Triple 7 pellets
- Thread starter DBeato
- Start date
Like all gunpowder, how it’s stored is what affects its shelf life. I have powder thats as old as I am( ancient) that I still use. If the pellets are still uniform in shape and don’t have a very strong acrid smell they’re fine! Shoot em or send them to me!! Have fun and good luck. Two fifties and a thirty with a 250 Barnes is the deal in my Omega.
As longstud said, storage method matters. I would go and test some of the pellets at the range before doing a hunt. $79.00 a box for 777 at bass pro and do you wanna risk NOT getting a deer for $79.00? keep your powder dry
The primer used makes more difference than a few grains up or down in the five inlines I’ve tested. Our ML deer group has five TC Omegas that all shoot 130gr with a 250 gr Barnes boat tail and a Win triple 7 primer into one hole @ 100 yards. If you wanna mess around weighing loose powder, fill yer boots!! Been using the same load for 15 or more years.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
One caution i will pass on if your not acquainted with using BP replacement pellets...I would caution against using them in dry field conditions....those little buggers can still be not fully burnt up when they hit dry material at a fair distance. I know of a rural farm that was almost burnt to the ground by a large fire ignited by a pellet
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- middle of Sask
Honestly, I'd just go buy some new pellets or powder, and burn the old stuff up punching paper. I've shot some pellets in the 12-14 year old range and they were perfectly fine, but I wouldn't trust them for hunting. I even had some loose powder/newspaper/wrapped ball loads that worked exactly as they used to (about the same age), but again, if they turn into bloopers, no big deal at the bench. Better to learn a lesson at the bench as opposed to a failure while out hunting.
I have a custom made kit from across the pond. Custom made breech plug with SS machined cups that are like a shotgun primer but I use a shell holder for 22 Hornet and seat rifle primers! It works really well but nothing has ever shot as good as the Winchester’s Triple Seven primers with 2@50gr and one @30gr triple seven pellets with the 250gr Barnes TEZ bullet. They go into a small ragged hole at 100yards!! However I have to clean between each shot. The Hulk couldn’t load another shot without cleaning the barrel but it doesn’t really bother me as that’s the fun about hunting with a muzzleloader. I’ve harvested quite a few deer and several coyotes with this load.
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Never tried the Barnes but did a lot of testing with a 240 gr with Harvester Crush Rib sabot the bullets were from Precision Rifle here in Manitoba. This year going to try all lead conical over loose 3fg 777 in a White Super 91 .451 cal bullet will be a old ideal mould 451112 400 gr hopefully casting this week lube and size and give it a try asap
In my opinion, if you have unburnt powder travelling 25 yards from your muzzle, something is definitely not correct. Black powder and its substitutes are classed as an explosive as they burn instantaneous unlike modern smokeless at controlled burn rates. Pour a pound of smokeless on the ground and light it. It’ll burn and fizzle but at a controlled rate. Black powder will literally explode. Either your powder is damp or flash holes are dirty, whatever the reason, something is not copacetic!
I just took an educated guess as these projectiles load so effortlessly that I don’t think it creates the required pressure for consistent proper burn of propellant. Hence why the accuracy(lack of)) is so terrible with those projectiles!!
