Savage smokeless muzzleloader

[cjackson51591]

In a savage ml10-2 I’m shoot 62 gr reloader 7 and 300gr ballistic extremes and I’m just not getting great groups at 100 yards. Any recommendations ?different powder ? I’ve read some people are using n120. Would like to see some groups. I’ve always used rl7 but I don’t see anyone talk of using it now.

 

[Ccrider]

I have owned 4 different ML IIs. Some are harder to get to shoot than others. There are three major things at play. The diameter of the bullet used, the powder and the sabot.

Try some 250 grain SST bullets or .452 250 grain XTP bullets; MMP black short pedal sabot or the orange sabots. One or the other should fit properly. If neither work, try the black long pedal sabots.

If you have it l, try SR 4759 powder. If not, get AA5744 powder. I have successfully used several other powders including N120 and 110. You have to find what your gun likes and 5744 seems to shoot decent in most barrels.

The sabot and bullet should firmly load into the barrel. Too loose or tight and they shoot all over the place.

I never used anything but Federal 209a primers. They work fine and I never have had a misfire. I believe Savage recommended W209.

Last, be safe and work the load up.

 

[DaWhit]

I always shot 65-67gr Rel 7 with 300gr bullets.
Similar charge weights with the 4198s.
58-60gr N120 was always popular with the 300gr Barnes Original.

Tight sabot/bullet combos worked best with smokeless, not loose like BP and subs. You may have to experiment with different sabots.

Check Dougs Message Board for loads and information.

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[243winxb]

The owners manual lists accurate loads. 250gr Hornady XTP for best accuracy.

https://www.hornady.com/muzzleloading/xtp-muzzleloading#!/

 

[SeabeeKen]

That 42 gr n110 load shoots one near perfect hole in my ml2 with 250 barnes. Im talking under .1.
Never had a need to try any others

 

[SBS]

In my instruction manual, Savage specified 3 powders that should be used: SR 4759, 5744 and N110. I started with SR 4759 and it produced great groups after I found the right bullet/sabot combination. I originally bought the Hornady bullet/red sabot combination which was too loose and didn't even come close to igniting all the powder, leaving a trail of unburned powder in the barrel. Experimented with different sabots and wound up with Hornady #6751 (High Velocity) sabots and the 250 SST. My hunting companion uses the same sabots with the 250 XTP with good results. Any standard 209 shotgun primer worked well, tried several.

 

[243winxb]

sabot combination which was too loose and didn't even come close to igniting all the powder, leaving a trail of unburned powder in the barrel.

yes, seen it when friend was testing. Bullet went about 10 feet.

 

[SeabeeKen]

IIRC, didnt savage recommend the mmp sabots? They are what i use and they have done well

 

[XTR]

First of all Shooting groups, if you’re going to try to shoot groups a five shot group should take you about an hour and a half. When you try to shoot groups in the barrel gets warm, you soften the sabot‘s and your accuracy goes to hell. Shoot, wait 20 minutes and reload. This is a hunting rifle. Does it hit where you pointed on the first shot because in the real world you shoot one shot groups. I figure mine’s good for 200 yds.

Second shoot someplace where you can walk in front of the bench and start looking for your sabots. They are surprisingly easy to find, especially if you use brightly colored ones. If you’re starting to lose petals, you’re velocities to high back it down some. Get some quality sabots. I forget where I got the ones I use. (See reference to Doug’s)

I haven’t experimented with mine in a decade. Frankly, when I moved to the north east and ML season didn’t get any extra tags I haven’t used it much at all. When I lived in TN I loved it.

Doug’s is a gold mine of information.

 

[243winxb]

Dont forget to clean with a solvent that removes plastic. Like Hoppes Benchrest, with Amyl Acetate.

 

[muddy72]

My load for 16yrs! 250gr XTP, Harvester Black Crush Rib Sabot, 43gr of SR4759 and a Win 209 primer. I tried several loads back in the day, lots of range time. The recoil from heavy loads and chasing accuracy, I always came back to this load. The MMP Sabots never worked for me in any combo.

 

[vonb]

My tried and true load for my 10ML-II is 44 gr of AA5744, 209A primer and either a .452 250 gr XTP with a short MMP sabot or using the old Hornady 300 gr SSTs with a black MMP sabot.

The 300 gr load is good for just north of 2K fps. It's been plenty for me out to 200 yards.

In my barrel, I found the Hornady .458s with an orange MMP sabot to fit too loose for my liking.

 

[SeabeeKen]

First of all Shooting groups, if you’re going to try to shoot groups a five shot group should take you about an hour and a half. When you try to shoot groups in the barrel gets warm, you soften the sabot‘s and your accuracy goes to hell. Shoot, wait 20 minutes and reload. This is a hunting rifle. Does it hit where you pointed on the first shot because in the real world you shoot one shot groups. I figure mine’s good for 200 yds.

I do it for the sake of consistency. I have been known to shoot more than 1 animal an outting. I know mine will hit POA first clean bore shot, and each dirty bore shot afterward. I have never shot it fast enough to get the barrel hot and its only ever been cleaned twice in the decades I've owned it, although I do run a torch tip cleaner thru the nipple each year

 

[Truckbed]

That 42 gr n110 load shoots one near perfect hole in my ml2 with 250 barnes. Im talking under .1.
Never had a need to try any others

Best load in mine w/250 xtp but I backed it down a bit. Ease up to it. A deer hammer. Now that I have a Garmin -0– I’m interested to see how she’s movin’
‘

 

[troper]

N110 41-42grains about 1900fps hph 12 or 24 ( shockwaves are gone are gone)sst not the same ,I use barnes tez bt 250 now

 

[XTR]

@SeabeeKen , I have taken two on the opening day of muzzleloader season before. (Both over 100 yds).

This discussion reminds me that one chilly fall afternoon in Oak Ridge I got the biggest scare I can recall shooting at the range. I was by my self and I was doing just what I outlined above reloading about every 20 minutes to shoot a group to see how it shot. It was a chilly day, and I had a winter hat on, pull down over my ears to keep them warm. On about the third shot, I thought that I had blown the gun up. For a fraction of a second I was sure I’d experienced an earth shattering KABOOM!!! Seems that with the hat pulled down it felt like I had on my hearing pro… oops.

 

[Scalloper]

SR 4759 has worked great in mine for many years as long as I dont push it much over 2,000 fps

 

[Davers]

SR 4759 has worked great in mine for many years as long as I dont push it much over 2,000 fps

While, I don't own a M/L that uses smokeless powder; I agree that SR-4759 powder seems the best powder to use. HOWEVER, SR-4759 is no longer in production having been dropped a few years ago.

 

[XTR]

Some of you may need to look away, what I’m about to write may cause your hair to turn white or catch fire.


I had a duplex load with SR-4769 and H4198. About 5 gr of SR on the bottom and if I recall about 65gr of H4198 poured on top. At that rate my SR will last me forever.

 

[WSnyder]

I know nothing of a Savage smokeless ML but one of the most accurate and easiest bullets to get to shoot in a Rem UML is the Fury universal. It's a bullet to bore with and integrated wad on the back. No warm barrel waiting issues like sabot's have. Easy ish to get multiple to many loadings without swabbing or brushing which is a great asset on a hunting ML. The only downside is you have to whack them hard with a stout load to get them to obturate to the bore otherwise they'll keyhole because they slipped in the rifling.

Some of you may need to look away, what I’m about to write may cause your hair to turn white or catch fire.

Well I'm not going to look away My smokeless 40 is currently burning 104gn of 4350 and hucking a 300gn bullet at 3000fps and it's got room to run faster if I want