Cleaning/Shooting procedure?

[hobbes]

Its been a while since I shot a muzzleloader and even then it was my father's guns, both inline and traditional. I never did hunt with them that I can remember, but just shot them with him when he was getting ready for his hunts. He was a dedicated muzzleloader guy and killed qutie a few deer and turkeys with them. I've always been a bowhunter or used the shotgun w/slugs back home in IL.

Anyway, I've got a late season muzzleloader Antelope doe tag that I'm completely unprepared for. Dad came out to visit last month and left his Knight MK-85 for me to hunt with. He no longer spends any time in the woods, unless he starts making trips out here to hunt elk. So, I finally got through all my archery hunting seasons and have now bought what I believe are the needed accessories to get out and set this gun up.

Tripple seven ffg powder
Powerbelt 245 gr Aerotip bullets (50 cal)
#11 percussion caps
Flask
Capper
Powder Measure
Cleaning Kit
Starter w/tips for the powerbelts


Am I missing anything? What would be the standard procedure for shooting/cleaning the barrel/breach plug? In other words how many rounds can I shoot before I need to clean the barrel? How many rounds before I need to remove the breach plug? What is the complete procedure for cleaning while in the field sighting in and once I get it home? Any additional info to keep me on the right track would be great also.

 

[Anonymous]

Hobbes:
First off Welcome to the form it is great to have you here!

First thing Your father left you with a very very good gun to use, the KNIGHTS are a great gun! Is it leagale in your state to use scopes & sabots on & in your guns? Powerbelts are a very accurate bullett but they are best at shorter distances with lower powder charges (IMO) If sabots are leagale I think you would be better off with like a 200-250gr. (shockwave) - (SST) - (parker) - with 100gr of powder better killing power at longer distances. BUT that is (IMO). First step (1) Take your gun completly apart and give it a good cleaning make sure that you get all the grease and oil scrubbed out of the barrle the bolt assembally along with trigger assembally and breechplug this will do two things it will get you better familler with your gun and you will know that your gun is clean. when reassemballing your gun litely oil your bolt & trigger assem. back up, if you did not get any antiseze grease for your breech plug, you need to! apply antiseze grease to your breechplug threds before you replace it back in the barrle ! Only tighten your breechplug hand tight DON'T TOURCH IT DOWN TO TIGHT! Run dry patches down your barrle to make sure all moisture is out THEN run a lightly oiled patch down the inside of the barrle then the out side also. (NOW YOUR GUN IS CLEAN)
Before you get ready to sight it in run a damp patch with boare cleanner/degreaser in your barrle to get the oil out then use 2 dry patches to dry it out then pop off 2 caps to make sure your breechplug is dry & clear, then you are ready to load. You didn't say if you were useing pellets or loose powder, if you are useing loose 777 remm. that you need to reduce your powder by 15% to get the same velo. as you would with BP or PYRODEX RS, so if you want to shoot the same as 100gr of BP or Pyro. you will need to set your powder mesure at 85gr. IF you are useing pellets start with 2 pellets when seatting your bullett try to seat with the same amount of presh. every time . start out sighting your gun at 30yds. swabbing after every shot one damp patch then 2 dry make sure that you are giveing your barrle time to cool in between shots 4to5 min. when you have it sighted in at 30 move back to 75yds and zero in at that range then move to 125yds. see how it shoots at that, then 150yds. to see were it is hitting. once you have it sighted in and you fill comfortable with it try it at 150 up to 200yds just to see were it is hitting. before you leave the range swab your barrle and break your breechplug loose it will make it easyer when you get home! when you get home go back and clean it all up as you did the first time and you should't have any probblems.....

IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QESTIONS PLEASE FILLFREE TO PM ME !

LUNBBUSTER1
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GOOD LUCK & SAFE SHOOTING

 

[hobbes]

Thanks for the info. I am in CO where sabots and scopes are not legal. If they were, Dad could have pointed me at the exact load he has had luck with on deer and I would have started there.

I am using the loose powder because I was under the impression that the pellets were more for the 209 primer. May set the gun up with a 209 kit some day if possible, but for now I'll be satisfied with the #11. The one change I would like to make is a globe sight, but again, for now I'll deal with the factory iron sights. Considering the iron sights and my limited time to shoot, anything past 100 yards will be very unlikely. But I'll know on Tuesday because I'm headed to the range.

 

[Anonymous]

HOBBS;

I think at the max of 100yds the powerbelts may be just fine with 85grs of 777 loose powder if you cant get good consistance out of the 245 you may want to try some of the 295gr or if you can find the SABER TOOTH BELTED by (HARVESTER) in a 270 or 300gr try them they are awsome they don't blowapart like some of the powerbelts have been known to do.
the saber tooth 270gr and 75gr of 777 is what my wife shoots in her MZ and they work great! I shoot the 290gr KNIGHT SPITFIRE TMZ with 110gr of 777 (awsome load)

Please keep us posterd on your range report on tue.

LUNGBUSTER

 

[hobbes]

Took the gun apart tonight as you suggested. Made me feel better about the way the gun works. I'm always leary of taking a gun apart that I've never taken apart, but it was no problem. Probably a good thing I did. Although my father is pretty meticulous about taking care of his guns and the gun had been cleaned and oiled down, the nipple appeared to have quite a bit of crud in it. I've got it ready to go now and will be shooting it at the range tomorrow evening if my plans work out. I'll keep the other bullets in mind, but if these shoot good tomorrow I'll stick with them through this hunt (it starts the 21st and ends the 28th). The 85 grains is where I planned to start. Maybe I can post some pics of the results and loads afterwards.

 

[big6x6]

That 245gr Powerbelt will probably be okay on a pronghorn although I'd probably go with a 270gr or 295gr Aerotip, better ballistic coefficient and more retained energy. Best to take at least a couple of weights of bullets with you to the range to make sure you come away with a winner.

Good luck on your hunt!

 

[hobbes]

Made it to the range, but I made it later than I had hoped and it was cloudy. I was determined to shoot a few rounds, so I made the best of what little time I had.

Not knowing if the iron sights were even close, I started with one shot at 25 yards which was maybe a half inch left and three inches high. I felt that was in the ballpark and I didn't think I had the front sight down into the rear sight quite enough, so I went to 50 and made adjustments to how I aimed with the sight. Amazingly enough my first 50 yard shot was dead center of a target. My buddy who has never shot any muzzleloader was watching through his binocs and was shocked.

I decided to do a quick clean of the barrel before shooting another round. Knowing how late it was getting, I decided to try a 100 yard target that had been left up w/o any holes in it. My first 100 yard shot was a hair left and about 6" low. I had very little faith in how I held because how small the target looked behind the sights at dusk. My second 100 yard and last round was worse and I hit below the paper.

I think the first two shots proved to me the windage is set pretty good and I'm dead on at 50. My 100 yard shots can not be counted on to tell me anything because while it was plenty light to see to shoot with a scope or from 50 yards in, 100 yards was pushing it for iron sights. I'll get to shoot again earlier one afternoon this week when I can shoot a few more rounds and actually check my grouping.

I was shooting 85 grains of loose triple seven ffg powder behind 245 gr. powerbelt aerotips. If I'm dead on at 50, how low would you expect it to be at 100 yards? I'm sure the high shot at 25 was due to me not getting the front blade far enough down into the rear sight, so I would guess it to be nearly dead on at 25 also. I would expect I should be a couple inches high at 50 to be close to dead on at 100.

I did get a couple round off from my 7mm mag at 100 yards after I quit with the Knight. Dad and I purchased the gun together for him to come out here and hunt elk this year and for my late season cow elk tag. While it shot well, I noticed that the trigger pull on the Knight MK-85 was much better than the Remington SPF 7mm mag.