Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders The smokeless rabbit hole

I first went down the smokeless rabbit hole about 10 years ago. I was muzzleloading since about 1992 [with 50cal Hawken percussion rifle] and have been trying to push the envelope on performance ever since. If I recall, the first SML I procured was Savage smokeless that got dropped in a McMillan. Soon after came a custom barreled Encore 45, then H&R SS Ultra Hunter 45-70 conversion followed by a long string of conversions and heavy barreled customs on Rem 700 actions. For a few years I was running a pair of Hankin’s Scout conversions and while running 275gr Pittman bullets around 2,600 is a mean combo [even out to 300-350y] I knew I eventually wanted to add a heavy 45cal again. This Fall I picked up a Hankins custom 45 Rem 700 in a Manners stock, Brux barrel etc. Quickly found a load of the 303gr Aeromax going 2,750fps. Like most all the SML’s I have owned sub MOA [usually 1/2 - 3/4 MOA] was easily attained. While I didn’t get to use the heavy rig on a buck this year, I did take one with the lighter CVA conversion. If these guns are legal where you hunt, I can’t see not getting into them; whether just for the lack of cleaning and ease of accuracy or if distances are over 150y - they are the way to go.
Here is a few I have pics of over the years. [sorry they are so big]