Learned two new things....

[selmerfan]

...and I'll share. First, I'm starting into the inline muzzleloader bit and assembling a wide variety of projectiles to see what my Knight 1-28" rifle likes. I stopped in at the local shop again yesterday to look for some T/C commercial Maxis to compare with the Maxis that blammer is sending me. I found some old boxes of twenty .50 cal. I grabbed two, I think 420 and 460 gr. That doesn't matter. Package says "No lube needed, shoot as is from the box." On sale, $5/box. Great, I have a few commercial cast to try and don't need to lube them! I open the boxes at home. Lube is cracking off of over half of them. So I decide I need to get the rest of the lube off so I can re-lube them with fresh lube. First stupid thought. "My case polisher will take that right off!" Idiot. All it did was proceed to hammer the walnut media into the lube. So I put them in a pan of water, popped them in the oven at 425. Pan is boiling, some of the media is coming off, lube floating to the top. Good. I brush the rest off with a toothbrush. Lesson learned - don't try to remove boolit lube with a case polisher. Just pop them in the oven and let it run off.

Second thing I learned. The boolits in the package that had decent lube with decent moisture content looked really nice. Upon inspection of the boolits after removing the lube, I would have rejected 10% of the boolits if I had cast them. A void here, a void there, some uneven/wrinkly spots in the grooves, some spots where they obviously dropped from the mold when they were too hot and banged against other boolits. Lesson learned - commercial doesn't always mean perfect. I anticipate the boolits I receive from blammer will be of a higher casting quality than the purchased boolits marketed by T/C.

[44man]

First, I hate inline ML's and prefer a round ball gun and twist.
Then the lube put on those factory things dries out and even though the package says it is OK and they will shoot, don't believe it because the lube will no longer soften fouling.
Many, many bring them here to shoot and I would rather have teeth pulled without numbing then fool with them. Seen one shot taken and then seen the guy push the next bullet and sabot down by putting the rod against a tree. I have shot my .54 with patched round ball 200 times in a day without ever wiping the bore and have hit 4 out of 5 steel chickens off hand at 200 meters with the right sight setting. I shoot flint locks all day without cleaning.
Who needs a 200 yard muzzle loader with all the problems and expense? My God does it cost to shoot the things! I see the little packs of pellets and bullets at Wall mart and can shoot 1000 shots for as much.
See what an old timer can come up with? :mrgreen:

[selmerfan]

44 - this was an experiment purchase. I want to have the option of ML hunting deer in MN and got into the gun for $100 shipped - accessories were considerably more than the gun! I've avoided the muzzleloader game because I already reload, cast, fish, process meat, continue as a musical performer, full-time dad, husband, and pastor. I didn't need one more thing. But I finally gave in - if I enjoy as much as I'm afraid I will you will find me with a traditional ML before too long.

[45-70 Chevroner]

44man! Right on. I have 3 "real" muzzleloaders one custom made, and two store bought. I prefer caplocks, for no other reason than they are simpler to mess with. I have never shot an inline as I consider them modern. I went to a local muzzle loading shoot. There were two of us shooting caplock rifles and the rest were shooting inlines. I shot first place and the other guy that was shooting a caplock shot second place. I have never seen an inline that would out shoot a triditional mussleloader. As for the Maxi's you bought, 44man is right the lube will dry out. I would use some Crisco on them, just wipe them all over with the Crisco load and shoot. The Crisco will keep the powder moist enough to make it easier to load the next shot. Good luck, but please give a triditional muzzloader a try. A twist of 1" in 60" is the best place to start with a round ball.

Selmerfan! I hope this does not sound like I am lambasting you, because I'm not. Everyone has thier own preferance.

[selmerfan]

Not taking a lambasting on this end, I know inline's are controversial. For you trad shooters - are you using peep sights of some sort? I have an eye condition that requires the use of rigid contacts to correct my vision, glasses or soft lenses can't do it. This also makes it very difficult to shoot buckhorn open sites - but peeps work well for me. That's what I have on this inline, a good Williams setup.

[selmerfan]

And what happens when one shoots a patched round ball load in a 1-28" twist barrel? Pretty tough to "over-stabilize" a projectile. Does it tear the patch to shreds or what?

[Muddydogs]

I like my old Knight muzzy that I shoot 300 grain XTP's out of. I do go the cheap route with it and buy the bullets and sabots separate as well as shoot loose powder with No11 caps. I do have a fine TC New Englander muzzy side lock but for beating around the woods in the rain and snow nothing is better than the light weight plastic stock Knight. As for what is simpler to use both inline and side locks are the same, powder, bullet, ignition and the only difference is where you put the ignition. Inlines are defiantly easer to keep the cap dry in the rain and having a modern type safety means you don't have to worry about pulling the hammer back quietly when you have that buck sneak in on you at 15 yards.

And yes as I got older I found that I just can't focus on open sights as well so my Knight wears a 1x scope. Oh the horror of it all.

[44man]

44 - this was an experiment purchase. I want to have the option of ML hunting deer in MN and got into the gun for $100 shipped - accessories were considerably more than the gun! I've avoided the muzzleloader game because I already reload, cast, fish, process meat, continue as a musical performer, full-time dad, husband, and pastor. I didn't need one more thing. But I finally gave in - if I enjoy as much as I'm afraid I will you will find me with a traditional ML before too long.
The very best factory ML for a round ball is the Lyman Great Plains rifle with a 1 in 60" twist for a round ball. Prices have really gone up but I never seen one that would not cut a ragged hole at 50 yards. I built all of my rifles but if I had to buy, the Lyman is best. Stay away from Traditions and CVA's. They are made in Spain with inferior steel. The new TC's for round ball suck, they screwed the goose. The original was fantastic.
Very few know just how a round ball will shoot and I have killed over 250 deer with them to over 100 yards. Mostly with a flint lock and percussion. I use revolvers most today because the ML is just too easy with the amount of deer we have. Then I have to clean the thing.
I can't help at all with an inline but I can help make a RB rifle shoot.
This is an average 5 shot group at 50 yards.

[Wayne Smith]

And Lyman makes a peep sight specifically for the Great Plains Rifle. I need to get one.

[nanuk]

someone on this site is working out shooting RB's from a fast twist rifle, and seems to be having pretty good luck at it, from last I read.

[btroj]

I have a Knight with the 1/28 twist. Try a healthy charge of powder with a sabot for .452 bullet and aide lead Lyman 457122 sized to .452. Talk about open a chest cavity and leave a blood trail.....

And yeah, I have many traditional ML rifles. Shot a few deer with them too.