First hunt in cold weather-practical considerations as to shooting

[geneso]

Hello,
I await my muzzleloader to come back from the gunsmith so I can familiarize myself with this whole new process to me. I have acquired and been given 9 different bullets for this Knight Disc Extreme 50 caliber rifle and learning the practical realities of a M/L rifle will be an interesting challenge.
While I await its return I might as well learn some things beforehand that will be absolutely neccessary to know when making a hunt in northern Missouri, after Christmas in the snow. This will be basically stand hunting.
Ignition- I have looked down the breech plug of this rifle and noted the flashole is tiny. I have been warned about making sure this is cleaned properly. Is there anything special I should be doing in this department in cold weather? is switching to large rifle primers a good thing from the 209's?
powder- I have some Pyrodex Select powder and will almost certainly use all of it when testing. I have looked at the price and availability of BlackHown 209. Wow, glad I am in the process of selling an automobile to I can purchase a small amount
The practicality of ballistics- these slow moving, large, low B.C bullets must pose real problems, especially in windy conditions. I won't be shooting that much before the late hunt to make an entire chart to be ready for distance and wind and also wind angle. Is there a system adaptable to muzzle loading hunting conditions you may recommend?

Thank you to the dedicated m/l shooters who have been so helpful to me on this site.

WW

 

[illinoishunter]

Congrats on your new journey. I'm also a mz newbie so can't give any good advice yet. Let the pros chime in there. All I can say is practice as much as possible. You will quickly(hopefully) get an idea of what your rifle likes and it's and your limitations. What range you plan on hunting? What ammo are you using? The 209 ignition will be fine as well.

 

[geneso]

Hello Illinoishunter,

I have some advantages. I retired after seeing my last patient 17 years ago; have access to a 800 range I designed and built on the Tecolote Land Grant near me in northern New Mexico. I traded for and was given Knight rifles, so my gunsmith and I have decided to combine both with these modifications: a "real" recoil pad from Limbsaver to cover the serrated hard plastic one on the conventional camouflaged stock. No wonder the owner wanted to give the weapon away! We chose that one stock due to its wrist shape that will make mounting the vernier rear sight functional, rather than the thumbhole style. We shall bed and free float the stainless action into this stock, and it will have a muzzle brake.. I questioned the Knight people closely about the fact that there is a single small set screw attaching the barreled action to the stock. I irritated their engineers. My gunsmith and I figured out the screw that holds the trigger to the action, could also be utilized to secure the action to the stock-thus two action stock screws, just like every other bolt action I have ever seen.
After two weeks I have been given or purchased 9 different bullets, so when the rifle is completed the concrete benchrest on the range will be getting serious workouts and careful records and targets will be kept. Real winds blow at 6,500 feet here in the Rockies. I had set two Worlds records at 600 yards and when moving here realized I really knew practically nothing about shooting in winds at longer distances.
So hunting on Jeff's 2800 acres of prime deer habitat is a special opportunity and if there is something about using a muzzleloader is perhaps zero weather I should know about I figure this should be the place to find out now rather than too late during the hunt.

WW

 

[TiggerLueb]

I enjoy hunting in the colder weather of winter. My input on this is not so much as muzzle loader but battery related. I made bad shot on a deer because my range finder battery died on me. I guess the distance incorrectly and shot low on the deer. This happens again and I won’t shoot at all.

 

[illinoishunter]

Take some practice shots with the barrel really cold to check zero. Then most guys leave the muzzy outside if not fired to keep the powder from getting wet as the barrel sweats if you bring into a warm building. Or unload and clean it. But I'm very jealous of the hunting opportunity and wish you the best of success. Congrats on your previous accomplishments as well.

 

[geneso]

Thanks fellow shooters. I had not thought about keeping the rifle outside and also zeroing it in cold weather. These are important details and almost certainly would have affected the hunt , if I had not utilized your ideas. I have not hunted whitetails since 1985. MY best is 142 2/8 and my friend with the Missouri property is 178.
Thanks again,

Geneso

 

[michiganmuzzy]

@geneso what max distance are you planning to shoot animals at? Realistic limit for your rig sounds like its only going to be about 200 yards, imo. With that in mind you may not have to worry as much about windage, especially with a bullet heavier than 300grains. Pyrodex is pretty easy to ignite compared to BH209 so really any ignition should be fine(there is much debate on that, tho).
There is the “crud ring” issue that you may need to deal with, in order to get a follow up shot. A good quick clean with a spit patch between shots usually takes care of it tho.
The bullet is no problem if hunting whitetail, theyre pretty easy to kill with good shot placement(you already know this). Just find the one with best accuracy.
I personally would consider real black instead of Pyrodex lots of guys shoot long range with real black but im not so sure about Pyrodex.
Knowing your rifle and what it likes or doesnt like, and keeping your powder dry, imho, are the most important things about MLs.

 

[geneso]

Thanks for your insight. My background is long range precision shooting and have a range to 800 yards with concrete benchrest etc. I have received and purchased 10 different m/l bullets to use in the rifle presently at the gunsmiths. I will use the pound of Pyrodex I have almost certainly in that testing. Thankfully I can use a scope in Missouri, because it's strictly iron sights starting this season in New Mexico. I sense an opportunity here, due to the fact most hunters will not like converting back to iron sights after using scopes here for decades.

 

[MrTom]

Just a thought here. The best way to understand your gun's cold weather performance is to shoot it during the coldest weather you anticipate having to fire it. All of my BH209 guns have been thoroughly tested at very cold temps here in SE Minnesota so I know and understand what each gun's limits are. Don't put the guns away when the thermometer drops deep after your season end this winter..... that's the time to get out and actually find out what's what with the gun and the components you use

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Ive spent many -20* days at the range with a ML testing BH209 and dif breech plugs or bullets. It is worth it when the time comes to pull the trigger on a late season deer. Our last day for whitetail is January 1st. Range time in the summer is great for finding out how a hot barrel shoots. But Jan & Feb will be more realistic training… heavy clothes, cold feet, numb fingers, snow filled scope, hard to ignite powder… that stuff is hard to duplicate in the summer and early fall. Also, you usually have the range to yourself, no distractions.

 

[geneso]

Fellow shooters,

All this advice is good common sense, and almost surely the average person would not do this. Now I do face a dilemma. although raised in Mankato, MN and spent a lot of time in frozen woods, we are retired here to the High Desert in the Rockies in northern New Mexico. I will never experience the colder temperatures I will be hunting in northern Missouri until I drive up there.
The idea of leaving the weapon out in the cold weather was excellent. I am new to muzzleloading shooting, have yet to fire one since we are at work modifying the Knight 50 caliber rifle I have traded into. When it gets back from the gunsmith I look forward to the challenge of testing the ten different bullets I have been given, or bought with other shooters advice. I have Pyrodex select because that is all I could find and look forward to the day when I actually see a pound of BH209! In that scenario, since my Disc Extreme is meant to shoot shotgun primers, do any of you use large rifle primers for ignition? I am experienced in longer range precision shooting and used to extremely fine reloading techniques and using large rifle primers makes for consistent sense to me. I do not know how you would convert my rifle, or even if that would be wise, because I am virtually certain that for this first hunt, the 209 ignition would work properly in late December.

Thank you both for this inciteful, experienced reply.

WW

 

[CatamountRob]

Fellow shooters,

All this advice is good common sense, and almost surely the average person would not do this. Now I do face a dilemma. although raised in Mankato, MN and spent a lot of time in frozen woods, we are retired here to the High Desert in the Rockies in northern New Mexico. I will never experience the colder temperatures I will be hunting in northern Missouri until I drive up there.
The idea of leaving the weapon out in the cold weather was excellent. I am new to muzzleloading shooting, have yet to fire one since we are at work modifying the Knight 50 caliber rifle I have traded into. When it gets back from the gunsmith I look forward to the challenge of testing the ten different bullets I have been given, or bought with other shooters advice. I have Pyrodex select because that is all I could find and look forward to the day when I actually see a pound of BH209! In that scenario, since my Disc Extreme is meant to shoot shotgun primers, do any of you use large rifle primers for ignition? I am experienced in longer range precision shooting and used to extremely fine reloading techniques and using large rifle primers makes for consistent sense to me. I do not know how you would convert my rifle, or even if that would be wise, because I am virtually certain that for this first hunt, the 209 ignition would work properly in late December.

Thank you both for this inciteful, experienced reply.

WW

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone makes a breechplug for your gun that uses a cartridge case ignition module. Someone on here will know for sure.

 

[geneso]

Catamount Rob, thanks for this information and it certainly sounds possible.

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Ballistics wise you would be mocking the old buffalo rounds - 45-70, 50-90 and 50-110, a look at them on ballistics table will tell you how much wind and distance will affect the trajectory

As said watch condensation. I would also be real careful of lube, both on bullet and in trigger work, hammer/lock/firing pin system etc

The canuck military still specified 303 enfields run dry for extreme artic condions where bears etc could be an issue. I might consider doing same in your situation at least in regards to firing mechanism

 

[geneso]

Anonymouscow,

Sensible and intelligent observations! Thanks