First Muzzleloader
11-10-2014, 03:46 PM
#11
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
Stick with the Hornady XTPs, it's hard to beat them...
Get a powder measure, start with 80grs, move to 85, then 90...
Swab between shots, shoot a 3-4 shot group with each charge
and you will see what that gun likes...
The .429 Hornady 240gr XTP is fine as it is packaged, if you stay in
the sport you can buy bullets and sabots in bulk but for a beginner
the packaged bullet is fine..
Get a powder measure, start with 80grs, move to 85, then 90...
Swab between shots, shoot a 3-4 shot group with each charge
and you will see what that gun likes...
The .429 Hornady 240gr XTP is fine as it is packaged, if you stay in
the sport you can buy bullets and sabots in bulk but for a beginner
the packaged bullet is fine..
11-10-2014, 04:05 PM
#12
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
Good advice nchawkeye. I totally agree, and suggest Pyrodex RS for the Powder charge. It's a very forgiving powder and provides all of the energy needed for as far as you can place a shot.
11-11-2014, 01:21 AM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
Yes, the XTPs are hollow points...
I prefer loose powder because you are handloading each shot with a muzzleloader so you can tailor the powder charge to each rifle...I sight in muzzleloader for friends and family and years ago I bought some 240 and 300 XTPs in .429 caliber...I also bought a few packs of Harvester plain green sabots...Using just these I have sighted in several muzzleloaders using Goex FFF, Pyrodex RS and 777 powders, whichever the owner preferred...I'm have been able to get sub inch and a half groups with any of their inlines by simply varying the powder charge...It really is a simple process that some over think...
I hear about shooters using pellets and PowerBelts simply because it is easier and they think they can get a second shot off faster...I think those types need to rethink muzzleloading, make that first shot count, it's all you need...
When hunting, I carry a zip lock bag with a supply of cleaning patches, a small container of rubbing alcohol, a small bottle or Rem oil and my cleaning jag...When I kill a deer, I get out 6 patches...With the first three I dampen them with the alcohol and run down the barrel, both sides...I then run one patch down, both sides to dry then run one oiled patch down, followed by a dry patch, then reload...It takes about 2 minutes to do all this and reload...The dirty patches get stuffed back in the ziplock and I'm ready to continue hunting...Here in NC we can kill multiple deer in a day and I've done so plenty of times...
For a quick reload, I can get by with one alcohol patch and a dry patch but I've learned through the years I typically have plenty of time between sightings...
One the primers, I believe there are primers made for 777 as it can tend to have a crud ring...I don't like the stuff so I don't use it...I use FFF Goex as I keep that around for my flinters...Most of my buddy's use Pyrodex...I prefer CCI primers just because I can find them locally...
I prefer loose powder because you are handloading each shot with a muzzleloader so you can tailor the powder charge to each rifle...I sight in muzzleloader for friends and family and years ago I bought some 240 and 300 XTPs in .429 caliber...I also bought a few packs of Harvester plain green sabots...Using just these I have sighted in several muzzleloaders using Goex FFF, Pyrodex RS and 777 powders, whichever the owner preferred...I'm have been able to get sub inch and a half groups with any of their inlines by simply varying the powder charge...It really is a simple process that some over think...
I hear about shooters using pellets and PowerBelts simply because it is easier and they think they can get a second shot off faster...I think those types need to rethink muzzleloading, make that first shot count, it's all you need...
When hunting, I carry a zip lock bag with a supply of cleaning patches, a small container of rubbing alcohol, a small bottle or Rem oil and my cleaning jag...When I kill a deer, I get out 6 patches...With the first three I dampen them with the alcohol and run down the barrel, both sides...I then run one patch down, both sides to dry then run one oiled patch down, followed by a dry patch, then reload...It takes about 2 minutes to do all this and reload...The dirty patches get stuffed back in the ziplock and I'm ready to continue hunting...Here in NC we can kill multiple deer in a day and I've done so plenty of times...
For a quick reload, I can get by with one alcohol patch and a dry patch but I've learned through the years I typically have plenty of time between sightings...
One the primers, I believe there are primers made for 777 as it can tend to have a crud ring...I don't like the stuff so I don't use it...I use FFF Goex as I keep that around for my flinters...Most of my buddy's use Pyrodex...I prefer CCI primers just because I can find them locally...
11-11-2014, 02:40 AM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
I also am a loose powder guy and do not see the advantage in pellets. I carry some old 35mm film cans with a charge for my rifle . A small copper tube with 4 bullets in sabots and caped on one end with the plastic caps that come on copper. I also carry pre packed rubbing alcohol pads you can by in the hundreds at Wal Mart to swab with.
Al
Al
11-11-2014, 05:07 AM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Midwest
Posts: 1,079
Winchester makes the primer that is supposed to cut down on the crud ring, it is called "Winchester Triple Seven" primers. I use them with Triple Seven and swab between each shot and have not had any trouble. I do know that a crud ring is still a danger even with these primers. Always swab between shots and mark the ramrod so you will know when the load is not fully seated.
Muzzleloaders have many options as to powder and bullet. Some perfer to tweak their loads to find the combination that is most accurate in their particular gun. Loose powder allows them to do this, pellets do not. Some powders are more corrosive then other powders, some claim easier cleanup. I like to shoot loose powder(Pyrodex RS) in a gun only used for targets. It is very corrosive and will be cleaned soon after shooting. I prefer 777 pellets in a hunting gun, it is not as corrosive and cleans easily. Two pellets(120 grains of 777) and the Hornady SST bullet shoot very well in my gun so that is what I use. It has enough energy to kill a deer out to 200 yards, maybe farther. I will not be shooting any farther then that and I will not load any more powder then that.
Muzzleloaders have many options as to powder and bullet. Some perfer to tweak their loads to find the combination that is most accurate in their particular gun. Loose powder allows them to do this, pellets do not. Some powders are more corrosive then other powders, some claim easier cleanup. I like to shoot loose powder(Pyrodex RS) in a gun only used for targets. It is very corrosive and will be cleaned soon after shooting. I prefer 777 pellets in a hunting gun, it is not as corrosive and cleans easily. Two pellets(120 grains of 777) and the Hornady SST bullet shoot very well in my gun so that is what I use. It has enough energy to kill a deer out to 200 yards, maybe farther. I will not be shooting any farther then that and I will not load any more powder then that.
11-11-2014, 09:23 AM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Midwest
Posts: 1,079
I have not been greatly bothered so far by the crud ring. I have not shot very much but when I do I swipe the bore with a damp patch several times then a dry patch several times. I only once detected the crud ring but was able to power thru it and seat the bullet. This was after swiping the bore--don't know why it was there that time and not at other times. After that shot I swiped the bore as usual and loaded the next shot without detecting a crud ring at all. Strange.
Good luck to drp. Be safe.
Good luck to drp. Be safe.
11-11-2014, 03:20 PM
#20
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 585
Most people on here will tell you that loose powder is more accurate then the pellets, and it probably is. That said I shoot the pellets because the slight loss in accuracy is not that noticeable. I probably can't hold the gun still enough to negate the difference. I had some problems with my ML this season and it turned out to be the scope. Now I have a new scope and shot a very good group at 100 and 150 yards this weekend. There was a wind of 15 mph and I was still about an inch group at 100. I shot 2 shots at 150 and both shots drifted left quite a bit due to the wind, they were less then 1 inch apart. I shot these with a dirty barrel just to see.
Last year when I was having troubles I switched to 777 pellets and the crud ring was awful. I tried 100 and 150 grains and could not load a second shot without running a wet patch through first. For that reason I switched back to Pyrodex pellets.
If I were competition shooting I would go with loose powder, but again I can get very good groups with the pellets so any minimal difference in accuracy is not worth the extra time in the field to load.
My vote would be 100 grains Pyrodex pellets to start and here is the bulllets I use.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Barne....mc_id=crrdtfd
Last year when I was having troubles I switched to 777 pellets and the crud ring was awful. I tried 100 and 150 grains and could not load a second shot without running a wet patch through first. For that reason I switched back to Pyrodex pellets.
If I were competition shooting I would go with loose powder, but again I can get very good groups with the pellets so any minimal difference in accuracy is not worth the extra time in the field to load.
My vote would be 100 grains Pyrodex pellets to start and here is the bulllets I use.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Barne....mc_id=crrdtfd