Bowtech_archer07 Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Ok, I have a Knight Revolution Muzzleloader and I'm having trouble shooting groups with it. Alot of people I have talked to said go to pellets and I'll have better luck. Is this a matter of personal preference or is there some truth behind it? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using pellets vs. loose powder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Always had good results with powder here. Never tried the pellets. Have you worked your loads up at different charges to see what your gun prefers? Only advantage of pellets I know of is convenience. Powder lets you better custom tailor your loads. My black diamond likes 120 grains of loose pyro. Could not get that exact charge in pellets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Like William said, I think the issue with pellets vs. loose is convenience. Don't really think pellets have an advantage in the quality area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horst Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 If you cant get the gun to group well pellets wont neccasarily fix the problem.As William said you may need to try out different bullet/powder combinations untill you find one that shoots well out of your gun. Pellets are more convienent but youre pretty limited on the choices for what loads you can use, Pyrodex pellets in my gun burned a lot dirtier then loose powder does as well, the fouling was terrible.Im now shooting about 80 grains of 777 with great results. Another rather funny thing was I bought my Knight in a kit, the Knight bullets that came with my gun however shot all over the place regardless of the amount of powder I used, it actually tookme abou 2 years and 4 brands of bullets to find that 250 grain Shockwaves were the perfect bullet for that gun. Play around with it and see what works;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowtech_archer07 Posted January 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I got some bullets with my gun as well, but I didn't shoot them. My dad has the same gun and I was shooting the same loads as him. We are going to go shooting this spring when it warms up and check all of our guns for accuracy and I will try to change up the loads and try shooting a little more or a little less powder. Thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 I will try to change up the loads and try shooting a little more or a little less powder. Might check out blue elks ml chapters. If I remember right there was some good info there on working up loads. Basically what you do is start around 85 to 90 grains of powder and go up in 5 grain increments for every couple groups until you find what seems to work out best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 My Thompson scout shoots 83 gr. of 777 best with the shockwave. Can't do that with a pellet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bertman Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 maybe its your bullet or weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 I too have had a gun not like the pellets. My T/C Thunderhawk will not shoot pellets good. It likes 90grains of pyrodex behind a 350gr Maxi hunter bullet. My CVA Wolf likes only 100grains of 777 pellets, I tried the loose powder and the groups were not consistent. It is not the 1st time or last that a gun will be finicky. I thought it might've been the powder, so I changed it. Bought Shockeys Gold..waste of money...I went back to the pyrodex RS for the T/C and 777 for the CVA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA_RIDGE_RUNNER Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Like the others have said not all rifles even the same make and model may like the same thing. I am not a pellet user. Yes they are convenient but limiting in specific loads you get with the 30 and 50 gr pellets. Plus the pellets are way more expensive than powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michiganbowbender Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 If you want to work up a load for accuracy, then loose powder may be your best bet. 5 grains can make a huge difference. Most think they have to shoot too many grains when in reality many would do better with 80-90 grains powder, especially if using 777. You have to find out what your rifle/bullet likes best. You might be right on with 100 grains and pellets would be fine. But if things get finicky, then you can do a lot more with loose powder if utmost accuracy is your goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 as far as accuracy i dont think there would be a difference but pellets sure make it easier with no measuring or anything, only downfall is they only come in like 30 and 50gr increments i think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 as far as accuracy i dont think there would be a difference but pellets sure make it easier with no measuring or anything, only downfall is they only come in like 30 and 50gr increments i think Actually I think it can make a difference in accuracy. Working up loads in incremental changes allows you to find the best load for your gun, and pellets do not allow that. Have found that with pyrodex, my accuracy and performance is best with 120 grains with the bullet I am using. That is not an option with pellets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michiganbowbender Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Actually I think it can make a difference in accuracy. Working up loads in incremental changes allows you to find the best load for your gun, and pellets do not allow that. Have found that with pyrodex, my accuracy and performance is best with 120 grains with the bullet I am using. That is not an option with pellets. Well said, it can make a difference, and sometimes a huge difference. The difference could be between a hit or miss, or worse yet, a wounded and possibly unrecovered animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Certain guns like certain powders and in also in certain powder forms. I have T/C Thunderhawk that will not shoot anything good except 90grains loose Pyrodex RS@ 100 yds. I shot with Pyrodex and 777 pellets, thinking 10 grains would not matter. I went through 20 rounds of 350gr Maxi hunters before I said "lemme try the loose stuff again" I did and I was back in the black. It does make a difference, even the primers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 I like the pellets just for the convenience. My approach has been to use 2 [ 100 gr. ] and try different bullet weights and types until I find a suitable combination. My Traditions likes the Powerbelt 245 gr while my Black diamond likes the Hornady 245 gr. saboted bullets. Instead of changing powder weight I change bullet weight. Sometimes the patience wears a little thin because in blackpowder there are so many variables like cleanliness of the barrel, breech plug, primer hole, primers etc. More than once, I have said heck with it and waited for another day. I don't give up until I have found a bullet that performs like I want it to. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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