I need so advice on my 209x50

[teddy12b]

Hello Everyone,
       I finally got a 209x50 26" stainless barrel for my encore.  I got it off of ebay and it's used.  In fact I haven't even held it yet.  I've got powder and sabots laying around so I should be good there.  Do I just need to get some shotgun primers now and I'll be done?  It's my first serious muzzleloader and I got it to use for Indiana deer shotgun & muzzleloader season. 

If anyone has any suggestions for good accurate loads I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

[flinthead]

Teddy, I would go with the Winchester 777 primers and ffg 777 powder. Your loads should be between 100 and 120 max. volume measured and a 250 grain TC Shockwave bullet. This load should give you at worst an 1.5" 100 yard group. Clean with TC no. 13 cleaner and after cleaning lube the barrel with Bore Butter... just remember to wipe the barrel clean before shooting. If you do these thing I think you will be pleased with your new TC muzzleloader. 

[teddy12b]

I have an assortment of pellets and different sabots from another time when I thought I was going to make plunge into muzzle loading.  When you said "between 100 and 120 max"  I assume you are talking about grains of powder.  I don't know how much is too much for this gun and I definately don't want to be pushing the limits of safety just for the sake of a few extra fps.  I'm just trying to get this setup to be dummy proof, because when it comes to muzzle loading I am a dummy until I learn some more about it.

[davem270win]

Measure your powder by volume, not weight. Black powder substitutes have different densities than black powder, but are designed to match black powder by volume. Personally, I like the CVA 4 in 1 T-Loader, which includes an easy to read powder measure, bullet compartment, and bullet starter, and can be carried in the field as a speed loader. If you use 777, I also recommend the loose powder instead of the pellets. The pellets tend to form a "crud ring" with 209 primers.

I am also using a 25 ACP primer conversion, that uses primed and empty 25 acp cases for ignition, rather than 209's, which tend to be too hot. There are new 209's designed specifically for muzzleloaders, and you should use those.

Good Luck!

[flinthead]

Teddy, volume measured means measuring loose powder with a powder measure... I like the TC clear view. 120 grains of ffg 777 is the max load for your gun and is perfectly safe. You can also shoot 3 Pyrodex or 777 50 grain pellets which is your max load in pellet form. If you already have pellets they will shoot great also but I would still buy myself some 250 grain bonded shockwaves... they are hard to beat for accuracy and on game performance.

[Sourdough]

I use 150gr of 777 and powerbelt bullets all the time.  Especially when November rolls around and the temp drops.  When the temps drop to 20 and 30 below it takes that amount to get the bullets out to 100 yards.  Don't try and shoot anything beyond 125 yards, the bullet won't get there.  When the kill zone is two feet in diamator, accuracy is not a problem, velocity and energy is.  As you may have noticed I'm not hunting whitetails, I am hunting Moose.  I also use it for Bears, same loads, same concerns, energy and velocity.  At bears I am only shooting 15 to 20 yards, so again accuracy is not a problem.

But in your case I would use 110 to 120 grains (volume equivalent) of 777.  My best accuracy was sith 80grs, but range and velocity suffer.  The reason I use the power belts is that they are the only bullet that will load when the temps drop.  Anything with lube on it freezes solid and will not load.  Same with sabots.  But the power belts will load at cold temps, and you can reload them two or three times without cleaning the gun between reloads.  That's important when there is a possiability that your quarre can kill and eat you.  I hate going into the alders after a wounded Grizzly.

I use the T/C Bore Butter, the T/C cleaner, and the T/C lube on the Breech plug.  I use a tiny nylon brush on my dremel tool to keep the threads clean for the breech plug and in the reciever.  I have always used Federal 209 primers, when I started shooting Inlines Federals were the hottest primers.  Now I think there is other primers that may be hotter, but that's what I am used to and I can't see breaking up a winning combination in my case.  The nice thing about the 777 powder is that it does not foul as bad as Pyrodex or reguler Black powder.  A solid brass rod is invaluable, because sooner or later you are going to pull the trigger and it will only go pop.  You forgot the powder, and the primer drove the bullet far enough that it is really stuck.  Your ramrod is not strong enough to drive the stuck bullet out.  I use a soft brass rod to drive the stuck bullets out, that way I don't damage anything.  This rod goes to hunting camp every year.  I glued two small sleeves onto my Koplin case, one carries that rod and the other carries a spare ramrod.

[teddy12b]

I'm going to pick up some 209 primers today hopefully.  My barrel won't be here for some time yet, but I want to be ready for it when it shows up.  I'm planning on pulling the breech plug after every shot and maybe running a bore snake through the barrel or something like that.  I'd  love to just use the pellets and have it all be simple to use, but I'm getting the impression that the powder is that actual best way to go. 

[Grumulkin]

I use Jim Shokey's Gold powder sticks.  It's a product that actually works as advertised, i.e., multiple shots with no cleaning and minimal fouling of the barrel.  That along with .44 caliber bullets and plastic sabots works well for me.

[teddy12b]

I just looked over what I have in the garage.  I have plenty of 295gr powerbelt bullets, some 250gr thompson center shock waves.  I have some pyrodex P and some pyrodex 30 and 50 grain pellots, all to be fired by federal 209 primers.  I've got some more reading to do to make sure these combos are safe so maybe next weekend I'll get a chance to use some up.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

Let us know how the powerbelts shoot. I  used to use the 295's in my .50 for deer.

[poncaguy]

I use 348 PB's and 120 FFG American Pioneer  or  3 777 pellets and 250 grain Shockwaves in my Encore and Z5..............

[IL-Cornfed]

I've tested several different bullet and pellet combos thus far and the most accurate through my Encore Pro Hunter 209x50 up to this point has actually been 150 grains of JSG from APP using a 250 grain Shockwave Super Glide with a Wichester Triple 7 primer.

However, I'm still going to experiment with 90, 130 and 150 grain charges of Pryodex pellets and than numerous loadings using Triple 7 loose powder.  I've never used loose powder before so I'm anxious to see how well it performs?

[SHOOTALL]

2 triple 7 pellets and a Hornady 250 gr xtp 45 cal sabot ! they come in a red box !
loose powder you can go to 150 grains but not needed !

[PHATINJUN]

my encore likes the Hornady 250gr xtp 45 cal sabot also but I use 3 30gr pellets deadly on Illinois whitetails. Biggest thing is don't crank the breech plug to tight take it down tight and then back off 10#I use C3 bronze anti seize on threads only. I also went to the 25acp ignition and won't go back now no matter what type of primer they come up with it just burns way to clean. Kurt

[Redhawk1]

I have a pro-hunter Encore and the standard Encore in the 50 cal M/L. They both shoot different loads and bullets. Every gun shoots differently, so you will need to experiment as to which powder and bullet works well in your particular gun. There is not standard load that works well in every gun. Half the fun of experimenting is the amount you get to shoot. 

[teddy12b]

Basically,
      As long as I don't cram more than 150gr of powder (loose powder or pellets) I will be safe with whatever weight sabot I put on top of that?

[Redhawk1]

No don't go over 120 gr. of loose triple 7, it is equal to 3 pellets of triple 7.

[Keith L]

I Don't know what is out there for sabot/bullet combos, but one of the old ways of proof testing a barrel was to use a single charge of powder and two balls.  The larger the projectile the higher the pressures.  I would guess it is hard to find a large enough projectile combo to hurt things, but I would think it is possible.  So use reason.

[teddy12b]

So.... I went to the range.....   Can I just say that I love me some 209x50.  That thing is awesome.  I was expecting it to really rock me with recoil and it didn't. 

I started with just a primer for giggles, one tiny little pop later I put a 30gr. pellet and tried that just to see it go off and it was fun too.  I worked my way up to (2) 50gr pellets of powder and was using powerbelt bullets.  Those were easy to load, but not really any more than a sabot. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the recoil wasn't bad at all.  I tried fooling around with some loose powder and it did just fine, but it's kind of a pain.  I think I'm going to be a pellet powder guy.  Next trip out there I'll try out 150gr of pellets and some of the new bullets I've bought since then.

I'm really glad I bought that barrel for my encore!