how much powder
 

This is my first post and would like to say howdy to everyone. I' ve got a remington 700ML muzzleloader. With a scope i can make 3 inch groups at 100 yards using 2 50 grain pyrodex pellets and a 240 grain Hornady XTP bullets. My question is what would be the effective killing distance with that set up. and how much can be gained using 3 50 grain pellets.:)

RE: how much powder
 

You can be effective out to 150 yrds with some shooting practise.As for 150 gr you may get a bit more, say 175 to 200 yrds.But that is a very long shot with a muzzleloader and I would reserve myself to 150 and under.

RE: how much powder
 

Just curious, What ignition system are you using the #11 or the 209? And if you used both which one do you prefer. The remington comes with those options. I was curious if either one gives you better accuracy. It seems most people are using the 209 conversion kits.

RE: how much powder
 

:) Hey Kidd642 I have always used the no. 11 caps made by remington. One problem I had with the gun when i first purchased it was the cap not seating good and tight on the nipple. I would load up and shoot and cap would not fire. I would recock the bolt and shoot and gun would fire. It would do this consistantly first shot no fire second shot fire. Seems like first shot bolt pushed cap down on nipple and second shot finished the job. I' m thinking faulty bolt. Well i call remington and they offer to send me new nipple which they did with the same results. I ended up calling a local gun shop and a employee there happened to have the same gun and had the same problem with it. He suggested sanding outside of nipple so cap could go on flatter on nipple. So i did what he said now gun fires on first shot everytime. Simple remedy to problem but effective.

RE: how much powder
 

I agree with trac209 here, but would add that your accuracy might change somewhat when you go to 150 grains (three pellets). It might improve, or go the other way. Try it to see. The most important factors in determining max useable range are group size and your ability to estimate ranges. By going to 150 grains of powder, your trajectocry will flatten some, BUT NOT ENOUGH to compensate for bad range judgement! Of course, if you have an accurate rangefinder, and time to use it, this problem is eliminated.

You might be able to get better groups by using loose powder,and experimenting to determine the exact amounts you need to use to get the BEST grouping. 3" @ 100 yards is NOT BAD, but a lot of rifles will shoot better than this, if you can find the best powder/bullet combination. Looking for the best load is a part of the fun of muzzleloading. (For me, anyway!!)