not yer pappy's muzzle loader
 

.30 caliber (.308) smokeless muzzle loader. Brux 1/15 barrel, custom breech plug, sizing die from barrel cut off, muzzle break, loading funnel and bullet starter etc.

Buddy had it built to duplicate very hot 30-06/low end 300 mag velocities for 500+ yard plinking... Launching a 150gr Sierra MatchKing at 3050fps

Helping him finalize some load development, here's a 5 shot group today by me -

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1770586484.jpg


The spoon -

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1770586523.jpg

Oh no! Black Plastic! It's an Assault Muzzle Loader! :D

Cool! I suspect that'll "giterdone"! "plinking" :eek:

If you wanna get real pearl-clutching, suppressors aren't covered by the NFA when they are integral on a ML. Maxim used to offer a integrally suppressed .50 inline ...

Very interesting!!! Nice to see!

I’m putting in for muzzleloader elk in New Mexico. It’s open sights only now. :(

Exposed ignition too right? So no SML ....

When you start looking, can strongly recommend a Skinner peep. Shrunk groups on my TC White Mountain Carbine from stupidly embarassing at 50 yards to 2".

i'll reach out if i draw a tag. i dont even own a ML yet.

Interesting project, but it begs the question - why? What does this do that a similar breach loader does not do?

For my buddy, muzzle loaders are his only legal way to shoot here in Florida since he's been a naughty boy in the past, and SMLs are just the next big step in the technology.

Why .30? Cost (powder and bullets both) and recoil (a 225gr .40 bullet at 2800fps is NOT fun on the shoulder). Most smokeless-capable muzzle loaders (and fancy inline MLs in general) are .45 or .50 with the odd .40 and most will be shooting .40 or .45 bullets in sabots or bullet to bore, usually with big charges of BH209 or if using smokeless then 4198, etc behind them. With a premium bullet things are pushing $5 every time you pull the trigger. Going to with smokeless reduces that by a good bit on powder cost (BH209 is stupid expensive) but you are still running expensive fancy $2+ each bullets. With the .30 MatchKings the per shot cost is hovering right around $1 every time it goes boom.

Ok, that makes sense. In a way. Could he petition to restore his 2A rights?

In theory yes but it would cost so much in legal fees that it is cheaper to build super expensive custom work arounds

That's too bad. I've met a few guys over the years that exercised rather poor judgement in their youth and put themselves in the same situation, who had successfully petitioned to restore their rights. Like you said, not cheap.

I've always found it comical, but fortuitous for some I guess, that muzzle loaders are not legally considered to be "firearms". Even cap and ball revolvers. I've played with every variant of traditional muzzle loader imaginable and am quite familiar with their effectiveness, from hunting to long range target shooting. Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoy their status as "not firearms", but it really is kind of absurd.

I'm glad your buddy has found a way to legally enjoy shooting. Cool rifle too.