The Accurate Reloading Forums
What Kind of Accuracy?
06 April 2010, 05:53
MickinColoWhat Kind of Accuracy?
What kind of accuracy do you boys get out of those inline things you call muzzleloaders? Show some targets.

06 April 2010, 08:12
youngoutdoorsMickinColo, You sound a little negative towards us inline folks.
I have shot several less than 3" groups at 300 yds with mine. Easily shoots less than 1" at 100 yds.
God Bless, Louis
07 April 2010, 02:39
Idaho RonAs far as my guns and loads go, This first one is a TC Renegade Hunter. It has a single trigger, a Lyman 57 SML peep. It has a Lyman 17 AML globe front sight with Lee Shavers inserts. The lee Shavers inserts has several options like a fine post or a crosshair. This rifle shoots a 410 gr Hornady Great plains bullet. I use 100 gr of Pyrodex RS and a CCI #11 Mag cap.
This combo is as accurate as you can see. I have shot several deer with this gun and load. The fine pin is a little tough to see in the first and last minutes of the day. Most of my hunting is spot and stalk so I get most of my shooting in the daylight.
This next rifle is a fantastic shooting gun. This one is also a TC Renegade with a 50 cal Green Mountain barrel, 1-28 twist. It has a Lyman 57 SML peep, a Lyman 17 AML globe front sight with Lee Shavers inserts. This is my Son’s rifle. The load for this rifle is a paper patched 500 S&W bullet by my Lee 501-440-RF Mould, and it weighs 460 gr. It uses 80 gr of Pyrodex P with an over powder wad.
This paper patch load is the most dependable load I have ever shot. It just flat out shoots great. When I find an animal I want to shoot I take a range finder and get the reading. I set the sight to the yardage I want to shoot. If I want to shoot 125 yards I set it for 125 yards and hold dead on. If I want to shoot 175 yards I set it for 175 and hold dead on the animal. No hold over needed. I have seen three deer so far killed with this Lee 460 gr bullet. A doe my son shot in the neck. The only thing this shot told us about the load was it was accurate. My deer I shot was a little over 100 yards . It blew through the lungs and the deer piled up after going about 20 yards. The third deer killed with this load was a buck that was quartering to my friend. The Gun was a TC what Mountain carbine. He shot the deer in the shoulder and the bullet exited out the flank. The shot was over 100 yards and the deer dropped in its tracks. The shoulder was smashed.
For a long range ML these rifles are hard to beat with any kind of ML. With the ability to set my sights for the shot I have the confidence to take these rifles on regular rifle hunts. They are so accurate I can just trust that they are on every time I shoot them. My favorite load is the 460 gr paper patched bullet. I just can’t say enough about how great these bullets are in these rifles. Ron
08 April 2010, 06:45
MickinColoI’m not a big fan of inline rifles. Side-locks and Flintlocks are my choices. I just wonder how you were doing. From what I see, the boys that use old style guns are doing pretty good.

08 April 2010, 07:00
MickinColoI’m not a fan of Pyrodex either but I can understand your use of it.
08 April 2010, 07:05
MickinColoquote:
Originally posted by youngoutdoors:
MickinColo, You sound a little negative towards us inline folks.
I have shot several less than 3" groups at 300 yds with mine. Easily shoots less than 1" at 100 yds.
God Bless, Louis
You're right, I don’t have much use for inlines. I have no problem with anyone using them but there is nothing about them that suggests tradition or any real challenge.
10 April 2010, 14:44
youp50"but there is nothing about them that suggests tradition or any real challenge"
I may have to figure out this image posting thing. I feel my Savage with a garish laminated stock may cause loss of sleep.
By using an inline I am merely using a modern tool. The very act of hunting an animal or bird is steeped in tradition.
I am uncertain what is the 'real' challenge you seem to need. Perhaps in your unwashed buckskins, home tanned hat, lindsey woolsey underwear, and tattered feet from moccasins that do not keep out the cactus spines and flint rocks. And fight to keep your barrel from rusting with its stinking water grabbing mess of home brewed charcoal, salt peter and sulphur you have increased your challenge. After all you can now be detected up wind by an old skunk.
If you wear goretex boots, fleece pants, poly pro undies you really should try to figure out where your sense of superiority comes from.
And most emphatically yes, I shoot my ML smokeless. A 250 grain poly tipped monolithic copper slug powered by a mix of 70 grains of double based nitro powder, ignited by a 209M primer to over 2400 fps.
Fully capable of 300 yard kills. You see, I was raised to be as efficient and humane as possible in the killing of an animal. Traditionally speaking that is.
10 April 2010, 14:57
youp50Ron,
Great stuff. I envy you, the area and game you hunt, and the way you do it.
10 April 2010, 23:17
MickinColoyoup50,
I really don’t care what you use as long as you do it right and I’ll sleep just fine knowing that you’re running around in the woods with a Savage muzzleloader.
By the way, I did live in a Tipi for a while back in my 20s but I was never really into buckskinning all that much. I do admire Buckshinners for some of their outdoor skills though.
Most inlines I’ve seen are barely more than a single shot bolt or brake action rifle. I would imagine that the lock time and speed would be much the same as a cartridge rifle. I would suspect they are faster than a sidelock, and surely faster than a flintlock.
The way their design protects the nipple area I can’t imagine you having much trouble with the weather either. At least for the first shot anyway.
The ones I’ve seen don’t have fixed iron sights either. Scopes sure make it easier to see your target don’t they? Particularly when you’re shooting game out to 300 yards. That’s more then 150 yards further then I have shot game with a traditional ML. I guess the "real challenge" of traditional muzzleloading is to get closer to your target.
FG,, very nice shooting. That is the type of accuracy I would suspect a good inline to be capable of.
11 April 2010, 01:46
youp50Mick,
The only place I can see 300 yards is at the range. Mostly tight 100 yard or less while hunting. 50 plus years and some of it welding has created eyes that just do not work effectively with open sights, I have left the fiber optic sights on my ML. Just in case.
I happened onto a good deal on a second hand Savage ML and found it to be a most perplexing and yet rewarding endeavor I have undertaken in a long time. They are finicky, to put it mildly.
You are right about the weather proof breech and with a piece of electrical tape over the muzzle snow or wet snow offer no impediment.
I had a buddy over years ago with a flintlock. Had a great time with it, but it seemed to me I would have to stalk about pulling the trigger and hoping for a deer to come by when it went off. Or else learn to lead a running deer that was stationary when I pulled the trigger.
It all boils down to different strokes for different folks.
Now if you are mechanically inclined, can handle setbacks, and enjoy a challenge get a Savage. Oh yea, it helps if you leave and arrive camp in the dark so the others cannot see that 'whatever it is' you are carrying.
Good hunting.
11 April 2010, 02:21
MickinColoyoup50,
You and I have no problems here. My original question in this post was not meant to be hostile but light hearted and joking to inline muzzleloaders. Just because I don’t have much use for one or Pyrodex for that matter, so what! I’m just curious how other people are doing.
As hunters and shooters, we have enough enemies outside the sport, we don’t need to be fighting from within (although we do that too much of the time).
11 April 2010, 07:25
ted thornGlad to hear that Mick....there are plenty of haters....old and new.
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Proudly made in the USA
Acepting all forms of payment
11 April 2010, 18:33
x-caliberHere is a group that I shot at 75 yards:
With a 2X scope on this Encore 209 X 50:
Those are some awesome trophies Idaho Ron!!!!
I like the sidelock guns too.
Here is my latest acquisition:
11 April 2010, 20:13
MoreBSI like big round balls!
Fire out of my .73 cal Underhammer Carbine.
Using printer paper patch and Hard Lead at 50yds.
Another load with hard lead.
From the bench with peep sights.
Fastest reloads are with Tapered Paper Cartridges.......8 seconds if you are fast, 12 seconds for those who fumble when reloading.
With a mild load of 125ff it will move a 550 grain RB about 1250 fps.
Bruce
Get Close and Wack'em Hard
12 April 2010, 05:06
MickinColox-caliber,
Nicely done. The handgun looks interesting, I didn’t know they made a 14” ML barrel for the Encore, I learn something new everyday. Who made your flintlock? Looks well made from the picture.
MoreBS,
Nice shooting.
12 April 2010, 19:00
youp50I am getting the final touches on a new stock. Night shift this week, but may get some range time in. Looking to some big bullets, hard cast 480 grain Lyman's. Probably gonna get me in 458 mag range, if I can handle the recoil.
Just for the fun of it. Or else to convince myself I need a Leadsled.
12 April 2010, 21:05
x-caliberquote:
I didn’t know they made a 14” ML barrel for the Encore,
Mickin CO,
MickinCO, T/C does make a factory 15" Encore 209X50 barrel (or at least they did) but this one is a factory rifle barrel that I had cut down to 17" to use as a handgun or a carbine.
quote:
Who made your flintlock? Looks well made from the picture.
Thank you! It is a .45 caliber,
TVM Southern Rifle.
13 April 2010, 04:06
MickinColoquote:
Originally posted by youp50:
I am getting the final touches on a new stock. Night shift this week, but may get some range time in. Looking to some big bullets, hard cast 480 grain Lyman's. Probably gonna get me in 458 mag range, if I can handle the recoil.
Just for the fun of it. Or else to convince myself I need a Leadsled.
youp50,
458 recoil range? I would shot one if I had too but just for the hell of it??? Damn!! Once you figure out the “picture thing” you need to post some.

13 April 2010, 04:13
MickinColoMoreBS,
You need to post a picture of you underhammer rig. I’m sure some people wonder what one looks like. I’ve never seen one in 70+ caliber.
13 April 2010, 04:40
MoreBS
You can goto my Black Powder Page and see some of the "Stuff" that I build........nothing for sale, just look at!
Black Powder PageI have a .690 rifle and a .580 that I am building.
Love them large bores!
Bruce
Get Close and Wack'em Hard
13 April 2010, 22:58
Daryl S..30/06 shooter said I could shoot a couple from my 14 bore English Sporting rifle AT his target, so I did. 100 meters, 160gr. 2F GOEX, 480gr. Pure lead, .684" ball w/.0215" denim patch(12 oz.)spit lube. I guess I should add this was shot with open English-type Express Sights.
Second target 20 bore smoothbore flinter Imp cly. choke - 1/2 stock - English style gun. 3 drams 2f GOEX, .595" ball .022" ticking patch, windshield washer fluid with a squirt of liquid soap for lube. 28 yards. Pulled one out to 1.7+". Not to shabby for no rifling and only one sight.
Daryl S.
14 April 2010, 03:12
MickinColoDaryl,
You need to post some pictures of your firearms.
16 April 2010, 06:57
Daryl S.Mickincolo - Bunch of us did - another thread in the BP list of threads.
Here's the one I used for the double-hole at 100 meters.
Last summer, when sighting in for a 200 yard postal match, this rifle put 6 shots into a 1 1/4" wide X 3 1/2" tall group, shot off bags, of course. I ended up winning the match, which was 5 shots offhand, 5 shots any postion. One does not shoot this rifle prone (more than once), so sitting position won out.
Load 160gr. 2f and a 480gr. ball.
This is the Henkeler 20 bore.
Daryl S.
wow look at the accuracy of those traditional round ball rifles! And THEY are the ones complaining about the "Accuracy" of inlines?

16 April 2010, 19:20
Daryl S.Fellow over on ALR site, uses pyrodex (fouling) for pitting the knife blades he makes to 'age' them. It's amazing how quickly the surface turns into a 100 year old, pitted, knife blade.
Black powder fouling did not work for him, but pyrodex works very quicky to eat away the steel's smooth surface.
http://www.freeimagehosting.ne...loads/347ca901d6.jpg
Daryl S.
17 April 2010, 06:23
ted thornThat 30-06 group is horrible!!!
The man behind that group has issues....rifle and/or operator.
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Maker of The Frankenstud Sling Keeper
Proudly made in the USA
Acepting all forms of payment
17 April 2010, 18:01
MickinColoquote:
That 30-06 group is horrible!!!
LOL, I thought the same thing when I first saw that target.
Daryl ran a little shooting clinic for the guy.
17 April 2010, 19:23
Daryl S.Actually 2 bad groups there- one with WW Power Points and one with a Speer 180 and starting handload.
New Reminton $1,200 gun - just glassed by me & first test - just didn't like 180's- wouldn't shoot them at all.
I about crapped when I saw what it did on that target - after bedding and relieving the contact in the barrel channel.
I then put 5 factory Red. 165 Fusions and 5 FEd. factory 165 TSX's from it into .5" and .378" groups. Not bad for a production rifle - even better than my .69 as I've never held more than 4 in a 3/4" group off the bags - 'course mine has iron sights.
Daryl S.