Back to muzzle loading

[Brinky72]

So, I haven’t broke out the muzzle loader in some time. I was talking with M1Garand about going on a late season muzzle loader hunt. I have a Hawken style made by Lyman. All I ever shot out of it was a patched ball ahead of 80 grains of 777. Looking for some advice on something a little better like a Great Plains bullet or similar. What do you run out of a similar style front stuffer? Don’t want a new muzzle loader burning smokeless and a sabot a max Just want a half step above a round ball.

 

[bdbrown66]

It depends on your barrel's twist. If you have a slow twist (1:60, etc.), a patched round ball is your only option. A medium twist (1:48, etc.) may handle some conical bullets, if they aren't too long. A fast twist (1:28, etc.) is designed for shooting conical bullets. You need to know what your twist is, before you start looking at options.

My Hawken has a Green Mountain barrel with a 1:28 twist. I shoot a TC MaxiBall 370gr over 90-100gr FFg black powder.

 

[grry10]

You didn't say which model Lyman. If you have one with a 1:66 slow twist barrel the Hornady 240 gr PA conical may be an option for you. It is made to shoot in a 1:66 or 1:48.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

TC Maxi Ball did well out of 1-48 twist muzzle loaders that some guys I hunted with used in theirs. The Hornady PA conical mentioned is worth a try also. Dan.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

So, I haven’t broke out the muzzle loader in some time. I was talking with M1Garand about going on a late season muzzle loader hunt. I have a Hawken style made by Lyman. All I ever shot out of it was a patched ball ahead of 80 grains of 777. Looking for some advice on something a little better like a Great Plains bullet or similar. What do you run out of a similar style front stuffer? Don’t want a new muzzle loader burning smokeless and a sabot a max Just want a half step above a round ball.

Have you ever tried real black powder in your muzzle loader? Pain to clean but ignition is faster and always gave good results for me. Dan.

 

[JD338]

My first muzzleloader was a T/C White Mountain Carbine 50 cal. It had a 1:48 twist. I shot Hornady and Buffalo maxi balls with black powder. I used the bore butter to clean and season the bore. Never had a misfire or hangfire.
It was a hoot to shoot and I shot a couple of late season does with it. I sold it to a buddy and bought a Remington M700 ML with a 1:28 twist and shot sabots with 777. My longest kill was a lasered 167 yards. That big old doe only went about 30-40 yards. Bought a T/C Omega because it would shoot 3 777 pellets. Shot one late season doe with that load. Totally destroyed a front quarter so I went back to the 2 pellet load. Killed several deer with that set up until our state changed our regulations and we now hunt the muzzleloader season with a center fire rifle.
Maybe this season I'll blow the cobwebs off the smoke poles.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

Like JD338 I hunted with a T-C White Mountain Carbine, a handy little 50 cal rifle.

I only took two mule deer with mine, but that only took two shots. Used the 385 grain Hornady Great Plains bullet each time. Excellent accuracy and each kill was very quick.

Guy

 

[RL338]

I guess I’m new fashion , sabots and Nosler handgun bullets over black substitute.

 

[Brinky72]

So, after looking at it, it isn’t a Lyman. It was a hand me down and the last time I looked at it was a few years ago. it was a “bonus” that came with my Uncle’s 270 and my dad grabbed from camp back in 2017 and that was the last time I looked at it. It’s an Investarms Hawken made in Italy. The twist rate is 1:48” so it should stabilize a conical bullet of some sort. I remember my Uncle loading 80 grains of 777 and a patched round ball as his go to. I’ll have to give my Uncle a holler and see if he remembers for sure on the load.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Invest Arms makes Lyman muzzle loaders. They are intertwined someway. Dan.

 

[lhsako]

As a point of interest, a very limited one, I used 3F , an MMP sabot and 250 T/C shockwaves in my Lyman Deer Stalker. 4" group at 100 YDS.

 

[highoctane]

This is a bullet I pulled from a buck I killed this past Oct with my muzzleloader. Its a 300 gr Harvester Scorpion PT Gold. If you'll look at the kill pic you'll notice a bump on the neck. That's where the bullet stopped. The buck was about 65 yds away and hard quartered to the left. I aimed on the very last rib and sent it. He collapsed in his tracks. Bullet traveled about half way lengthwise into the neck

 

[bdbrown66]

So, after looking at it, it isn’t a Lyman. It was a hand me down and the last time I looked at it was a few years ago. it was a “bonus” that came with my Uncle’s 270 and my dad grabbed from camp back in 2017 and that was the last time I looked at it. It’s an Investarms Hawken made in Italy. The twist rate is 1:48” so it should stabilize a conical bullet of some sort. I remember my Uncle loading 80 grains of 777 and a patched round ball as his go to. I’ll have to give my Uncle a holler and see if he remembers for sure on the load.

I have the same rifle. You should be able to find a load with 80-100gr FFg and a MaxiBall or MaxiHunter that will shoot pretty well. Round ball may also be an option, or the PA conical that someone else mentioned. Just make sure you clean it good after shooting, or it will turn to a pile of rust in no time. Hot soapy water is best for BP.

 

[lhsako]

THat

This is a bullet I pulled from a buck I killed this past Oct with my muzzleloader. Its a 300 gr Harvester Scorpion PT Gold. If you'll look at the kill pic you'll notice a bump on the neck. That's where the bullet stopped. The buck was about 65 yds away and hard quartered to the left. I aimed on the very last rib and sent it. He collapsed in his tracks. Bullet traveled about half way lengthwise into the neck

View attachment 19434

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Great bullet performance! They are very accurate too. Velocity and distance? Very nice buck from the pine thickets...

 

[Joec7651]

A 36” .54 caliber barrel, cut rifled to 1:79, round balls and Olde Eynsford 3f does it for me.

 

[Brinky72]

I have the same rifle. You should be able to find a load with 80-100gr FFg and a MaxiBall or MaxiHunter that will shoot pretty well. Round ball may also be an option, or the PA conical that someone else mentioned. Just make sure you clean it good after shooting, or it will turn to a pile of rust in no time. Hot soapy water is best for BP.

I’ve read that so many times about the old percussion and flint locks that were of the economy grade. You’re not lying for certain. I’ve seen those things rust like a late 70’s Chevy. Only good news is you can basically replace the barrel fairly easily and start over.

Thanks everyone for the information. After gathering some parts I’m looking forward to getting the old beast out.

 

[Brinky72]

This is a bullet I pulled from a buck I killed this past Oct with my muzzleloader. Its a 300 gr Harvester Scorpion PT Gold. If you'll look at the kill pic you'll notice a bump on the neck. That's where the bullet stopped. The buck was about 65 yds away and hard quartered to the left. I aimed on the very last rib and sent it. He collapsed in his tracks. Bullet traveled about half way lengthwise into the neck

View attachment 19434

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That sir is one handsome buck. Congrats.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Several years ago, in Muzzle Blast magazine there was an article on a concoction using hydrogen peroxide, murphy's oil soap and rubbing alcohol mixed in equal parts, 1-1-1 ratio. I tried it and it works really well for cleaning black powder residue. Just be careful to not let it get on your stock as it can cut the finish, if you leave it on there for awhile. I wrapped a rag around the lock-tang area to catch any spilt. No problem. Putting a little in an empty container then soaking the nipple or clean out screw while swapping out the barrel with this cleaner works good also. Pretty good stuff and easy to make. Dan.

 

[Darkhorse]

I shoot and hunt with round ball only. Never needed a bullet to kill a deer while the round ball works so well.
Funny thing about twist rates, some things are not how they seem. My first ML was a caplock with a 1-48 twist. I shot a lot of competition with that rifle shooting only round ball, to include a 3rd place in the NMLRA SE Regionals. So a 1-48 can shoot round ball accurately.
The main difference I've found is the 1-48 may have only a couple of loads where that accuracy level is attainable, whereas a 1-56 or 1-60 is more forgiving and offers good accuracy with several loads.
When I worked up my accuracy loads I spent a lot of time at the bench and shot a lot of rounds to settle on just a few loads accurate enough to compete with. Given the choice the round ball twists are the easiest to work with. All my rifles now have a round ball twist.
For years my main charge was 100 to 110 grains of 2fg. A few years ago I loaded 70 grains of 3fg and round ball for hunting. I shot 3 that year, a buck and 2 does. Fartherest shot was 65 yards. All 3 were complete pass throughs. A bullet would not have improved the performance or terminal ballistics of any of them.
I recommend working some more on the round ball loadings. After all the shape of the lead isn't what kills it's shot placement.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

All I have ever used is patched round ball in .54 TC Renegade . I have shot a few Whitetail Deer with the patched round ball and in the woods, I don’t see where a Conical would do any better. I do have a bunch of Conical Bullets in case I ever get a chance to hunt Elk with it. All I am saying is don’t sell the patched round ball short as it has worked for many many years.