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Muzzleloader Load

Nutterbuster

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Just wanted to throw this out there for anybody looking for load info in the future.

60 grains of fffg triple 7 pushing a 240 grain Cheap Shot (saboted .45 cal all-lead slug) can group about 1.5-2" at 100 yards, moves at about 1550fps, is 3" high at 50 yards, and recoils like a .308. Out of a 1:28 twist Optima, anyways.

Seriously, much better performance and experience than shooting a bigger, .50 cal slug and 100 grains of powder last year out of the gun I borrowed from my uncle. Basically a hot .44 magnum load. I shot 2, 4 shot groups and disregarded the flyer from each to get a 2 and a 1.5 inch group. For me, that's a tolerable group with a centerline rifle.

Tried the combination on the advice of a friend who has muzzleloaded a long time and who likes things easy. Easy it was. Easy on the shoulder and the wallet.
 
Interesting you're using 3F as it should cause a sharper pressure curve. I would think the felt recoil would be a kick as opposed to a hard push.
 
Interesting.
I got a 45 cal optima, that I can't get to group anything! I've changed loads, scopes, mounts, charge and nothing. Im needing help
 
Interesting.
I got a 45 cal optima, that I can't get to group anything! I've changed loads, scopes, mounts, charge and nothing. Im needing help
I know nothing about muzzleloaders except what I learned shooting 3 deer with one last year and talking to my buddy.

Everything he told me made sense. 44 or 45 caliber sabot loads are basically pistol bullets. They like to travel at pistol speeds. Push them too fast and you as a shooter perform worse due to recoil, and the bullet performs worse in the air and on critters because it's moving faster than it was designed to.

All I know is the gun I shot last year killed deer fine but threw 3-4" groups at 50 yards. I didn't play with it any because it was a borrowed gun I used for one weekend. I juat did what the owner told me to. Lots of recoil, lots of smoke, and lots of marginal shots on deer. This combo is much more pleasant to shoot and seems to be performing well. Inside 100 yards I think it should do great on deer.
 
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Just wanted to throw this out there for anybody looking for load info in the future.

60 grains of fffg triple 7 pushing a 240 grain Cheap Shot (saboted .45 cal all-lead slug) can group about 1.5-2" at 100 yards, moves at about 1550fps, is 3" high at 50 yards, and recoils like a .308. Out of a 1:28 twist Optima, anyways.

Seriously, much better performance and experience than shooting a bigger, .50 cal slug and 100 grains of powder last year out of the gun I borrowed from my uncle. Basically a hot .44 magnum load. I shot 2, 4 shot groups and disregarded the flyer from each to get a 2 and a 1.5 inch group. For me, that's a tolerable group with a centerline rifle.

Tried the combination on the advice of a friend who has muzzleloaded a long time and who likes things easy. Easy it was. Easy on the shoulder and the wallet.
Good combo! You can get really cheap if you buy a Lee mold and cast/swage your own bullets. I really like the all lead bullets for the lighter charges. It seems like they'll tend to fragment a bit if you go up on the size of charge but we've just compensated with a heavier all lead projectile or switch over to an all copper or copper jacketed bullet. Muzzleloading is a lot of fun experimenting with various loads!
 
Good combo! You can get really cheap if you buy a Lee mold and cast/swage your own bullets. I really like the all lead bullets for the lighter charges. It seems like they'll tend to fragment a bit if you go up on the size of charge but we've just compensated with a heavier all lead projectile or switch over to an all copper or copper jacketed bullet. Muzzleloading is a lot of fun experimenting with various loads!
I'm not a tinkerer. Just a guy who realizes that due to crazy laws more weapons means more days/acres i can hunt. But it is a fun way to spend an hour.

Now I have a buddy who has wanted a muzzleloader for years juat because he reloads. I think me getting one and playing with it may be too much for him to handle...
 
60 grains of powder seems awfully light. I have been shooting 100 grains of buckhorn 209 for years and decided to try the lehigh controlled fragmentation 45 cal sabots this year. Been using SSTs for a few years but they didn’t expand for beans.
 
60 grains of powder seems awfully light. I have been shooting 100 grains of buckhorn 209 for years and decided to try the lehigh controlled fragmentation 45 cal sabots this year. Been using SSTs for a few years but they didn’t expand for beans.
It is definitely a lighter load than what I've seen before. But a 240 grain .44 bullet going 1550 out of a 6" hunting revolver would. E regarded as a pretty hot round.

For me and anybody else who is usually shooting deer inside 100 yards, it seems to make sense. And a lead hollow point is going to mushroom/deform at a slower velocity than a more "sophisticated" bullet meant to be pushed at higher speeds.

I guess I'll be field testing it for yall in a couple months. Wish me luck!
 
My .50 cal accura groups at full load(150) to 100 and it groups spectacularly...
 
I built a Hawkins almost 17 years ago that loves 95gr. of Shockey Gold loose power, ballets (can't remember the the weight) and the percussion caps in a white tin. Shows you last time I shot it but if all else fails, I know I'll hit something inside of 50 yards.
 
60 grains of powder seems awfully light. I have been shooting 100 grains of buckhorn 209 for years and decided to try the lehigh controlled fragmentation 45 cal sabots this year. Been using SSTs for a few years but they didn’t expand for beans.
I have one of those Optima V2 pistols and shoot something very similar to the combo Nutterbuster mentioned. It will kill a Midwestern whitetail. I started with a hotter load and had to keep going down for accuracy in the pistol. I also noticed with the larger loads in the pistol, my scope kept going wacky. Being budget minded, I remedied this with a shotgun slug scope.
 
110gr of Shockey FFFg pushing 275gr Barnes Expander MZs from a Remington 700ML in 54cal. well punch 2" groups at 100yds... never gotten to try much further. Always wanted to try one of those 209 conversion kits, but hard to find reason when it likely shoots better than I can manage
 
We always had good luck with Hornady lock n load . 50 cal with two or three 50 grain pellets. Fast, easy, mostly idiot proof in the field.
 
I've hunted with a powder gun for a while now, but have never done much load tinkering since it ain't broke. Been wanting to play around with loose powder, but my 209x.50 Encore will punch clover leaves at 100 yards using 2 - 777 pellets and a 295 grain power belt. I've yet to take a deer at that distance. Most of my setups are 75 yards and under.

Change for this season will be a scope.

Those long distance muzzleloader guys are taking shots 300 yards and out on large game.
 
I'm a newbie as I got my first muzzleloader last year. I've just done the 2 pellets and some brand of .45 sabot....can't remember the weight but it was the heaviest they had at the store. I just have iron sights and 50-75yds it shoots great...I haven't really tried 100yds. I have archery brain block and set up like I'm bow hunting everytime so my shots are short. I got a muzzleloader quota hunt this year so if I'm lucky maybe get to shoot at something other than a shoot n see
 
I switched to Blackhorn 209 last year. My Accura V2 likes 110 grains by volume and a 300 grain Harvester Scorpion White Lightning. Had a three shot group touching at a 100 yards. Also much cleaner shooting than pellets.
 
I know nothing about muzzleloaders except what I learned shooting 3 deer with one last year and talking to my buddy.

Everything he told me made sense. 44 or 45 caliber sabot loads are basically pistol bullets. They like to travel at pistol speeds. Push them too fast and you as a shooter perform worse due to recoil, and the bullet performs worse in the air and on critters because it's moving faster than it was designed to.

All I know is the gun I shot last year killed deer fine but threw 3-4" groups at 50 yards. I didn't play with it any because it was a borrowed gun I used for one weekend. I juat did what the owner told me to. Lots of recoil, lots of smoke, and lots of marginal shots on deer. This combo is much more pleasant to shoot and seems to be performing well. Inside 100 yards I think it should do great on deer.

Muzzleloader bores are all over the place for size. This leads to same bullet/sabot combos fitting very loose in one gun and very tight in another. In my limited experience I’ve found the tighter/harder it is to seat the bullet/sabot the better my gun has grouped. This goes for the two muzzleloaders I’ve owned.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Muzzleloader bores are all over the place for size. This leads to same bullet/sabot combos fitting very loose in one gun and very tight in another. In my limited experience I’ve found the tighter/harder it is to seat the bullet/sabot the better my gun has grouped. This goes for the two muzzleloaders I’ve owned.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Yep. Powerbelts are a good example. They never fit in any of our MLs...they dropped straight to the bottom, no rodding required
 
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