Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: MuleDeerCrazy on February 03, 2011, 11:14:24 AM
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Never used pellets, but all the load data shows quite a few pellet loads... how do you decide. One thing I noticed though was they mostly used primers for ingnition with the pellets... does that mean they're harder to ignite and you shouldn't use them with musket or percusssion caps?
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
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There are lots of guys, that use caps with the pellets. I have shot both, the first year I ever shot a muzzy I used pellets. After that I have always used granular powders. I feel like I get a better burn with the granular powders. I had a few problems with the pellets as well. But plenty of people use the pellets.
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I have been using loose powder since about 1985, and never have felt the need to try the pellets. I just don't see the advantage. I pre-measure my powder charges before I go hunting, and keep the powder in "quick load" containers in my pocket. I'm not sure how pellets would be any faster for reloading. Loose powder is also a lot less costly and that is probably the main reason I'm not even interested in trying them.
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Don't know this from experience but I have read a couple of articles about pellets verse granular.It said that if you would weigh the pellets there is discrepancy from one pellet to the next. :dunno:I think granular would be more consistant and a whole lot cheaper :twocents:
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Based upon my experience pellets worked good with 209 primers. That is all I used when hunting in states that allowed 209 primers.
After moving to WA have tried both loose and pellets. I think with musket caps have had much better luck and accuracy with loose powder as opposed to pellets. :twocents:
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being compressed pellets sucks up moisture really bad
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I just don't see the advantage. I pre-measure my powder charges before I go hunting, and keep the powder in "quick load" containers in my pocket. I'm not sure how pellets would be any faster for reloading. Loose powder is also a lot less costly and that is probably the main reason I'm not even interested in trying them.
:yeah:
sounds to me like pellets go better with 209 inlines vs sidelocks/caps...
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I haven't tried pellets, but I know that my rifle really likes 90 grains of Pyrodex RS Select with the T/C maxiball, and starts losing accuracy with 100 grains. A sabot I shoot really likes 115 grains, and while accuracy doesn't suffer with 100, my point of impact is 3-1/2" lower at 100 yds (haven't chrono'd it, but I'll bet its a lot slower).
Point I'm making is that you don't get to coax the best out of your particular rifle when you're limited to 50, 100, or 150 grain powder loads. If I'd only shot 2 pellets with that maxiball, I probably would have cut bait on it and may never have known what a tack driver it can be with the 90 grain load. At least buy a can of RS and give it a try. You don't have to pour it out of a horn or anything - use the plastic quick loaders bobcat mentioned and you'll be as fast as a guy using pellets. Plus it is a helluva lot cheaper.
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I have used both. I prefer loose. But for a quick follow up I have used the pellets. I shoot 100 grains for deer and 110 for elk so all my elk shots are loose.
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I've shot quite a bit of both. As I've gotten older, I've gotten lazy. Now I only shoot pellets. I use musket caps and have never had a problem with ignition, accuracy or killing animals with pellets.
They work for me.
Dan
