Acquired Knight. 50 Caliber M/L rifle

[ENCORE]

Some of the new custom or semi custom MLs are amazing. If I recall correctly, they were shooting 327g tipped bullets at 2,300+ FPS. I'm also certain they are very expensive to feed with teeth rattling recoil. I seem to recall a video or write up of a 300yd shot where there was no evidence of expansion. The same manufacturer bragged about 600yd kills with the aid of precision dialing scopes/ballistic programs. I contemplated this route and concluded the added range for where and how I hunt wasn't justified. I love ML hunting…and the excuse to tinker and experiment. This didn't seem worth the effort/cost. Just my 0.02.

The customs are shooting well in access of 2,300fps. With my custom 45cal, I send a 350gr XLD at 3,000fps when shooting SML.
We just finished shooting 5 relays at 1,000yds at Camp Atterbury, however there we are limited on propellant to 120grs VOLUME of BH209. No SML. I took 1st in the inaugural, 2nd last June and 3rd two weeks ago.

Recoil is very easy, as customs have muzzle brakes.
I target shoot, but I also hunt exclusively with a muzzleloader.

 

[wildcat westerner]

Shane,
NO, as to your suggestion, but it will be done this eveningl Anything slower than 1-20 means replacement to me. I will be hunting on the property of the person who traded me this rifle, for no cost. If I show up with another rifle, that would be a bad form, and he is a good friend. However, the same rifle with another barrel, that's a different story!

 

[wildcat westerner]

Encore,

I would be pleased if you would email with me privately. My address here is Wildcat Westerner.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Barrel swaps are easy. You can get them off ebay if desperate.

 

[SouthLoganCountyShooter]

Things I found out today. I noted the Green Mountain stamp on the barrel of my rifle and called them. Green Mountain was very informative. They told me my rifle .000026 was made early in Knight manufacture (DUH!). Then they dropped a bomb- the rifle was made for round balls and the twist rate was 1-70! My God. I have communicated with Knight and informed them of what I was told and also was informed that Green Mountain has not supplied barrels to Knight for over ten years.
So, a new barrel is in the offing.
Since everything I have shot over a forty year period has been precision target, benchrest and long range target shooting or hunting, if I am going to fix this weapon, I would like to do it correctly with the best barrel and bullets commonly available. Today I learned that there are manufactured m/l rifles available for over $4,000.00, which is stunning to me. I traded a .22 bolt action and a Mossberg .410 pump for this Knight rifle.

WW

I would check that 1:70 twist. I wouldn't have ever thought a disc extreme would be made for round balls.

 

[wildcat westerner]

South Logan County,
I have removed the breech plug and visually I can see the twist rate is NOT what I have been told by green Mountain. Barrel will be cleaned and then twist rate will be ascertained. I am hoping it is 1-20. I am curious, what is the exact size of your 50 caliber bore patches? My wife being a quilter, I use her rotary cutters, etc. to create my own patches and have never had a bore size this large.

WW

 

[Shane Lindsey]

338 sized patches work on a jag or wrapped around a brush.

I thought someone from Green Mountain may have been smokin some green stuff when they told you that. Curious what you find when you punch it with a tight brush and measure.

 

[wildcat westerner]

Shane,
I was shown a site where a large amount of experimentation was done with bullets shot into plastic water jugs. Lots of experimentation with differing loads and more bullets than I knew existed. Most impressive to me were the Furies. I have Thor's coming for a sizing test, so I know the correct size of bullets to be ordering to fit this barrel.
I have 338 patches I have created. before this M/L challenge became a reality we were just finisihing up a very long range prone rifle in 338 Win.mag with a full length 33 inch barrel. Its muzzle diameter being 1.5 inches we have had no readings of velocities from three different chronographs. Another, a shoot thru chronograph will be available next week.
Thank you, I shall send you the results from my twist test.

WW

 

[wildcat westerner]

Shane,

It took a little doing but the twist rate for my rifle is exactly 1-28. Now, somehow I have to discover which 50 caliber bullets work best with a 1-28 twist. I have already been told that custom barrels for this caliber are made in 1-18, which is of course, a much faster twist than this present barrel.

WW

 

[Shane Lindsey]

These are the easy button in my Knight.

1875 FPS with 73gr BH209 from a 19" barrel.

44cal 250gr MZL Maximus-50ct

44cal 250gr solid copper, lead free hunting bullet designed for devastating terminal performance. These bullets shed 4-6 petails after 1-2" of penetration while the base continues.

cuttingedgebullets.com

.50Cal Harvester Crush Rib Sabots for .44Cal Bullets (Green)

50 Cal Sabot for .430Cal Muzzleloader Bullets Available in 12ct, 25ct and 50ct

cuttingedgebullets.com

 

[wildcat westerner]

Shane ,

Have ordered them. I am almost certain that while I have been given some bullets with sabots with this rifle, Almost certainly either the Fury's which are true fifty caliber bullets, of these .44 saboted bullets will be the ones I shall be using hunting after Christmas with.
The help I have received in all facets of muzzleloading just this week has been exceptional and I have been taking notes so as to not lose this valuable information.

Thanks

WW

 

[SouthLoganCountyShooter]

South Logan County,
I have removed the breech plug and visually I can see the twist rate is NOT what I have been told by green Mountain. Barrel will be cleaned and then twist rate will be ascertained. I am hoping it is 1-20. I am curious, what is the exact size of your 50 caliber bore patches? My wife being a quilter, I use her rotary cutters, etc. to create my own patches and have never had a bore size this large.

WW

It won't be a 1:20. Probably 1:48. I'm almost positive that's what my brothers is. He got his the first year it came out.

 

[SouthLoganCountyShooter]

It won't be a 1:20. Probably 1:48. I'm almost positive that's what my brothers is. He got his the first year it came out.

Edit lol it maybe 1:28 or 1:48.

 

[wildcat westerner]

When I measured it following specific instructions , it is 1=28.