Muzzleloading accuracy and trajectory

[wildcat westerner]

Buttermilk, your group warms my heart! Which rifle do you have and would you be willing to share your load with me?

 

[Buttermilk]

Buttermilk, your group warms my heart! Which rifle do you have and would you be willing to share your load with me?

I have the Remington UML. I shoot a healthy charge of BH209, lit by a F215GGM primer.

Gun has the Arrowhead gen2 breechplug in it. I've installed pillars and bedded the stock as well as freefloated the barrel. In addition, I've modified the stock by slimming up the forend and removing the wrong sided cheekpiece.

 

[wildcat westerner]

Buttermilk, congratulations on upgrading a very high quality firearm. I have been told Remingtons' and Paramounts 'are so much stronger than other m/L rifles they can be loaded to exceed the safety standards of the rest of the m/l rifles.
I have also been told that certain Canadian modified Savage rifle can use modern smokeless powders like Re7 and that the loadings are reduced in volume but yield higher velocity.

 

[Buttermilk]

Buttermilk, congratulations on upgrading a very high quality firearm. I have been told Remingtons' and Paramounts 'are so much stronger than other m/L rifles they can be loaded to exceed the safety standards of the rest of the m/l rifles.
I have also been told that certain Canadian modified Savage rifle can use modern smokeless powders like Re7 and that the loadings are reduced in volume but yield higher velocity.

Remington advertised the UML as a 200gr Triple 7 or Pyrodex powder gun. With BH209, I'm stopping well short of that, but considerably more than the more typical ML I only chrono'd a limited number of shots but I'm pretty decent MV from the 340 gr ELDX bullet.

 

[wildcat westerner]

This is all relevant info and thank you. I just got a shock. I noted the Green Mountain stamp on this Knight barrel and called the company. They were very helpful. My serial number 000026 rifle was made in 1982, even though it still has the original company tags hanging from the trigger guard! It was made for round ball projectiles!.490 to .500 with a 1-70 twist. I know this rifle was shot a few times with saboted projectiles and was given some of these, when I got this rifle. It was used to kill a 160+ B&C whitetail in Missouri.
So, I face a challenge. Finding out what exact projectile works best in a 1-70 twist rifle barrel, finding out who makes a conventionally aerodynamic bullet that will stabilize best in this barrel, and then finding out the best bullet for hunting with this barrel. Your rifle is excellent and built to high standards of modern metallurgy. I looked at the bottom of this thumbhole stock and note only a single set screw binds the action to this stock. While I have virtually no funds invested in this weapon, the idea of purchasing a Paramount at $4,000.00 is NOT going to happen to this shooter!

WW

 

[marksman1941]

A 1:70 twist most likely will not stabilize a bullet of any sort. Start with the lightest bullet you can find and give it a try, but you may be stuck with round balls

 

[wildcat westerner]

NO way!!! Not here in the Rockies. So, I should be looking for a new barrel, preferably in 45 caliber?

 

[Buttermilk]

Some states have a minimum caliber requirement. May want to check into that if you rebarrel. However, 45 cal does offer some advantages over 50 cal.

I'm not familiar with your ML so I can't speak to options on that gun.