Great Set up with Older Muzzleloader
03-17-2003 | 05:24 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 299
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From: Morgantown WV USA
Great Set up with Older Muzzleloader
I have a .54 TC thunderhawk, no breechplug, synthetic stock, blued barrel, 1 in 38 twist. I was shooting 100 grains of pyrodex, using bore butter and 425 Great Plains hollowpoints. After a few years I was ready to dump it and start over because it was shooting so badly. Like 6 inches at 50 yards badly but I remembered it shot well when new. The barrel was so badly leaded that it took me hours to get it out. It looked like it was lead plated. So after I got the lead out, I tried a couple things before I got a new more modern MZ.
I got some Barnes all copper 325 grain sabots. I also got some tripple 7 (shooting 100 grains still). Finally, I bought a flame thrower musket cap nipple just for grins. Well, my gun loves the barnes and boy do they knock the heck out of deer too. It shoots very tight groups now at 50 yards and both deer I killed last year with it expired quickly. One didn' t even take one step, just fell over. The other one had blood spattered 10 feet behind it on the snow and the bullet still took a chunk out a branch after it passed through the deer. And that was a shot at 70 yards. I am getting great burn, little fouling and am just having to scrub every couple shots with a dry patch to get the plastic fowling out. I now shoot totally dry and after I clean the gun, which is now much easier with the tripple 7, I use oil. Never again will I use bore butter. It is like a whole new gun and I love it. Just thought I would throw that out if you have an old inline MZ that is not shooting well anymore. And BTW, 1 in 38 is plenty of twist for barnes sabots in .54 cal.
I got some Barnes all copper 325 grain sabots. I also got some tripple 7 (shooting 100 grains still). Finally, I bought a flame thrower musket cap nipple just for grins. Well, my gun loves the barnes and boy do they knock the heck out of deer too. It shoots very tight groups now at 50 yards and both deer I killed last year with it expired quickly. One didn' t even take one step, just fell over. The other one had blood spattered 10 feet behind it on the snow and the bullet still took a chunk out a branch after it passed through the deer. And that was a shot at 70 yards. I am getting great burn, little fouling and am just having to scrub every couple shots with a dry patch to get the plastic fowling out. I now shoot totally dry and after I clean the gun, which is now much easier with the tripple 7, I use oil. Never again will I use bore butter. It is like a whole new gun and I love it. Just thought I would throw that out if you have an old inline MZ that is not shooting well anymore. And BTW, 1 in 38 is plenty of twist for barnes sabots in .54 cal.
03-17-2003 | 07:20 PM
#2
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 506
Likes: 0
From: LEVITTOWN N.Y. USA
RE: Great Set up with Older Muzzleloader
clearenceman: was out today with my thunderhawk in 54 cal i have to say my thunderhawk does shoot great with percision sabot in 350 grain and pyrodex selct using 110 grain and a cci mag no #11 cap.3 shot groupe at the 100 yard an inch spread. would like to get my hands on some triple 777 and see how it works in the gun.also i think on my next nipple i am going to look into the musket flame thrower nipple.I was lucky to pick up a t/c 50 cal. flinter for a great price as soon as i can get my hands on some real black powder will see how it shoots with some 360 grain maxi ball and a lube mixed with beeswax hope i don' t have a leading problem was really a great day at the range today weather aroung 69 degrees.
