Help me get started ML hunting

[Coldfinger]

Y

I wanna expand my seasons and opportunities. Also learn something new. I love bow hunting and rifle hunting but haven't done this one yet. I need help buying a ML and I can hunt fields and plots with 200 yard shot opportunities. Y'all have some recommendations be a good starter setup for me? I can hunt with a scope here.

What size groups can I expect? What is model? Make? Etc.

I know it's vague but you don't know what you don't know, so I'm throwing it out there.

Thanks

 

[Mark37082]

I may be stating the obvious, but make sure you convert volume to weight in recommended powder charges. 100 grains by volume equals about 70 grains by weight for BH209.

 

[ENCORE]

I may be stating the obvious, but make sure you convert volume to weight in recommended powder charges. 100 grains by volume equals about 70 grains by weight for BH209.

Not necessarily. Each lot# will change the volume to weight ratio.

 

[6.5x300 WBY]

Not necessarily. Each lot# will change the volume to weight ratio.

Encore I never knew that. Learn something new everyday

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Ok gonna dig into the Knight Ultralite. I'm a fairly mobile hunter and that might be a better fit. I went back and read that post and it sounds like this might be The right direction for me. And that load is already going to give me a Head start (.45 cal and 120 gr. of 209). 445Supermag, that set up you've got in the picture seems to be pretty advanced. Guess I need to start a little more simple?

I too got into muzzleloaders a few years ago for the same reason. More time in the woods.

Picked up an old Knight Disc Rifle on ebay when we moved east. Had to change to the bare primer breech plug and shim it in order to be able to shoot BH209 in it. Cut the barrel off to 19" so it is handy in the woods. Velocity loss was minimal.

If you have ignition issues with the Knight and BH, go to ModernMuzzleloader.com and look up how to shim the breech plug.

It will kill…

 

[ENCORE]

Encore I never knew that. Learn something new everyday

Here's an example......... Take lot#39 and measure out 10 charges in a quality volume measure and tap it good. Weigh each charge and then take the average. Lot#39 has a 120gr VOLUME charge that averages 96.1grs by weight. Lot#41 is within a couple tenths of being the same.
I strongly urge shooters using BH that when changing lot#'s, always verify your volume to weights. It won't make much difference to guys just shooting 100yds or so, but once you get into long range, it MATTERS

 

[6.5x300 WBY]

Here's an example......... Take lot#39 and measure out 10 charges in a quality volume measure and tap it good. Weigh each charge and then take the average. Lot#39 has a 120gr VOLUME charge that averages 96.1grs by weight. Lot#41 is within a couple tenths of being the same.
I strongly urge shooters using BH that when changing lot#'s, always verify your volume to weights. It won't make much difference to guys just shooting 100yds or so, but once you get into long range, it MATTERS

Thank you Sir Encore. Appreciate that info

 

[Mark37082]

Here's an example......... Take lot#39 and measure out 10 charges in a quality volume measure and tap it good. Weigh each charge and then take the average. Lot#39 has a 120gr VOLUME charge that averages 96.1grs by weight. Lot#41 is within a couple tenths of being the same.
I strongly urge shooters using BH that when changing lot#'s, always verify your volume to weights. It won't make much difference to guys just shooting 100yds or so, but once you get into long range, it MATTERS

I weigh charges and drop them in reload tubes. I also don't push the limits as the vast majority of my hunting with a ML will be 200 yards and under. I really don't like eye balling volume measurements in the field. How do you go about reloading in the field and range?

 

[ENCORE]

I weigh charges and drop them in reload tubes. I also don't push the limits as the vast majority of my hunting with a ML will be 200 yards and under. I really don't like eye balling volume measurements in the field. How do you go about reloading in the field and range?

I use Lane's 10ml tubes. All my charges are by weight.
Lane's tubes will not allow moisture to the propellant. I've tested them with some weight in the bottom, filled with common household flour and dropped in a bucket of water for 24hrs. Dry.

OLD photos taken probably in 2015 when I was shooting an Ultimate BP Xpress. The tubes would hold a 300gr SST in the sabot and 3 T7M pellets.

You can't beat Lane's. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1816092193...+1LLrxBZM3uNSOsx5cEYCjxYzP|tkp:Bk9SR8qulcvGYg

 

[Buttermilk]

I went the Remington UML route. Pleased I did. (My next ML will be smokeless).

Added an Arrowhead Rifles gen2 breechplug, modified the stock by slimming up the forend and removing the wrong sided cheekpiece, as well as added pillars and bedded the stock.

Now, just need to take it to the hunting grounds.

 

[6.5x300 WBY]

I went the Remington UML route. Pleased I did. (My next ML will be smokeless).

Added an Arrowhead Rifles gen2 breechplug, modified the stock by slimming up the forend and removing the wrong sided cheekpiece, as well as added pillars and bedded the stock.

Now, just need to take it to the hunting grounds.

Hell yeah. That's a shooter. Nice

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I went into Michael's and asked them where they kept the crack vials...got some real looks

 

[iShoot17]

Do you want to kill more deer or do you want to muzzleloader hunt for the challenge of it? You can buy muzzleloading rifles that will shoot into a minute at 600+ yards if that's what you want to do, range the deer, dial the scope, and let fly. From my personal knowledge it's not much if any harder than the same shot with a 308 and a mediocre bullet, but to be clear I don't have a ton of experience with them. Lot's of the common 209 primer inline types are good for 200 yards pretty easily.

Lots of experience here with truly LONG range smokeless muzzleloaders as well as inline types and traditional types whether cap guns or flint. What you want to do will help others relate their experiences.

For me, I want the challenge of hunting with a primitive weapon so I hunt with a traditional style flintlock. Real black powder, patched round ball, iron sights, state of the art 300+ years ago LOL. It will shoot sub 3" at 100 with a capable operator. Kills at 100 also, and that's getting solidly into 'long range' for the equipment in my book. My flintlock is very comparable to bowhunting, just adds 50 yards or so to my range. I primarily bowhunt and muzzleloader hunt these days as it is way more satisfying to me personally, but I also love long range shooting and that's why I hang around here.

PA - to my knowledge - is one of the only (maybe the ONLY) state to have a hunting season strictly limited to flintlock.

It starts after Christmas and is probably the season I enjoy the most. With the snow that covers the PA woods, the excitement of spot and stalk, the quietness of it all - it has all but become an obsession for a few of us. I shoot a .54 cal because that was what was available the year I was invited on my first flintlock hunt. I haven't looked back and look forward to it every year! Patched round balls and open sights make for a thrilling hunt.

With that - I do follow some of the threads on here for the smokeless builds. I look forward to having a smokeless muzzleloader eventually!

 

[DoneNOut]

I have a "Bone Collector" Triumph. It has all the easy button features for a modern muzzleloader. Flared muzzle for easy alignment of the sabot, 1/4 turn breach plug, recoil reducing stock. The only nit-pick con to the gun is the trigger is a bit heavy for my liking. Never noticed it when I pointed it at a deer though, lol.

Then I got married and my wife became a soulless 4 legged critter murder machine and I lost that gun to her use. I was forced to buy another muzzleloader...

So, I got the TC Encore FX because I saw an after market trigger (Bellm) made for that model. The breach plug is not quite as quick, it doesn't have the 1/4 click & release of the Triumph, but it does thread out.

Both of these guns are saweet! Shooting Barnes T-EZ copper bullets with blue sabots is an absolute Symphony of Destruction on deer to 150yds. No experience shooting further though. The 290gr Barnes T-EZ stones deer like Medusa to 100yds. That is a fact.

Blackhorn 209 is all I've used. Measured out on the RCBS chargemaster powder dispenser and put in the "crack vials." @Shane Lindsey lol.