Getting ready to pull the trigger pros/ cons?

[Oli]

I'm real close to purchasing this rifle, would like to hear any input from you guys. Knight mountaineer 45 caliber 1-20 Twist ultralight nitrite finish timmeny trigger sp? My other rifle in consideration is the Thompson center encore which would have to be in 50 caliber. Thanks in advance for any input! Deer and elk out to 300 yards. Last muzzleloader I'll ever purchase.
Thanks
Rick

 

[ENCORE50A]

 

[HC]

Some states have a .50 cal minimum for elk. Regardless of caliber, I would choose the ultra-lite. Ultra-lites comes in both 45 and 50 cal.

 

[GM54-120]

Unless you get a custom barrel for the Encore you are just getting a typical 50cal 1-28 twist. Nothing really wrong with that but a fast twist 45 has better bullet options if you want to get into jacketed resizing. Long 40cal bullets in sabots will also have an advantage.

 

[toytruck]

I would go with Knight ultra-lite if I was buying again, never had one, but reviews are excellent. I did have a Encore once upon a time, hated the QLA, sold it!

 

[WPrather]

I don’t know what state your from or what your laws are. But a new knight is about $1300 bucks. With all you read about their great warrentee and custome service in answering the phones and dealing with customers. I would have a hard time paying that for one myself.

You can do a lot of things with a TC Prohunter for that kind of money though. You can get the 50cal Prohunter and a set of wood thumbhole stocks for under a $1,000. If smokeless is legal in your state. You can buy a TC Prohunter frame kit for $400 bucks. Then you can buy a custom 45cal barrel for 800-1200 depending on which one you want. You can also shoot heavy charges of BH209 in those custom barrels if smokeless isn’t legal in your state. Haus of Arms also has 45cal MGM black powder muzzeloader barrels for $480. TC also has secretaries to answer the phone if you call with a warrentee probablem.

If you spend $800 on a Prohunter you would also have $500 left for a really good scope to help with those 300yd shots. Because all 45 and 50cal muzzeloaders will have a pretty good drop at that distance.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Last muzzleloader I'll ever purchase.

I said that many rifles ago...


Tough choice with all the good info presented.

 

[HC]

ML.com has 50 cal ultra-lites in stock for $889.99.

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

I have both rifles . I guess it depends on what you are after . The fisrt Encore I bought I bought with the intentions of switching barrels . That has never happened. Anymore with the cost of rifles you can buy a complete rifle for the cost of a TC barrel. A Pro Hunter is easier to manuever in a tree stand but the grips are horribly fat for my liking.

When it comes to accuracy . In my opionion the Knight has a definite advantage. I will say the length of the Mountaineer does become cumbersome climbing under some tree stand shooting rails. Myself I would buy the Ultralight in a .45 with the shorter barrel . You are not giving up that much speed and if your worried about the speed increase your Blackhorn 209 powder charge by 5 grains by weight. 5 grains will gain you aprox 50 feet per second .1 inch shorter barrel will loose about 25 feet per second.

You really can not go wrong with either rifle. Its completly personal preference.

 

[sabotloader]

+1, on Doug's thoughts.

I am a hunter in north Idaho, Nor Idaho is not flat so the ULite works really well for me.

I went with a Nitride finish on this rifle - I believe it is well worth it... If you have time look up the Nitride process on-line. It is really durable!

 

[Squeeze]

I have 5 mountaineers, 1 U-lite,Mk's, LK,s, discs, Whites, TC's, CVA's, customs... I usually hunt with a mountaineer, sometimes a .50, sometimes a .45. I almost always hunt from a treestand, but if I were traipsing up and down mountains all day, I would go with something lighter. Some guys dont like the mountaineer, (they say long and heavy) but they are my favorites.

 

[LarryBud]

If you plan to hunt Elk in Colorado, you'll need a 50 Cal which will shoot Full Bore Conicals. Does the Pro Hunter have a QLA? If so, neither rifle is a good choice.

I really like my Knight Disc Extreme in a 50 with a Thumbhole Stock for CO. An Ultra Light may be better but for the price a KDE is a pretty sweet gun.

 

[Oli]

I really don't plan on doing much if any out of state hunting, I'm in Az and with everything i do I can't even keep up with all the outdoors my state has to offer. No restrictions on muzzleloaders in Az. Thanks for all the input. Excuse my ignorance but I have no idea what QLA is!

 

[Oli]

Sabotloader, is your knight a mountaineer or straight ultralight?

 

[03mossy]

QLA-Quick Load Accurizor

The last inch or so of the barrel does not have rifling. Makes loading sabots easier but it’s no good for shooting full bore conicals.

 

[ShawnT]

That's his new Nitride 50 cal UL. I'll give another vote on the UL, I have one in 50 cal. Great rifle. The QLA is a false muzzle, to start bullets in. It has no rifling. Some seemed to be a bit off center from the bore so guys have seen them not shoot conical well but might shoot sabot loads ok.

 

[toytruck]

I really don't plan on doing much if any out of state hunting, I'm in Az and with everything i do I can't even keep up with all the outdoors my state has to offer. No restrictions on muzzleloaders in Az. Thanks for all the input. Excuse my ignorance but I have no idea what QLA is!

QLA is T/C's version of a false muzzle, they mostly are not aligned properly with the rifling so will not shoot conical bullets accurately, saboted bullets seem to be alright. I never did get my Encore to shoot to my liking both with a .45 and .50 barrel.

 

[sabotloader]

Sabotloader, is your knight a mountaineer or straight ultralight?

I have both a regular Mountaineer and an Ultra Lite - I use the Ulite far more often for hunting. But, If I were shooting for money of a bench I would probably use the Mountaineer

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

I am not at all bashing on the Knight Mountaineer . I love my Mountaineers . In fact my fast twist Mountaineer will shoot right with my Knight 500.The weight does not bother me its the length and even the length does not bother me other than in tree stands.

 

[WPrather]

I would be looking at a TC Prohunter with a Brux 45cal barrel or a Rem 700 Custom smokeless if I was you. Look at Aerohead Sporting goods website and Hankin’s custom.

It’s hard for me living in Missouri hunting out of a treestand never shooting over 150yds to justify the money. When a regular muzzeloader will do everything I need to do. But if I lived in Arizona where long distance shots at big game are common. I could sell a couple guns in my gun cabinet and justify a custom 700 tomorrow. Especially if it was going to be my main hunting gun I’m going to hang onto for awhile.

For 1500-1700 I could build one hell of a custom smokeless TC Prohunter. With a TC Prohunter frame, custom wood Thumbhole stock set and custom Brux 45cal barrel. That should push a 250-275gr bullet 2600fps or so.

Aerohead also has a custom Rem 700 ultimate package for 2500. It will push a 250-275gr bullet 2900-3000fps.

Hankin’s Custom Rem 700’s smokeless muzzeloaders start at 2850.

I know that sounds like a lot of money but if Arizona don’t have laws against smokeless muzzeloaders. Then you live in the perfect state to use one. Instead of 300yds you could hunt 500-600yds with a custom 700. I have no idea how much your willing to spend but just putting some more options on the table.