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Muzzleloading

kelcher

kelcher

Well-Known Member
Guys,

I am thinking about getting into muzzleloading, but I have a few questions. Does anyone have any experience with the Thompson Center Encore? Thumbs up or down? Also, at the end of the day when you didn't get a shot, how do you unload? It takes a lot of effort to clean one of those suckers, I would hate to have to spend that much time cleaning just because I had to shoot the rifle to unload it. If you pull the breach plug and push it out is the powder ruined? I think there is a lot of grease in the threads of the breach plug that could get into the powder. Sorry for all of the questions, but I would rather ask you guys then most of the sporting goods sales guys.
 
I have 2 Knights, they are good guns, but would take an Encore any day. Get a good scope for it and you have an excellent rifle.

The previous post was right in that you can take the cap off and case the gun. You can leave the powder and sabot for a few days.

Don't take the gun into a warm building each day at end of hunt if you leave the charge in it. Leave it in a garage or some place cold. Supposively condensation will form in the gun from the cold barrel and warm air. This could affect your powder.

I don't have experience with condensation because I was told before I bought my gun and followed those directions. I have left my charge in my gun for a week and it still fired.
 
Thanks for the help guys, I have shot a Knight wolverine in the past and really liked it, but I have been leaning toward the Encore for some time. That is good to know about leaving the charge in for a few days. I think I'll like muzzleloading, but I still don't think it will compare to bowhunting. Thanks again for the help.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kelcher:
Thanks for the help guys, I have shot a Knight wolverine in the past and really liked it, but I have been leaning toward the Encore for some time. That is good to know about leaving the charge in for a few days. I think I'll like muzzleloading, but I still don't think it will compare to bowhunting. Thanks again for the help.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
Go with a Knight disc 50 or 45cal. you will very Happy.. I have a 50cal disc and left it loaded for a week or more without any problems. Keep it cold when its cold out.. I just killed a nice doe today after it was loaded a week ago .
 
I would have to lean toward the Knight In-Line Disc rifle in either a .45 or .50 caliber. I sighted in my gun this year before 1st season and had it only drop 3/4 of an inch from 100 to 150 yards. This was done while using three 50 gr. Pyrodex pellets and a 250 gr .50 cal sabot Barnes bullet. I never unload my gun until after season is over, just remove the primer/disc and case it. Lock it in the truck so you don't get a condensation build up. I also have the TK2000 shotgun which I shot my Iowa and Missouri turkey's with. I have left it loaded and won't shoot it again until next season sight in. I am fully confident I will have no problems with it. I am a hard core Knight Rifle fan, as you can tell.
 
Your inputs have brought up another question. Do most of you like the pyrodex pellets or are they not worth the extra cost? They looked a little pricey to me.
 
T/C are good rifles, but I personally love Knight muzzleloaders. I have used one for a number of years now and it just keeps driving those sabots into the kill zone. This year during early muzzleloader season I loaded it up, hunted all day in the pouring rain, then shot a buck the next day......no problem with any water getting to my Pyrodex. No matter what the rifle, make sure you have a good scope and do some serious practicing. Good luck and good hunting!
 
kelcher-

Technically if you pull the primer or percussion cap out of the gun it is unloaded so you don't have to shoot it off at the end of every day. As long as you do that and then case the gun you'll be okay. As far as the Encore goes I do not have one but a friend of mine does, he just bought it and it gets really good groups out to 150 yards. I use a knight and think that they are just wonderful. Hope this helps ya.

MW
 
Don't have first hand knowledge of the Thompson, but in my opinion Knight is top of the line. Since I use the Pyrodex pellets, unloading and trying to save the old powder is not an issue....further more there is no chance of loose grains getting in the threads of the breech plug. Clean up is fairly easy....I've always liked the fact I could run a cleaning rod down the entire length of the barrel, partly why I have no desire to own a traditional model. There are as many opinions on muzzleloaders as there are owners....good luck.
 
If you have any concerns about getting into muzzleloading, you could do as I did and buy a cheap used traditional kit rifle to begin with and then if you do not like the muzzleloading process you are not stuck with a high dollar toy that you don't use. I had $75 total investment in MZ gear when I started out a few years ago.

Then, if you get hooked you can pick up pop cans and save your way up to the state of the art goodies
smile.gif
 
kelcher-

Pellats are worth it in my opinion, no more wondering if you're right at the exact amount of powder.

As for rifles, I mentioned earlier that I loved my knight but I was talking to my friend last night, he shot 3 shots UNDER A 1/2 inch with his encore at about 100 yards. That's pretty damn reliable and he didn't clean inbetween shots. The 4th and 5th shots were a little off but T/C makes a helluva gun.

MW
 
GO with pellets if you are going to be useing inline. They are well worth the little extra cost with the added accrurcy plus convenience . I have been using pellets in my Knight disc 50cal. for years and just love them.. %0%
 
Back to your original question, Unloading a muzzleloader!
I don't remember the mfgr. but i have a CO2 powered contraption you just press against the nipple & point your gun in a safe direction (at the ground,or into some rags),
it builds up pressure & blows your load out the barrel. Simply run a clean patch thru & your done! A little bit of cost for cylinders (1 per shot), but a big time saver!
 
Alot of people I know have the 209X50 form T/C. Everyone I know is very impressed with its accuracy. The nice thing About the Encore is its versatility. You are not stuck with just a muzzloader. You can by other barrels in a multitude of calibers for any situation. For example, if you like to shoot coyotes you can buy the 22-250 or .223 or make it a handgun in .454 casull or .44 rem mag. Any way you go, it is an awesome gun to own. I know iowa is "Knight country" and I know a lot of people with them as well. All are very impressed with the accuracy of them as well, but the versatility of the Encore paired with its accuracy make it an great rifle to own.
 
Wait until July and buy one on clearance! I bought my remington for about $100 cheaper over the summer. I don't know where you live, but Scheels has a sale on muzzleloaders in the summer.
 
Thanks for all of the help guys. I am still not quite sure what I am going to do, but you have all given me more help to make the right choice.
 
I go to the one in Iowa City, but I think that they are all about the same as far as sales go! I found the one I bought in July. They also had a lot of supplies on sale at the same time. I think that I got my sabots about half off also.
 
I got me a Encore and really like it. However I don't shoot Sabots. I shoot lead bullets from Precision bullet and find them to be super accurate. I also shoot loose pyro. I really can't figure out why pellets would be better. My own personal testing has proven to me that the loose pyro is more consistent velocity-wise, the loose pyro. Plus, I don't have to dig out any pellets (maybe 2 different sizes) and drop them down the barrel right-side up. I just grab a pre-measured vial of loose powder, bite the cap off and pour it. Takes me maybe 10-15 seconds to reload. The only problem I got with the Encore is that sometimes the spent primer sticks. I gotta use a fingernail to pry it out, costs me maybe 5 seconds. Here in MN we gotta shoot open sights during the mz season, so I sight in at about 75 yards. I can hit a pie plate every time at 100. I think you would like the Encore as I have, but think again about pellets.
 
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