what scopes for muzzleloader?


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My kids bought me a new frontier beartooth magnum .50 for my birthday and I'm trying to sight it in with the pineridge scope that came with it.I'm using (2) 50 gr. 777 with a 295 gr. powerbelt bullet and either this gun doesn't like this load or this scope is junk?I shot it about 8 times and only touched paper once so I had it bore sighted and shot it with no luck.I moved to within 20 feet of the target and hit about 6" low and 2" to the left so I adjusted the scope 12 clicks up and 4 clicks to the right and shot again at 20 feet and it almost punched the same hole as before.I assume it's the scope?

My son is trying to sight in his cva optima .50 with the same load but he has a $100 nikon on his gun.I've heard about 12 shots so I don't think he's having any luck either.

We're running a brush and swab through the barrel about every 3 or 4 shots.

What are we doing wrong?

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

Most scopes are made to calibrate 1/4" at a 100 yards for each click.

When you move up that close you will have to turn at least a full rotation to show any difference.

Point the scope on bull, and clamp the rifle tight.

Looking through the scope, dial it until the cross-hairs are on your last bullet hole.

Maybe someone else can do a better job of explaining, but I seriously doubt there is anything wrong with your scopes.

Be sure to allow a little cooling time between shots.

....popgun

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

I just don't use bore sights much.

The best bore sight is to look through the barrel while pointed at something and adjust the scope to match.

Usually I can have one within 4" in less than 2 shots and zeroed in 4-5.

As far as the primers: I use 209 CCI primers in one and Winchester 209's in another. There is nothing wrong with the primers you are using unless you are getting miss-fires or hang-fires. If you switch primers you may need to tweak your scope adjustments a little to compensate.

Also remember that very few scopes are parallax free at that close of a distance. It would better if the scope is on 2X and the target at least 25 yds. or at least far enough that when you move your eye around, the cross-hairs do not appear to move also.

Keep at it and you will get them on.

Good luck.

By the way...Welcome to the Realtree forums. You'll like it here.

....popgun

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

Yep, like popgun said, when you are that close, you need to move your scope adjustments in turns not clicks. I would shoot the gun at 25 yards and adjust to center. At 25 yards, you need to adjust the scope 16 clicks for 1" of movement, assuming your scopes clicks are 1/4" at 100 yards.

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

Thanks for the welcome.

My son has his close at about 55 yards but I need to buy some more bullets and powder.

I've never had a problem sighting in muzzleloaders with iron sights so this was frustrating today.I did look through the barrel and adjust the scope this morning but then I couldn't even touch paper and that's when I went to the local sporting goods store and had it bore sighted.I still question this pineridge scope.

Does a muzzleloader require a high quality scope to handle the recoil?

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

I just looked at the Pineridge scope in the Cabala's catalog and it look like you either have the 2.5 or the variable 2.5-7.

Either should be able to take the shock.

I really know nothing about the reliability of Pineridge scopes, and have never heard of them until this evening.

I am not an expensive scope kind of guy.

I have a BSA on one and a Simmons on another.

Mine are 3.5-10 variable scopes and neither were above $70.

As long as it is designed for a high-powered rifle it is fine, just no .22 scopes.

....popgun

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

Sorry there SF, I passed right over your post count. Welcome to the group.

Yep, they do need a decent quality scope for the recoil. I am not saying you have to go out and buy a Swarovski, just a good quality scope that will hold zero.

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

I've got the same set-up, and it didn't like 777 pellets and the 295 powerbelt. I started shooting 90gr of Blackmag3 with 240gr deadcenters. They shoot really nice out of my gun.

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

I mounted the pine ridge scope back on the gun and will try it up close in the morning.I'm going to try (2) 50 gr. 777 and TC 250 gr. shockwave bullets.

A new Bass Pro store is opening up in Broken Arrow on thursday so I might go buy a different scope.The lower end Nikon Pro Staff scopes don't look to bad,my son has the 4X on his optima and it seems to be holding up.

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

I have the Pine Ridge 2.5 - 7 scope on my Omega and it shoots great. The load that works best for my set up is (2) 50gr 777 and the TC 250 gr shockwave bullet. I tried a lot of different loads before settling in on this one.

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

I bought a nikon prostaff 3x9x40 at bass pro today and shot the gun this evening with the 250 gr. shockwaves.I have it sighted in at about 65 yards and the pattern is about 3 or 4 inches but I had two outside of that so I'm thinking it was probably me.Season opens saturday and I will be hunting in some thick timber where the longest shot will be 40 yards at the most.After season I will need to find what load this gun likes.

I broke the ramrod and will try to find another one tomorrow.

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

I would try cleaning the bore a little more carefully between shots.

I (through some advise on here) put a patch soaked with windex through mine after every shot then dry patches untill it comes out pretty clean. Then I fire a cap through the empty gun to make sure I've got all the moisture out, then another dry patch to clean up the mess the cap made.

This made my pattern at 100 yards shrink from 6" to around 2".

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

OUSOONERFAN22.... just one more note here! I shoot a CVA 209 and went with a rather low end scope two years ago - BARSKA. Haven't had any problems so far shooting dead on at 200 yards! Loading three 50gr. Pyrodex pellets, 300 gr. Barnes X-Press and CCI 209 primers! Had gone with an elk outfitter 4 years ago, and he made us site in dead-on at 200 yards... have been shooting that way ever since!

And one more note.... PLEASE BE GENTLE ON MY BAYLOR BEARS TOMORROW!

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Re: what scopes for muzzleloader?

[ QUOTE ]

How high does your gun shoot at 75-100 yards?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the path for a 150 gr charge of powder and a 300 gr bullet that is zeroed at 200 yards:

25 yards = +1.4"

50 yards = +3.6"

75 yards = +5.2"

100 yards = +6.0

125 yards = +6.0

150 yards = +5.0

175 yards = +3.1"

200 yards = -0-

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