Best muzzleloader powder?

sniper14 · Mar 6, 2013

I have a T/C encore endeavor and I have been shooting 777 powder. Just wondering what powder you thought was the best. Best being most accurate and shoots the cleanest. When I shoot the 777 it fouls the barrel very fast not allowing me to fully seat the bullet after only a couple shots. Accuracy seems to be OK. I'm pretty sure to draw a good Utah tag this year just wanting some advice so I can start shooting ASAP. Thanks in advance.

BIGJOHNT · Mar 6, 2013

LAST EDITED ON Mar-06-13 AT 10:45PM (MST)[p]Pyrodex pellets work the best for me. I load up some speed loaders and clip them in my top pocket. I would clean the gun with a few wet patches and then a dry patch after every five shots. Fire a cap or two to dry the barrel before loading. Find a good bullet. I use Powerbelts or Barnes 50 cal 245 grain bullets. I have used sabots, but ran into trouble when I got a different brand of sabot. Find what load works for you and your gun and dont change a thing. A lot of guys load up 150 grains of powder. My gun shoots the 245 gr bullets better with two pellets or 100 grains of powder.
Now go out and get the gun shooting good groups and good luck on your hunt !

deadibob · Mar 6, 2013

blackhorn 209

elkassassin · Mar 6, 2013

Black Nasty 3fff Black!

I can prove it to you with the Bruise You'll Receiveth!

Blackest & Nastiest Stuff you'll ever Encounter though!

You think your Barell Fouls fast with 777,just try this Stuff!

Ya,I know,one step Hotter(Actually Pistol Powder!)than Recomended!

The Dew I had for Breakfast wasn't Bad so I had one more for Dessert!

txhunter58 · Mar 6, 2013

+1 BH 209

Your gun should shoot BH 209 (not all guns will) but you will have to get standard 209 primers (not the reduced 777 ones). I get good accuracy and have fired as many as 30 shots at one time without swabbing once. Pretty stout powder coming in slightly ahead of 777 on the power side. My elk load is 95 gr. Also, not as corrosive if you let it go a day or two after shooting before cleaning.'

Priciest powder, but tolerable. There is a learning curve to using it, such as having to drill out the carbon buildup in the rear of the breechplug, so you will have to research its use if you decide to try it. They have how to do it on their website.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

utahbigbull · Mar 7, 2013

BH209 - Enough said

Browningbar23 · Mar 7, 2013

Blackhorn 209

delmag1942 · Mar 7, 2013

I have a matching set of the same muzzleloader. BH209 is what you need. Your gun will need no modification either. Do keep in mind that they have the tighter bore than almost all other muzzleloaders. I do not believe there is any powder made that will yield more than 1/2 dozen shots.

txhunter58 · Mar 7, 2013

Not sure what you mean by "yield more than 1/2 dozen shots". Do you mean before you will have to swab? Clean the breechplug?

With both my Omega and my Knight LRH I have shot at least 30 shots without swabbing. HOWEVER, that is with conicals, NOT sabots, there may be a difference in that regard.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

RELH · Mar 7, 2013

There is a big difference shooting conicals that have lube in the lube grooves and sabots that do not use any lube.
A good lube will keep the carbon buildup in the barrel soft allowing more shots before you have to swab. Not having lube and the carbon buildup is more hard and prevents seating the new sabot home on top of the powder charge within a few shots.
Bottom line, I would not complain or expect more then 3-4 shots without swabbing in the hunting field. If you do not get your animal in the first or second shot, he is not going to be around for the third shot and you do not have to hurry and ram another round down the barrel. In fact he will not still be in the same county for you to get a second shot the majority of the time.
If it bothers you that you can not get off more then a few shots without swabbing, maybe you should consider putting away the muzzle loader and pick up the 30-06 to go hunting.

RELH

delmag1942 · Mar 7, 2013

txhunter...

Not the breechplug, rather the bore. I use Barnes TMZ 290 bullets w/Harvester sabots. My TC Encore Endeavors are tight when clean! I think that is why Barnes came out with the TEZ bullets. They are supposed to be easier to load. After 6 shots or less, I have to run a spit patch through. I have shot my 2-Knights up to 20+ times without doing anything as well.

Cahunter805 · Mar 7, 2013

Sniper- BH209 is the way to go! Weighing charges on a scale will also help a lot.

Layemdown · Mar 7, 2013

Blackhorn, hands down.

Layemdown

"Vegetables are not food, vegetables are what food eats!!"

txhunter58 · Mar 7, 2013

LAST EDITED ON Mar-08-13 AT 05:45AM (MST)[p]It is not necessarily the lube that allows you to shoot more, although that may help. I shoot FPBs many times with no lube and can shoot many 30 shots without swabbing. But theses are "sized to the bore" conicals. Never shot sabots.

Comparing that to 777 or pyrodex, I can barely shoot two shots with those powders without swabbing and I end up just swabbing after every shot

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)