Maven
06-25-2008, 07:27 PM
The weather today was just about perfect for a trip to the range to try my new Knight Bighorn .50cal. inline (open sights), which I did. Since I didn't have any conicals to test*, I had to settle for RB's, which I was told wouldn't shoot well in the 1:28 twist. Well, that advice was 1/2 right. The .495" RB's shot poorly, while their slightly smaller brethren, .490" RB's were quite accurate. Past experience with muzzle loading rifles has taught me to try a larger RB (.495") with a tight patch (.018") for optimum results. Indeed, this has been especially accurate in my Lyman Great Plains (1:60 twist or slower I think) as well as my Dixie flintlock. However, there was no joy with that combination in the inline, even when using only 50grs. Pyro. RS. Groups were 4" - 5" @ 50 yds. Actually, that was the second load I tested. The first one, using a .490" RB + .010" patch put 3 or more touching @ 50 yds. with 50grs. Pyro. RS. All patches were lubed with Ox-Yoke's Wonder Lube, btw. Moreover, instead of #11 percussion caps, I tried Win. shotshell primers with & without the discs (no difference in performance) since I had quite a few on hand from an earlier shotshell disassembly/component recovery project. As the rifle came with 5 black [vinyl] sabots + ~230gr. HP lead boolits (swaged?), I saved them for last, but boosted the powder charge to 80grs. They were only slightly more accurate than the not-so-good .495" RB load chain plus they left some vinyl fouling behind so I wouldn't forget how poorly they did.
Cleaning: I thought inlines would be a snap to clean, but this one is more labor intensive than cleaning my muzzle loaders! The action was absolutely filthy from primer residue as was the bolt/hammer. The barrel wasn't too bad, but Knight wants you to completely remove the barreled action from the stock (very easy) and the trigger group (very easy) and bolt/hammer too (ditto) to clean it. Except for the trigger group, you clean as you would any muzzle loader and then reassemble the piece. Start to finish took me ~20mins. and I wasn't rushing.
Who'd have guessed that a slightly smaller ball & patch combination (.490" + .010") would perform as well as it did, and on the first three firings to boot? I didn't expect it, but am very happy that it did!
P.S. The two R.E.A.L. molds (250gr. & 320gr.) I ordered from Lee Precision arrived about 2 hrs. after I returned from the range. Degreasing, casting and possibly lapping (polishing) them will start tomorrow.
Cleaning: I thought inlines would be a snap to clean, but this one is more labor intensive than cleaning my muzzle loaders! The action was absolutely filthy from primer residue as was the bolt/hammer. The barrel wasn't too bad, but Knight wants you to completely remove the barreled action from the stock (very easy) and the trigger group (very easy) and bolt/hammer too (ditto) to clean it. Except for the trigger group, you clean as you would any muzzle loader and then reassemble the piece. Start to finish took me ~20mins. and I wasn't rushing.
Who'd have guessed that a slightly smaller ball & patch combination (.490" + .010") would perform as well as it did, and on the first three firings to boot? I didn't expect it, but am very happy that it did!
P.S. The two R.E.A.L. molds (250gr. & 320gr.) I ordered from Lee Precision arrived about 2 hrs. after I returned from the range. Degreasing, casting and possibly lapping (polishing) them will start tomorrow.