Powder vs Pellets

[Bulldog25]

So off of Stringtalker's post what do you guys prefer, pellets or powder? Also I have been using pellets since the end of last season and this season it has had some problems. When I have went to shoot sometimes the cap fires but the pellets do not ignite. My muzzleloader uses #11 caps, could that be the problem? Should I switch back to powder?

 

[MMHunter]

For sure. Go to powder a lot more versatile for changing charge and igniting. I would never use pellets with a no.11

 

[DCOOK223]

Pellets with 209. Loose powder with #11.

 

[Deer Assassin]

i like loose to vary charge for accuracy


but never use pellets with number 11 caps

 

[Pic IN the Casa]

My name is Pic and I am a recovering pellet user.

Buy powder and a scale.

 

[UTGrad]

Powder with BH209

Much more consistent and better groups. Once you load up a couple speed loaders reloading with loose powder is just as fast as pellets.

 

[travle]

I use pellets. After my experience with powder and a 209 cap i won't use anything but pellets. I know for certain with pellets i can shoot 3 times and never clean between shots. A few years back i tried powder. Shooting at a 50 yard target first shot right on the money. Second shot without cleaning never touched the targeted. Cleaned the gun shot again right on the money. Pellets burn so much cleaner. Never have a problem with them igniting either. Like saturday morning i missed a deer (my fault). I had every intention on cleaning the gun before i went that afternoon. I fell asleep and forgot. Shot a deer saturday afternoon and dropped it. i know with powder i could never do that. But this is just my gun and my situation. And like others have said pellets are only used with #209 primer.

 

[Woodson223]

Never had a problem using pellets with a #11 cap

 

[ImThere]

Never had a problem with pellets and #11 in mine
Never had anything shoot as clean as bh209. Whitehots were a close 2nd to bh and the always fired with #11 also worked better and changed my poi when i switched to 209 primer. My new gun only sees bh209

 

[wsm]

Powder and I like BH209 it is great.

 

[warpheagle]

Definitely powder. Blackhorn 209 is the best. Consistency of load is paramount with muzzleloaders, and Blackhorn is the best to ever come along. I witnessed my friend shooting at the target range one day using pellets of Jim Shocky gold and it looked like he shot a roman candle. The pellet was burning as it went thru the air. No pellets for me.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Have they changed the pellets? Reason I ask, I shot pyrodex pellets for years with#11. Had one miss fire in freezing rain. Was very accurate also.

 

[Bulldog25]

I think the problem was residue from cleaning. Will see this morning how it goes.

 

[muddyboots]

Loose powder gave more accuracy and with #11 caps id go with powder.

 

[ImThere]

Definitely powder. Blackhorn 209 is the best. Consistency of load is paramount with muzzleloaders, and Blackhorn is the best to ever come along. I witnessed my friend shooting at the target range one day using pellets of Jim Shocky gold and it looked like he shot a roman candle. The pellet was burning as it went thru the air. No pellets for me.

I seen this last week with my buddies ml i cant get it sighted in its all over te place. Will not use shocky gold ever again

 

[Kingston]

I am still old school. FFG with #11's. 90 grains, 265 grain Knight sabots.
It's what I started with when I bought my first inline 18-19 years ago and it has worked flawlessly ever since.
Bought my first and last can of Pyrodex 15 years ago. Both mine and my wifes[same mz's] had multiple misfires. Gave it away.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

I always pop a cap after cleaning to burn out any residue.Not sure what you are shooting but you might be able to get a conversion kit. I've changed different guns to Musket caps and 209's for a hotter ignition .

 

[jb3]

Read the instructions on the box of pellets. I'm pretty sure triple 7 pellets state to use 209 primers. I use #11 caps for my knight and use loose. I tried pellets at the range one time and had an issue with it firing. Gave the pellets away to someone at the range.

 

[Mike Belt]

There is a variance in weight between pellets out of the same box. I switched back to lose powder.

 

[Bulldog25]

I always pop a cap after cleaning to burn out any residue.Not sure what you are shooting but you might be able to get a conversion kit. I've changed different guns to Musket caps and 209's for a hotter ignition .

Yea I popped 2 after cleaning. This occasion after 3 caps it finally ignited the powder and fired that is why I think there still must have been some moisture in there. I looked into getting the 209 conversion but it is an older muzzleloader and I may just end up buying a new one after this season.

Read the instructions on the box of pellets. I'm pretty sure triple 7 pellets state to use 209 primers. I use #11 caps for my knight and use loose. I tried pellets at the range one time and had an issue with it firing. Gave the pellets away to someone at the range.

I never had any problems with the pellets until this year. All last year it fired fine and this year it has except for the 2 times I have cleaned it and then went to go shoot it. I'm starting to think it is just a moisture issue but I am still probably going to switch back to powder when I get done with the pellets I have now.

 

[tnyotehunter1]

2f Goex

 

[treefarmer]

Is there a special quick lighting coating on the bottom of pellets or can they go in the barrel any which way?

 

[PcDeer]

I've been having all kinds of muzzleloader problems since Sunday. I have no idea this is what helped my problem but I went and bought 777 pellets today which helped my inconsistency problem. I was shooting 777 powder and after a couple misfires and terrible inconsistency problems I swapped today. Guy at shop said sometimes a muzzleloaders "personality" changes.

 

[walker]

powder! had pellets hangfire on me once and cost me a deer, that was with a 209 primer

 

[fairchaser]

Powder is more consistent and versatile than pellets. Why take a chance with a deer of a lifetime. After you drop the pellets in there are voids in the barrel that can attract moisture causing a hang fire or misfire. Obviously the pellets are more difficult to ignite as everyone agrees not to use them with a no 11 cap. I truly believe pellets will disappear someday due to their inferior qualities.

 

[Killing time]

Ive used pellets and #10 or #11 caps for 17 years straight. No issues. I am, however, going to try powder, just so i can experiment with different loads.

 

[TRIGGER]

I'm another BH209 believer. Been shooting it for 2 years now. Will never go back to pellets.

 

[vixty]

I had a win 209 primer yesterday that just made a faint pop with some smoke. I use 60gr 777 pellets. I assume it was just a bad primer, but now I have doubts in my mind that it might happen when shooting at a deer and not paper. I have a CVA wolf and get 1.5 groups at 100 with 250gr aerolites and 120gr 777 pellets.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Read the instructions on the box of pellets. I'm pretty sure triple 7 pellets state to use 209 primers. I use #11 caps for my knight and use loose. I tried pellets at the range one time and had an issue with it firing. Gave the pellets away to someone at the range.

I 1000% agree. 777 will not ignite good with #11.

 

[moose1984]

loose triple 7, non corrosive and only takes a wet patch to clean the gun up after shooting