Smokeless Powder muzzleloaders?

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  • Leadeye

    Grandmaster
    Jan 19, 2009
    36,696
    113
    .
    You can find reproduction cap and ball revolvers with conversion cylinders that take smokeless cartridges. That said I would not load a cap and ball cylinder with any type of smokeless.

    I go back and forth mixing BP and smokeless components, but am careful to keep BP in guns designed for it regardless if I'm using modern projectiles. lightningmod.jpg
     

    DocIndy

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Mar 30, 2010
    1,930
    149
    Franklin
    A local smith up in Pendleton makes a smokeless inline. Pick an action and Rob will rebarrel it. .45 caliber. He runs 275 grain bullets at 3000 fps and about 6000 ft./pounds of muzzle energy. Ski rifles.
     

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    BigMoose

    Grandmaster
    Apr 14, 2012
    5,103
    149
    Indianapolis
    They are rare, but yes there are muzzleloaders that are designed for smokeless.

    They are -not- for the faint of heart.. you have to be meticulous about not overcharging them.

    Unlike cap and ball, these use a brass cartridge case with rifle primer, with the front cut off. This is to seal the back from gasses coming out.

    Mostly used so someone can go out in Muzzleloader season, with a 700 yard gun..

    20150427_122939.142154656_std.jpg


     

    Max Volume

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Jul 26, 2008
    2,597
    113
    da region Highland
    They are rare, but yes there are muzzleloaders that are designed for smokeless.

    They are -not- for the faint of heart.. you have to be meticulous about not overcharging them.

    Unlike cap and ball, these use a brass cartridge case with rifle primer, with the front cut off. This is to seal the back from gasses coming out.

    Mostly used so someone can go out in Muzzleloader season, with a 700 yard gun..

    20150427_122939.142154656_std.jpg



    I have been researching loads for a couple of old 38-55 rifles which is a cartridge rifle and seen a guy talking about loading them from the muzzle with black powder. He stated that's what major shooters did for competition. Couldn't find any other info on it. I was wondering how in the hell do you use a cartridge rifle as a muzzleloader. Now I have an idea but wouldn't try it without further knowledge.
     

    42769vette

    Grandmaster
    Industry Partner
    Oct 6, 2008
    15,222
    113
    south of richmond in
    Ive been running an arrowhead muzzleloader for a few years, and am astonished by it every time I get it out. Luke ignition system is superiors to anything else I'm aware of on the market. Ive had mine out to 900 yards (wouldn't shoot a deer that far), but at 450 yards I put a 3 inch group in bull. I actually don't use my centerfire during firearms season anymore unless I'm just going to fill the freezer with a couple does.

    The beauty of the system is I haven't cleaned my muzzleloader in about 300 rounds.

     

    BigMoose

    Grandmaster
    Apr 14, 2012
    5,103
    149
    Indianapolis
    I have been researching loads for a couple of old 38-55 rifles which is a cartridge rifle and seen a guy talking about loading them from the muzzle with black powder. He stated that's what major shooters did for competition. Couldn't find any other info on it. I was wondering how in the hell do you use a cartridge rifle as a muzzleloader. Now I have an idea but wouldn't try it without further knowledge.
    Basically you have a barrel that is bored straight through. Usually 45. The end of the barrel is set up to use a short 45 cartridge loaded primer only. The bolt locks into this just as if it was a brass cartridge. Further up the barrel, you have your barrel plug with a flash hole threaded in where the head of the chamber would have been. The plug sits right against where the rifling starts.

    Its way more complicated then a cartridge firearm, and takes the same mechanisms and brass case anyway.
    Its just some mad geniuses way of getting around muzzleloader only hunting seasons.
     

    DadSmith

    Grandmaster
    Oct 21, 2018
    22,200
    113
    Ripley County
    Ive had mine out to 900 yards (wouldn't shoot a deer that far), but at 450 yards I put a 3 inch group in bull.
    I bet that farmer wasn't happy ;)


    I've never heard of smokeless powder muzzleloaders until this thread.
    I don't do that much with a muzzleloader other than 50-75yds deer hunting. These smokeless muzzleloaders would be overkill unless I was in Alaska or Africa.
     

    42769vette

    Grandmaster
    Industry Partner
    Oct 6, 2008
    15,222
    113
    south of richmond in
    I bet that farmer wasn't happy ;)


    I've never heard of smokeless powder muzzleloaders until this thread.
    I don't do that much with a muzzleloader other than 50-75yds deer hunting. These smokeless muzzleloaders would be overkill unless I was in Alaska or Africa.

    Not as much as you think. You can buy an encode barrel (not going to do anything like mine) around 1k, and never clean again.

    Still overkill, but I shot so much BP in my youth I quit ML hunting because I shot 100-150 rounds a year getting ready for season, cleaning every 3 rounds.

    Cleaning 1 gun 50 times a year turned me off that aspect of hunting. Smokeless revived it.
     

    DadSmith

    Grandmaster
    Oct 21, 2018
    22,200
    113
    Ripley County
    Not as much as you think. You can buy an encode barrel (not going to do anything like mine) around 1k, and never clean again.

    Still overkill, but I shot so much BP in my youth I quit ML hunting because I shot 100-150 rounds a year getting ready for season, cleaning every 3 rounds.

    Cleaning 1 gun 50 times a year turned me off that aspect of hunting. Smokeless revived it.
    275gr bullet at 3000fps that is extremely powerful. I'd imagine that would take care of the biggest game in Africa.
    It would be a fun hunt also.
     

    Emo66

    Plinker
    Mar 31, 2021
    57
    33
    Valparaiso
    I have a Savage Ml-2 smokeless. It is awesome! 45 caliber. Deadly on deer and coyotes. Absolutely a blast to shoot. I just premeasure my powder loads into vials, run a saboted 45 cal bullet, and a 209 primer, and I’m good to go. I keep a witness mark on my ramrod so I’m sure I load it to the same point every time (no double loads). 534F60F1-0C3D-465F-8360-872564D19327.jpeg
     

    Jaybird1980

    Grandmaster
    Jan 22, 2016
    11,929
    113
    North Central
    I have a Savage Ml-2 smokeless. It is awesome! 45 caliber. Deadly on deer and coyotes. Absolutely a blast to shoot. I just premeasure my powder loads into vials, run a saboted 45 cal bullet, and a 209 primer, and I’m good to go. I keep a witness mark on my ramrod so I’m sure I load it to the same point every time (no double loads). View attachment 252482
    I really wish I would have picked one of those up back in the day.

    Good looking rifle you got.
     
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