katahdin 50 cal barrel??

[adirondacker]

thinkin of getting one of those katahdin 50 cal smoke pole barrels.during muzzleloader the leaves are usually still on here in northern ny so visibility is usually limited.a hundred yd shot would be rare,25-35 would be more common.has any one had a chance to try one of these.i thought about having my 26" barrel shortened but i kringe at the thought,those puppy's are pricy to replace if i'm not happy with it.i shoot the magnum load 150 grns powder and a 295 grn powerbelt now.wondering if you can use the same load in the katahdin.thanks guy's,merry christmas,shawn

[Yukon Gold]

:?  If you hear anything, good or bad, give me a head up!  I pretty much have been asking the same question:

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=49314&highlight=

My three most important questions are:

1)  Is the barrel length sufficient enough for proper ignition and combustion of the black powder, or am I blowing it out the end?

2)  Is the barrel length sufficient to stabilize the bullet and will I have decent hunting accuracy?  What kind of range can I expect?

3)  Do the ports pose a real cleaning problem.  I am concerned on not being able to properly clean the holes and having issues with corrosion etc.

Any other insights by those much more in the know than I would be much appreciated!