For those that hunt or shoot muzzle loaders I thought this might be of interest

Just picked up a used chronograph this week so wanted to try out the powders in my muzzle loader to see where they were in comparison to each other.

All shots were in my Knight KBR using 265gr hornady FTX .430 bullets (44 cal ballistic tip) and
TC sabots.

Standard pyrodex was 1525 and 1540 for the 2 shots I took with it.

Triple 7 mag powder was the fastest at 1810-1850

White hots 1745-1755

both of the powders had 1 or 2 outside those rangers but not much.

I got a couple not real accurate shots (still trying to figure this out) but last 6 shots 3 with the magnum and 3 with the white hots were all within the 9ring and the 3 shot groups from each powder could be covered with a quarter. Neither the white hot or the magnum had any real advantage in accuracy over the other for the most part but the white hot was marginally more consistant velocity and was a lot less fowling. But I did shoot 10 shots straight without running a patch down the barrel with both and still was able to load them fairly easily.

I started using the white hots this year (had used mag powder or regular triple 7 in the past) and like the less fowling but I will say it's not a LOT. BUT a per shot cost the white hots are slightly less (we are talking pennies) and it is definitely faster then standard triple 7


BTW while we were playing with the chronograph my co-driver had his 25-06 out. Factory hornady 117 gr loads were pushing just over 3000ft/sec, some of the 100gr other factory stuff was in the 2800-2850 range so hornady is loading them a little hotter. BUT the best shooting rounds he has in that gun are 75gr handloads from the guy he bought the gun from at 3200.

 

Not very experienced in black powder in anyway, but 25-06 is another matter. Great caliber and really overlooked, I had a Winchester Mod 70 in .25-06, wish I had never traded it off.

 

Well, that is surprising, I didn't think big muzzle loaders got up that high, I thought normal was about 1,000.

 

rebo the modern stuff is pretty good anymore. 200yrd accuracy is not only possilbe but very probable anymore. I am not even loading the gun to max capacity which is 150gr of powder vs the 100 I am using.

 

Great range report, Rob!!!!!!!

Up until the last year or so, I've not had any 'real desire' to shoot blackpowder, but, I acquired a T/C "Omega" and a "Triumph" a while back (won in raffles), and I've promised my son that we'd go sight in the Triumph, on Friday.

I put a Nikon "Pro Staff" 2-7x32mm power scope on it.

I picked up some Pyrodex 'pellets' and some "Shockwave" sabot rounds.
A friend gave me a new bottle of "American Pioneer" pellets. (NOT the 'Gold'.) My friend did NOT like that American Pioneer stuff, at all.
His groups looked more like 'patterns'.

My youngest son will be using the Triumph on opening day (this Saturday).

 

I assume that both of those are 209 ignition? I would go with atleast regular triple 7 pellets over the straight pyrodex. the 209 primers don't seem to have any trouble lighting off the faster powders.

Only bullets I have found so far I do NOT like is any sabot with the barnes bullets in them. For some reason I get tumbling bullets almost ever shot using the Barnes. The shockwaves always seemed to work fine though.

 

Yessir, they're both in-lines, with 209 ignition.

Since my youngest son is 13, I don't want to get him shooting 'magnum' loads from bp, just yet, and start a flinch.
I'm not sure of the weight difference, but, the "Triumph" is a lot lighter than the "Omega". That's why Brad will be carrying the "Triumph".

I've also got a Thompson/Center "Treehawk" that I picked up, literally, for a set of carbide .44 magnum dies that I got on sale for $24.00 and shipping!

Since I won't be hunting with it, I'd like to convert it to 209 ignition.
(I might get Brad to hunt with that little rifle, once he gets accustomed to loading bp.)

I've never seen any type of conversion kit for percussion muzzleloaders, though.
(See plenty of in-line conversion kits, though!)

 

with 100gr of white hots the recoil isn't bad at all. Remember that muzzle loaders "black powder" isn't the same sharp rap or kick of modern smokeless powder it's more of a push then a kick. Honestly I put over 20rounds in 1 day and my shoulder was fine. I doubt it kicks any harder if as hard as a typical 20ga even with the hotter powders.

I don't see much use in loading 150gr personally though. Yes the gun will handle it but the velocities and accuracy at 100yrds is plenty sufficient IMO.

 

I use shockeys gold in mine. It burns clean and cleans up easy. higher Velocity means a flatter trajectory and more penetration on a hit. That is what a hunter wants. Target shooters cut back on the powder to try and find a load with the tightest group which is usually well below a hunting load.

 

high tajectory and over penetration at 150 yrds is great IF you actually hit the target. 100gr of powder will not only penetrate at 100+ yrds but will almost always pass clear through a deer. so like I said I don't see much point in hotter then that. Even in modern rifles you don't load to max chamber pressure you load for what wil give acceptable accuracy AND do the job.