# Muzzleloader pellets vs powder



## Ray (May 10, 2018)

I’m curious what everyone is running. I’ve been using pellets but I’m sick of crushing one every time I seat the projectile. I also ran the numbers and will get about 20 more shots with powder than pellets


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Powder.

-DallanC


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

I just picked up an older CVA Staghorn Magnum from a buddy. 50 cal 1:28 twist.

If anyone has powder or pellet recommendations I’d love to hear it. Projectile recommendations are welcome too. So far I was able to get some Winchester 777 209 primers and cleaning supplies. I have zero experience with muzzleloaders but mounted a scope and bore sighted with a laser at 25 yards. Hoping to go shoot it here soon.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

TPrawitt91 said:


> I just picked up an older CVA Staghorn Magnum from a buddy. 50 cal 1:28 twist.
> 
> If anyone has powder or pellet recommendations I’d love to hear it. Projectile recommendations are welcome too. So far I was able to get some Winchester 777 209 primers and cleaning supplies. I have zero experience with muzzleloaders but mounted a scope and bore sighted with a laser at 25 yards. Hoping to go shoot it here soon.


If you need more primers, let me know. A spot by my house has them for $9


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I'm a loose powder fan.

You can tune your loads easier, kind of hard with pellets when your best load is in the middle of a pellet.

Sent from my SM-A426U using Tapatalk


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Loose powder all the time. Been doing it that way since I used the old .54 Hawken in the early 80's.


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## MrShane (Jul 21, 2019)

Powder here.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I've shot powder since the early 80's, in the ol 50 cal Hawkin days, 80 grains with a roundball and patch 
I didn't go to an inline till '06. Have used 100 grains with a 348 grain hollow point in my Knight for years. 
Both are quite accurate. 

But I'm old school. 
I try to see how close I can get. 
Not......how far I can shoot.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Powder.


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## Sidviciouser (9 mo ago)

I use powder so I'm not stuck with a 100 OR 150. I like to shoot around 120 and I can weigh the powder. I did get the upgraded powder breech plug for my CVA. Not sure if it really makes a difference, but I don't want to find out on a hunt.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Loose 777 for me. I haven’t jumped on the Blackhorn 209 wagon and probably won’t. The ballistic charts comparing 777 & Blackhorn don’t show much of a difference. If I remember correctly, you get 70.shots from 1 lb of loose powder using 100 grain by volume.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I use pellets, but that's because I'm a noob and they seemed a little more dummy-proof when I started out. No complaints so far.


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## Irish Lad (Jun 3, 2008)

I've always used 2 50 gr pellets in my Pro Hunter FX. Easy and accurate out to 150 yards.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

My old Knight MK85 54 caliber liked the Tripple 7 powder, but my CVA Acura does not like powder, I tried the 777 and 209 and could not get good grouping. I went with the Triple 7 Firestar pellets and now I get good consistent groups.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

bowgy said:


> My old Knight MK85 54 caliber liked the Tripple 7 powder, but my CVA Acura does not like powder, I tried the 777 and 209 and could not get good grouping. I went with the Triple 7 Firestar pellets and now I get good consistent groups.
> View attachment 154048


I may have to try that powder. I got a CVA Acrua a year and a half ago for my retirement gift from my company. Haven't even fired it yet. 
Wouldn't mind using it for the muzzle elk hunt. 
I also have a MK 85 54 cal. Have taken a bunch of animals with it. Was thinking about just sticking with it.


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## hondodawg (Mar 13, 2013)

Loose for me. I use a Whites .45 with conicals. 777 seems to work. I did swap too using the old musket cap instead of #11. Not even sure they have pellets for my caliber that’ll light off without a 209. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Alot of love for 777 here... glad it worked for you all. I had worse accuracy in my testing than Pyrodex RS. I love Pyro, its cheap and about the only thing that remained on shelves consistently through the shortages.

-DallanC


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I have always used the Pyro RS as well.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

What powder measure do you guys use? The one I have is a pain to get the powder into without spilling it


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I just use a old CVA one that looks like a brass cartridge. To poor powder into it I have the cap that fits on top of a bottle of powder that looks like a funnel. About the only powder that I spill is when I am right at the top of the measure.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

2full said:


> I may have to try that powder. I got a CVA Acrua a year and a half ago for my retirement gift from my company. Haven't even fired it yet.
> Wouldn't mind using it for the muzzle elk hunt.
> I also have a MK 85 54 cal. Have taken a bunch of animals with it. Was thinking about just sticking with it.


I really like my knight but it is harder to find components for the 54 caliber and the CVA is much easier to clean.

We still need to get to your cabin, I have all the parts.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

It might be too late now........
The roads are a muddy mess up there. I came off on my 4 wheeler last night. Worst I've seen that road in all my years of going up and down it ..
I think it will get to dry out before the next storm.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

2full said:


> It might be too late now........
> The roads are a muddy mess up there. I came off on my 4 wheeler last night. Worst I've seen that road in all my years of going up and down it ..
> I think it will get to dry out before the next storm.


since this conversation is taking place on my thread can I come too?


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Ray said:


> since this conversation is taking place on my thread can I come too?


Sure, sorry to pilfer your thread. The side by side has 6 seat belts so you are welcome to come along, I will put you to work though.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

Ray said:


> since this conversation is taking place on my thread can I come too?


You are more than welcome !!
There is almost.....nothing I would rather do than go to the cabin and hang out. The view is pretty decent as well. 
The more the merrier 😎


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Where's the cabin?


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

This has become my single greatest thread


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

Fowlmouth said:


> Where's the cabin?


Up on Cedar Mountain, over by Miner's Peak.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

2full said:


> Up on Cedar Mountain, over by Miner's Peak.


Nice! My wife’s folks have a cabin up above Brian Head, just outside of Cedar Breaks NP by Mammoth Creek. Nice area!


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

2full said:


> It might be too late now........
> The roads are a muddy mess up there. I came off on my 4 wheeler last night. Worst I've seen that road in all my years of going up and down it ..
> I think it will get to dry out before the next storm.


If the roads dry out in the next few days or so we should be good to go, if we get more snow I can just put the tracks on.
Not my place to say but 2full's cabin is in a beautiful area.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I'd like to see a picture of your rig with tracks on. I've been kicking around a solution for when roads are a mix of dry in places but too deep of snow in others. Ran into that a couple times ice fishing. Too much snow in places for ATVs, but dry sections I dont want to run the snowmobiles on. Seems this is becoming more the norm with our weird winters.

I have been looking for a Bombardier Bombi, but they are extremely hard to find.

-DallanC


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

Shot pellets in my CVA wolf. Seemed ok. I'm not looking for 1/2" groups on a MZ. Got a Traditions Vortek and it didn't like pellets, or powerbelts. Went with BH and Hornady SST with good success. Last year I was having some issues with fliers. Good group and then a flyer. Switched to Noslers and did ok. 

I'm intrigued by the Hornady ELD-X MZ bullets.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Try the Harvester Crush Rib sabots, they are more consistent I've found. Also, if you aren't shooting crazy distances, you will find the 240gr XTP or even 300gr XTP is very accurate, and terminal performance is much better. SSTs are a bit more fragile than the XTPs, but better ballistically over longer ranges.

-DallanC


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

DallanC said:


> Try the Harvester Crush Rib sabots, they are more consistent I've found. Also, if you aren't shooting crazy distances, you will find the 240gr XTP or even 300gr XTP is very accurate, and terminal performance is much better. SSTs are a bit more fragile than the XTPs, but better ballistically over longer ranges.
> 
> -DallanC


do they fragment on impact?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

No, but they don't hold together as well if you hit heavier bone. In my life I've only ever recovered 2 of the 240gr XTPs, both from quartering shots where the bullets traveled diagonally though a deer around 30". I've never recovered a 300gr XTP, even from an elk. Big holes going in, bigger holes going out. Cheap bullets to use and semi-easy to find even in the shortage. I love XTPs, they just work.

-DallanC


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

Have you looked at Hornady's new bullet? That's intriguing.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

DallanC said:


> I'd like to see a picture of your rig with tracks on. I've been kicking around a solution for when roads are a mix of dry in places but too deep of snow in others. Ran into that a couple times ice fishing. Too much snow in places for ATVs, but dry sections I dont want to run the snowmobiles on. Seems this is becoming more the norm with our weird winters.
> 
> I have been looking for a Bombardier Bombi, but they are extremely hard to find.
> 
> -DallanC


The tracks are still at the dealership, as soon as I am ready they will put them on, then when I am ready to switch back to wheels I will take it back to the dealer and they will show me how to switch them back.

Here is a pic at 10,00 ft in Beaver County.
I have them for my ATV and have used them since 2006, they are pretty awesome and will work for what you want.


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## Sidviciouser (9 mo ago)

My buddy has tracks on his SxS for ice fishing at Strawberry. They are loud and slow, but they work great.

Ray, I sent you a convo


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