45 Smokless Muzzle Loader Project

[Shooter1971]

Just wanted to share a cost effective project I have almost completed

I ended up with a spare breech plug made by arrowhead sports in the USA. It uses a module system to allow magnum large rifle primers to fire smokeless, and if so desired sabotless, loads. The smokeless sabotless thing is pretty new but is growing in popularity. Performance and accuracy is close to magnum brass cased cartridge rifles. Bullets are often sized with a section of the rifle barrel used to make a sizing die.

Rifle still needs to go to paint, thinking Matte Black

Shilen Barrel CM blank 300$
Action Savage long Action 0$ (free donation from a friend)
Boyds Stock 200$
Breech Plug and modules 200$
Bit and Pieces 50$

Total 750$

 

[gobigorgohome]

Cool project! I'd like to see how it groups out to distance once it's done.... I have a savage ml-10 2. Ordered a vari flame kit from PR Bullet and some MSB and MMP short black sabots. My hope is to stay minute-of-deer out to 200 - 250 yards. I'll be playing in the next few weeks, hopefully it works!

 

[rpcw]

That’s awesome!!!!

Did you get a full form Die made?

Alternate is a smooth form Die....

Which are you planning?

A shilen should shoot lights out to 500 yards....

 

[Shooter1971]

I have a smooth form for it. Looking forward to trying it out.

I also have rem 700 take off barrel in 458 win mag that I will be converting to a smokless ml barrel soon. Just need to another breach plug.

 

[rpcw]

Do you think the the 458 Win Mag Rem Barrel is heavy enough?

Some of these ML are far beyond the Win Mag numbers....

 

[Shooter1971]

This one is...not a typical magnum contour

 

[rpcw]

Should be another cool project.
Are you doing DI or 209?

 

[Slimbo]

I didn’t know this was a thing. Pretty neat!!

 

[Shooter1971]

Should be another cool project.
Are you doing DI or 209?

Might go 209, have lots of modules though and using a standard 308 bolt is nice

 

[rpcw]

Luke at ASG cut me a slotted bolt head for mine. It basically makes module slide in like a 209 primer. This was just as he came out with the Gen 2 system. He now sells those bolt heads and are they ever slick.

Makes it pretty much the perfect system as I see it. I put all that into a Savage FTR donor.

This thing shot ridiculously well and the brake helped recoil. Went as high as 2960 fps with a 310 pill. Better than 1/3 MOA at 300.

Then I tore it all apart again and put components into a model 16 stainless 270WSM donor because I needed large shank action.

These ML’s projects are incredibly fun. Glad you built one!

Please show us the range report.

 

[rpcw]

Cool project! I'd like to see how it groups out to distance once it's done.... I have a savage ml-10 2. Ordered a vari flame kit from PR Bullet and some MSB and MMP short black sabots. My hope is to stay minute-of-deer out to 200 - 250 yards. I'll be playing in the next few weeks, hopefully it works!

Those are great guns. Best I could ever achieve was reliable 200 yard performance. It seemed like the bullets never got enough spin imparted through the sabot to go reliably beyond that distance to 300. Just my take and our range had 1,2,300 so I did not test at 250. I could hold MOA at 200 though....

The crushed rib sabots may be worth a go as well. I had good luck with PR Bullets 260 dead centres in many of the 10ml’s I have owned.

 

[Shooter1971]

What's the advantage of the slotted head for modules, just ease of handling?

 

[rpcw]

It is the ease of handling especially when hunting.