I did as you suggested, it basically looks like it's touching.
Great! then basically you are in good shape - the caps will go boom!
I'll try and pick up the caps you suggested. The guy at the store was trying to convince me musket caps were way better because they burn hotter.
For some reason Musket caps are the choice in in Washington - they work very well for a lot of people. I just feel there are some real advantageous for #11's. One of the biggest in a Knight bolt the #11 capper fits so much better and it seems to me that more of the heat and pressure of the #11 is confined in the nipple and through to the breech. If you look at your breech plug you will se the powder drops right to the base of the nipple - another reason I use T7-3f - it's granules are so small they definitely rest on the nose of the nipple.
I've seen a lot of what you've posted about the #11's so I'll give me a shot. What other items should I be looking for?
A friend of mine create a list once exactly for this question - let me see if it is still posted. It is a huge read so I will just post an address to it. Hope that is OK with this site.
http://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=19040 So muzzle loader use a specific cleaning kit or just a brush for what I have?
From what I've gathered on here it sounds like triple seven loose powder is better than pellets. As for bullets bloodlines? Barnes? Is a 300 grain a good place to start or 275? I plan to hunt elk on the west side.
I use a range rod with a Spin-jag 'Original' attached, I use regular blue Windex patches, Birchwood Case 2-in-1 Bore Cleaner and Montana X-treme Bore Conditioner and a 50-54 cal. Bore Snake to clean the bore. Very seldom use a brush any longer. Sabots do not leave the fouling that they use to. And T7 is water soluble so it is easy to remove. The Windex with ammonia does an excellent job of dissolving T7 residue.
One thing I would throw out there and the reason I use Montana BC is that is a synthetic oil. I would suggest to not to use any petroleum based oil in the bore and especially keep oils with Teflon out of the bore. Both Teflon and petroleum burn and can create a sticky mess.
As with the choice of caps - choice of bullets get even more challenging. Lot of real good people use and totally believe in Barnes bullets and there is not doubt that they are good. In the pre-ML days I would choose a Nosler Partition all-day over a Barnes and today hunting with a ML - I really prefer the Lehigh/Bloodline and eventually I would say to follow Lehigh Defenses web-site for their introduction of the 275/300 CF bullet.
http://www.lehighdefense.com/collections/bulletsThis new bullet with the new design is probably a slightly better bullet than the Boodlines that he build for Knight + shipping is greatly less than Knight.
One more thought for you on bullets. A couple of years back I found this bullet on his website...
http://www.lehighdefense.com/collections/bullets/products/458-controlled-fracturing-305gr-bullet?variant=1073755480It is a .458x305 grain bullet built for the 45-70 rifle. It is a long bullet, but it will stabilize in a 1-28 twist if you shoot it with authority. I shoot it with 110 grains of T7-3f powder to get the velocity up.
ALSO this is a bullet built for a 45-70 so it is slightly less in diameter than a normal ML bullet - instead of using a .458 x 50 sabot I use a MMP HPH-24 sabot (a .452x50 sabot) - this sabot will grip the bore and the bullet tighter insuring no slippage of the bullet in the sabot and no slippage by the sabot in the bore.
The bullet works very well on the thicker skinned elk and equally well on a thin skinned 4x4 Whitetail buck. One day I was frustrated elk hunter when this basketball sized Whitetail rack appeared on the scene about 60 yards out. Frustration took over and I shot the deer.
Anyway it is a great bullet also.
In my mind the 275gr. Bloodline is the best all around bullet of the bunch... but I will hang on the 305's
