Custom Smokeless Muzzleloader

I just finished another Remington 700 ML conversion, the donor rifle was a blued version this time,stainless models are becoming alittle more scarce. It has a 30 in custom .458 stainless barrel installed on it , I picked up a boltnose conversion kit which completely seals any blowback, it uses a standard 209 shotshell primer for convenience and had a breech plug with an extended snout and a savage style replaceable ventliner. The stock is one of remingtons LVSF stocks that was bedded and spiderwebbed again. Once again this one will be primarily used sabotless with resized .45 cal. bullets.
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Nice! Where did you get the barrel and who did the work?

Smokeeeter

Nicely done and looks good.

Hope you don’t mind a few questions.

What make of barrel and contour did you choose to go with?
With so many others going with a bushing instead of a standard vent-liner why did you decide to remain with a standard vent-liner?

Enjoy your new addition for future hunts.


Ed

Ed, This barrel is an RKS barrel , a custom barrel maker from Alberta, the contour looks to be a varminter but it is extra long (over 30"). Someone else had started this project and had it threaded for the stock Remington ml specs. I got the boltnose kit from our friend south of the border that provides most of the Remington 700 ml conversions. He makes a breech plug that is a direct fit for the stock threads (just has to be adjusted for headspace), the only difference is that his breech plug has the extended snout and is designed for the savage style ventliner, I may modify the ventliner for a carbide bushing but I have a large supply of ventliners since none of my other muzzleloaders utilize them now.

Smokeeter

Thanks for the replies to my questions.

Yeah I too have a large supply of homemade vent-liners so I’m not getting a bushing for a long time.
30” barrel is really going to give some extended range. Hopefully it has a consistent load resistance down the full length of the bore.
Smokeless less muzzle loading has come a long way and still advancing. Regardless of the direction it takes I still love my 50.


Look forward to hearing about some range result down the road.


Ed

I made a collapsible ramrod that is carried in a sheath on my belt. I didn't want anything attached to the barrel that might have affected accuracy. I made this one out of an aluminum arrow shaft with a carbon shaft glued inside it, I left a 2 in. over lap to allow the pieces to interlock together. I used a shock cord to hold all three pieces together and allow folding for storage. The jag is made from a brass .40 cal bullet casing.
This rifle was made to be used with sized sabotless bullets, right now I'm using modified 300 gr. .45 cal. XTP's but it will also be capable of using .40 cal bullets inside .45 cal sabots. I modified some 200 gr. .40 cal XTP's for this application, it cuts down on the recoil and the spritzer nose improves the B.C. of both bullets.
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I took this one out on it's maiden voyage, I resized the spitzerized 300 gr. xtp's to .4493 dia. used a greased veggie wad and 60 grs. of Imr 4198 and a federal 209A primer , speeds were around 2530 fps with a low ES. The first shot out of the clean barrel is a little high but the other 2 settled in nicely. I only had 3 vials of powder measured at this load. Nothing fantastic but shows promise.
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300gr bullet at 2530fps, how did your shoulder feel?

That is more bang than a stock 45-70 or the 444 Marlin.

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Originally Posted by Fox

300gr bullet at 2530fps, how did your shoulder feel?

That is more bang than a stock 45-70 or the 444 Marlin.

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yeah that's a lot of bang.
shoulder felt fine, used a lead sled for sight in, usually don't feel a thing when shooting at game.

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Originally Posted by smokeeter

yeah that's a lot of bang.
shoulder felt fine, used a lead sled for sight in, usually don't feel a thing when shooting at game.

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If you were able to increase the BC on the bullet it would do wonders, although I an not sure of too many boat tail 45 cal bullets.