Hello all, I am new to this forum and I am also new to muzzleloading! I plan on hunting with my ML, having hunted with a bow and sabot slug shotgun previously - I just got tired of paying the high sabot shotgun ammo prices($13.00 for 5 shells?!!) I could not resist the claims of accuracy with the new in-line ML. Anyway, I plan on purchasing a Knight .50 in-line sometime soon. How would you guys reccomend that I break the gun in at the range - I want to practice with it and then hunt a late ML season. As jacketed sabot rounds are more expensive to shoot, what would you reccommend as a good range round and load? Also, what scopes seem to work best? What jacketed rounds work best - I want to get the Long Range Hunter - anything to look out for with these guns? Any advice would be very helpful. Thanks - Great forum Guys!
NEWBIE ML advice needed please
- Thread starter zahnzieh
- Start date
Wild Bill Bucks
New member
I'm not much of a Knight fan, mostly because of their disc system. They are great rifles, I just don't like having to keep up with anything extra for my rifle. I use the Thompson Encore.
Since a muzzleloader,to be accurate, requires cleaning out, between shots, you are actually breaking in the barrel, as you are shooting at the range. Since almost every projectile will have a different point of impact, with the same sighting, it becomes important to sight in, and practice, with what you intend to hunt with. I use the 240 grain .44 magnum pistol bullet, and the maxi mag sabots, with 100 grains of 777 powder. This gives me 1 1/2
" groups at 100 yards. That's about as far a shot as I can take where I hunt, but the range of these guns is pretty much limited to the shooters capabilities.
The load I posted for my rifle, may not be the best for your rifle, but it would be as good a place to start as any. You will have to spend some time and money at the range, to figure out what yours likes the best. If you are getting into ML hunting because it is cheaper, FORGET THAT, for a while as you will probably be like everyone else, and have to try everything new that comes out from year to year, and believe me, there are plenty of things to spend your money on.
Some things I suggest:#1 Find a load and bullet that shoots well in your gun, and stay with it. Ignore the new stuff, if what you are shooting does the job. #2 Don't try to overpower your loads by shooting more powder than what is required. If you are shooting whitetails inside of 200 yards, then a 100 grain load is more than needed. #3 make sure EVERYTHING you do between shots, is done the exact same way, each time you load, so that your accuracy stays with you from shot to shot.#4 Even though you will probably be able to shoot 3 to 5 rounds between shots, without cleaning out, you will notice a tighter group consistently, at the range when you clean out between shots.(It's nice to know, in the field, that you can load that 2nd round if needed, without cleaning out, and still be confident of the shot, but generally, the first shot is the most important.) #5 Clean your rifle thoroughly, and oil it down, before storage from season to season.
#6 And this is probably the MOST IMPORTANT, find someone who knows what they are doing in your area, who is willing to go to the range with you a few times, and give you some advice, and a pointer or two. Most modern ML are very fine rifles, but if you don't know what you are doing, there are a lot of ways to screw up.( I've learned almost everything I know about them, the hard way)
Since a muzzleloader,to be accurate, requires cleaning out, between shots, you are actually breaking in the barrel, as you are shooting at the range. Since almost every projectile will have a different point of impact, with the same sighting, it becomes important to sight in, and practice, with what you intend to hunt with. I use the 240 grain .44 magnum pistol bullet, and the maxi mag sabots, with 100 grains of 777 powder. This gives me 1 1/2
" groups at 100 yards. That's about as far a shot as I can take where I hunt, but the range of these guns is pretty much limited to the shooters capabilities.
The load I posted for my rifle, may not be the best for your rifle, but it would be as good a place to start as any. You will have to spend some time and money at the range, to figure out what yours likes the best. If you are getting into ML hunting because it is cheaper, FORGET THAT, for a while as you will probably be like everyone else, and have to try everything new that comes out from year to year, and believe me, there are plenty of things to spend your money on.
Some things I suggest:#1 Find a load and bullet that shoots well in your gun, and stay with it. Ignore the new stuff, if what you are shooting does the job. #2 Don't try to overpower your loads by shooting more powder than what is required. If you are shooting whitetails inside of 200 yards, then a 100 grain load is more than needed. #3 make sure EVERYTHING you do between shots, is done the exact same way, each time you load, so that your accuracy stays with you from shot to shot.#4 Even though you will probably be able to shoot 3 to 5 rounds between shots, without cleaning out, you will notice a tighter group consistently, at the range when you clean out between shots.(It's nice to know, in the field, that you can load that 2nd round if needed, without cleaning out, and still be confident of the shot, but generally, the first shot is the most important.) #5 Clean your rifle thoroughly, and oil it down, before storage from season to season.
#6 And this is probably the MOST IMPORTANT, find someone who knows what they are doing in your area, who is willing to go to the range with you a few times, and give you some advice, and a pointer or two. Most modern ML are very fine rifles, but if you don't know what you are doing, there are a lot of ways to screw up.( I've learned almost everything I know about them, the hard way)