For what it's worth....I've had occasion to work with two of these rifles and impressed.....I'M NOT! Maybe you're having good luck with yours but after messing around with various rifles of all kinds for over 50 years and from shooting 'muzzle-stuffers' a VERY LONG TIME.....including Black Powder Cartridge Rifles.....I have I think more than enough experience to make the following statement after some thorough testing:
Savage....needs to go back to the drawing board with their so-called 'smokeless' ML! Smokeless powder is much more difficult to ignite than blackpowder and IMO....the breech-plug on the Savage is built with a lot of length to it such that the flashtube is much too long and even with the powders that Savage is recommending.....ignition is not consistant! The 209 primer just isn't hot enough to 'jump' 1 1/2" to lite things up...in a consistant manner. Think about this: In a regular smokeless powder case....the powder sits right atop the primer and a F215 primer lights the powder up quite well. The 'fire'....doesn't have to jump at all and ignition is excellent! Not so....with the design of the Savage and especially with a 209 primer!
Blackpowder is the MOST ACCURATE powder in the world; bar none! I have NEVER been able to get SDs in the range of 2-4 using a smokeless powder; matter of fact getting an SD of 10-12 is exceptionally great with any smokeless powder! Anyone that has done any reading of historical events involving shooting know about this! Blackpowder is used on battleships and one of those big guns can drop a round atop your head from 25 miles off and that's no BS! What gives folks the 'willies' about BP....is the fact that supposedly BP is corrosive and difficult to clean; tain't so....as for the cleaning goes and this thinking is a 'hold-over' from the old 'Hawken days' and info about breaking the rifle out of the stock and plunging the barrel out with hot water and soap! Might be so with a Hawken but with a barrel that has a removable breech plug or a BPCR....cleaning is quite easy!
Recently I've also had the opportunity to test a couple of Ultimate Muzzle Loaders which come out of Manitoba, Canada. These rifles are built up on either a Rem M700 action, Win M70 action, including a couple more popular actions. The maker of these rifles recommends the usage of 'pelletized' powder such as American Pioneer or Triple 7 Magnum pellets. Both rifles shot extremely well back to 400 yds. I might add. These rifles are expensive; $2500.00 plus depending on the stocking.
Frankly....I think for the average hunter...the Encore is hard to beat for I have two of these and both shoot also extremely well back to 300 yards and for my money....I'll just continue to kill bucks with them! Both rifles will cloverleaf 3 shots from 100 yds. and it's not uncommon to get 5 shot groups that will average 2.5" from 200 yds.! I might also add that I AM NOT a Representative of T/C or any other entity! I'm just an ole country boy that has a lot of time to hunt and shoot!
FWIW!!
Savage....needs to go back to the drawing board with their so-called 'smokeless' ML! Smokeless powder is much more difficult to ignite than blackpowder and IMO....the breech-plug on the Savage is built with a lot of length to it such that the flashtube is much too long and even with the powders that Savage is recommending.....ignition is not consistant! The 209 primer just isn't hot enough to 'jump' 1 1/2" to lite things up...in a consistant manner. Think about this: In a regular smokeless powder case....the powder sits right atop the primer and a F215 primer lights the powder up quite well. The 'fire'....doesn't have to jump at all and ignition is excellent! Not so....with the design of the Savage and especially with a 209 primer!
Blackpowder is the MOST ACCURATE powder in the world; bar none! I have NEVER been able to get SDs in the range of 2-4 using a smokeless powder; matter of fact getting an SD of 10-12 is exceptionally great with any smokeless powder! Anyone that has done any reading of historical events involving shooting know about this! Blackpowder is used on battleships and one of those big guns can drop a round atop your head from 25 miles off and that's no BS! What gives folks the 'willies' about BP....is the fact that supposedly BP is corrosive and difficult to clean; tain't so....as for the cleaning goes and this thinking is a 'hold-over' from the old 'Hawken days' and info about breaking the rifle out of the stock and plunging the barrel out with hot water and soap! Might be so with a Hawken but with a barrel that has a removable breech plug or a BPCR....cleaning is quite easy!
Recently I've also had the opportunity to test a couple of Ultimate Muzzle Loaders which come out of Manitoba, Canada. These rifles are built up on either a Rem M700 action, Win M70 action, including a couple more popular actions. The maker of these rifles recommends the usage of 'pelletized' powder such as American Pioneer or Triple 7 Magnum pellets. Both rifles shot extremely well back to 400 yds. I might add. These rifles are expensive; $2500.00 plus depending on the stocking.
Frankly....I think for the average hunter...the Encore is hard to beat for I have two of these and both shoot also extremely well back to 300 yards and for my money....I'll just continue to kill bucks with them! Both rifles will cloverleaf 3 shots from 100 yds. and it's not uncommon to get 5 shot groups that will average 2.5" from 200 yds.! I might also add that I AM NOT a Representative of T/C or any other entity! I'm just an ole country boy that has a lot of time to hunt and shoot!
FWIW!!
