Wylie1
Member
I sometimes hunt with my CVA Buckhorn .50 caliber using 777 powder and a #11 cap. This may be a combination not well known but it makes my muzzle loader legal for traditional muzzle loader hunts here in Idaho.
Being it has iron sight and I'm using granulated powder, a number 11 cap and the combination of a different breech plug and number 11 nipple allows the cap to be seen it does comply with all the rules. As well I shot a non-jacketed bullet (Powerbelt 295 grainers) so all's on the up and up with Fish and Game.
If I don't draw a rifle hunt for Elk this next season I'll be going out with my Buckhorn for Elk again.
What I have found to be accurate in this muzzle loader is a powder charge of 92.6 grains of the 777 that I measure out on a digital scale and keep in my speed loaders. Some people have laughed at me for the digital scale to measure my charges but it's just the way I do it and I'm not going to change this part of my muzzle loader hunting.
Deer season before last I took a deer in an extended open tag hunt but that was a 50 yard shot that hit in the sweet spot and dropped the deer in about 30 yards.
Last time out for Elk I made what looked to be a good shot on a cow Elk from 154 yards as the blood could be seen in the right spot and running down the animals leg after she got oriented and took off. Nine miles or so later the blood trail dried up and my freezers belly didn't get filled with Elk, nor did mine.
So with that I'm sold on the thought I should speed up my bullets some.
The Buckhorn is a magnum muzzleloader capable of handling 150 grains of powder unlike my shoulder that wants to whimp out after about 10 shots of 102 grains of 777.
So in order to not waste powder, bullets or my shoulder I thought I would ask in the off chance some of you may be running the same rig, what's your best powder charge?
If you are running the 209 caps I'm still interest as your charge may differ in accuracy a bit in my smoke pole anyway. I'm just looking for a base line to work from without developing a flinch response every time I pull the trigger on my buckhorn.
Being it has iron sight and I'm using granulated powder, a number 11 cap and the combination of a different breech plug and number 11 nipple allows the cap to be seen it does comply with all the rules. As well I shot a non-jacketed bullet (Powerbelt 295 grainers) so all's on the up and up with Fish and Game.
If I don't draw a rifle hunt for Elk this next season I'll be going out with my Buckhorn for Elk again.
What I have found to be accurate in this muzzle loader is a powder charge of 92.6 grains of the 777 that I measure out on a digital scale and keep in my speed loaders. Some people have laughed at me for the digital scale to measure my charges but it's just the way I do it and I'm not going to change this part of my muzzle loader hunting.
Deer season before last I took a deer in an extended open tag hunt but that was a 50 yard shot that hit in the sweet spot and dropped the deer in about 30 yards.
Last time out for Elk I made what looked to be a good shot on a cow Elk from 154 yards as the blood could be seen in the right spot and running down the animals leg after she got oriented and took off. Nine miles or so later the blood trail dried up and my freezers belly didn't get filled with Elk, nor did mine.
So with that I'm sold on the thought I should speed up my bullets some.
The Buckhorn is a magnum muzzleloader capable of handling 150 grains of powder unlike my shoulder that wants to whimp out after about 10 shots of 102 grains of 777.
So in order to not waste powder, bullets or my shoulder I thought I would ask in the off chance some of you may be running the same rig, what's your best powder charge?
If you are running the 209 caps I'm still interest as your charge may differ in accuracy a bit in my smoke pole anyway. I'm just looking for a base line to work from without developing a flinch response every time I pull the trigger on my buckhorn.
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