PecoSanchez

I am afflicted with the Tim the Toolman syndrome of MORE POWER! I was really concerned that the ML I bought could handle 150 grains, but I am learning that 75-100 is enough?

The rifle may even shoot better/more accurate with a more tamed down load?

I am in East Texas soI doubt I'll ever see a deer or pig at more than 100 yards.

rks1949

100grs.and a good bullet will work out to around 150yds. well. If you plan on shooting at longer distances,then stepping up the charge will be in order to get the trajectory you need.

gleason.chapman

I have been shooting muzzies for 7 seasons now. I too was obsessed with power, figuring more power was more knock down power. However in reality it is accuracy and bullet performance that >>really<< count. I have never shot over 100 yards with my muzzie, and I now have graduated to Triple 7 loose. I have shot pyrodex pellets, tripe 7 pellets and Am Pioneer, but T7 works well, loose is what I use now.

Accuracy is number 1 in my mind, since you must group well at 100 yards to have confidence in where your placing the shot. Once the shot is on the way, bullet performance is what counts, not how much power it has. Bullets must hold togeter when hitting bone, drive deep, expand to 2x the origonal size and kill the deer by massive shock,also shooting thru for a good blood trail is good also. You can push a bullet too fast causing it to not be accurate. I like 300g bullets they tend to go thru deer, leaving a good blood trail. The lighter bullets don't do that.

Oh, the 150gpowder with a big bullet will kick like heck,'cause it takes a lot to get it going.

Chap Gleason Va

cayugad

I have shot 150 gr loads a few times just to see what it felt like and what kind of accuracy I got. In my Black Diamond XR I have to admit, with pellets the accuracy was very good. The recoil on the other hand was not something I would want to spend all day on the range with. Even 120 grains of loose powder is a good STRONG load. More then I care to shoot time after time.

I have been shooting muzzleloaders for more years then I care to mention. We started out with traditional rifles shooting 80 grains of Goex and when we saw the first add in a magazine for an inline rifle, we laughed about it. Knight had a MK-85 and it was supposed to be the end to all muzzleloader problems. We were killing deer so fast with the old traditional we ignored all of that.

When I finally go to the inline part of my life I had to shoot them big loads. But since, I have tuned them loads down to 80 - 110 grains and find that is more then enough for all my needs and the accuracy is great.

Wimuzzleman

I dont think there is any reason to load 150 grains of powder for deer. I use 90-120 grains of powder and I have never had a deer run more than 50 yards after it was shot.(my longest shot was around 120 yards give or take a few yards.)
When I bought my first inline I knew nothing about muzzleloaders and I stuffed 3 50 grain pellets down the barrel followed by a powerbelt and shot at a target 50 yards away. The gun went off, the scope came back and hit me above my eye, My eye swelled shut and i got a few stitches. I have never shot 150 grains again.

sabotloader

PecoSanchez

I have been shooting ML's for a few years also, nothing compared to Cayugad, but I too have really found that the 100 grain (T7-2f) mark really serves my purpose well. This year I took a small buck at 170 yards with 100 grains pushing a 260 grain Nosler - the bullet went through the chest cavity and out the right shoulder - a hollow point pass through @ 170 -> plenty of power.... While passing through the Hydrostatic shock of the bullet completely jellied the the heart and lungs. Imust also admit I do shoot 110 grains in my White with a variety of bullets from a 10mm 200 grain to a .458 300 grain Nosler.... way plenty of power...

I think 100 grains will serve you well.... but there are a lot of people that believe the 150 mark serves them equally well if not better...