All I can say is Wow
 

Well guys, I broke down and got a neat little 1.5 - 4.75x scope for the $50 Knight. Took it too the range today and sighted it in.
I took Dave's advice and got some 250 gr SWs. I didn't have any pellets so instead of 2 pellets, I stoked it with 80 gr of RS.
The first shot was on paper at 25 yds so I shot 2 more. Made some sight adjustment and move the target out to 50 yds. I shot 3 shots with the 250 gr SWs and 3 with the 300 gr SWs. The 300s had a slight edge with a smaller group.
I put a 5" 'Dirty Bird' target up at 100 yds and shot 3 shot with the 300 gr SWs. When I went up to check the target they were right on the bottom edge of the paper (about 3" low and 1" left)
I adjusted the scope and shot 3 more this time with 90 gr of RS. Much to my delight, those 3 shots grouped just under 1" about 1" high.
Know anyone who wants to buy a Genesis?
Oh yeah, almost forgot, I took the 54 cal Renegade out and shot PRBs out of it with 80 gr of FFg. Didn't need to play with it too much. At 25 yds it was cutting the bottom of the 2" black dot. And at 50 yds with 4 more shots had the 2" dot almost obliterated. 6 shots and not one out of the 2" dot. I'd call that good enough.

That's great Bronko. Having two guns shooting like that in the same range session is about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. Come to think of it, I've never shot with my clothes off (skinnyshooting ?). That might be fun too, but it wouldn't be pretty. What brand scope did you get?

Good shooting, Bronko

Semi - funny you should ask that. I picked up a Bushnell Trophy 1.5 - 4.75x scope at Cabela's over the weekend in the bargin cave for $80. Plus $30 for the rings and bases. Geez that's over twice as much as I paid for the rifle. But who's complaining. Having a rifle that shoots that good and is so darn light - its almost too good to be true. That may be the only rifle I will ever hunt with. I just wish I could get something done with the trigger. I hate to mess with it myself and then not be able to get a replacement.

I have the same scope on my Thompson Center Black Diamond XR. It really works well in low light conditions.

As for the trigger on your Wolverine, if you have the real simple trigger, there is an adjustment screw that will take the creep out of it. Otherwise send the trigger back to Knight for adjustment.

That is some good shooting. And mine shoots the Shockwaves so well it is kind of scary. Today I was trying XTP's out of my Wolverine and it liked them too. 85 grains of powder seems to be the magic load for those short barrel Wolverines. I have two of them.

Very cool indeed bronko! Why such a low powder charge?

Nice shooting.

SW - a 90 gr charge of Pyrodex RS is plenty for any deer, hog or black bear that walks. Especially shooting a 300 gr bullet. Plus, that short Knight barrel would probably not burn it anyway before the bullet leaves the barrel.

I've got to agree with Bronko on this. I think we tend to punish ourselves needlessly with those 100/110/120 grain powder charges (yeah, I do it too). Most of us take 90% of our game at under 100 yards (usually well under), and 150 is a long shot.

For example, my Mustang shoots 420 grain cast Lee bullets in MMP orange sabots at a lowly 1425 fps with 90 grains of Pyrodex RS. Sighted in with a 125 yard zero, I'm three inches high at 75 yards (highest point of trajectory, and three and a half inches low at 150 yards. At 150 yards that bullet is still carrying over 1200 foot pounds of energy. It really drops after 150, but that will never be a factor in my hunting. What can't be killed with that load?

With the same 90 grain load, the Mustang shoots a 300 grain bullet in a tight sabot at around 1550 fps. A flatter trajectory for sure, but a deer would never know the trajectory was better. Still, I hunt with 300 grains bullets and 105 grains of T7 because that load gives me nearly 1800 fps and makes me think I have a better load.

I spent many years hunting with a 240gr bullet and 85gr of RS. Almost exclusively pass-thrus. The only reason I push to high charges now is that I take advantage of the extra range. If you hunt in the woods, there's not really a need.

Thanks for the observations and answers fellas. That makes sense. I guess there really isn't a need for me to shoot 120g with my ML. I'm just going off info that I have collected from reading these forums. That a longer bullet needs to be pushed harder to stabilize. And I have yet to take a shot further than 100 yards but I would sure hate for Ol' Mossy Horns to step out at 200 yards and only have a 100 yards load in the barrel.

I have been hunting with 100 gr triple 7 and a 250 gr shockwave because my Triumph really likes it. I thought it was a 100 yard load til last year when I took 2 deer with that load. one at 234 yards and one at 223 yards . The farthest either deer went was 20 yards. So now I think the 150 gr loads are not necessary. I might go up to 120 but not any farther

I have to stop and think about that heavy charge bit for a minute. I guess that I have found very few gun and load combinations that give me the accuracy I am willing to settle for under 90 gr. It seems like 100 and a 110 are the most common loads for minute of angle accuracy. Now I have used 90 gr. loads on deer a number of times and ate the deer after, so I don't question that it is enough. I guess to me I need a certain level of accuracy to have confidence of a clean kill. Lee

That's awesome! Great shooting! Do you have some sort of compensating reticle scope or did you just aim high on them?

Lee - Seems as though my rifles are just the opposite of yours. I haven't had a rifle yet that shot good with loads over 100 grs.
My Genesis likes 100 gr of Pyro P but over that it starts getting erratic. The little Knight that started this post is shooting 90 gr of Pyro RS under MOA. And all my sidelocks prefer Pyro P or FFg or FFFg in the 80 - 90 gr charge. This is with everything from PRBs to 250 - 320 gr lead conicals and 240 to 300 gr saboted bullets.
I don't dispute your claims bu I guess I am lucky in that I don't have to dump huge amounts of powder down the tube. And its easier on the shoulder too.
Now too, I may be wrong, but in a 28" or shorter barrel, it is my opinion that, because of the burning characteristics of BP and its substitutes, anything over 100 grs is being burned after the bullet leaves the barrel. Other opinions please?

Check out the published velocities in the TC Sidelock Manual.

It shows that the .45 (with round balls) & .50 caliber velocity is still increasing at 110 grains, and the .54 is still increasing at 120 grains, with various projectiles fired from TC sidelocks using ffg black powder.

The PDF manual takes ~30 seconds to download:
See pages 75 - 86:

http://www.tcarms.com/assets/manuals/current/Shooting_TC_Side_Lock_Black_Powder_Guns.pdf

I have Nikon Omegas on 4 of my guns . I really like them. I used the 250 yard mark and aimed only about 2 inches high. I really like the eye relief on the Omega

Very cool! Thanks for the reply. :cool2: