Smokeless Powder Muzzleloading

[IRISH HUNTER]

I would appreciate any recommendations for getting started.

 

[hayman]

Go to Dougs message board lots of information there

 

[fullstream]

Go to Dougs message board lots of information there

X2
The cheapest way to get into it would be a 45-70 conversion.
pm sent

 

[pressfit]

Buy a savage...

 

[cecil30-30]

I'd also recommend getting a single shot 45-70 and haveing it threaded for a breech plug and haveing the barrel crowned.I'd pass on the savage 10ml.But i am a little biased,towards the 10ml,i must have gotten a lemon,cause I couldn't get mine to shoot any better than 2 inch groups at 100yds.

 

[hayman]

Iwas not impressed by the Savage either. I tried several loads and bullets and never did under 2 inch groups either...

 

[Roost 1]

Love my Savage!!!!!!!!

 

[Tar12]

I have shot and set up a bunch of stock Savages...barrel quality can be a hit and miss proposition with them. Having said that I never had one that I could not get 1.5 @ 100 yds with. Some were easy and a few required a lot of tinkering to get that. There can be a rather large learning curve with the stock Savage.There is a learning curve with smokeless period.You have several options here....take a chance on a stock Savage(approx $600) and hope it shoots well and if it does not you either move it or invest another approx. $460 in a Pac-Nor barrel and then it will shoot lights out for sure to the tune of approx $1150 plus the price of whatever glass you put on it.Or you go with the aforementioned 45-70 route and guaranteed results out of the box so to speak and cheaper. And by all means visit Dougs and ask lots of questions as it is arguably the birth place of the Savage and smokeless shooting in general as we know it now.

 

[ewc]

Tar12 is right - the Savage takes some work and thought.

I've said all along, it's not a gun for beginners.

If you can't understand the thought/science about a load vs. pressure and what it takes to create pressure - then you need to re-think the whole smokeless thing and just buy pellets and a wolverine.

I've never had a Savage that I did not make shoot moa or better. I've set up 9. MOA success with a Savage smokeless is easy.

For a challenge, Steve needs to get me a 7mm season (hint for scn).



http://web.archive.org/web/201102020558 ... fuels.com/

 

[Deer Assassin]

I still want to build a 338 ml which is legal

 

[Rubberduck270]

I still want to build a 338 ml which is legal

There have been a few .416 builds on dougs that lay down very large fps.

 

[fullstream]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =339215817

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =339129595

These would be excellent starting platform's & priced right. I have one of these converted & it's a shooter.

 

[tasaman]

I disagree that the Savage is not good for beginners. Having shot and dialed in 3 different Savages I can only say for these 3 that it was all too easy. I did need some assistance with one gun due to some issues with a scope base to recoil lug contact. Other than that, they were simple to get them shooting well. The worst grouping one is an inch and half only because that was the best I could do with open sights at 100 yards. The other two would do less than 1".

Now you guys talking 338 and 416 are not helping this newbie. He asked where to start not where is the sport going.

 

[Rubberduck270]

Now you guys talking 338 and 416 are not helping this newbie. He asked where to start not where is the sport going.

Very true tasaman. We apologize. Coming from a regular inline ML and wanting to get into Smokeless MLs the Savage is the way to go. There's a ton of load info and tips/tricks for those guns out there.

 

[ewc]

I disagree that the Savage is not good for beginners.

No offense, but I have to ask-

Was the Savage your FIRST muzzleloader?

If not, while the smokeless transition may have been easy for you, you had the advantage of some basic muzzleloading knowledge.

That is my point.

I give my gun to a beginner with no knowledge of muzzleloading and no internet and he will give that gun back in a month.

You see, the owners manual does not get into detail about heat vs sabots, scope base/recoil lug fit, sabot fit, bullet fit, lapping bore, and vent liner wear. And some other stuff I'm forgetting.

A beginner is two pellets, sabotted bullet, and a primer.

Thus the Knight Wolverine...

 

[Deer Assassin]

post police are out

i wouldn't start with a savage just for the cost

id pick up a nef single shot or cva 45/70

throw a breech plug in it and have at it

or buy a savage

50 or .45

 

[Tenn.Guy]

post police are out

Amen....

I loved my Savage. For a beginner it was great. As I read more I had a 45/70 CVA Apex converted. I really love it(shorter, lighter, and dang accurate)..

Either rifle requires effort in reading for understanding your firearm.

Stick to the basics on loads and learn from there...


I personally like the single shot break action due to the ease of removing plug, inspecting barrel etc... JMO

 

[holstonangler]

I would appreciate any recommendations for getting started.

Spend hours reading old post on Dougs board relating to shooting and sighting in your muzzleloader, and others topics(powders and bullets) as well, that way you can save yourself time and money before getting started. Good Luck!