Smokeless for 3 seasons and counting.

[salmotruttaguy]

Longtime lurker, first time poster, but the information I've found here has been phenomenal to say the least and I wanted to thank everyone for the info posted and advise to anyone thinking about it go all-in. 

My BIL's 10ML 3.5 yrs ago was my first experience with smokeless and I decided there was no need after that to ever own anything else. The 10ML had become in short supply at that point and I found this message board (Best Rabbit Hole Ever). Shortly after I acquired an Encore frame and converted a Bergara .45-70 with a friend to a Savage breech plug and found that 46.5 gr of H4198 with 200 gr SST's at 2150 fps was all the muzzleloader I could ask for in Virginia. 

Pictured below (I've swapped the M8 since last season as it had the heavy duplex to a 2-7 Redfield so I could utilize the distance capable when brush is involved):


So far it's harvested half a dozen deer and a turkey out to 225 yards. I get approximately 80% retention on the SST's I've recovered and they seem to be effective. I've taken 2 of my best bucks with it, this year and last:

[rambler]

Looking good.

[jims]

The SSTs have worked well for me also. Some feel the SSTs work better at the speed you are using. That may well be correct, my speeds are somewhat modest also.

[salmotruttaguy]

Thanks Rambler.

Jims, I've had to take a second shot on a double lunged buck once, but that was potentially due to the rutting activity and adrenaline. Most deer have ran 75 yards or less and piled up. I rarely get to shoot over 100 yards so I've been thinking about using XTP's as I've heard they're very effective on game.

[jims]

xtps have worked well for many especially if the yardages are long long.

[eml9]

Nice bucks .. always nice to see saboted bullet putting them down.. the little .40 pills are deadly

[BuckDoeHunter]

Congrats! Nice buck

[salmotruttaguy]

Jims, I may play around with the xtp's...may be an excuse to get a 10 mm at some point also lol.

Thanks eml9, I've been tickled with both. I've been surprised with sml accuracy since day one with the sabots, bullet to bore seems like it has advantages but as of now I feel good with the standard hornady sabots. I haven't tried the harverster's I ordered but need to mess with those next time I'm at the range.

Thanks BuckDoeHunter, I've had 2 good seasons in row.

[smokepolehall]

Congrats on the nice Bucks n all your deer n turkey. I tried Slufoot's 17.0 gr Blue Dot load it was accurate. I bumped it up to 18.5 Blue dot dry wool wad over n blue sabot .45 with the 200 gr XTP's. Was accurate from my NEF n good power to 100yds in my woods. I had been shooting 30 gr of 4759 usin XTP's but that was like usin a grenade at close range

[DBinNY]

Congratulations on a great deer. Doesn't look much like a brown trout though.

[salmotruttaguy]

Thanks smokepolehall, I'll keep the grenade factor in mind on the XTP's. I had heard they could do that at speed.

DBinNY, good catch on the name. I wish I had some pics of Brown Trout that were wallhangers but it's 3 wt territory here and you just don't see many of any size.

[DBinNY]

We've got 20+" brown trout in inland trout streams here and they get huge in the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario but the lakes are not a fair comparison with inland streams. We are supposed to be talking about deer here and yours is a fine looking animal from anywhere.