Muzzle Loader Advice

[Digger]

I've been a re-loader for over 25 years but in the last two I started to play with the black powder. I have two questions for the forum
1) Is there a good place to buy B.P supplies in the Edmonton capital region without having to go to Calgary.
2) I've been using pellets and loose powder, with the loose I've weighing instead of going by volume,is this a ok practice

You can weigh your powder for sure as long as you are not using 100 grains by weight and thinking it equals 100 grains by volume. When people speak about muzzleloader powder, they are speaking by volume. I've never really seen the need to go through all the fuss of weighing powder though. Muzzleloaders aren't that fussy and a good powder measure is all you really need for loose powder and if you are using pellets, then there is no need to measure at all.

[aulrich]

I have heard of some guys wieghing powder for ultimate accuracy but I personally don't think it is worth it, 1 moa not really all that useful in a 100-200 yard gun. Happily my gun never liked pellets all that much if find the pellets way too pricey.

I try to avoid blister pack bullets too as an example in the current SIR catalog 10 Nosler Partition HG's are 18$ I got 50 for 39$ during wholesales moving sale from the reloading section another 7 for nosler sabots. So just about any place with reloading stuff should have something useful.

And if you just wanted to plink you could use remington bulk heads

I actually enjoy moa accuracy with three of my muzzleloaders using a powder measure or pellets. The one thing that a lot of shooters don't realize about Pyrodex pellets is that they offer superior performance over loose powder. You will gain 150-200fps with three Pyrodex pellets over 150 grains of loose Pyrodex in some muzzleloaders. It has to do with the more even ignition of the pellets due to the hole up the centre of them.

[aulrich]

Don't get me wrong accuracy is always fun, just not always any more useful.

Damn I need a Crony.

Ya, a chrony sure does open your eyes as to what some of your loads are actually doing.

[Digger]

Thank you for your replies. I have two muzzle loaders, my Pro-hunter you can just about put any thing in it ang get some kind of group, but I have a T/C Black mountain mag that I feel like throwing #@!&#!!!. This gun has a side hammer with a musket cap. The barrel has a 1 in 28 twist taking 3 pellets or triple 777. My thought was a mag. gun with old school looks. The only thing is I can't get it to group

Throw away the pellets with the Black Mountain Mag. I know T/C marketed it as a caplock capable of shooting pellets but it does it poorly at best. Try loose powder loads of regular Pyrodex in the 100-120 grain range. Most of them shoot 240-grain XTPs well. I've never run SSTs through one so not sure how they work.

My ProHunter is not a 777 fan but really likes three Pyrodex pellets with a 200 or 250 grain Shockwave (SST) It does not shoot the bonded Shockwaves as well as the originals though.

[aulrich]

I would think that with a side lock loose powder would be a better, I would think the pellet system is optimised for a hot flash up the center. With the side lock the flash would have to turn a corner.

BTW where do you hunt with your BP's personally every Thanksgiving I am in northern sask (Dore Lake 2 hrs northeast of Meadow lake) visiting the inlaws and as of last year closing my cabin . And if I take a couple of extra days I'll buy a deer tag, lots of deer up there so tagging a meat deer is pretty easy, usually not up there long enough to be fussy . But one of these year I'll take a week and hunt the rut and try for one of those brusers that live up there.

I have been toying with the idea of using it to fill my doe tags or to hunt that december doe season around town (though I am not sure if anyone actually gives permision anymore)

The Black Mountain Magnum was actually designed to use pellets and has a specially designed powder chamber to accomodate them but as I said, it didn't work that well. This was the only caplock that I'm aware of where pellets where recommended.

I hunt at least 50% of the time with muzzleloader even in general rifle seasons and some years I'm sure it's 80-90%. With so few primitive seasons in Alberta, you really need to use them during general seasons to gain much experience with them. I've shot everything from sheep to musk ox to moose with mine.

[Digger]

I was talking to my buddies the other day, I can see this Pro-hunter doing all my hunting. I picked up a 270 wsm a-bolt last year and just love it,but I don't see when I'll get the chance to hunt with it. This black powder thing starts to grow on you so I think I know exactly what you mean Sheep.

Yes, it gets in your blood and the Encore is certainly capable of being a consistent 200 yard shooter.