Load Deveopment

[Larry Hill]

I'm just wanting to verify my starting load development with more knowledgeable guys than myself. This is my first try at muzzleloading.
Rifle is Knight Ultra-lite .50 caliber.

Primer is Federal 209A
Hodgdon Triple 7 (FFFG)
No Excuses 420 grain &
Thor 300 gr.
Starting load is 68 grains by weight, going to 105 grains by weight, by 5 grain increments. All loads are +/- .02

Your thoughts?

 

[Ninering62]

I'm just wanting to verify my starting load development with more knowledgeable guys than myself. This is my first try at muzzleloading.
Rifle is Knight Ultra-lite .50 caliber.

Primer is Federal 209A
Hodgdon Triple 7 (FFFG)
No Excuses 420 grain &
Thor 300 gr.
Starting load is 68 grains by weight, going to 105 grains by weight, by 5 grain increments. All loads are +/- .02

Your thoughts?

Is that gun rated for more than 84g W BH209? Read your owners manual for max charges in your gun. NEVER - GUESS

 

[Larry Hill]

Is that gun rated for more than 84g W BH209? Read your owners manual for max charges in your gun. NEVER - GUESS

Who anything about using Blackhorn? You may want to re-read the post.

 

[Ninering62]

Who anything about using Blackhorn? You may want to re-read the post.

You're right.

 

[HC]

I wouldn’t shoot 105 grs weight of 3F 777 and 420 grs bullets out of an ultralight,if you paid me $50 a shot.

 

[MrTom]

I wouldn’t shoot 105 grs weight of 3F 777 and 420 grs bullets out of an ultralight,if you paid me $50 a shot.

Hot damn I'm laughing at that comment.

I just raised my charge of IMR 4198 from 56 grains to 56.5 shooting the 225 grain, .40 Fury bullets out of the Patriot. Its not real cold here yet so I was wearing a sweatshirt but will hold off shooting at that level or the 57 grains I want to shoot until I have to wear a heavier coat. And I'll need a better pair of ear muffs. lol Think 1/2 grain of smokeless doesn't make a difference? Think again.

 

[Steelheader323]

Hot damn I'm laughing at that comment.

I just raised my charge of IMR 4198 from 56 grains to 56.5 shooting the 225 grain, .40 Fury bullets out of the Patriot. Its not real cold here yet so I was wearing a sweatshirt but will hold off shooting at that level or the 57 grains I want to shoot until I have to wear a heavier coat. And I'll need a better pair of ear muffs. lol Think 1/2 grain of smokeless doesn't make a difference? Think again.

Muzzle break or no? Whats that pushing for speed?

 

[MrTom]

At 56 grains I am guessing around 2300 or a tad less. I can hear the difference in charges when the bullets hit the target at 100 yards... boom.... whap and boom..whap.

 

[ENCORE50A]

I wouldn’t shoot 105 grs weight of 3F 777 and 420 grs bullets out of an ultralight,if you paid me $50 a shot.

LOL.............. I've shot 180grs of T7 and a 300gr bullet.............. ONCE ........... without a muzzle brake. After I got my ship back together, I looked around behind me for my head!

I don't blame you. I wouldn't either.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

With the 1-28 twist in your Knight Ultra Lite that NE 420 grainer will probably shoot good up to about 90 grains of Triple 7. After that it will be big shoulder thumper.
That 300 grain Thor might be a little more finicky. I am pretty certain it will start to really thump at 110 grains.

 

[Hausser1]

I wouldn’t shoot 105 grs weight of 3F 777 and 420 grs bullets out of an ultralight,if you paid me $50 a shot.

 

[HC]

Rotator cuff surgery, yep been there done that.

 

[bronko220002]

Hot damn I'm laughing at that comment.

I just raised my charge of IMR 4198 from 56 grains to 56.5 shooting the 225 grain, .40 Fury bullets out of the Patriot. Its not real cold here yet so I was wearing a sweatshirt but will hold off shooting at that level or the 57 grains I want to shoot until I have to wear a heavier coat. And I'll need a better pair of ear muffs. lol Think 1/2 grain of smokeless doesn't make a difference? Think again.

What the heck? I was enjoying shooting 55 gr of IMR4198 with a 300 gr bullet and was thinking of cranking it up to 60 to see if it will shoot better than 7/8". Now I'm not so sure if I want to. 55 gr is comfortable with the brake.

 

[LBAhunter]

I will stick with my 30ish gr. N110 loads.....lol.....

 

[MrTom]

While I have the digital meat scale out for sausage making, I'm going to weigh that Patriot to see how much it weighs with the scope and rings on it. Just a guess at 7-1/2pounds. The 24" barrel makes it just a bit whippy on recoil with the 56.5 grains of IMR4198, but it's a sharp poke. It has no brake and I'm pretty close to positive that a brake would reduce the felt recoil by maybe 40% but at this juncture I'm not putting brake on because I don't want to deal with the blast on that short of a barrel.

Our weather has chilled down some now, so I think I'll take to the range again this week while the highs are in the mid 30's and I'll wear my hunting coat. I want to see what the 57 grains is like by inching the charge up a tenth of a grain every couple shots until I get to that mark. The gun is zeroed at 100 and groups are quarterish with the 195 grain Barnes, the 200 xtp and the fury 22 grain Star Tip, all .40 in blue sabots. I want to see if the increases draw the group tighter. I'm thinking yes but likely not by much. I won't be dinking with scope adjustments since I like where the gun is currently at so I'm not out anything by just going back to the 56 grains. With the heavier coat I'll, be good for 12 -15 rounds so I should be able to get a fair idea within that half a grain to see if things tighten up.

Beautiful morning here today. Bright sun, no wind and I'll be inside grinding and stuff summer sausage. lol

 

[ENCORE50A]

..................Beautiful morning here today. Bright sun, no wind and I'll be inside grinding and stuff summer sausage. lol...............

PLEASE.......... send some of that our way! We had just a glimpse of sun just before dark, the first sun we've seen in over 2 wks.

Good luck with the charge testing.

 

[LBAhunter]

While I have the digital meat scale out for sausage making, I'm going to weigh that Patriot to see how much it weighs with the scope and rings on it. Just a guess at 7-1/2pounds. The 24" barrel makes it just a bit whippy on recoil with the 56.5 grains of IMR4198, but it's a sharp poke. It has no brake and I'm pretty close to positive that a brake would reduce the felt recoil by maybe 40% but at this juncture I'm not putting brake on because I don't want to deal with the blast on that short of a barrel.

Our weather has chilled down some now, so I think I'll take to the range again this week while the highs are in the mid 30's and I'll wear my hunting coat. I want to see what the 57 grains is like by inching the charge up a tenth of a grain every couple shots until I get to that mark. The gun is zeroed at 100 and groups are quarterish with the 195 grain Barnes, the 200 xtp and the fury 22 grain Star Tip, all .40 in blue sabots. I want to see if the increases draw the group tighter. I'm thinking yes but likely not by much. I won't be dinking with scope adjustments since I like where the gun is currently at so I'm not out anything by just going back to the 56 grains. With the heavier coat I'll, be good for 12 -15 rounds so I should be able to get a fair idea within that half a grain to see if things tighten up.

Beautiful morning here today. Bright sun, no wind and I'll be inside grinding and stuff summer sausage. lol

Good luck with the testing. I hope it works out

 

[MrTom]

Well heck.... I drove down to the club figuring I could do the sausage this afternoon. I no more than got there and the clouds came and the wind ramped up to about 15-18 mph at right angles to the shooting lanes so I didn't even unload. Checking the weather just that "s" word came up. No idea how much but I've done nicely this winter without any.

 

[LBAhunter]

While I have the digital meat scale out for sausage making, I'm going to weigh that Patriot to see how much it weighs with the scope and rings on it. Just a guess at 7-1/2pounds. The 24" barrel makes it just a bit whippy on recoil with the 56.5 grains of IMR4198, but it's a sharp poke. It has no brake and I'm pretty close to positive that a brake would reduce the felt recoil by maybe 40% but at this juncture I'm not putting brake on because I don't want to deal with the blast on that short of a barrel.

Our weather has chilled down some now, so I think I'll take to the range again this week while the highs are in the mid 30's and I'll wear my hunting coat. I want to see what the 57 grains is like by inching the charge up a tenth of a grain every couple shots until I get to that mark. The gun is zeroed at 100 and groups are quarterish with the 195 grain Barnes, the 200 xtp and the fury 22 grain Star Tip, all .40 in blue sabots. I want to see if the increases draw the group tighter. I'm thinking yes but likely not by much. I won't be dinking with scope adjustments since I like where the gun is currently at so I'm not out anything by just going back to the 56 grains. With the heavier coat I'll, be good for 12 -15 rounds so I should be able to get a fair idea within that half a grain to see if things tighten up.

Beautiful morning here today. Bright sun, no wind and I'll be inside grinding and stuff summer sausage. lol

I thought on the website it said it weighs 5.5 lbs. I'm guessing that's just the bare gun.

 

[MrTom]

I thought on the website it said it weighs 5.5 lbs. I'm guessing that's just the bare gun.

A lot depends on the caliber and barrel length you chose along with the scope with all it's required goodies. My bare gun is about 5 1/2 in the .45 cal with a 24" McGowan barrel. I've never weighed the gun as it sits ready for the field but it feels 7, maybe 7 and a half-ish ready to hit the woods. Before the Patriot I toted either a .50 Accura V2 scoped or a Kodiak .45 scoped and they both are way heavier than the Patriot. The Kodiak is a heavy pig to haul up that hill I hunt. The Patriot, no sling, is a gem to take up.