I ran one dry patch down the bore to remove any trace of the oil I used in the bore before putting it away. My load of choice the last several years has been 2 Pyrodex pellets behind a 250 grain TC Shock Wave and ignited by a Winchester 209 primer. I always swab the bore between shots with one wet cleaning patch and one dry patch. I do that consistently and many times have placed (3) shots into a 3/4 inch group at 100 yards.
Today I fired three shots at 75 yards into a 1.5 inch group impacting the target 3.5 inches high. I then fired a two shot group of 2.5 inches near the center of the black I did NOT make any scope adjustments today at all. I was using two year old previously opened Pyrodex Pellets and last years open Winchester primers and TC Shock Waves. Last winter, I took the gun apart and cleaned it and perhaps did not put the forearm stock screws back in to the same exact tightness as when hunting. I am not sure about that.
I fired four shots as best as I could hold at 200 yards with the Mueller 2X7X32 Red Dot scope. The sun was in my eyes at the club as it was late afternoon. Three of the four shots went into a 5 inch group around 7 to 8.5 inches low. The fourth was a flyer that opened the outside spread to 8 inches and was around 10 inches low.
I am NOT unhappy with the performance of that set up and it is a solid 150 yard gun as sighted in with those components. My next session will start out at 25 yards and I will be using the same bullet, however I will be using 110 grains of loose Triple 777 (FFF) grade powder and will zero the rifle to be 2.5 inches above point of aim at 100 yards. I will then repeat shots at 150 and 200 yards. The range I am talking about is a measured range and I am NOT guessing at the distance. I have also lasered it many times over the years to verify the actual yardage.
IF I can end up with a group that is 4 to 5.5 inches low at 200 and with an outside spread of 4 to 5 inches, I would then consider taking an honest 200 yard shots at a whitetail buck with the gun set up that way. I have a ton of different ML saboted bullets on hand to experiment with including Barnes 245 grain Spitzers, Cabelas 300 grain extended range loads and a host of others including some older Precision Dead Center loads.
Following is a link to E. Arthur Brown & Co. website and some advice on long range muzzle loading tips from their experts. I have bought a lot of stuff of these guys over the years and they also did the original trigger job on my Encore 209/50 when it was new. By the way, I also purchased the Mueller Sport Dot 2X7X32 red dot scope from them also.
Dan
LINK to E. Arthur Brown Shooting Tips
EXCERPT:
Loads - When poor muzzle loader accuracy is due to your load, it can most often be blamed on a magnum (150 grain) powder charge. A look at the names of the most match-accurate black powder rifle cartridges in history will give you a hint: 45-70, 45-90, 45-110, etc... The first number is 45 caliber, the second is the powder charge. They never went higher than 45-120... or 120 grains of black powder! For further confirmation, ask among experienced muzzle loader shooters and they will usually say your best accuracy comes from loads between 80-120 grains of black powder, Pyrodex®, Triple Seven, or other black powder substitutes.
Another accuracy consideration is the over blast and fouling from the 209X50 primers used by so many modern muzzle loaders. We recommend adapting to small rifle primers... Either with a 25 ACP Breech Plug or the new Variflame small rifle primer system- - Click Here for Info.
Magnum 150 grain powder charges are supposed to give you a harder hitting, flatter trajectory for long range shooting, right? Well first of all, long range shooting requires ACCURACY. If the magnum load isn't accurate, the flatter trajectory isn't going to help. Second, the magnum load only gives 100-250 fps more velocity so its not a dramatically flatter trajectory anyway. And finally, the US Cavalry was knocking over Volkswagen sized buffalo with 45-70... only 70 grains of powder. You don't need 150 grains to hit hard.
Here's the truth about shooting flatter trajectories: Smaller diameter, longer bullets have higher ballistic coefficients and shoot flatter trajectories. In 50 caliber muzzle loaders, this can be achieved by using sabots and 45 caliber bullets. For example, consider the TC Shock wave 250 grain 45 caliber bullet. Seated in a 50 caliber sabot and loaded over 90 grains of Pyrodex RS powder, it shoots approximately 1623 fps. Zeroed for 150 yards, it is about 4 inches high at 100 yds and 10 inches low at 200 yds. The load itself is an absolute one-hole tack-driver out of a TC Encore, and shoots with manage-able recoil... A 200 yard muzzleloader without a magnum load.
| Velocity | BC | 50yds | 100yds | 150yds | 200yds |
| 1623 fps | .210 | +3.29" | +4" | 0.0" | -9.87" |
| For deer, aim center chest out to 150yds, slight hold-over out to 200 |
Bullet Recommendations: The relatively lightweight 250 gr. Shockwave Sabot 200 yard load listed above broke through rib bones, lungs and exited breaking more rib bones of a 150 lb. whitetail doe at 80 yards last fall. I highly recommend that load. If your local hunting regulations don't allow sabots, I would recommend the Thompson Center 350 gr. Maxi-Hunter lead bullet for Deer and their 460 gr. Maxi-Ball lead bullet for Elk or Bear.
Powder Recommendations: I use and recommend Pyrodex® RS granular powder. If you use the new Triple 7 powder, remember it's a little faster than Pyrodex so work your loads up from a lower starting point. I believe granular powder gives me more flexibility and reliability than pellets.
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