Muzzleloader Equipment?

[Dinkshooter]

What is hot these days with muzzy-loaders? Anything you got to have other than an in-line and smokeless?

I don't keep up with the muzzy-loader business and just got the good word my father drew his long awaited Colorado dream tag. He has an inline already, just wondering what else as far as lead, powder etc.

Hope to put the smack down on this bull. I know where he is in April at least

 

[elk_hunter]

Wow...nice bull!

 

[Dinkshooter]

I meant pyrodex not smokeless. BOOM

Now I see 777?

 

[JB]

Dink, 777 gums up pretty easy in the barrel...same with pyrodex.
clean shot(american pironeer) seems to be more user friendly IMHO. stay away from powerbelt bullets...thay aint worth two squirts of Owl shit. Shockwaves seem to shoot well in every inline I have ever shot.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I've only used pyrodex pellets, but I've heard the 777 is better/easier to clean and doesn't smell as bad. But I have not tried it....there's lots of good bullets with sabots now. The last elk I shot with a ML was with a Powerbelt (348 gr) and I was not impressed, even if it did kill the elk. A less favorable shooting angle and there might not have been enough penetration. That was a 3-4 years ago and they may have been improved.

 

[Dinkshooter]

In Colorado I think pellets and sabots are illegal.

Damm I am just as pumped as if it were my tag.

 

[JB]

sorry Dink.....get the loose powder in clean shot.
can you have a scope?

Cali, I have tried all the powders and nothing seems to burns cleaner than pioneer. Couldnt get powerbelts to shoot less than a three inch group at 100 yrds.

 

[Dinkshooter]

I think scopes are out as well. Have to read the regs when I get home. Bowhunting seems more simple right now

 

[JB]

3. Muzzleloading Rifles & Smoothbore Muskets
a. In-line muzzleloaders are Legal
b. Must be single-barrel that fires a single round-ball or conical projectile the length of which does not exceed twice the diameter (caliber).
c. To hunt deer, pronghorn or bear, they must be min of .40 caliber.
d. To hunt elk or moose, they must be min of .50 caliber.
e. From .40 caliber to .50 caliber, bullets must weigh min 170 grains.
f. If greater than .50 caliber bullets must weigh min. 210 grains.
g. Shotshell primers are legal.
h. Pelletized powder systems prohibited in muzzleloading seasons.
i. Cannot be loaded from the breech in muzzleloading seasons.
j. Only open or iron sights allowed in muzzleloading seasons. Scopes prohibited. Fiber optic sights and flourescent paints are legal. Artificial light, batteries and electronic gear are illegal.
k. Sabots are prohibited in muzzleloading seasons. Cloth patches are not sabots.
l. Smokeless powder prohibited in muzzleloading seasons. Black powder and black powder substitues are legal.
j. Only legal muzzleloaders are legal in muzzleloading seasons.

 

[A-con]

Take a look at a bullet called "No Excuses". Fifty cals come in 460 and 495 grain.
They shoot good for me. I havn't killed anything with them, but one look and you know they will do the job.

http://members.aol.com/noexcusesb/index.html

 

[Dinkshooter]

Thanks A-Con. What grain would you go with for elk in the .50?

May order them tomorrow.

 

[A-con]

The 460 grain is designed to comply with Colorado regulations. The 495 is too long, not legal in Colorado.

 

[Dinkshooter]

My total muzzy experience to date. It was a side lock with a ball and patch. What a tool!!! 1992, I was on 2 really good 6's the day before. My dad started chewing on my butt about getting back to college on time. At 15 yards I couldn't even see this dinker drop through the smoke. Wish I hadn't listened to the old man, that time. It was a pretty cool morning though. The herd bull would just never clear the rest.

I love the blown out crotch on the way over kill woolies. Even tried to tie it back to together, must of not aggitated my vag to bad I SWEAR THE STRING IS NOT THE ACTUAL SIZE

 

[Oak]

Congratulations to your dad! I'm guessing you are (a little bit) glad you didn't draw goats?

Can't help much with the MLs. The last and only thing I killed with one was a 3x4 muley two years before you killed your elk. I would like to hear JB expand on his dislike of powerbelts, though. All the elk I've seen killed with them (sample size of one ) went down like a ton of bricks. Passed through both shoulders of a 5-point (didn't break heavy bone) and exited, at 120 yards from a .50 sidelock.

If that's the unit I think it is, I can't help much with that either. I know a bit about the one to the south, though. Have fun...

 

[coopaloop]

I'm more of a traditional Muzz type, (what little I've done), but a buddy of mine just bought some of Powerbelt's Platinum series bullets and he said he's never seen anything like them. He was sold, unfortunatley he just about had to sell the farm for the cost of the things.

- Coop

 

[Wapiti Wacker]

The 460gr No Excuses are awesome bullets, I love them they wreak havoc on anything they come in contact with.

 

[KimLeeJung]

Agree with the "No Excuses" bullets. As to rifles, it's hard to beat a TC Encore for balance, weight and ease of capping. It also carries like a Winchester '94 in the hand. I also have Knights and an Austin Halleck, but if I was going open sights, then it would be the Encore. CO is open sights only.

 

[Dinkshooter]

100 460 gr "No Excuses" came in the mail over the weekend. How much juice should we try? 90? 95? I have no idea.

 

[KimLeeJung]

I would run between 100 and 125. See which one groups the best, and go hunting.

 

[Bambistew]

Congrats to your dad on his tag. I drew a bull as well. I hope I get lucky and find a good one...

I'm not sold on Powerbelts either, while they have shot well for me, the terminal performance leaves something to be disired, and I will not use them on an elk. I've heard and talked with people that say that they work well with 80-90gr of powder. I'm guessing because they are so soft. I've recovered 3-4 of them out of deer and they flatten out to the size of a 50ct piece or more and rarely fully penitrate the chest cavity. I'm no expert by any means, I think I've killed maybe 9-10 deer with a muzzy, I've shot probably 6-7 with PB's and had one passed through, and that was with a 195gr 45cal. All others either 245gr or 295gr 50 cal. and 90-100gr of powder.

I'm going to try something else this fall, I think either the new Hornady bullet or the No Excusses.

My buddy shot a bull last year with a 325 Platinum PB (can't remember the wieght for sure, the heaviest they make), he recovered a chunk of lead out of the chest cavity that weighed about 60-70 grains.

I'm not impressed at all with American Pioneer powder, while it does burn little cleaner, it leaves a soapy slimy residue on the nipple. Besides you only shoot once or maybe twice, I can get a second or third shot off with out cleaning with 777. I couldn't get AP to shoot consitently in any of my 3 muzzys. I tried 3 diffrent bullets and charges from 90-120grains in one rifle and the best group I got was 6". That rifle will shoot as well as a center fire rifle with a sabot and 100gr of pellets or loose... Its much slower burning by volume as well, supposed to take about 150gr to get the same velocity you can get with 100-110 of 777. Its also very hydrophilic from what I understand. Basically once its exposed to moisture (just oppening the can) it starts to degrade. I had a bottle turn into a solid chunk after 3 months.

One other product I'm going to try this year is Ultra Bore Coat. Its supposed to virtually eliminate fouling by creating a super slippery surface that residue can't stick to. Supposed to make clean up a breeze and eliminate the crud ring.

Like I said I'm not an expert by any means, just my observations. I usually burn a couple pounds of powder every year and have had great luck with 777 in both loose and pellet form.

I need to get my stuff rounded up and get to the range soon. September will be here soon!