Hey everyone, I am new to the sport and I am struggling to find the right powder and bullet. I am currently shooting a Knight Bighorn, FFFG triple seven powder with the T/C 275 grain maxi-hunter. I have also tried the 295 grain lead powerbelt with triple seven and at 100 yards I am all over the place. I have tried everywhere from 80-100 grains of powder and it doesn't seem to help. I just can't get a good group. I have to shoot lead because of the laws in Idaho and no sabots. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Knight Bighorn, HELP!!
- Thread starter Jaman_24
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Could try a hornady great plains conical.
Personally I think you are using too light of a bullet and too much powder for the Bighorn. My very similiar USAK works best with heavy bullets and moderate powder loads. And I never found any accuracy with the mini-hunters in my rifle either - I finally gave up.
I have 2 bullet suggestions you might wanna try.
1) Go to the heavier 348gr Powerbelts with 90gr of 2fg 777. 3fg 777 does not play well with powerbelts - it seems to create too much pressure and the powercheck cups won't fall off and the accuracy is non-existant. And even with the 2fg 777, make sure you pull off the cup and lube the stud with some sort of fresh grease before you load it...........it definitely helps that cup to fall off. This load should give you 1 to 2 inch groups at 100yds pretty consistently at 1400fps.
2) Try the No Excuses 460gr lead conical bullets with 85 or 90gr of 2fg 777. These load easy and shoot pretty dang well and this load runs around 1250fps at the muzzle.
Here's my test target with them: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1246963016034387275bjAsVb
The No Excuses can be ordered here:
http://muzzleloading-bullets.com/
This guy is REAL easy and pleasant to do business with too.
Also, as FG suggested, the Hornady 385gr Great Plains conicals work pretty well too with 85gr of 2fg 777 - almost as accurate as the No Excuses.
I have 2 bullet suggestions you might wanna try.
1) Go to the heavier 348gr Powerbelts with 90gr of 2fg 777. 3fg 777 does not play well with powerbelts - it seems to create too much pressure and the powercheck cups won't fall off and the accuracy is non-existant. And even with the 2fg 777, make sure you pull off the cup and lube the stud with some sort of fresh grease before you load it...........it definitely helps that cup to fall off. This load should give you 1 to 2 inch groups at 100yds pretty consistently at 1400fps.
2) Try the No Excuses 460gr lead conical bullets with 85 or 90gr of 2fg 777. These load easy and shoot pretty dang well and this load runs around 1250fps at the muzzle.
Here's my test target with them: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1246963016034387275bjAsVb
The No Excuses can be ordered here:
http://muzzleloading-bullets.com/
This guy is REAL easy and pleasant to do business with too.
Also, as FG suggested, the Hornady 385gr Great Plains conicals work pretty well too with 85gr of 2fg 777 - almost as accurate as the No Excuses.
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#11's do just fine with T7 3F powder 8) . I have shot RWS percussion caps and T7 3F out of all my Whites in various wheather conditions and temps with NO problem 8) .
As far as bullets go those No Excuse are darn good bullets. I have shot them in all my knights with as little as 70gr of T7 3F and get great accuracy and penetration.
As far as bullets go those No Excuse are darn good bullets. I have shot them in all my knights with as little as 70gr of T7 3F and get great accuracy and penetration.
Jaman_24, I too have a Knight Bighorn and have found that it is quite sensitive about powder granulation and how well a given projectile fits the bore. Thus far, loose Goex FFg and Graf's FFg and Pyrodex RS (no more than 80grs. of any of them) have been more consistently accurate than FFFg or Pyrodex P. Also, .50cal. Lyman or T/C Maxi-Balls, which I cast from pure lead, have been impressively accurate. Primer type (#209, CCI #11, Remington #10) made no difference except that the #10's and 11's were a bit cleaner than the 209's.
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Naw with the Powerbelt, 295-348 use around 80gr pyrodex RS or equal. On my forum a member just updated everyone that his son took an antelope through both shoulders and exited with the 295gr powerbelt - 80gr pyrodex RS.
We're all waiting for the pics and story!
We're all waiting for the pics and story!
I've only used the 348gr Copper-clad Powerbelt hunting on a 120lb boar. It dropped him in his tracks on a 25 to 30yd shot. But it did not expand at all - I had a 1/2" entry hole and a 1/2" exit hole, in one shoulder and out the other. Can't say I was impressed with the expansion (or lack thereof) but it definitely penetrated well. I've heard this same scenario from others as well as some disintegrations like you mention..................and some people have had marvelous results with them. Something about them just seem inconsistent on game, that's why I went to other options.
Typically I hunt with full lead bullets, either the PR Bullet sabots or if using a conical I would go with the No Excuses. But I have saved a pack of the 444gr lead Powerbelts if I ever get to go on my dream buffalo hunt - they'll make a great 2nd shot.
Typically I hunt with full lead bullets, either the PR Bullet sabots or if using a conical I would go with the No Excuses. But I have saved a pack of the 444gr lead Powerbelts if I ever get to go on my dream buffalo hunt - they'll make a great 2nd shot.
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