Please forgive my ignorance but I am new to Muzzleloading. I just got an awesome deal on a TC Triumph from walmart for $275 on clearance!! But what do I need to know? I've been looking on this site for the past week or so trying to learn what I can. It seems up to personal preferance on what bullets to use and what weights to use. My Triumph came with a pack of 250gr TC Shockwave. Granted I know TC MAKES the SW, but why did they put the 250gr in there? They could have put any weight they wanted. IS TC suggesting the 250gr is the best for the Triumph?? How much powder charge do you use? 100? 150? Does different sabots make a difference? My dad has a TC that he took a deer at 200 yards with only 2 50gr pyrodex pellets. I think he shoots 185gr Hornadys. I want to consistently shoot 200 yards but be able to reach 250 or even 300 yards. What am I in for? Impossible? What would ya'll suggest as a starting point. My dad saw that 3 50gr charges was too much and his gun shot better with only 2. I don't have a lot of money to buy every weight/brandto see what my gun likes. So how do I begin? Thanks--DrAsus

Well you have a good rifle. You might have your distance expectations too high. 200 yards can be done. But 300 might be a little far. Maybe with lots of practice and good optics you can get it done. But I personally would not try it.

I would shoot Black Horn 209 powder and 250 grain Shockwaves. Start with 90 grains of loose and start working up and see when the accuracy falls off. You have a good gun. Enjoy it.

Black powder rifle supplies

DECIDE ON THE KIND OF POWDER[/b]


Pyrodex
Triple Se7en
Goex
Black Mag3
American Pioneer Powder
- loose or pellet
Black Horn 209[/ul]


[/b]
TOOLS NEEDED[/b]
[/b]

See through powder measure
Cleaning jag
Cleaning mop
Patch worm
Bore brush
Short starter
Capper/de-capper
Loading jag for the projectile
Nipple pick
Breech plug removal tool – socket set with long extensions works also[/ul]


CLEANING SUPPLIES[/b]

Isopropyl alcohol 91%
Car windshield washer fluid
Bore butter or lube for conical bullets
Gun Oil – Birchwood Casey Sheath, REM OIL, Breakfree CLP
Q-tip safety swabs
Cleaning Patches
Bore Solvents[/ul]

Birchwood Casey Bore Scrubber
Butch’s Bore Shine
M.A.P. – Murphy’s oil soap, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide[/ol]

PROJECTILES[/b]
[/b]

Sabots for the caliber of rifle
Bullets to match sabots according to the diameter of the bullet
Conicals [/ul]

DrAsus-

Please do a search for Hammer49 and read most (if not all) of my posts (and the associated responses). I'm new to the muzzle loading world (under a year) and have asked just about any question you can think of. Also, please review the T/C DVD numerous times (available on their website under video library if you don't have the DVD).

I'll be shocked if between 100-120 grains of loose triple 7 under the shock wave isn't an outstanding load. And, if you want to tighten up the groups switch to the Harvester short black sabots (and most likely 110 grains). Black horn should produce even tigher groups though I haven't had it yet.

Good luck!!!

Hammer

My advice... get out while you still can!...... HAHA! They're addicting and I haven't even fired mine yet.

You want to shoot long range, and you already have a Triumph. I would have suggested a Savage smokeless gun, but you would not have gotten such a deal.

If I were you, I would start with Black Horn 209 for powder. I can't recommend a specific bullet, but for the distance you want to shoot I'd bein the 200-250 gr range.

Then, it boilsdown to range time. You may select a great bullet/sabot combination right awayor it may take time to find something your gun shoots well.

A 250 bullet at 2100 fps (about what 120 gr of BH 209 will give) can be about 3" high at 75 and 3" low at 200. Zero is around 175, so you can see it may be tough to get 250 out of it unless you are willing to be fairly high at 75 and 100.

250gr is probably the most popular bullet weight in a 50, but anything 200 to 300 is hard to argue with. Personally I shoot the 200SW most of the time.

Powder charge, try to find a load that works around 100gr. That is fine for most applications. If you really want to shoot 300, you should shoot the 300gr SW or the 200gr SW or the Barnes TMZ and push them as fast as you accurately can (under 1.5" at 100 yds or forget it).

So is that gun capable of 300 yds? Sure. The question is, are YOU? There is a lot more to shooting 300 yds than just buying a gun that will lethally lob bullets that far. Do you have a place to regularly shoot to 300 yards? Are you prepared to learn how to judge the wind, which could drift your bullet 2 feet either direction at that range in only moderate breezes? Have you invested in a reliable rangefinder that will range out that far (unethical to take those shots without one)? Have you chosen a scope that has some sort of mechanism (BDC, mil-dot, target turrets) that will allow you to adjust your aim for the drop precisely? You can't just "hold over" when your drop is around 45 inches!! Do you use a stand with a steady rest, front AND back built in, or do you have a good bipod and the ability to practice with it? I've made multiple shots at and over 300 yards and every single one was prone off a Harris bipod.

I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, just that I do and I can tell you it is not an easy thing to make consistent, good shots on game at 300 yards. With practice and good equipment I have not blown one yet but I take it very seriously and want each hunter trying it to do the same.

Pull up post Bu Cayugad he is one of the most knowledgeable people on this and many other forums.