Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

45 caliber smokeless muzzleloader

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
WARNING- do not shoot smokeless powder in any ML not designed for smokeless powder. I started with a TC factory smokeless 45-70 barrel and do not exceed 45-70 pressures.

Nice today no wind and the sun was shinning. So I set the chronograph up and checked the FPS speed.
I'm shooting a TC Encore 45-70 factory barrel with a Savage type high pressure ML breach plug. I shoot a smokeless duplex load of H332 and AA5744. The AA5744 is a small 10.0 gr booster load with the H332 as a main charge.
With a Hornady 200 gr 40 caliber plastic tip SST bullet in a Harvester sabot.

It was right on at 2404 FPS. I checked Hornady ballistic online calculater and got the following sight pattern. Tomorrow I'll check the point of impact to make sure it's OK. Next year I'll work on different loads.
I went with a 200 yard zero.

50 +1.8
100 +3.3
150 +2.8
200 -0-
250 -5.4
300 -14.0

Overall I'm pleased with the results. For 2013 and 2014 I just went by the book.Took both deer I shot at. Since I'm still buck hunting I thought I would check it for sure.
 
Last edited:

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
Nice Frank. I know first hand it pays to do your homework.
 
Last edited:

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
Nice,

Slufoot conversion?

I shot two of my 45 smokeless today, N-120, 195 Gr barnes .40 cal, 2725 FPS, they were both still right were they should be. Hope I at least see a coyote or two over the 4 days.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Nice,

Slufoot conversion?

I shot two of my 45 smokeless today, N-120, 195 Gr barnes .40 cal, 2725 FPS, they were both still right were they should be. Hope I at least see a coyote or two over the 4 days.

No this one is done in Indiana. The 2nd TC 45-70 SML conversion I have a friend threaded the chamber for a TC Encore blackpowder breach plug but there's a guy off Doug's Board that makes a SML Savage type breach plug for the TC thread. Both shoot great and no nasty blackpowder clean up. LOL

I plan on doing new powder development next year to get up to 2700 FPS or so but I really don't see the need. I planned on it this year but was busy with R&D work.
With a 26" barrel and a total length of 46.5" it's a nice compacted outfit. Recoil is not bad and a lot less than a 12 ga slug gun.
 
Last edited:

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
MK111,

I don't need the 2700 either, but I kindof like it:D, just ended up that way. I was able to use the exact same grain load of N-120 in my 50's with a 300 gr bullet as my 45's with a 195 bullet. It eliminated the possibility of mixing up my loads from gun to gun.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I had thought I was at 2500 FPS as in the book but only 2400 FPS. That 100 FPS difference was only a plus 1/2" difference up to 200 yds. Even at 300 yds it was 1.3" lower. Much flatter than my 45-70 using the same style bullet.
 

Hunter II

Junior Member
604
127
Did you recover any of the bullets in your 2 kills with this load? I haven't been happy with the performance of the 250gr SSTs in my ML. They kill deer but don't seem to hold together well.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Did you recover any of the bullets in your 2 kills with this load? I haven't been happy with the performance of the 250gr SSTs in my ML. They kill deer but don't seem to hold together well.

No bullet recovery on 2 ML or 2 45-70 deer taken. Complete pass through at 50-50-75-110 yds.
I don't want to recovery bullets as I want 2 holes for bleeding. I have always been in the belief if a bullet stopped in a deer there was no energy left, besides 2 holes bleed better.
I will say out of the 4 deer taken 3 where high double lung shots and no real blood trails but the deer never went over 25-50-75 yds. One deer dropped in it's tracks at 75 yds from a high spine shot.
I use the bullets because of the stream line design for down range speed and the 45-70 bullet for the lever action magazine. Probably for no other reason.
A 40 or 45 caliber bullet passing through the vital organs area will take just about any animal on earth. If you don't hit the vital organs then all bets are off. Because of this if not going after deadly animals all these advertised bullet designs are to me just advertising hibe to sell bullets. IMO
In the past hunting deer with a pistol I used solid lead cast bullets and took 23 deer and never lost one. But I do believe a wide flat nose bullet does more damage and heavier bullets are better.
 

Hunter II

Junior Member
604
127
The deer in my avatar was shot in the neck and the bullet was in fragments under the hide in the opposite side, just in front of the shoulder. Just like your experience, on the pass through shots I have not had the best blood trails either. I am trying the 200gr SST and 200gr XTP this year but my shooters haven't gotten opportunity yet. Hopefully one of the boys will connect this weekend.
 

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
250 SST at smokeless velocities has a reputation of fragmenting. The 200 and 300 SST have performed better at the higher velocities. If you don't like the 200 SST try the 195 Barnes, it is proven performer.

Are you shooting a 45 cal smokeless?
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I checked my sights today and they were dead on. I got a old 1960's Redfield 3x9 scope with the old wide shaped eye piece know as the TV screen scope. These are good sought after scopes even though their 40 odd years old.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,745
274
North Carolina
Sam and I and a buddy of mine went too the range yesterday afternoon.... Good thing too... Mine was way off as I must of moved my scope during cleaning after last season.... Was way off and had too reseat the scope as it was off by a lot.... First time for this too happen with this gun after 8 years of owning it....
My buddies gun is hitting good after remounting his scope and switching too the SST's and dropping the charge too 100 vs 150 grains as well.... He was very happy afterwards... Thanks for the help Sam... Good times with good people is always a good outing....