Muzzleloader bullett and powder suggestions

[clfergus]

First year muzzleloader hunter. Got a nice used Knight muzzleloader to start out with. I have bow and rifle hunted so excited to add another season to the schedule.

Has a #11 nipple. It is not the newer break open style.

My buddies who hunt muzzleloader say to use a 295 grain powerbelt copper bullet and 100gr jim shockeys gold powder. I have fired 5 rounds with this combo with no issues. Accuracy seems good. Was wondering what other experienced guys think about the combo and the 100gr of powder. Should it be higher or lower? How do these bullets perform compared to something like the Hornady XTP muzzleloader rounds?

 

[HICKMAN]

what kind of grouping are you getting?

I use the pellets instead of loose powder, just to keep loading quick and simple.

Have you googled your model of Knight ML and seen what others are shooting?

 

[antsi]

I shoot a 250gr Barnes MZ bullet with 100 grains (2 pyrodex pellets). This is a .45 cal projectile with a sabot in a .50 cal muzzle loader. It works great for me, both in accuracy and terminal effect on deer.

My vote is that if you have found a load that gives you accurate results and reliable ignition, I'd quit messing around and go hunting. One issue on accuracy, though: I usually sight in at 100 yards, but once you're sighted in it's smart to shoot a 50 yarder and maybe a 125, just to see how it behaves. You may have to adjust your point of aim for shots that are very different than where you're sighted in (although for the load I mentioned above the difference is trivial).

I would not worry about the Powerbelt's ability to kill a deer. At realistic Indiana ranges, just about any projectile will do the job if you do yours.

Also, I would not spend a lot of time messing around with heavier charges. I have never found that to improve accuracy and I don't think you need more power to do the job on a deer. Maybe in the Summer when you have a lot of time on your hands, play around with that. But now that we are here 4 days before the opening of muzzle loader season, I don't think you're going to learn anything that will help you kill a deer this year. Now is the time to take the load you already know is working and go out and hunt with it.

 

[clfergus]

Couldn't find anyone else on google talking about that gun and what they use. I would say my groups have been about 2 inches and close to center, always a little off to the right. I am happy with the performance, I will be able to put a good shot on a deer.

But I would like to know even more about combos that might hit harded/fly flatter since I really don't know anything but this combo I am using.

 

[clfergus]

I shoot a 250gr Barnes MZ bullet with 100 grains (2 pyrodex pellets). This is a .45 cal projectile with a sabot in a .50 cal muzzle loader. It works great for me, both in accuracy and terminal effect on deer.

My vote is that if you have found a load that gives you accurate results and reliable ignition, I'd quit messing around and go hunting. One issue on accuracy, though: I usually sight in at 100 yards, but once you're sighted in it's smart to shoot a 50 yarder and maybe a 125, just to see how it behaves. You may have to adjust your point of aim for shots that are very different than where you're sighted in (although for the load I mentioned above the difference is trivial).

I would not worry about the Powerbelt's ability to kill a deer. At realistic Indiana ranges, just about any projectile will do the job if you do yours.

Also, I would not spend a lot of time messing around with heavier charges. I have never found that to improve accuracy and I don't think you need more power to do the job on a deer. Maybe in the Summer when you have a lot of time on your hands, play around with that. But now that we are here 4 days before the opening of muzzle loader season, I don't think you're going to learn anything that will help you kill a deer this year. Now is the time to take the load you already know is working and go out and hunt with it.

good advice. So these pellets, are they just powder that in a non-loose form that makes for easier loading? Do they foul the barrel less or more than loose powder?

 

[42769vette]

as close as we are to season id say pick somthing and stick with it this year. next year you can do more exparminting. muzzleloaders are very finicky. for instince my tc prohunter will shoot about 5 inches ? off a clean bore. so i clean the bore when i get done shooting and the night before the hunt shoot and run a 20 ga brush through the bore 1 time. my gun shoots good on shots 2-3-4 shot 5 is iffy.

my fathers encore shoots best off a spotless bore and is good for 1-2-3 4 is iffy.

both our guns hate 250 gr bullets so we use 300 gr shockwaves. mine likes the lock and loads best and dads likes the shockwaves. we both shoot shockwaves for convience and my gun preforms plenty good enough with them.

now to through a wrench in everything indygunworkses tc omega with the same barrel as my prohunter likes 250 gr bullets and shoots great for shots 1-? he doesnt need to run a brush through the gun between shots and his shoots fine. if i dont run a brush through mine between shots my groups open up about 1 minute with each shot. obviously i dont clean between shots in the field but my effective range drops 75-100 yds with each un cleaned shot.

 

[42769vette]

good advice. So these pellets, are they just powder that in a non-loose form that makes for easier loading? Do they foul the barrel less or more than loose powder?

the pellets are basically loose powder in a pellet form so its easier loading but. 125 gr of powder = roughly 150 gr of pellets since powder is measured not wieghed (i think that why but i know its the case) i shoot pellets that way i can have a few loads ready to take hunting easier than loose powder.

i dont think they effect fouling but i could be wrong

 

[antsi]

good advice. So these pellets, are they just powder that in a non-loose form that makes for easier loading? Do they foul the barrel less or more than loose powder?

It's just for convenience of loading and consistency.

Some guns/primers don't ignite them reliably. I've never had this problem, but it's an issue with some guns. This is exactly the kind of thing I would not start messing around with on the week of opening day.

 

[Greg.B]

My Knight absolutely loves 100 grains of pyrodex (2-50 grain pellets or loose powder, can't tell much of a difference, and I favor the pellets) with a Hornady XTP 240 grain 44 caliber saboted pistol bullet over the top. I use Remington #11 caps and have not had any problem whatsoever in 6 years with this setup. YMMV