JNRBRONC
Well-Known Member
I dabbled with black powder guns when I was in my early teens. I ordered a .45 caliber Kentucky pistol kit from Dixie Gun Works. I also bought a brass frame .44 revolver from a friend. I picked up some bullet molds and we spent many a weekend melting down tire weights we got from the local gas station so that we could cast bullets. My friends brother had a bunch of parts laying around and sold me the whole works for something like $10. It was enough to cobble together my first black powder rifle. Back then, we shot true black powder. After shooting three loads of the cylinder of the old brass frame .44 and the cylinder would be so fouled it wouldn't spin. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
Around 1989, I heard rumors that the Iowa DNR was thinking about establishing a muzzle loader deer season. I was excited about this new opportunity and was surprised when my wife bought me a Hastings .50 caliber black powder barrel that fit my Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun (Christmas present). Unfortunately for me, the DNR did not create a new season like I thought they would (I was hoping for another season along with shotgun). Oh well, I had the gun, so I bought a pound of Pyrodex, some 250 grain .45 caliber bullets matched with .50 cal sabots and some 385 grain .50 caliber "buffalo bullets". I finished the gun out with an Aimtech "saddle" scope mount and a Tasco 4X riflescope.
The saboted bullets shot like crap. Accuracy with the .50 maxi bullets wasn't too shabby, but was related to how fouled the barrel was. It as very important to shoot from a clean barrel. So I always cleaned it so that the first shot while hunting was out of a clean barrel. I successfully harvested a couple of deer with this set up, but hated the clean up and the only time I would shoot the gun was right before season to make sure it was sighted in, then during hunting season. The dread of clean up prevented me from taking it out of the gun safe during the off season. I still have half a pound of that can of Pyrodex I bought in '89. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
A few years back, I started to hear some buzz about a smokeless powder shooting muzzleloader that Savage was selling. Hating the fouling and cleaning from my earlier muzzy experience, I was all ears. I spent a fair amount of time reading internet forums that dealt with this gun and I just knew I had to have one. Some states won't allow the use of smokeless ml's in their seasons, but no big deal, just shoot some BP substitute that they approve of. In the mean time, I can shoot smokeless in Iowa. It's not like I hunt out of state very often so it wasn't that big of an issue.
I think I'll stop with this book as it's getting long and some people don't like to read long posts. I plan to add to this thread, discuss the powders I've shot (and one's I'm interested in trying), discuss sabots and bullets. The sabot/bullet discussion might be helpful for all mz shooters.
I'll state right up front that I don't profess to be an expert nor am I trying to "convert" anybody. I'm just hoping to share my journey.
If anybody has any questions, jump on in.
Also, I know there are other Savage shooters who visit this site and I hope they jump in as well.
Around 1989, I heard rumors that the Iowa DNR was thinking about establishing a muzzle loader deer season. I was excited about this new opportunity and was surprised when my wife bought me a Hastings .50 caliber black powder barrel that fit my Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun (Christmas present). Unfortunately for me, the DNR did not create a new season like I thought they would (I was hoping for another season along with shotgun). Oh well, I had the gun, so I bought a pound of Pyrodex, some 250 grain .45 caliber bullets matched with .50 cal sabots and some 385 grain .50 caliber "buffalo bullets". I finished the gun out with an Aimtech "saddle" scope mount and a Tasco 4X riflescope.
The saboted bullets shot like crap. Accuracy with the .50 maxi bullets wasn't too shabby, but was related to how fouled the barrel was. It as very important to shoot from a clean barrel. So I always cleaned it so that the first shot while hunting was out of a clean barrel. I successfully harvested a couple of deer with this set up, but hated the clean up and the only time I would shoot the gun was right before season to make sure it was sighted in, then during hunting season. The dread of clean up prevented me from taking it out of the gun safe during the off season. I still have half a pound of that can of Pyrodex I bought in '89. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
A few years back, I started to hear some buzz about a smokeless powder shooting muzzleloader that Savage was selling. Hating the fouling and cleaning from my earlier muzzy experience, I was all ears. I spent a fair amount of time reading internet forums that dealt with this gun and I just knew I had to have one. Some states won't allow the use of smokeless ml's in their seasons, but no big deal, just shoot some BP substitute that they approve of. In the mean time, I can shoot smokeless in Iowa. It's not like I hunt out of state very often so it wasn't that big of an issue.
I think I'll stop with this book as it's getting long and some people don't like to read long posts. I plan to add to this thread, discuss the powders I've shot (and one's I'm interested in trying), discuss sabots and bullets. The sabot/bullet discussion might be helpful for all mz shooters.
I'll state right up front that I don't profess to be an expert nor am I trying to "convert" anybody. I'm just hoping to share my journey.
If anybody has any questions, jump on in.
Also, I know there are other Savage shooters who visit this site and I hope they jump in as well.
