SIDEKICK LOADS ???

[codsterboy]

Just received my new SIDEKICK/HERITAGE ML in the mail today.  I have been reviewing some of the older questions and gathering some info. My question is with all the talk about CRUD RING and hard to load 2nd & 3rd shots with a dirty barrel (which I will have in the woods) what are the best POWDER/BULLET/209 PRIMER COMBOS to try and use???  I don't know if it will make a difference but it has a stainless barrel on it??

[J-Train]

I'm very happy with my .50 cal. load:  90 grains of granular 777, with the Remington Kleanbore primer. My favorite bullet is a Winchester Platinum 265 gr. hollow point sabot.  Unfortunately, I can't find these anymore.  I don't fire many shots without cleaning--usually four or five shots at the range to check my sight, then I clean it and go hunting.  Cleaning at the range consists of a few shots of Windex down the bore, followed by a bottle of water.  When I get home, I use the dish rinser (that spray thingy) with hot water for a few minutes, then patches until clean (usually the first patch is clean).  I dry and heat the barrell with my wife's hair dryer, and if I'm putting it away for the season, I coat the hot barrell with Bore Butter.  Never had a problem with the crud ring.  By the way, I also use Bore Butter on the breech plug threads before reinstalling it.

I think the crud ring problem largely occurs with 777 pellets and standard 209 primers, not the reduced-powe ones designed for muzzle loaders.

[Kart29]

I have a stainless Huntsman barrel and had no problems with a crud ring using 777 loose powder and Win 777 primers.  I was cleaning after every shot but that was just a quick wet patch down the barrel followed by a dry patch.  You could do that in the field if you wanted to but I don't think it would be necessary.  I got a box of 100 alcohol swab packets at the drugstore for $2.50.  They are little cotton patches soaked in alcohol and individually wrapped.  I plan to throw a few of those in my possibles bag and use them for spit patching in the field if need be.

If you use the new low power 209 primers I don't think you'll have to worry much about the crud ring.

I also used Bore Butter to liberally coat the breech plug threads and I had no problems whatsoever with it sticking.  No need to put it in real tight.  I just snug it down a good hand tight using the breech plug wrench.

I hadn't shot a muzzleloader in over 15 years and I was amazed at how easily the 777 powder cleans up compared to how hard I had to work to get the Pyrodex out of my old muzzleloader.  The advancements in muzzleloading in the last decade or so are a vast improvement over how things used to be.

[McD]

The crud ring is a triple 7 problem with a hot ignition, when T7 first came out I was shooting my white "11's and hawkin#11's and a encore. The encore was the only one that developed the crud ring....I was shooting 450gr conicals and you could feel the bullet slide through the "ring" and have a bullet that would be a flier.Sabots did same thing.
I like heavier bullets and shot a load of 100T7 FFF and a 350gr saboted bullet great accuracy and the rfile took 4 deer last fall 3 dropped where they were and one ran about 50yrds.
I tested a load of 300gr sabots with 110T7 and first and second shots are  1/8" apart.I only shoot two then do a very good cleaning and test again for hunting loads.
I have had much better success with FFF T7 then FF
If you use pyrodex I had better luck with select and P would be next choice have not used either in my sidekick.
I would pick a bullet that you like start about 90/85 grs and work way up in 5 gr increments.
I love shooting my muzzle loader I buy some 195 gr pistol bullets cheap for 100 the bulk sabots use that to get the sights on the paper and to just play with..

[codsterboy]

THANKS for the INFO.  I will be totally ready to go to the range in a week or 2 and will let you know what I found out and came up with. I have to get some free time and get my scope mounted and all that good stuff first.