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longbowsteve

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Hello, Folks.Are there very many of you planning on hunting turkey this spring with your muzzleloading shotguns?If you have Knight MK-86 or TK2000 and are having trouble finding a load that you are happy with, I can maybe get you started in the right direction. I used to work at Knight and did alot of shooting with those two guns.
Longbowsteve
 
Steve, I conjured up my current TK load with #9 TSS. I was never able to get an acceptable shot density ( that I prefer ) with published data. Tried lots of powders,wads, OP wads , shot, size of shot ,,etc etc.
I dialed in with BPI's RE wad trimmed to shot column height which was 1 7/5 oz #9 18gm TSS and #47 buffer compound.
I used a piece of 12 ga barrel to hold the RE wad. Dump the #9 shot in.
Then added buffer tapping the barrel piece vibrating the buffer until it filled to the top of the shot.
This gave me an overall length for the wad. Trim wad to length.
I made some weight measurements of the shot vs buffer as to see how much buffer was needed.
Once known , used a Lee dipper for the buffer then. Easier to make up loads now.
1/8 OP wad and thin OS card.
90grn Black MZ. Yup Black MZ
From results at 40 yds I'd do 60yds.
One thing else I forgot to mention while range load development, I bought a Lead Sled ! LOL
What can you tell me about your TK loads please?
 
It sounds like maybe you hit on a good combination there.We did not have some of that stuff almost 20 years ago when the TK2000 came out.I always found that the BPI shotcup TPS3227702 always outperformed the red BPI multi-metal 2 1/2 oz cup that Knight always tried to sell you.I tested many other combinations in the TK2000 and the MK86 shotguns.Always came back to the BPI-TPS 2 oz shot cups. They were yellow back then. I think they are white now.I found that depending on the gun, that between 85 to 100 grains of Triple7 ffg powder did very well,with copper plated # 6 shot performing good, and back then I shot alot of Hevi-shot #6's which patterened the tightest of all and shot awesome 40 yard turkey patterns.You do not want to shoot the hevi-shot or the newer TSS shot in the MK86's, however,as it is hard stuff and could damage the REM chokes used in them.I have shot a lot of turkeys with these loads.Usually the MK86 would also outshoot the TK,although they are a little harder to load.These loads were all held in place with the little styrofoam over shot wad.Also shot BPI's unslit cups with not so good results.By the way, those lead sled's can be worth their weight in gold when you shoot that gun 50+ timed in row!Thanks for your info on your developed load.Makes me feel somewhat behind the times. Steve
 
Funny story.
I tried a load using #6 . 2 oz. The “tried” was I infused a heat dissolving glue in the shot column while in the wad. The wad being held in place in a modified screw in choke to keep OD .
Was thinking it would hold tight and would separate due to air friction.
I found after shooting at 40yds it would just about pierce armor. 🤣
Glue stayed intact.
Amounted to a .730 2 oz slug.
I think I developed a door breaching load for a muzzleloader.😂
Back to the drawing bord
 
Door breaching ML - That is funny. Have you found that you had an issue with plastic fouling with the use of the shot cups or plastic wads?
 
Door breaching ML - That is funny. Have you found that you had an issue with plastic fouling with the use of the shot cups or plastic wads?

DaMitch, I haven’t seen or had to scrub any wad fowling. The BPI RE wad is one tough wad. I do use a lubed wool wad for an over powder wad which helped in deriving my acceptable pattern . Did the wad help eliminating fowling?
Dunno. But patterns great!
 
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