want to hunt. Precision Rifle also makes some excellent all lead bullets. Contact them by email, tell them you have a Bighorn and length of barrel, and what you want to hunt. They will suggest a bullet and powder combination and it will do all they say it will. Very good bullets. Expensive, but very good.

If all you are going to hunt is deer, get some 240 grain T/C Cheap Shots and give them a try. Load them with 85-100 grains of powder and see how well they shoot for you. Normally that is plenty for a deer. Put them in the right place and they will do the job as well.

What's the most accurate load for your rifle.. only your rifle knows. I personally would start my TESTING with 85 grains of RS and work the load from there. If they hold good up to 120 grains of RS, then fine, your rifle can handle it if your shoulder can. 100 grains of powder is a good hunting load.

Be sure to swab the barrel between shots for the best accuracy. But at first don't worry so much about pin point accuracy. Enjoy shooting your rifle, learn ramrod pressures, swabbing techniques, all of the other little quirks. That is another reason to start out with the T/C cheap shots. You will not break the bank with them.

When you have a good grasp of what it takes to make the rifle shoot, start to experiment with different bullets, even some conicals if you like. Also when you put your breech plug in, do not crank it down tight, make sure you lube the threads of the breech plug with some anti seize, and check it with your breech plug wrench after ten shots to make sure it is still nice and loose.

Have fun with the rifle..

Follow Cayugad advice on powders. As for bullets since they can't be jacketed, can they be all copper instead of all lead? If all copper is allowed, try a Barnes MZ:

http://www.traditionsfirearms.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=A1473

knight sells these also as a Knight brand called "Red Hot":

http://www.knightrifles.com/catalog.aspx?catid=redhotbullets


They expand well at low speeds, penetration deeply, shoot thru and retain 100% of weight, not fragmenting. They require a sabot, if that is allowed by your rules.

Chap

WELCOME to the sport and the forum. Well you picked a good rifle, thats the same Knight I have been shooting,but those power belts were not designed for that heavy a load 70 or 80 gr if you feel you want a flatter trajectory check out the Sabortooth by Harvestor, there are a number of good bullets by No Excuses or Bull Shops and I personally like the Maxie ball the 370 to 405 gr bullets shoot especally well in my Big Horn. If you were to tell what state you will be hunting in it would help us determine what to suggest that would be legal. Lee
PS: I find the musket cap produces the best results in mine and do take the advice on switching to loose powder pellets are a waste of money and dont allow you to adjust yor load to what shoots the best.

Thanks for all the great feedback. I'm glad that I did not go out and buy a bunch of pellets before posting my question. In reply to your question, I'm hunting in Washington State. According to the regulations, I must use a non-jacketed LEAD projectile that can have a polymer tip. I guess that I don't understand the difference between jacketed and using a sabot?

Thanks,
Marc

The first rule of State game laws is that they don't necessairly have to make sense.

The second rule is thattheybe establishedby someone who has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to muzzle loaders.

A sabot is a bullet that is smaller than the bore diameter and is incased in plastic. This protects the bullet from the blast and gets a higher velocity. Not sure if they are legal in Wash or not.

A jacketed bullet has a outside skin on the bullet that is not lead. For instance, the powerbelts with copper have a thin copper outside skin.

here is a sabot:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...003000_400-3-3

a jacketed bullet:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...003000_400-3-3

and an all lead bullet (with lube)

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...003000_400-3-3

one confusing thing is that bullets like powerbelts have a plastic "skirt" that is BEHIND the bullet. This does not make it a sabot. That is only if the plastic extends around the bullet

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/index/index-display.jsp?id=cat20815&navAction=jump&nav Count=1&cmCat=MainCatcat20712&parentType=c ategory&parentId=cat20712

You might want to check Cabela's as they carry the Dead Center all lead sabots in a good selection of weights. I never shot the Dead Center out of my two Knights, but have out of my T/C Black Diamond XR with amazing accuracy.

Maybe some Knight shooters could give you an idea of what weight you might want to try. I personally like heavy bullets, but I am sure some of the lighter ones would shoot well and take deer out with little problem.