Another from Western NY

[smokem]

Hi....I'm an avid smokepole hunter.
I currently own a Knight MK-85 50, a Knight MH disc 50, a Thompson Omega 50 and a Thompson Hawkins 50. I bought my son a Knight LK-93 50.
The MK-85 and MH are set up with scopes and disc 209 ignition. The MK-was converted. The LH is setup as a western gun, open and no sabots. My son lives in Idaho.
Except the round ball gun, I shoot 250 grain Barnes, BH 209 (97 grams weight). The round ball gets fed with FFF BP.

I'm having an occasional hang fire issue with the MH so I started to read some of the related conversations here. Lot's of good stuff. There are quite a few experienced smokepole users here. Amazing. The problem started after I ran out of my usual primers.... but I just read about lifting the sabot off of the charge with the ram rod. Hm....I know it sticks so that is something to explore.

I just noticed another Western NY Knight owner is looking to buy a more modern gun to shoot out to 150 yards. Dude. The Knights will do that all day long. I made a 245 yard shot this season. The deer dropped exactly where it was and did not move an inch. I took another at a more reasonable 150 yards. As long as you are well sighted in (at 100 yards the MK should be touching shots) you can figure out hold overs for longer shots.

 

[Shorty]

Welcome from upstate New York. And you already know the saying, “Smokem if you got them.”

 

[WP79Vet]

Welcome from Montana!

 

[HC]

Welcome to the brotherhood

 

[deermanok]

Welcome from southeast Oklahoma.

 

[phalanx]

Welcome Smokem!

Question: you said "Except the round ball gun, I shoot 250 grain Barnes, BH 209 (97 grams weight)."

You likely meant grains vice grams but it still seems like it exceeds 120grs by volume. 97 grains weighted ÷ 0.7 gives me 138.6 grains by volume. I know lot weights can vary. Does your 209 lot weigh that differently? Thanks!

John

 

[ElDiablo]

Welcome from Colorado!

 

[smokem]

Welcome Smokem!

Question: you said "Except the round ball gun, I shoot 250 grain Barnes, BH 209 (97 grams weight)."

You likely meant grains vice grams but it still seems like it exceeds 120grs by volume. 97 grains weighted ÷ 0.7 gives me 138.6 grains by volume. I know lot weights can vary. Does your 209 lot weigh that differently? Thanks!

John

Actually, no, that is what I shoot. It's a pretty solid thump and undoubtably is beyond the norm. That deer dropped in it's spot at 245 yards is not an exaggeration.
I arrived at that load a number of years ago on the MK. I pushed the load up until the bullet was not hitting the target correctly and with a bit of tumble at 100 yards. I then pulled it back down by about 7 grains and settled on that amount of BH. The thing with BH is that you can literally figure out how much 4 or 5 pellets weigh so using weight instead of the recommend volume, you can measure the loads with pretty amazing consistency.
I may take the load down for the MH. I haven't decided and with the crazy prices for BH these days, I'm not sure keen on blowing a whole lot of powder at the range. Unlike the MK, the MH does not allow the primer to kick back at all. I may be pushing that gun harder as a consequence.
Good catch, but yes, that is how I load. I should add, those are Barnes TMZ's.

 

[phalanx]

Thanks for the reply and explanation Smokem! Very much appreciated.
John

 

[smokem]

As I said, good catch. Your information is spot on.

 

[gman57]

Welcome from NC, enjoy the forum

 

[Keone]

Welcome from Oregon by way of Hawaii

 

[CVA Fanboy]

Welcome from Kentucky