Muzzleloaders: what's good or not? will i blow my face off?

[Shipyard]

Round ball or bullets?
Percussion cap or 209primer?
Real blackpowder or substitute?

If you just want to extend the season
50cal inline useing 209 primers substitute powder and either 44 or 45 caliber sabots.
Never seen the need for magnum load capabilities ie 150gr loads as they usually are less accurate with heavy loads, The magnum can be loaded down in the 80-100gr range and shot accurate. All IMHO

for my purposes i want easy and convieninet. i suppose i'm looking at bullet/sabot and substitute.

what's the difference between 209 primer and percussion cap? pro/con either way?

[Shipyard]

anyone have any opinion on that electra electric ignition system? i'm a bit warry about batteries dueing a MN winter, but the trigger is practically an electric switch so there is little travel/pull and from what i've read it has "instantaneous" ignition rather than a delay on a primer system. anyone got one? like it? hate it?

[Rem700]

IMHO the NEF Sidekick 50cal is probably one of the best bang for the buck.

209 shotgun primers can be had just about anywhere percussion cap not quite so much.
209 primers are probably more reliable and with a inline system are better protected from the elements.
No experience with electric I know some states ban there use but believe Mn still allows there use at this time.

[Holland&Holland]

Will you blow your face off? Problably, but that likely has more to do with Bubba-izing Mosin's than anything you do with a muzzle loader.

I have a TC Omega and while I have nothing else to compare it to, it goes bang, puts 'em where I want 'em and is comfy to shoot. No complaints. Next time we end up at OGC at the same time I will try to rememeber to bring it along and you can smoke a few.

[Rem700]

For 50cal and just generalization and IMHO
Twist rates

1-26ish good for saboted bullets

1-48ish only ok for ball/bullets does neither great

1-77ish good for round ball

The ish is because various mfg are around this number give or take a couple of turns.

[rugersol]

I must say, I'm a bit disappointed ...

Is there a particular reason ya wouldn't simply chop up a Mosin to turn it into a break-action with a breach-plug to take 209 primers?

Worst case, ya'd hafta make sure ya drop 'nuff blackpowder in to keep the bullet from goin' into where the case'd otherwise be! ... 'less ya cut/re-thread the bbl to take the "chamber" out.

... ya could remove the bolt, and rivet a hinged cover-plate over the action ... to store extra Kool's 'er a snack 'er somethin'?

[Rem700]

Never did keep up with how Savage made out with there SMOKLESS powder muzzle loader or if legal for use in Mn dureing the muzzle loader season.

[Pred]

I've been using Blackhorn 209 powder in my CVA Accura and really like it. During range sessions it really shines. You don't need to swab between shots. It cleans up with regular gun cleaning solution, not water. But you need to use magnum 209 primers (will not work with percussion caps) as it can be hard to ignite. You also use a bit less than other black powder substitutes for the same velocity. I think 120 grains is a max load.

[rukwikenuf]

allz i knowz about muzzleloaders is that my dad's is a POS. he got the $90 special at Fleet Farm, a Wolf iirc. yeah... the sights are dead-nuts at about 20 yards. don't get me wrong, it feels good in the hands, the recoil isn't noteworthy, and the sights are good (adjustable target style with red front and green rear fiber optic) but the rifle? not so much

i'd look at a TC. they have some of the strongest following from what i've seen. well, this side of the blunderbusses and such silliness

[goalie]

allz i knowz about muzzleloaders is that my dad's is a POS. he got the $90 special at Fleet Farm, a Wolf iirc. yeah... the sights are dead-nuts at about 20 yards. don't get me wrong, it feels good in the hands, the recoil isn't noteworthy, and the sights are good (adjustable target style with red front and green rear fiber optic) but the rifle? not so much

i'd look at a TC. they have some of the strongest following from what i've seen. well, this side of the blunderbusses and such silliness

Your post begs the question: it shoots well with good sights for hunting, and feels good in the hands, with a stock that doesn't kick your ass when you touch it off, but it is a POS?

Are you talking about how pretty it is? I mean, when you get down to it, a muzzle-loader is pretty much just a pipe that controls an explosion. The CVA Wolf model here, while not noted for being aesthetically pleasing to the extreme, is pretty decent for beating up while hunting from what I've seen at the range:

http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/produc ... k-pr2110vp

The two I've shot were as accurate as my Knight.

[rukwikenuf]

Sorry, I meant that we've not been able to achieve any repeatable accuracy out of this rifle. Yes, it feels good, shoulders nicely, and the TruGlo type sights are easy to acquire, but we haven't gad good luck with the important part, accuracy

[gunforhire]

allz i knowz about muzzleloaders is that my dad's is a POS. he got the $90 special at Fleet Farm, a Wolf iirc. yeah... the sights are dead-nuts at about 20 yards. don't get me wrong, it feels good in the hands, the recoil isn't noteworthy, and the sights are good (adjustable target style with red front and green rear fiber optic) but the rifle? not so much

i'd look at a TC. they have some of the strongest following from what i've seen. well, this side of the blunderbusses and such silliness

Your post begs the question: it shoots well with good sights for hunting, and feels good in the hands, with a stock that doesn't kick your ass when you touch it off, but it is a POS?

Are you talking about how pretty it is? I mean, when you get down to it, a muzzle-loader is pretty much just a pipe that controls an explosion. The CVA Wolf model here, while not noted for being aesthetically pleasing to the extreme, is pretty decent for beating up while hunting from what I've seen at the range:

http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/produc ... k-pr2110vp

The two I've shot were as accurate as my Knight.

Hell, My CVA is a cheaper model than that and it's nuts-on at 100 yds

[Rem700]

Loads and loading technique and consistency has a lot to do accuracy.