My latest project

[coyote101]

Thompson-Center Encore .50 caliber muzzle loading pistol.


I had a local gunsmith cut a rifle barrel to 15 inches, re-crown it, and reposition the ramrod spindle. I shortened, reshaped, and refinished the fore end. Then shortened the ramrod and refinished and added the pistol grip. Topped with a Leupold 4X EER pistol scope.

I had hoped to take a deer with it this year, but I haven't shot it yet and don't know that I will get a chance to before the season is over. We'll see.

Pat

[Dale]

nice looking work... what are you planning to shoot for a load?...

[coyote101]

nice looking work... what are you planning to shoot for a load?...

I'm not sure yet Dale. I think I'll start with 80 grains of loose Pyrodex or Goex black powder and work up from there till I find something reasonably accurate. I have several different .50 cal. bullets to try, so it will likely be a lot of experimenting unless I get lucky and find a good load early on.

Pat

[FinsnFur]

Very nice. Do you hold your head off to the side when you squeeze one off? 



.....I meant when you shoot the gun

[HaMeR]

I like it Pat!! That's a cool idea. Gonna look dandy laying across the shoulders of the lucky 1st harvested!! Maybe see it on a coyote or 2 sometime?? 

[Dale]

nice looking work... what are you planning to shoot for a load?...

I'm not sure yet Dale. I think I'll start with 80 grains of loose Pyrodex or Goex black powder and work up from there till I find something reasonably accurate. I have several different .50 cal. bullets to try, so it will likely be a lot of experimenting unless I get lucky and find a good load early on.

Pat

my biggest concern would be finding a load that would burn completely in that short barrel length...

with a cased cartridge I'd just go to a slightly faster powder, but not sure with a charcoal burner... the only time I fooled with a short barreled/pistol was 40+ years ago in Germany, and I think we shot 3F instead of the 2F we used for the long guns...

it will be interesting to hear your results as you experiment with it and get a load developed... when I had the BP barrel for my Encore, I shot pellets only except for a fouling shot first thing in the morning I used a pinch of loose pyrodex or whatever other synthetic I had on hand...

one thing about it unlike smokeless you don't have much to worry about pressure, just keep your bullets seated tight... no air gaps...