Knight Mountaineer 45 cal FT

[sabotloader]

Early this month I was able to acquire a new to me Knight Mountaineer 45 cal. - fast twist.

I finally go some time to make some modifications and check the rifle out.

Knight included a used/shot primer with the rifle - It was really not clean some my first project was to shim the breech plug. To my surprise it took a 0.015" shim to get the crush on a W209 that I wanted. After installation out to the garage to test the primers. The small photo in the composite picture shows the results of the shimming. Really nice clean primers.

The next I work on today was bore diameter... I was surprised how tight this bore is. I ran a couple of bullets through a .451 resizer and they feel to tight to push thru. I have not actually tried to push them through yet. I am of the belief the bore might be .4512/3" - tighter than any of the 3 other 45's I have. I do not have any Parkers on hand but I am thinking they will fit just right.

After installing the scope and bore sighting, I ran the rifle to the farm to do some shooting. The whole goal here was just to shoot and get it good enough to hit clay pigeons at 100 yards, plus at the same time heat the bore up enough to cure the Bore Coat in the barrel.

FOR ME, I did find that the factory stock was a bit to bulky! If I were a stand hunter - the stock would be a very good stock to work off of sticks.

Today I worked with the rifle to find a stock that I would feel comfortable hunting with.

The rifle with scope weighs 9 lbs. 8 oz. I removed the factory stock and installed a Knight TH composite stock. This stock really made it comfortable to carry in my hand. It shouldered and pointed really well. Weight with the composite 9 lbs. 4 oz. I was sure it would weight less than that - it felt less but it all turns out the factory laminate stock is lighter than I thought.

I decided to try one more option. I remove a Knight Kevlar stock from a ULite and installed that. That reduce the weight to 8 lbs. 11 oz. The stock is a fatter than the composite TH and far less bulky than the factory laminate TH. I have opted to leave the Kevlar stock on for hunting. Were I shooting target I would switch back to the laminate.

I guess I should relay when I was shooting at the farm I was shooting 40x200 Lehigh/Bloodlines in a Tan MMP sabot. Pushed by 120 grains T7-2F. The shimming of the BP worked perfect as the W209's came out clean as a whistle...

Here are some pics of this mornings weight reduction.

 

[SuperKirby]

Sounds about like what I've found with mine. The bore is tight but I haven't measured yet. But I plan to start playing with conicals so will figure all that out.

What composite stock did you get to fit? I plan to find one to swap onto it but not sure what my options are with the forked recoil lug.

 

[Grouse]

I hope you shoot some targets at 100 yards. I've not heard of one that shoots as good or better then the super disc. I also don't like the mountaineer stocks. They are to fat for me, but your right much better for target shooting and hunting with sticks. But the Kevlar stock is my preference for sure.

 

[sabotloader]

Sounds about like what I've found with mine. The bore is tight but I haven't measured yet. But I plan to start playing with conicals so will figure all that out.

What composite stock did you get to fit? I plan to find one to swap onto it but not sure what my options are with the forked recoil lug.

I just used a Knight DISC TH composite stock. It is cut for the 'forked recoil lug

 

[sabotloader]

I hope you shoot some targets at 100 yards. I've not heard of one that shoots as good or better then the super disc. I also don't like the mountaineer stocks. They are to fat for me, but your right much better for target shooting and hunting with sticks. But the Kevlar stock is my preference for sure.

O I will at some point get out and shoot it much more.

It really doesn't have to outshoot the Super DISC - It just needs to shoot as well as it does. As you have suggested for many years the 'forked recoil lug' is big advantage that the Super DISC does not have. And even more important sitting in a Kevlar stock with the embedded receiver block in the stock.

The Super DISC weighs 8 lbs. 7 oz. so it is a tad lighter...

 

[Grouse]

I hope you shoot some targets at 100 yards. I've not heard of one that shoots as good or better then the super disc. I also don't like the mountaineer stocks. They are to fat for me, but your right much better for target shooting and hunting with sticks. But the Kevlar stock is my preference for sure.

O I will at some point get out and shoot it much more.

It really doesn't have to outshoot the Super DISC - It just needs to shoot as well as it does. As you have suggested for many years the 'forked recoil lug' is big advantage that the Super DISC does not have. And even more important sitting in a Kevlar stock with the embedded receiver block in the stock.

The Super DISC weighs 8 lbs. 7 oz. so it is a tad lighter...

I wonder how hard it would be to change the lug? Not sure why I never thought of that before. :idea:

 

[Hntndad]

Great question. I'm sitting here waiting for my bedding job to cure enough to pop the barrel outta the stock. I removed the knight escutcheon. Dropped in a pillar and made a new escutcheon that is flush with the bottom of the stock. Stainless steel. New stainless bolt. It's a friends mountaineer. The stock feels like a 4x4 post. I'm going to finish bedding it, then break out my stock making goodies and make this more like my much slimmer master hunter thumbhole. Anyways...for the first time I looked at that little .50" recoil lug while I was cleaning up the welds and thought to myself..wtf?? I'd love to pop this off and have a real recoil lug welded on. I don't weld (yet) but I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to have a new one made and tig'd on.

 

[sabotloader]

I hope you shoot some targets at 100 yards. I've not heard of one that shoots as good or better then the super disc. I also don't like the mountaineer stocks. They are to fat for me, but your right much better for target shooting and hunting with sticks. But the Kevlar stock is my preference for sure.

O I will at some point get out and shoot it much more.

It really doesn't have to outshoot the Super DISC - It just needs to shoot as well as it does. As you have suggested for many years the 'forked recoil lug' is big advantage that the Super DISC does not have. And even more important sitting in a Kevlar stock with the embedded receiver block in the stock.

The Super DISC weighs 8 lbs. 7 oz. so it is a tad lighter...

I wonder how hard it would be to change the lug? Not sure why I never thought of that before. :idea:

Well I know you know a couple of people that could do that for you... Just have to come with the lug..

 

[Grouse]

O I will at some point get out and shoot it much more.

It really doesn't have to outshoot the Super DISC - It just needs to shoot as well as it does. As you have suggested for many years the 'forked recoil lug' is big advantage that the Super DISC does not have. And even more important sitting in a Kevlar stock with the embedded receiver block in the stock.

The Super DISC weighs 8 lbs. 7 oz. so it is a tad lighter...

I wonder how hard it would be to change the lug? Not sure why I never thought of that before. :idea:

Well I know you know a couple of people that could do that for you... Just have to come with the lug..

Well I just bought another super disc that I did not need. And I'll be shipping it out Tuesday to get the lug changed. When it's done I'll just have the barrel duracoated.

 

[SuperKirby]

It's my understanding Knight won't sell an Ultralite stock right? And it's pretty close to impossible to find an Ultralite stock anywhere else? So my best option would be to get a Disc extreme stock and Knight will sell me one of those? Is that all correct?

 

[Grouse]

It's my understanding Knight won't sell an Ultralite stock right? And it's pretty close to impossible to find an Ultralite stock anywhere else? So my best option would be to get a Disc extreme stock and Knight will sell me one of those? Is that all correct?

Yes

 

[SuperKirby]

Thanks. Now I have a direction to go. I didn't think the Disc extreme stock would fit the lug on the Mountaineer and didn't know how I was going to get a synthetic stock on there.

 

[sabotloader]

Thanks. Now I have a direction to go. I didn't think the Disc extreme stock would fit the lug on the Mountaineer and didn't know how I was going to get a synthetic stock on there.

The new stocks are interchangeable between the Extreme and the Elite of days gone by...

Might look on gun broker and ebay - those thumbholes come up on them quite often.

 

[bike4500]

sabotloader, Do you have a extra thumbhole you would part with?

 

[GM54-120]

The next I work on today was bore diameter... I was surprised how tight this bore is. I ran a couple of bullets through a .451 resizer and they feel to tight to push thru. I have not actually tried to push them through yet. I am of the belief the bore might be .4512/3" - tighter than any of the 3 other 45's I have. I do not have any Parkers on hand but I am thinking they will fit just right.

My 45 DISC and Pacnor are both tight. Oddly the 45 DISC is tighter than my Pacnor but they are both super close to .450. A .4505 older BE wont even begin to load in them. A .4502-.4503 might.

In larger bores when you have to knurl up, use a larger sizing die to even out the knurling. I use a .451 die but IMO a .452 would be better for my .450s. In bores closer to .452 you can probably get away with the Lee .454 die to make the knurling uniform. Its a standard Lee sizing die.

 

[GM54-120]

Thanks. Now I have a direction to go. I didn't think the Disc extreme stock would fit the lug on the Mountaineer and didn't know how I was going to get a synthetic stock on there.

Boyds sells a couple Knight laminate stocks. You may need to inlet for the cantilever lug but thats a piece of cake really.
https://www.boydsgunstocks.com/FindASto ... &Action=61

 

[sabotloader]

sabotloader, Do you have a extra thumbhole you would part with?

No, I really do not at this time

 

[a1smokepole]

Thanks. Now I have a direction to go. I didn't think the Disc extreme stock would fit the lug on the Mountaineer and didn't know how I was going to get a synthetic stock on there.

Boyds sells a couple Knight laminate stocks. You may need to inlet for the cantilever lug but thats a piece of cake really.
https://www.boydsgunstocks.com/FindASto ... &Action=61

I have two Boyd stocks for the disc and you don't need to inlet for the cantilever lug.

 

[SuperKirby]

I had heard the Boyd's would fit as they already make the laminates for the Mountaineer. But I have a laminate, I want a synthetic stock.

 

[Grouse]

I had heard the Boyd's would fit as they already make the laminates for the Mountaineer. But I have a laminate, I want a synthetic stock.

I have a black super disc stock if you want to modify it. Make me an offer on it, I got no use for it. Send me a PM if your interested.