Dose anyone else here shoot black powder?

[qrb912]

If anyone here is into black powder/muzzleloaders, I would like to open a discussion on the topic in here. I don't want to dirrect the conversation in any specific direction. I just want to start a dialogue and see where it gois from there.

If you are going to get into the discussion, please list what you shoot and what you shoot out of it.

CVA Optima Elite Stainless Steel .50 muzzleloader
Pioneere powder
Speer gold dot 230 grain .451
Graf and Sons salbots.

I would like to see an exchange of information that will help us all shoot and or hunt better with our weapon of choice.

[Gunzzi]

CVA Optima Pro Magnum 209 nickel .50
777 pellots 100 gr
Hornady .44 saboted
Bushnell 3-9X40mm scope
see thru scope rings
fiber optic fixed sights

[Baddog]

I shoot a Knight Revolution or how ever you spell it. (A little too much Bud Select and a little too late.) I love it even though I hit the biggest deer I ever shoot at last Oct. a little too high and it ran off. I think it was a high lung shoot.

[qrb912]

Originally Posted by Baddog

I shoot a Knight Revolution or how ever you spell it. (A little too much Bud Select and a little too late.) I love it even though I hit the biggest deer I ever shoot at last Oct. a little too high and it ran off. I think it was a high lung shoot.

I had the mossberg .50 muzzleloader barrel for my model 500 12ga. I have numted with that one for the last 10 years. I took a deer with it last season up in Ohio with my dad. It sounded different when I took the shot. I noticed when I opened the chamber to remove the old primer that the primer and a piece of medal fell out. The breach started to crack. It piece of medal that fell out was the primer ejector. Mossberg offered to send me a new one, but my grandfather gave me this one. I saved it just for nestalge. I did however upgrade to a CVA Optima elite 209 stainless .50. I am glad that I did. This thing is a hammer at 100 yards. 2.25 inch groups with speer gold dot 230 grains and 100 grains of Pioneer powder in the sticks. I want to get it in powder as soon as Gander Mountin gets it in. I don't like the idea of the air gaps in the chamber around the sticks.

[qrb912]

Originally Posted by Gunzzi

CVA Optima Pro Magnum 209 nickel .50
777 pellots 100 gr
Hornady .44 saboted
Bushnell 3-9X40mm scope
see thru scope rings
fiber optic fixed sights

What made you decice on the .44 over the .45? IS there an advantage or was it just what was avalible to you at the time you were working up your load?

[Gunzzi]

Originally Posted by qrb912

What made you decice on the .44 over the .45? IS there an advantage or was it just what was avalible to you at the time you were working up your load?

I tried a number of loads including .50 power belt and this was the one that was most consistant with my rifle. Barnes .45 sabot would be my 2nd choice.

[qrb912]

I tried the Power Belt .50 in several different weights too. I could not get them to group outside of 50 yards. I tried several different powders and primers too.

[Gunzzi]

It worked best for me the 777 pellots (2) pre measured at 50 grains each and the Hornady 44 (240gr) sabots & Win primers gave me sub 2" groups at 100 yds.

[qrb912]

Are your bullets open hallow poiint or are they FMJ? I have been useing the speer gold dot hollow points. I have not been able to shoot much past 100 yards, but I am hoping to get the thing to a 4 inch group at 200 yards with this load. I am sure I will have to tweek the powder and primers to get that out of it. I am also wondering if the hollow point is going to become a big factor at that distance also. I might have to switch to FMJ for that kind of range. I don't want to hunt at that kind of range with it, I want to be able to shoot in a long ranger wuzzle loader comp I have heard about in my area.

[Gunzzi]

I use hollow points because that is what I hunt with. Obviously if you are shooting competition at longer ranges then use a ballistic tip or FMJ.