209-50 muzzleloader

[quicksilver1]

I am new to the site and have read alot about the muzzleloaders and I have some questions of my own. I have a new SS and went to the range over the weekend, I am shooting 777 with 245gr. powerbelts. Bullets were flying all over. I had a hard time seating the bullet after the first shot, seemed like a lot of buildup right around the seating area. Bullets went in fine just stopped farther and farther from the powder charge. Then my hunting partner tried some hornady sabots with similar results so we gave up for the day. I didn't think you have to cllean 777 as much. Shot better if cleaned between shots. Scope is a leupold 2.5-8 with leupold quick detatch base and rings. What are some other  loads working well for you guys. So far not to impressed with 777. maybe its not my only problem but trying to get decent groups at 100yds.
Weird how some just shoot great out of the box.
Quicksilver

[Redhawk1]

First let me Welcome you to Graybeard.  :grin:
You may want to have this post moved to the Inline Muzzleloader section. You can get a lot of help there and it fits in that forum area better.    But to answer your question. What you are experiencing is a crud ring in your barrel where the bullet seats on top of the charge. It is caused buy burnt powder sticking to the barrel. (REFEREED TO AS A CRUD RING)  You need to be careful because the bullet needs to be seated on the powder charge. If not, you can get an excessive build up of pressure and destroy your gun and yourself. There should not be an air gap when shooting BP or BP substitutes. I had the same problem as you described with my Encore in 50 cal. But I got it all worked out. I still use 100 gr. of triple7 (two pellets), some 295 gr. power belts, and the only thing I changed is my ignition source. I am now using the 25ACP breech plug conversion. I have some posts in the modern Inline Muzzleloader section here. I am getting 1 to 1 1/2 inch groups with this set up at 100 yards. I has such good results, I switched my 45 cal Encore over to the 25ACP conversion. It has almost eliminated the crud ring in the barrel and clean up is easy.  
Come see us in the muzzleloader section  :-D

[toecutter]

Welcome aboard, haven't been posting here too long myself, but now I can't get enough of it...great people, great info, what more could you ask for?
Have the same gun and had pretty much the exact same problem that you are having.  Before I bought It I talked to a bunch of folks that already owned one (though theirs were blued, for whatever its worth)and they couldn't say enough about the accuracy with powerbelts. I believe one of them even offered me all of their other misc. bullets cause nothing else even came close.  Sure enough I stock up w/777 and powerbelts and head down to the range, needless to say, one hell of a sore shoulder later, I'm ready melt the barrel into an anchor and go back to the iron sighted sidelock.
Out of sheer anger and stubbornness I try the T/C 240gr. (xtp?) and the 300gr Hornady XTP. Both shoot 1 1/2"-2 1/2"  groups with me pulling the trigger!! 110gr of loose 777 and I dropped three deer in their tracks!! (even if two were pretty small :oops: ... that's another story)
Long story short,  :roll: I'm not sure if it was barrel break-in since I haven't tried the powerbelts since, but both petal style sabots worked great even if they are harder to load than the P.B. bullets. I do dry brush between shots at the bench, and pay special attn. to the crud ring. Hope this helped(even if it was a bit long winded ), I can't sleep, It's late and writing about the whole sordid mess kinda makes me feel better.  

[Bullseye]

The crud ring comes and goes with my barrel.  It is somewhat there with Pyrodex, but not very bad.  With 777 it is sometimes not there to being like yours and needed worked over with a wet patch every 2nd shot.  I have done a lot of experimenting and have only found one thing that seems to make a difference and this is the emotioinal topic of bore butter.  The crud ring in my gun is much better if I use bore butter in the barrel.  Others will tell you that the stuff is terrible and will ruin your barrel.  Test and decide for yourself.

After getting some info from Redhawk and another poster I ordered a 25ACP conversion in hopes that it will cure the crud ring.  It is currently in the mail.

[Redhawk1]

The crud ring comes and goes with my barrel.  It is somewhat there with Pyrodex, but not very bad.  With 777 it is sometimes not there to being like yours and needed worked over with a wet patch every 2nd shot.  I have done a lot of experimenting and have only found one thing that seems to make a difference and this is the emotioinal topic of bore butter.  The crud ring in my gun is much better if I use bore butter in the barrel.  Others will tell you that the stuff is terrible and will ruin your barrel.  Test and decide for yourself.

After getting some info from Redhawk and another poster I ordered a 25ACP conversion in hopes that it will cure the crud ring.  It is currently in the mail.

I personally like bore butter. I guess either you like it or you don't. I think it does a great job. I use it in my Shiloh Sharps, after I clean the gun to put in the safe, I run a patch with bore budder down the barrel.  :grin:

[TomD]

Where does one get a 25ACP conversion? About how much does it cost?

[TomD]

Please disregard the previous post...I founf the info in the InLine ML board.