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Hello all,

After a month of research and lurking in these forums, I finally decided on and purchased a used White Model 97 off gunbroker.com. I'll be whitetail hunting in Virginia this November, which should give me enough time to become familiar with the rifle as well as hopefully gain some proficiency with it.

I do have a few questions that I was hoping I could get some advice about:
[ol][*]For deer hunting, can anyone recommend a good bullet to get started with? I'll probably be using whatever #11 primers I can get locally to avoid the hazmat fee and 2 50 grain pyrodex pellets. While loose powder is clearly more cost effective, I really don't know what I'm doing (or what equipment I'll need) and the pellets offer at least simplicity for the cost. Also, I believe that everyone in my group will be using those pellets as well. The guys I'm hunting with use 245gr PowerBelt bullets in both a CVA HunterBolt and a T/C Omega, but it seems like most White owners use much heavier bullets. I was thinking about ordering those White PowerPunch conicals, but how do I know what weight is best for my rifle and hunting application?[*]Can someone please educate me about the differences between using sabots and regular bullets? Is one preferred over the other for deer hunting?[*]I believe I read here that the 209 conversion kits often perform worse than the primer the rifle was initially designed for. Would it be safe to assume that this is indeed the case for my M97? Even though I'd be the odd man out with the #11s, I like the idea of not needing to buy a $50 conversion kit.
[/ol] Thanks in advance,
Dave

cayugad

Dave -

Congratulations on your new purchase of a White Model 97. That is a great rifle.

First off, I personally would forget the pellets for a couple of reasons. You have a #11 cap ignition. That is not a lot of fire. Although #11 cap will ignite pellets, you will have much better luck with loose powder. White rifles live on Pyrodex P. That is one of the standard powders many White shooters use. This is for a few reasons. The Pyrodex P is a faster burning powder which is something your rifle favors. Also Pyrodex is a fowling in nature powder. Your rifle will actually shoot better when fowled then when clean. That is one of there selling points. As for choice of projectiles, although White rifles do shoot sabots very well, their real beauty shines when shooting large conicals. I would suggest any of the large White Conical they sell or some of the 460 grain NO EXCUSES CONICALS. You can purchase them at; http://members.aol.com/noexcusesb/page2.html. Pick up a few packs of them and load about 85 grains of Pyrodex P and this slip fit conical. Their accuracy will amaze you and your friends. After your friends see the way your rifle shoots these, they will be looking at all the auction sites for their own White rifle. Slip fit, no swabbing, and extreme down range accuracy and power. Who could ask for anything more. You might find that they shoot best on a fowled barrel. To fowl the barrel dump 30 grains of powder down it, and push a patch or two on it, then fire that off. You are now fowled.

To use loose Pyrodex powder get a see through powder measure and set it at 85, and a pound of the Pyrodex P. A flask or powder horn is a very necessary thing at this point. You can use the jug if you get a top that fits on it to pour from. To defeat the size of the jug when hunting the thing you can do is easy. Measure out the number of hunting loads you want to carry and put those charges in some 35 mm film containers and haul them in the woods with your that way. Or you can purchase speed loaders and pour your powder into them. You are going to get much better accuracy with the loose powder then the pellets. Use loose. Save yourself some money.

Sabot or conicals both will kill deer. Conicals on the other hand are what your rifle really likes to shoot. I personally would shoot conicals. I think after you see how hard they knock a deer down you will never want to shoot a sabot.

As for changing over to primers... forget it. Your White rifle was designed for the #11. If it ain't broke, why fix it. Keep the #11 and shoot them. They are a lot more water proof them people think, and they were made to fire that rifle. I would not change. Although 209 primers supply a larger fire charge into the powder, they also come with their own headaches. I do not like to change the design of a rifle. Also there is no need to spend that extra money when the #11 caps will work perfect.

There are other sights where White shooters do a lot of posting and would tell you most of what I just did. If you would like some information on how to reach them, they are more then helpful, email me and I will send you to them.....

Again, congratulations on the rifle...

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Excellent, thanks for the advice!

I think you've sold me on loose powder. From the looks of it, the savings of loose powder will cover the cost of the measure and flask. I was under the impression that you needed an accurate scale and more to work with powder, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'll be ordering those White 460 gr .503 conicals today, and will definitely be looking into the No Excuses bullets. I heard of them from this forum, and the guy who makes them seems to be a genuinely cool human being. I'll feel good about sending him money.

I think I've read every post on the whiterifles.com forum, which pretty much sealed the deal for me and this rifle. I'd surely be interested in any others you may know of. I posted here because it seems to be the most active of all the BP/ML forums I've found.

Thanks again!
Dave

cayugad

Go to www.huntamerica.com and click on talk forums. Then search out the modern inline forum. You have to look around to find it but it is there. A lot of White rifle shooters there and they are all great guys. Very helpful and they will get you started, recommed bullets, loads, and anything else they can do to help you. Most of them own three or four of the rifles and like I said, will really make you feel welcome.....