New guy with a bunch of questions!

[Sabotloader]

SL  - Was just looking at the 305 Lehigh. They call out a minimum twist of 1-20"? Does your rifle stabilize them? What distance?
[/quote]

They do list it as a 1-20 because of length and the fact that it is a 45-70 bullet.  But I have found it will shoot fine from a 1-28 if you shoot it with a hot load.  110 - 120 grains of powder either T7 or BH.

Also an important item is the bullet is held to tighter specs because it is a rifle bullet so the diameter is a little smaller than a corresponding .458 ML bullet.  In my case shooting the bullet from a Knight - I need to use a MMP HPH 24 sabot rather than the normal HPH 457/458 Orange sabot. The problem is in the large sabot the bullet can sometime loose grip with the sabot and not get the rotation it needs. In a HPH-24 the sabot gets a much tighter grip on the bullet and their is no slippage.

I have shot them to 200 yards at paper or physical targets.  The longest shot on an animal has been 170 yards - worked great.

[reelamin]

So after getting some more info from Sabotloader I must admit my total ignorance to muzzle loaders.   I know modern firearms and have had pretty good luck making them shoot well.  I honestly just thought the muzzle loader would be easy as I had never heard of anyone ever talking accuracy or lack of it.  Pretty much everyone would just say they hit what they shot at.  So I started looking and my stock to action fit was absolutely terrible...as in APPALLING!  So, no question I needed to fix it...and thanks to some great internet info I decided to try JB Weld instead of the normal Accra Glass I have used.   Wow I have been an idiot not only in extra expense but so much harder to use then JB Weld.   I sanded (dremel) out the inside all the way for relief and drilled some anchor holes in the stock.  I was pretty impressed with the rigidity of the stock.  I used an old Aluminum arrow wrapped in masking tape and Vaseline to create the ram rod channel.  I also used Vaseline as a release agent on the action.  I smeared it on and then heat gunned it....I used a lot because I was worried...could have used a lot less as it released super easy.   It will have been 48hrs tomorrow so I'm really hoping it makes a difference.  The back of the receiver and forward about 4" are all perfectly bedded with full contact now.   I ordered my Lehigh bullets Sunday evening.....in my hand this morning!!   THAT IS AWESOME SERVICE!!!   Will post up how tomorrow turns out...hoping for some noticeable improvement.

Edit:  I have not forgotten about this....lots of OT at work and no decent blocks of time....I have not made it to the bench yet...maybe Friday unless work calls for more OT.

[reelamin]

I spent 5hrs at the range today and shot 22 different hunting combination's not counting my practice loads.   Also tried some RWS Primers and Pryrodex 2F.   No question the bedding really helped make it shoot very consistent and helped my practice loads  x100.   Bedding the action changed my POI by about 12" directly lower.  I have learned a lot about muzzle loader accuracy and my particular rifle.    I don't think my rifle is a tack driver, but I think it is reasonably accurate.  Also, it is more than accurate enough for a 250yd shot with it's best loads.  The Lehigh's shot as well as everything, better than some at 120gr, but it opened up in the 140-150gr loads.  Burned over a pound of powder!   Man this thing is expensive...used up $100 worth of components and really not fully dialed.   

I have decided on a bullet to hunt with and will do some tweaking and adjusting as I go to see if I can get it better.  I am going to use the 290gr Barnes TMZ as it shoots  the best at the higher velocities and equal at lower.  The Barnes 300MZ is almost a perfect replacement.  I will have to find some kind of process for loading when hunting as they are a SOB to get started unless I wipe the muzzle with windex about 1" down.    I will keep trying things when I go to the range, but will be using my peep sight from here on out.  I found my rifle prefers to have a windex swab between shots.  It shoots consistent with no fliers.  If I shoot 3-4 without cleaning it usually will have a flier.   

My 45/250gr HC practice went from a 4' group to a 4" group....super happy with this.  Only a 100gr load but it is very consistent....fully within what I can live with for practice shooting.   The best part was it had almost the exact same POI as the heavier hunting loads.   Not enough to even have a hold adjustment to hit close to where sights will be set for the hunting load.   

Open to any suggestions or input anyone has as total newbie to Muzzle Loaders.  I will say if you ever use the Teflon Tape on your Breech Plug you will never go back to using grease.  So many shots and built up again where I could not fit the socket on it.   Soaked and cleaned to get socket on and it came right out...way easier than any grease I tried with easily 3 times the shots. 

I fouled with one shot then shot 3 shot groups with no windex swab.  Windex swabbed twice between groups.   Still using a scope set on 5X.
Lehigh 305/.458 
120gr HPH Orange  7"  2 into 1.25". 
120gr  HPH24   9"  2 into .5"

Lehigh 265/.452
120gr  HPH24  1.25"
150gr  HPH24  6" 2 into 2"

Barnes 290gr TMZ
120gr  2.5"

Barnes 300 MZ
120gr  2.75"
150gr  2"

Hornady 300/45 XTP
120gr  HPH24  3"
150gr  HPH24 3"

Swabbed Each Shot with windex.
Lehigh 305/.458
120gr  HPH24  1.5"
150gr  HPH24  3.5"

RWS1075
Lehigh 305/.458
120gr  HPH24    3"
140gr  HPH24   3"

Barnes 290 TMZ
140gr 1.5"

Thanks again for any help and I will have more help questions in the future.   I have until end of June to get it worked in...then it is Salmon season and very little shooting other than a practice session just to get trigger time. 

[reelamin]

I put my Williams FP sight on today.  Its hitting a little high, but only shooting practice loads for now.  I was shooting just about the same size groups as with the scope.  POI was very close to each other with 80,90, and 100gr of powder.

Does anyone use the larger aperture and or the low light one?  Daylight the stock size is good, but more worried about the low light sight picture.

[Sabotloader]

I put my Williams FP sight on today.  Its hitting a little high, but only shooting practice loads for now.  I was shooting just about the same size groups as with the scope.  POI was very close to each other with 80,90, and 100gr of powder.

Does anyone use the larger aperture and or the low light one?  Daylight the stock size is good, but more worried about the low light sight picture.

For low light - I take the aperture out and use the FP as a Ghost ring sight  - works real well.  When the light improves I put the aperture back in...