- Joined
- Oct 13, 2022
- Messages
- 35
- Reaction score
- 35
It all started when a few months ago I won an auction on 2 muzzle loaders. One was a Knight LK93 the other was a 50 cal. Remington 700ML. I had some second hand info on muzzleloading as far as procedural process and cleaning went and I think the Maintenance, long range potential and extended hunting season was my driving force. I am the gunnit who cleans his guns after each use, dawn soap, brake cleaner and ballistol. Maintenance and understanding the intricacies of each part of my firearms has always been a passion for the past 5-6 years. Prior to that most of my firearm experience was buying old military surplus gear out of Shotgun Weekly News and running guns into the dirt and complaining of their inevitable failure.
I am now older and wiser and ready to learn more after building out my Remington 700ml.
• SWFA 12x42 Scope 1/4 MOA dial with MOA reticle
• Magpul 700SA Stock
• Magpul Bipod (lesson learned)
• Rem 700 BDL bottom metal
• Badger Industries 209 Savage 10ml-ii style conversion.
• Running Powerbelt 325 ELR's and Power Belt 338 Platinums.
• BH209 91 grains by weight 110 by volume (is it always this light?)
• Clerinox CX2000 209 Primers
With the Powerbelts I am able to run Sub MOA groups at 100 yards for 3 shots and I am getting wild inaccuracies beyond that. Despite manufacturer recommendation of cleaning every 8 shots. The plastic fowling is horrendous, and I am stuck with a 45 minute scrub down every few shots. I heard other people have had experience terrible penetration with these bullets but I am consistently picking up 300 grain slugs after grinding through up to 8" of wood. I say up to because I am consistently punching through my 6x6 backstop and catching them in a second piece 2x material I have leaned up behind it. After about 30 shots, I can now feel comfortable hunting with the 325 grain ELR's but I am wanting to get away from them all together.
So that brings me to my conundrum. It looks like my only 50 cal options for jacketed bullets without plastic is the Thor bullets. But for what? The LK93 with standard CCI Number 11 Caps and 90 grains of Triple 7, gives me a 6" group off the shoulder Power Belt Platinum 270 grain projectile, with iron sites. It is lighter, cheaper and easier to clean and doesn't leave nearly as much plastic residue. So I guess now the Remington 700ml is becoming a range toy, but should I invest in a few hundred 300 grain Thor bullets sized to my bore, or upgrade my barrel to a smaller diameter and hit up my local Sportsmans clubs for some of their long range matches.
Current wish list for it is a 40 cal McGowen Barrel un-tapered with a 1:13 twist. The logic behind that being a higher BC bullet and I am hoping to run lighter powder weights and swag my bullets. Likely Arrowhead 40 cal XLD's.
A) Can I run heavy bullets with subsonic load outs to prevent transonic bullet whip?
B) Has anyone run a Blackout 8.6 as a muzzle loader?
C) Can the Remington 700ML handle hotter loads with the Badger 209 and a smokeless McGowen Barrel.
D) Just stop reinventing the wheel and go back to centerfire?
Thank you in advance! Long time lurker, now part of team MML.
I am now older and wiser and ready to learn more after building out my Remington 700ml.
• SWFA 12x42 Scope 1/4 MOA dial with MOA reticle
• Magpul 700SA Stock
• Magpul Bipod (lesson learned)
• Rem 700 BDL bottom metal
• Badger Industries 209 Savage 10ml-ii style conversion.
• Running Powerbelt 325 ELR's and Power Belt 338 Platinums.
• BH209 91 grains by weight 110 by volume (is it always this light?)
• Clerinox CX2000 209 Primers
With the Powerbelts I am able to run Sub MOA groups at 100 yards for 3 shots and I am getting wild inaccuracies beyond that. Despite manufacturer recommendation of cleaning every 8 shots. The plastic fowling is horrendous, and I am stuck with a 45 minute scrub down every few shots. I heard other people have had experience terrible penetration with these bullets but I am consistently picking up 300 grain slugs after grinding through up to 8" of wood. I say up to because I am consistently punching through my 6x6 backstop and catching them in a second piece 2x material I have leaned up behind it. After about 30 shots, I can now feel comfortable hunting with the 325 grain ELR's but I am wanting to get away from them all together.
So that brings me to my conundrum. It looks like my only 50 cal options for jacketed bullets without plastic is the Thor bullets. But for what? The LK93 with standard CCI Number 11 Caps and 90 grains of Triple 7, gives me a 6" group off the shoulder Power Belt Platinum 270 grain projectile, with iron sites. It is lighter, cheaper and easier to clean and doesn't leave nearly as much plastic residue. So I guess now the Remington 700ml is becoming a range toy, but should I invest in a few hundred 300 grain Thor bullets sized to my bore, or upgrade my barrel to a smaller diameter and hit up my local Sportsmans clubs for some of their long range matches.
Current wish list for it is a 40 cal McGowen Barrel un-tapered with a 1:13 twist. The logic behind that being a higher BC bullet and I am hoping to run lighter powder weights and swag my bullets. Likely Arrowhead 40 cal XLD's.
A) Can I run heavy bullets with subsonic load outs to prevent transonic bullet whip?
B) Has anyone run a Blackout 8.6 as a muzzle loader?
C) Can the Remington 700ML handle hotter loads with the Badger 209 and a smokeless McGowen Barrel.
D) Just stop reinventing the wheel and go back to centerfire?
Thank you in advance! Long time lurker, now part of team MML.
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