Author Topic: Greetings from North Texas (Read 389 times)

dmills · « **on:** January 07, 2006, 04:07:50 PM »

Happy New Year. I am new to this board and have been hunting with a ML for about 3 years. In November I upgraded to an Omega and hunted this season with that but did not get a shot.

I went to the range today to avoid yard work and to continue working up a hunting load with this gun. Winds were light and the temp was in the 60s. I prefer conicals and had sighted the gun in at 100 yds with No Excuses 460 gr. and 75 gr. 777. So I shot three for a reference.

I was not too happy with that but I went ahead as planned and switched to White PowerPunch conicals in 460 gr. with no other changes and without tinkering with the scope. The result was this three shot group:

Follow up groups with the Whites were not as tight but were still very good. I did not retry the No Excuses. I shot some PowerBelts and then some 250 gr. SSTs with 85, 90 and then 100 gr. and was getting OK to good results lined up centerline. Anyway, I think I have a good gun now.

I haven't run into many ML shooters down here but today there were two guys at the range shooting new MLs from a Wal-Mart in Fort Worth. One was a CVA bolt action and the other was a New Frontier bolt action. I was surprised because the Wal-Marts near here don't have any ML stuff at all.

retrieverhunter · « **Reply #1 on:** January 07, 2006, 05:18:11 PM »

Welcome to the forum. I am in Nacogdoches and have been muzzleloading for 5 years. Do you use your muzzleloader during regular rifle season here or go out of state to hunt? I do both. My family has a place in northwest Oklahoma, and I hunt some here with my smokepole. I am pretty much a Knight-man, but I have an Encore ML (my youngest son has claimed it) and a Ultimate Firearms BP Xpress. How did your season go this year? Mine was not as good as 2004, but I did kill a doe and a 13 point buck in Oklahoma with my BP Xpress ML. I killed a 10 point and a couple of management does on our place here.

Why are you using such large bullets? The largest I have ever used is 300 gr SST's, but my bullet of choice is a 250 gr Barnes Expander. I am also a Pyrodex shooter. I have tried Triple 7 but not enough to have a pet load. Keep us posted on your range reports.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2006, 05:36:24 PM »

Welcome to Graybeard. Well, you got a good muzzleloader there. I shoot the Encore with 195 gr. Precision Rifle Duplex sabots, with 90 gr. of loose triple7 and a 25 ACP breech plug. I am getting 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards with this M/L. I have got several deer with this load with one shot kills.

Why are you shooting those large conicals? Just curious?

dmills · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2006, 05:43:10 AM »

Redhawk and Retrieverhunter, thanks for the welcome. To answer both on the use of big bullets, that was a recommendation from another board. I am still trying different bullets. Most recently I am trying MMP and Harvester sabots with 250 gr. XTPs, and powder up to 90 grs. with reasonable results, but nothing to match the results from the White conicals.

Retrieverhunter, I am using the ML during the regular season. I have been hunting on the National Grasslands near Decatur, Tx., which are restricted to ML or shotgun. No success this past season.

Tn Jim · « **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2006, 05:57:15 AM »

:grin: Welcome to GB Omega. Lots of good info here. Don't be bashful about asking questions.

Encore28 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2006, 06:53:16 AM »

Omega-TX
Hello and welcome to GB from Pennsylvania...................
I too read many posts that recommend heavy sabots(300gr and up). I myself have been unable to pull myself away from the 240-250gr range mainly because they shoot well BUT I may try them this Spring at the range. Looks like you found a nice load by the looks of those targets.
Take care
Encore28