“Long range”/ smokeless muzzleloaders

[AssawomanGunsmith]

I’ve been looking at some long range smokeless muzzleloader set ups, and thinking of building one for myself. Does anyone have any experience with any? I’ve found a couple outfits online that sell rem-age and savage style barrels with barrel nut systems that come with a beech plug and modules. Just wondering what’s out there. Thanks

 

[Ajax2744]

My buddy has the Remington 700 muzzleloader. You can safely load 200 grains of powder and with a 250 grain powerbelts you can pretty easily hit a pie plate size group at 300 yards with it sights and farther with a scope.

 

[BrentD]

Why the smokeless?

 

[AssawomanGunsmith]

Why the smokeless?

Cleaner, cheaper to shoot, safer to handle, should be more accurate by not fouling as much as black powder

 

[Festus]

My buddy has one of these... Very fun to play with. They show videos of them shooting ground hogs 400-500 yards.
We have shot paper/steel with it to 700 or 800 (can't remember exactly) and it was impressive. I have seen it shoot MOA or better out to 400.

https://richardscustomrifles.com/p/smokeless-muzzle-loaders

 

[BrentD]

Cleaner, cheaper to shoot, safer to handle, should be more accurate by not fouling as much as black powder

Who knew? All of that is news to me.

 

[.270]

I have the Remington 700 UML and I couldn't hardly get anything to group less then 2 moa at 100 yds much less the claimed 300. It is currently at a gunsmith getting rebarreled and modified to shoot smokeless but I will stick with blackhorn 209 for hunting regulations. The gunsmith did say that there was headspacing issues when he took apart the rifle.

 

[Gr8bawana]

This is why some states designate muzzleloader seasons as "primitive weapon" season requiring the use of black powder or equivalent, and no scopes.

 

[BrentD]

I have the Remington 700 UML and I couldn't hardly get anything to group less then 2 moa at 100 yds much less the claimed 300. It is currently at a gunsmith getting rebarreled and modified to shoot smokeless but I will stick with blackhorn 209 for hunting regulations. The gunsmith did say that there was headspacing issues when he took apart the rifle.

Head spacing? In a muzzleloader? Another something new. What is the "head" that is to be spaced?

 

[Festus]

My buddy has one of these... Very fun to play with. They show videos of them shooting ground hogs 400-500 yards.
We have shot paper/steel with it to 700 or 800 (can't remember exactly) and it was impressive. I have seen it shoot MOA or better out to 400.

https://richardscustomrifles.com/p/smokeless-muzzle-loaders

To clarify - this is a 'bench gun' that I would never attempt to hunt with. Just fun to spend a Saturday plinking steel at long range - with a muzzle loader.

 

[BrentD]

Have you ever looked into historical muzzleloading riflery? It was (and still is) in many quarters a big thing.

 

[.270]

Head spacing? In a muzzleloader? Another something new. What is the "head" that is to be spaced?

That Remington uml is basically a single shot 700 short action. The ignition is from a what looks like a .308 case cut off before the shoulder with a standard rifle primer. That casing goes around the breech plug when the action is closed. Mine wasn't spaced right for the primer to send the gas down the flash hole on the breech plug correctly. I might have used the wrong terminology with headspace to describe my issue.

 

[AssawomanGunsmith]

Like .270 said the headspacing in the muzzleloader would be so the case/module is in place correct so you don't get blow back and you get the correct ignition every time is my understanding.

Some of the barrel kits i have looked at offer a "headspacing gauge" that looks like a module for the custom guns using a Remington 700 action or a short action savage.

 

[BrentD]

Have any of you looked into the history of long range muzzleloading rifles to see what they are capable of and how they work? These wheels have been invented before.

 

[AssawomanGunsmith]

Have any of you looked into the history of long range muzzleloading rifles to see what they are capable of and how they work? These wheels have been invented before.

im not looking to re invent them again I was just asking if anyone had experiences with one of the set ups

 

[Scott85]

If I was to stay in Virginia I was planning to get a smokeless muzzleloader made. I would look at Ashland Gun Innovations in Ashland, Va, That's where I was going to get mine made at. If you didn't want to spend that much I would look at T/C encore 45-70 conversion.

 

[LopeHunter]

Cleaner, cheaper to shoot, safer to handle, should be more accurate by not fouling as much as black powder

Also, can actually see the target when shooting on a calm day. The cloud of smoke on a calm day might as well be a cinder block wall as you can't see much for a bit. I have had to run to side to see how the shot went and often in that few seconds a lot is up in the air.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I've got a Savage and it's ok. You can find some used ones with plastic stocks fairly cheap. I'd upgrade the breach plug. I can't remember the company but there's one that has a carbide vent liner that I plan to get. The other muzzleloader I have is a Smokeless Muzzleloader Inc barrel on a handicap rifle frame. It's my personal favorite of the two. Message me and I'll try to explain better. If you are a gunsmith you could likely build yourself.

 

[SandyCreek]

i have a drop in setup from arrowhead. its the bees knees. My brother is going with a full build from him as well. We were shooting 3 shot groups that were touching out to 350. I wish i would've gotten one sooner it isn't even comparable to any other muzzleloader set up. if its legal id go smokeless all the way

 

[JohnCushman]

Doesn't that take away the whole point of a muzzleloader? What about the primitive aspect and stalking in closer and giggling like a school kid with the big poof of smoke? If you want to shoot out that far, then just hunt with a rifle.