flounder33

I recently acquired a Knight Bighorn with a 22 inch barrel. Yesterday I got to fire it for the first time and I was not getting much of a pattern. I was using #11 caps for ignition and 80 grains of triple seven ffg. The two projectiles I was using were 260 grain Knight jacketed bullets and a few 300 grain Noslers. I have noticed that Cayuga mentions using Goex and Pyrodex for powders in his Wolverine which is a very similar gun. Do you think switching to one of these powders should be my next step or would you suggest changing the volume of the Triple Seven (I'm thinking of going down to 70 grains). Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks,
Art

cayugad

Since you have the powder, try dropping to 70 grains of powder first. Then try some 240 & 300 grain Hornady XTP's. The T/C mag express XTP's will work great and they come with their own sabot. If the 70 grains is working good then move it to 75 and so on. Then again, it might be a rifle that just does not like Triple Se7en and wants something a little slower burning. My Wolverine also shoot Shockwaves very well.

I talk to a person all the time with the same rifle you have. He shoots 80 grains of Goex 2f and a 240 grain XTP out of his Bighorn. As for power, he has blown through every deer he has shot with it in Kansas and Pennsylvania so he can not tell you how the bullets look after being shot. He does report excellent accuracy like my Wolverine does, and the deer drop dead. Which is the main thing.

The Knight & Noslerbullets should have shot well... are you swabbing the barrel between shots? Also what are you using for a swab solution? Any rifle that shoots a #11 cap, I swab 9 out of 10 times with pure isopropyl alcohol. A lightly damp patch and then two dry ones. While #11 will fire loose powder well, it does not take to swabbing as well as the 209 primers do.

Something you might want to try just for kicks.. next time at the range, load 90-100 grains of Triple Se7en 2f and that Nosler and see how the rifle shoots. You might have one of them powder junkie rifles. My Knight Disc is one of them. I must have shot four pounds of powder through that thing trying to find the sweet load. Finally one day on the range I was shooting my T/C Black Diamond XR and my Knight. I had the powder measure set for 110 grains of powder. When it came time to shoot the Knight I did not change the charge back.. Well low and behold, the projectiles (300 grain Shockwaves) were cutting each other at 50 yards... It was a powder junkie rifle. As long as I keep the charge over 100 grains that rifle will shoot. Although it does have a 24" barrel.

flounder33

For a swab solution I was using patches dampened with Windex followed by a dry patch on both sides. The reason I was thinking of going lower with the Triple Seven is because I think 70 grains of that would still be more power than the 80 grains of either black powder or Pyrodex. I'll try the alchohol next time. I have until after Thanksgiving to get it figured out.
Thanks,
Art

frontier gander

i'd throw the t7 out and go with pyrodex. t7 acts up at odd times and makes you think something is wrong with the rifle.

flounder33

Thanks Jon, I startel out the way I did because that's what I have on hand.
Triple Seven seems really consistent out of my Apex. I'll fool around with it for a while and if I can't shoot any groups I'll try the Pyrodex.
Art

nchawkeye

One more thing to try...After cleaning and drying, try a slightly oiled patch and then dry...Several years ago I had a session that got worse as I shot, found out if I lubed as well the group came back together...I was using rubbing alcohol and I guess the barrel got "dry"...

sabotloader

flounder33

Do not mean to be mean or anything like that but: Frankly and honestly - NO

I think you problem might actually be in the gun... either the bore condition or the barrel pessure against the forearm or the scoe if you were using a scope (loose mounts).

Since the gun is new to you - Have you cleaned the barrel back to bare metal? I still use boiling water to get that done. Most accuracy problems will go back to bore conditions. PM/Check with Bigtimer - he just went throught this..

The other one that causes the problem you are describing in there is un-equal pressure on the barrel in the forearm (barrel channel). I do not know for sure but I think you probably have a semi floating barrel... can you run a $ bill under the barrel and between the stock all the way back to the action? If you can in some places and not in others you are looking at a problem...

Hope you find your problem and I would be going the other direction with T7 - 90 grains min - make sure you are seating the bullet firmly on the powder. Barely damp Windex patch between shots - dry patch...

flounder33

Heck, that's not mean sabotloader. I'm just looking for answers. The gun was never fired before, I just cleaned the bore with alchohol before shooting it that first time. After shooting I did clean it with boiling water and a bit of dish soap. It's nice to hear different opinions.
Thanks.
Art

lemoyne

I just helped my best friend get a Bighorn to shoot, according to my notes[ because the season starts on the 13th] and we did not have much time or opertunity to work on it we tried what I consider the standard starting loads for a Knight. First we got both 44 and 45 cal bullets and a bunch of different sabots we took the breach plug out and tried the different sabots to see how they fit. We ended up with the regular knight sabots, then out tohis back yard we tried the loads a lot of people use in Knights, 90 gr 777-FF and two RS pellets both shot tight enough groups for his hunting about 1 inch at 85 yds; work on it some more after he gets his deer. Lee

sabotloader

flounder33

Careful - you will getbig discussion going about how important it is to really clean a new gun before shooting... which they will be right on.

There is a product out called Zep (orange) Citrus Cleaner & Degreaser... If you can find it - it is the best thing in the world for stipping and cleaning a ML



What about the forearmon the barrel is it a floating barrel?