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Post by outdoorjoe on Oct 9, 2024 19:56:55 GMT -5
I am curious what everyone uses for powder and bullets. It seems blackhorn and sabots are popular, but I know some on this site are very experienced and I'd like to hear real world results. I am specifically interested in longer range shooters.
My ML will not shoot smokeless.
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Post by esshup on Oct 9, 2024 20:45:06 GMT -5
Sorry, I have a Savage re-barreled to .45 caliber
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Post by titanium700 on Oct 9, 2024 21:38:16 GMT -5
Remington 700 first gen in .50
Of course I use Barnes 250 grain MZ’s with BH209
Scope is a leupold 3.5x10 with a cds dial.
I’m good out to 300 yds with ease.
My other is a TC Greyhawk in .50 I use 777 powder and 385 grain great plains bullets. I’m good to 75 with the open sights.
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Post by jtkelly on Oct 9, 2024 21:41:37 GMT -5
I am curious what everyone uses for powder and bullets. It seems blackhorn and sabots are popular, but I know some on this site are very experienced and I'd like to hear real world results. I am specifically interested in longer range shooters. My ML will not shoot smokeless. 240 grain, cast pure lead maxi ball, 90 grains of FFF, in a 45 cal TC Hawken rifle. |
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Post by saltydog on Oct 10, 2024 5:11:14 GMT -5
100 gr of Blackhorn, 245 gr power belt out of a CVA Optima V2 LR.
Im on my last pound of Blackhorn, after its gone with the price of what its going for now I will finish off other powders I have on hand.
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Post by esshup on Oct 10, 2024 8:24:09 GMT -5
Remington 700 first gen in .50 Of course I use Barnes 250 grain MZ’s with BH209 Scope is a leupold 3.5x10 with a cds dial. I’m good out to 300 yds with ease. My other is a TC Greyhawk in .50 I use 777 powder and 385 grain great plains bullets. I’m good to 75 with the open sights. Have you run the Barnes 250g load over a chrony? |
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Post by titanium700 on Oct 10, 2024 10:52:45 GMT -5
Iirc 2075 fps
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Post by outdoorjoe on Oct 10, 2024 19:17:19 GMT -5
Remington 700 first gen in .50 Of course I use Barnes 250 grain MZ’s with BH209 Scope is a leupold 3.5x10 with a cds dial. I’m good out to 300 yds with ease. My other is a TC Greyhawk in .50 I use 777 powder and 385 grain great plains bullets. I’m good to 75 with the open sights. Thanks. Which barnes? |
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Post by outdoorjoe on Oct 10, 2024 19:24:09 GMT -5
How does the performance of the 777 powder compare to blackhorn. It looks like blackhorn is 5 times the price of 777 powder.
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Post by titanium700 on Oct 10, 2024 19:40:18 GMT -5
Barnes MZ Expander.
As far as the 777 vs Blackhorn.
777 is way cleaner then BP but still needs some major scrubbing.
Blackhorn is like smokeless, I clean the same way.
With Blackhorn I use 209 primers you cannot get a good ignition with #11 caps which you can with 777
Velocity and power difference? - I don’t know.
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Post by esshup on Oct 11, 2024 11:33:20 GMT -5
With smokeless, with either the (iirc) barnes 195g or the Pittman 300g I am running about 700 fps faster. The fps with the 300g Pittman made me put a muzzle brake on it. The recoil was brutal with a hard rubber butt pad. |
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Post by titanium700 on Oct 11, 2024 18:08:30 GMT -5
Oh yeah I have no doubt.
The reason I never went smokeless on this 700 is my wife gifted it to me for our first anniversary.
Only thing I changed was the stock to a McMillan other than that and the trigger and #209 firing system it’s like I got it.
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Post by esshup on Oct 11, 2024 20:22:36 GMT -5
Oh yeah I have no doubt. The reason I never went smokeless on this 700 is my wife gifted it to me for our first anniversary. Only thing I changed was the stock to a McMillan other than that and the trigger and #209 firing system it’s like I got it. The way I look at it is this: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!! |
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Post by steiny on Oct 14, 2024 12:53:02 GMT -5
TC Contender, .45 cal
Two 50 gr 777 pellets and a Saboted Hornady .40 cal 200 gr bullet.
Shotgun primer.
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Post by outdoorjoe on Oct 14, 2024 19:44:51 GMT -5
Thanks to all. Any advice on long range scopes?
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Post by kicker on Oct 15, 2024 12:25:07 GMT -5
Black Horn can be found but you will have to dig deep into your pocket.https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/000790480/blackhorn-209-high-performance-muzzleloading-powder-(8-oz). You have some options. Loose black powder, 50 grain pellets of either IMR Hot, or Hodgedon triple 7 pellets. Define your version of long range. For me with my muzzleloader anything past 250 yds. But I also use a Shiloh Sharps 1874 black powder cartidage gun shooting 500 grain bullet during the regular gun season and am comfortable taking something out to 300 yds with it. Before the naysayers gouge me, I regularly shoot black powder silhouettes at the Nationial Muzzleloader range in Friendship, Indiana. As far as scopes go, you pay for what you get. I lean towards higher end Leupolds VX 3,and 5's and Nightforce NX8 scopes.
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Post by steiny on Oct 15, 2024 14:38:54 GMT -5
Thanks to all. Any advice on long range scopes? I wouldn't consider any off the shelf muzzle loader a "long range weapon". I know some of the guys shooting smokeless push them a bit further but 150 - 200 yards would be about max range for anything off the shelf. I'd be reluctant to shoot past 150 with my setup. Doesn't take an elaborate scope for deer sized game at those ranges. I'm a fan of 3x9 Leupold VX2 for hunting rifles and they have served me well. Plenty of other brands of good scopes also. Quality of the optics is probably more important than the magnification. |
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Post by esshup on Oct 15, 2024 20:18:45 GMT -5
Thanks to all. Any advice on long range scopes? Long range is not synonymous with Blackhorn...... If you are wanting to shoot long range with that gun, then you'd better get really, really good at reading the wind. Bullet drop is easy to figure if you have a good range finder. Wind drift is another matter. If you are going to use the crosshairs to make distance adjustments for bullet impact, look at FFP scopes. If you are going to use the target turrets to make distance adjustments, that is only accurate at ONE power level to use the scope to estimate range. My choice would be (in no particular order) upper end Vortex scopes, Nightforce scopes, Schmidt and Bender, upper end Leupold scopes etc. Expect the scope to cost much more than the muzzleloader. You need repeatable target turret clicks. Kentucky windage won't work for long range shooting. My long range cartridge gun is set up with a 300 yd zero and I have checked point of impact out to 1,400 yards. True long range shooting will require a range finder, practice reading the wind and LOTS of practice. I have a Nightforce NSX scope on my long range rifle. 5.5-22x50. one moa large hash marks with 1/2 moa small marks for vertical, 2 moa large with 1 moa small hash marks for horizontal. Cow Elk at 708 yards, coyote at 867 yards, 1/2 scale groundhog steel target at 1,000 yds. Many, many rocks between 300 and 1,400 yards. What do YOU consider to be long range? |
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