Muzzle loaders

[savagewsm]

Just wondering about some opinions on what is being used out there. What is crap and what is good. I've heard Knight is back. Has anyone tried one of their new rifles ?

[trooper]

I'm using an invest arms .50 cal hawken Percussion. My load is 70 gns of FFFG triple 7 and a patched round ball. These work excellant for me.
I'm in the process of purchasing a pedersoli Sharps 45-70 Boss.

[savagewsm]

Have you hunted with that combo ?

[catnthehat]

I have hunted with a .58 calibre fraser River Hawken fairly regularly since 1980, and between 1980 and 1990 almost exclusively.
.280 patched round ball with 130 grains of FFG has never let me down , and is an accurate load in this gun.
I've killed lots of big game , and with only 50 grains of powder it is accurate enough at 20 yards to take a partridge's head off every time.
Longest shot on a deer was 150 paces, anaimal went 30 feet.

Before that I hunted with a .50 Lyman Hawken using 110 grains of FFFG and a patched round ball. Killed deer and bears with it.

Cat

[trooper]

Have you hunted with that combo ?

Yes. I dropped a nice doe last november at 60 meters. Hit her just behind the shoulders 4" below the spine. She walked about 8 paces then dropped like a stone.:character0110:

[Pioneer2]

I use a TC Renegade .54 with a 1-70 Green Mt barrel .Same barrel maker Knights use/used? It prints 1-1.5 MOA at 100 yards and rides on top of 100 gr of FFG and a .018 pillow ticking patch.At 110 gr opened to 2 MOA and kicked the snot out of me with the steel but plate.Due to my vision it wears a 4x scope.Have killed a WT and MD buck with this.The WT was at 90 yards and right through the heart a hole you could put your thumb through.The MD broke both front shoulders found the flattened ball and melted it into another one.........Harold

[trooper]

I have hunted with a .58 calibre fraser River Hawken fairly regularly since 1980, and between 1980 and 1990 almost exclusively.
.280 patched round ball with 130 grains of FFG has never let me down , and is an accurate load in this gun.
I've killed lots of big game , and with only 50 grains of powder it is accurate enough at 20 yards to take a partridge's head off every time.
Longest shot on a deer was 150 paces, anaimal went 30 feet.

Before that I hunted with a .50 Lyman Hawken using 110 grains of FFFG and a patched round ball. Killed deer and bears with it.

Cat

What was your barrel length on your Hawken Cat? I fired a bunch of tests over snow a few years ago and anything more than 80 gns I found unburned on the snows surface. My barrel is 28" I was using Triple 7 FFFG for that test.

[catnthehat]

What was your barrel length on your Hawken Cat? I fired a bunch of tests over snow a few years ago and anything more than 80 gns I found unburned on the snows surface. My barrel is 28" I was using Triple 7 FFFG for that test.

My lyman was a 28", my Fraser River is a 30"
A lot depends on the individual barrel and the patch/ball combination, coupled with the grade and lot# of the partiicualr powder
Cat

[petew]

I have several 50 and 54 cal Hawken style ML's that I love to use and a sweet 45 cal Pedersoli Kentucky.
For a favorite I am torn between the 54 cal 20" barrel Investarms Hawken, and a 50 cal TC flintlock Hawken. The short 54 and a 450 gr maxi is sweet to caryand should look after anything.
The Flinter is just cool to shoot.
It is great to see a ML thread with the emphasis on traditional style muzzle loaders instead if front loading centerfires.
I do have some issues with vision and sights and have put tang peeps on the flinter and shortie 54. Eventualy they all will get peeps.
Pete