Just noticed in the March06 NRA American Hunter that Knight has released a rifle with "Heat Dissipating Slots" cut through the Laminated Stock adjacent to where the bottom of the barrel would be located.

Got a couple of questions about it:

1. Is barrel heat a problem with your Black Powder muzzleloading rifle?

2. How fast do you have to reload to cause the barrel heat to become a problem?

3. Is this just a Marketing strategy to distinguish the rifle from other models?

4. I pictured it laying across my lap as if I was under a Pine and it lookes like the "Slots" would provide easy Pine Needle access as well as blowing sand, drizzle, etc. Would this be a problem where you hunt?
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Good looking Stainless and Laminated rifle though. And it has a Criss-Crossing Spiral Fluted barrel.

1. No
2. Faster than anyone I've ever seen shoot
3. Yup
4. Not really

They come in handy when you shoot rapid fire with a 20-30 round magazine. Other than that they are about as useful as tits on a boar.

Larry Gibson

It is all about MARKETING!!!

I see no usefull purpose just another marketing ploy. I will stick with my MK85 the way it was made. (With the exception of a 209 primer conversion)

Thanks to each of you. I've never owned a Muzzleloader and have only shot one a few times. So, I was wondering about those Slots.

Just didn't make sense about Heat Dissipation as I thought about it, and I appreciate you all confirming my suspicions.

They really are of no use on a ML that uses BP or substitutes. It could be beneficial if you shoot a smokless ML as they generate more heat when fired. There is a waiting period between shots because of the heat. This might be reduced with the slots in the stock.

I don't know, maybe they look nice! I have never had a hot muzzle loader barrel. You would have to use 150 gr's of powder and load like mad I guess.

Hot Core,

I do believe that it is major marketing but, OTOH, heat does play a big issue in ML accuracy for sabot shooters.

In all honesty most MLer hunters just want a load that groups descent at 100 yards. Say 4" or less for some and smaller for others. They are short range guns so centerfire groups aren't needed.

Then, you have the crowd that is really particular about the groups they get. This is where heat comes into play. If you just shoot, load, shoot, load and shoot, sure you will not get awful groups but, they could be better. The sabots must be at the same temp to achieve the maximum accuracy. There is alot of soft plastic inbetween the pistol bullet and the barrel and any warm temp of the barrel will change the physical properties of the plastic and make it softer. That leads to inconsistant shots.

If you squeeze one off from a clean barrel, clean the barrel, and let it cool down completely for a while then, repeat, you will get more accuracy w/ many rifles. Some say their rifles prefer a fouled bore. All of the MLers I've had and the current three I have now like a clean barrel for accuracy. After all, most shots in the field come out of a clean barrel.

Like I said, most only want minute of deer accuracy but, if a shooter wants to be anal w/ a quality MLer he can achieve quite good accuracy. Sub MOA at 100 yards is not uncommon from a quality MLer and taking your time to achieve it.

When it's real warm outside (right before the early fall season) barrel cooling is really important for MLer shooters.

I've seen several folks stuffing sabots and powder down the tube w/o allowing to cool in august and september and wondering why their nice MLer sprays buckshot groups all over the paper.

Good Luck

Reloader

Hotcore,
It's time you got one of your own. They're some of the most fun you can have with your clothes on, and you don't have to remortgage the house to afford one. You can get more picky as you learn more about shooting them and working up loads, or you can go the flinter route and get downright primitive.

Hey folks, I also appreciate your combined experience and wisdom on this issue. Thanks for taking the time to give me your thoughts.

quote:

Originally posted by Versifier:
Hotcore,
It's time you got one of your own. ...

Hey Versifier, I'm currently spending some time in KY where there is a strong Black Powder group of Hunters. A couple of the folks I know up here even carry their BP rifles during the regular Centerfire Season and don't feel handicapped at all.

Where I normally hunt in the Carolinas, the Centerfire Season runs from 15Aug <-> 1Jan. Then from 2Jan <-> 14Aug it is Trail Clearing, Stand maintenance, Varmint blasting and new Load Testing. So, there hasn't been a lot of time to try the BP stuff for me.

But, I do believe you are correct. It probably is time for me to get a BP rifle and get some enjoyment out of it.

Good hunting to you and clean 1-shot kills.