Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Muzzleloader for out to 300 yards

Never did any "long range" hunting with a ML, but have done a bit of target work out there a little. Problem is finding a range over 100/200 yards in my neighborhood. Some years ago I purchased a .40 caliber target gun that shoots a 350 grain bullet (pure lead) well enough as far as I'm concerned. Target below was at 200 yards, full value crosswind of about 15G25. I'm fairly certain most critters shot with the old cannon would bother to quibble about the difference between 200/300 yards.

I don't want you shooting at me at any yards with that . how much lord black & fps with that rig and a few pics. of the beast

I have a .45 cal 1:28 twist barrel for my Encore. I shoot 120gr (by volume) of bh209 under a harvester light blue sabot and a 200 gr sst or shockwave at approx 2400 fps. I have killed deer out to 220 yards with this combo, and feel confident to 250 yard. Sighted in 2.5” high at 100 puts me about 2” low at 200 and 8” low at 250.

I will ONLY take a shot over 150 or so if I have calm winds. At 250 yard in a 10 mph crosswind it will be nearly 15” off. Being able to read the wind is critical if shooting at distance with muzzleloader bullets. The one I shot at 220 yards was with zero wind and a rest across a round bale. The bullet entered half way up tight behind the shoulder and exited in front of the far shoulder.

45 cal 1-18 twist

For sale too.


45 bullet flinter 2 by .com/photos/156296479N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]
45 bullet flinter 3 by .com/photos/156296479N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]

45 bullet flinter by .com/photos/156296479N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]

Don't have FPS, never shot it over a chronograph. 60 gr Swiss 1.5 FG

thank you, that is a class act smoke pole

Just buy him a 6.5 Skidmore and he'll be right in line with the rest of the kids!

I’ve got a smokeless 45 barrel from arrowhead rifles for my encore. I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a deer at 300 with it. It also does well with BH209

I’m shooting sized bullets also from arrowhead

I hope the comments about energy and the bullet going too slow above are in jest

I think you have everything well covered with that rig. I was going the same route.

Hey Beretzs, those numbers are out of this world. I guess I have been out of the game for a while. I feel like the older sabots wouldn't hold up to that kind of starting speed. I guess that is no longer the case? I have a savage ML-II but it's set up for Colorado (running Thors). Drop from 150 yards to 200 is about 18 inches, but the Thors are bricks.

My son had a Paramount blow up on him last fall, if you do a search on them they have a problem with the sabot staying seated on the powder charge. Flawed design in my humble opinion.

So was your son using a Sabot or a powerbelt bullet with the skirt at the bottom?

He was using a powerbelt the barrel banana peeled about 6 inches from where the powder charge and the bullet should have been, the conclusion we came to was the powerbelt somehow dropped away from the charge moved down the barrel. After googling the paramount we found posts mentioning others experiencing this happening to them also. Him and his buddy were sighting their muzzleloaders in for the upcoming season. He happens to be a Green Bret weapons sargent who is very knowledgeable and experienced with firearms. Only thing that saved him from getting seriously hurt was having a bipod attached to the forearm and having the hand that usually grips the forearm back under the stock by his sandbag otherwise he would have probably lost his hand.

I think that is on the bullet and not the rifle. I would not shoot that bullet in any muzzleloader. I understand Gunwerks 5K muzzleloader recommends using that bullet. I would use a sized bullet and go thru that rather then the powerbelt if I owned one of them.

300 is long. I used to shoot BPCR and according to my notes my 45-70 with 370 grain bullet dipped 24 inches from 100 yard zero to 200. ML might e a little faster but drop at 300 will be a challenge. Every fifty yards past about 175 A a lot of drop hen considering the eight or so inch high vitals area.

Shot my arrowhead barreled encore yesterday. 60 grains of h4198 and a 275gr bullet was sub-moa at 400

300 yards?
Get closer before busting the cap. Targets? Sure! But targets don't bleed or feel pain.
Can the rifle be up to the task? Yes. The question is, is the shooter? My personal limit on distance is when I have to take an off body hold. With my aperture sighted Firehawk, 150 yards is my limit. 250 grain 45 XTP @1575 fps is down 8 at 150 and 24 at 200. Confirmed, not estimated.
Because one theoretically can, does not automatically follow that one should.
If one must shoot at critters at long range, confirm your accuracy and drops, learn how to read and hold for wind, and get a good range finder. And use it.
Then, get as close as you can.

Teach him to hunt and get within 100 yards.

I have a Paramount Pro and shooting accurately to 300 yards is a non-issue. I've been shooting the 330gr ELR bullets primarily, with 84grs of BH209 by weight, and Federal 210GM primer. You can put quite a bit more of the powder behind it, per the manual, but you won't find me sitting behind it. I shot 5 3 shot groups yesterday. There were three right around 2", one that was about 4" where I knowI pulled a shot out of the group, and one group that was just under 1". These were shot at 200 yards. The velocity was a little over 2000 fps, so energy at 300 yards would not be an issue. You need a dial scope to shoot at 300 yards in my opinion.

I have the Colorado Edition, 50cal that comes with pretty good irons, and I am very pleased with the rifle overall. My only gripe is that replacing the primer holder quickly, especially with gloves on, is not as easy as one would like.

Hate to see anyone shoot at game at that distance..
fine for targets though.
The GM barreled Knights are very accurate.