Review my muzzle loading plan for deer

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Muzzleloaders get a one week head start in our region. I've managed to miss 3 deer with a Pedersoli traditional rifle because I can't see the sights at dusk. My plan is to get a CVA Wolf, put a scope on it, some .430 Hornady Sabots, load up some 270 Ranchdogs, over 65 grains of FFF. What are my chances this will shoot accurately? Any hints or tricks?

[mooman76]

Every gun is different and it 's a try and see kind of thing. If you couldn't see your sights they have sights that collect light so they show up better.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

For sure, but then I wouldn't get to buy a new rifle! Seriously, I don't mind shooting irons for targets, but don't feel like my eyes are up to hunting without a scope. The place I hunt is over a large hayfield and most shots are in the 100-150 yard range at dusk.

[hc18flyer]

My hunting muzzy is a TC New Englander wearing Williams Fire Sights. They are excellent at tree stand ranges and low light conditions, as well as my 60 year old eyeball. A .50 call RB or 250 grain REAL does anything that I need on whitetail.
hc18flyer

[waarp8nt]

A good friend of mine bought a CVA Wolf for his daughter. I'm not sure the scope or load they use, but she consistently takes deer with it.

[Rick Hodges]

I bought a CVA Wolf on closeout at Walmart a couple of years ago....for $79. I use two 50gr. 777 pellets and a saboted 240 gr. .452 Hornady XTP. It is accurate (under 2moa at 100 yds) and deadly on whitetail deer. I was pleasantly surprised. It has an excellent trigger.

Try your load and see how it works. The first load I tried worked so well I never experimented further.

[arcticap]

I have both an inline and a sidelock sighted in for hunting with a different sabot and bullet.
Both shoot the load very well out of a cold, clean barrel which is about 90 grains of 3F powder for each.
Most bullets like to have the greater RPM's (revolutions per minute) in order to stay stabilized at greater distances.
However each gun & twist rate is different.
But you don't want a deer to run off too far, especially without a good blood trail.
You want to maximize your margin of error and increase your chance of making a pass through shot.
In other words, loading a little too much powder is preferable to not loading enough powder that may be
needed to bust through a shoulder or to make a successful quartering shot.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I ordered a Stainless Wolf, Sabots, a roundball mold and a 250 gr REAL mold. I figure one of the three should shoot. I just can't bring my self to buy those expensive J bullets, so I'll spend 2x on trying something else!

Any ideas for a good plinking load? Something we could shoot 20-30 rounds of without cleaning? Maybe the REAL boolit and Black MZ?

[Boz330]

It all depends on your rifling twist as to what will shoot best. If it is a fast twist you want to slow those balls way down. The heavier REAL boolit would probably work better for a 50cal fast twist.

Bob

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I think I found my load. 80 grains Blackhorn 209, Winchester Primer, .432 Ranchdog 270 in a Hornady sabot. I was hitting an 8 inch plate reliably at 150 yards. Should work. No perceptible loss in accuracy after 20+ rounds without cleaning.

[luvtn]

What caliber is your gun? You keep talking about .430 bullets. That doesn’t compute with a .45 or .50 cal. Glad you have found a good load. I have an Traditions side lock percussion. It likes the .490 RB over 70grs 3-fg.
luvtn

[arcticap]

What caliber is your gun? You keep talking about .430 bullets. That doesn’t compute with a .45 or .50 cal. Glad you have found a good load. I have an Traditions side lock percussion. It likes the .490 RB over 70grs 3-fg.
luvtn

Sure it does.
MMP makes .50 caliber sabots that fit .429 -.430 bullets, plus other bullet sizes.--->>> http://mmpsabots.com/store/mmp-standard-sabots/

[725]

so, ………….. what kind of scope did you put on it? 150 yards at dusk would mean my old eyes have to have a scope

[Silvercreek Farmer]

so, ………….. what kind of scope did you put on it? 150 yards at dusk would mean my old eyes have to have a scope

Burris Fullfield II. 3-9x.