# Best load for Pro Hunter



## Brady01

I am brand new to muzzleloading. I have a Thompson Center Pro Hunter on order. Based on all the information I have read, I will probably start out trying thompson center shockwave and/or hornady SST 250 grain sabots. What does everyone recommend as far as powder and how much for either of these bullets ?


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## Jim Thompson

brady you wont know what is best for it without trying several loads in small increments.  

personally I would shoot BH209 (if you can find it) and start with 90 grains by volume of it and work up to about 110 grains.  mine shoots great at 100 grains with the same bullet choice.  with the BH209 you MUST pick up regular primers, not the type made for 777 or the like.  I use winchester 209s.


that being said, your gun will probably shoot just fine with 2 pellets of 777 and a BP powder primer of any type again using the same bullet.  but you will probably never know what the best will be until you change to loose powder.



after you make the decision on what you are going to get, come back here so we can talk about all the toys that go along with shooting and/or hunting with BP.


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## Brady01

Thanks Jim. It seems BH 209 is the way to go. I'll let you know in a couple of weeks.


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## Brady01

I finally got a chance to try out my new TC Pro Hunter. 100 grains of BH209 with 250 Shockwaves and 250 Hornady SST. The Hornadys seem to group a little better, still too early to tell. Next time I am going to break out the lead sled and spend some time on it. I read a lot about group size. What is the official way to measure groups ? Also what is the best way to clean your breech plug?


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## Public Land Prowler

a shot group of 3 is most common,and a quick easy way to do it is to  measure the distance between the centers of the two most widely separated bullet holes..Simple enough.Yeah there's a ton of ways to do it,but that's how I do it.Of course that's if you feel like all three shot were on,and you didn't pull off target.

I'm not a fan of powder.I myself like Three 50gr pyrodex pellets,and a 250gr T/C shockwave..Push it all the way down till you feel the solid bump.Thats it...no pounding,hoping you measured it right,and hoping its packed right like with loose powder.If you are not consistent with your loading the pattern could blow.I've had alot of heartaches,and headaches with powder.

I've got some breech plug cleaner by t/c that you soak the plug in,then I use a nipple pick,and a few different small brushes to clean it,and I usually blow air in it,and look through it to make sure nothing is in it to obstruct the flame.

By the way 100gr is plenty for deer inside 100 or maybe even 150yds,but if you are going to try longer than shots might as well step up to 150gr.Flatter trajectories,and hits harder.I like 150gr because I shoot long shots on deer sometimes,and also because I shoot hogs,and they are tough,and the boars have very thick shields,so that extra pop helps sometimes.


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## GA DAWG

3 pyrodex 5O grain pellets and a 25O grain shockwave is what my prohunter likes. Its deadly!


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## hawgrider1200

The extra powder will probably burn outside the barrel. Check ballistics charts online, I have. Up to about 90 grains much more velocity is acheived with every 10 grains of powder used in a specific barrel. Right about 90 grains (according to what i remmber from the charts) is a break even point where 10 more grains of powder results in the same velocity.  The reason most of us use loose powder is that to acheive the maximum accuracy results (ie tightest group) one must try different powder charges usually in 5 -10 grain increments. I use loose powder and never have worried about whether I had compressed the powder sufficeintly. U only have to seat the projectile on the powder it does not take a bunch of tamping and stuff like someone said in a post. I do not know right off the top of my head how much pellets cost cuz I have never used them. I know that for $20 I can buy  a pound of Goex or Pyrodex and it will last so long I will have forgotten when and where I bought that pound.


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## Public Land Prowler

hawgrider1200 said:


> U only have to seat the projectile on the powder it does not take a bunch of tamping and stuff like someone said in a post.



Might be why I always had issues with it..Didn't have a good instructor..  I was taught to keep tamping the rod until it bounced back up.Guess I was taught wrong... you live an learn..lol


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## GA DAWG

Public Land Prowler said:


> Might be why I always had issues with it..Didn't have a good instructor..  I was taught to keep tamping the rod until it bounced back up.Guess I was taught wrong... you live an learn..lol


Clean that sucker like you've never cleaned it before..Load it..It will be easy..MARK your ramrod at top of barrel with knife..Then everytime you load it from there on out it should go to mark..By grannys it gets hard to do after about 5 shots with the sabots!!!


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## Jim Thompson

Brady01 said:


> Also what is the best way to clean your breech plug?



to clean the breech I typically soak mine in hot soapy water while cleaning the gun.  then it just wipes down real good.  also the BH209 will cause carbon build up in the plug.  keep a 1/8" drill bit hand and it will stay clean.



Public Land Prowler said:


> Might be why I always had issues with it..Didn't have a good instructor..  I was taught to keep tamping the rod until it bounced back up.Guess I was taught wrong... you live an learn..lol


  most important with the tamping or pressure etc is to do it the same each time.



GA DAWG said:


> Clean that sucker like you've never cleaned it before..Load it..It will be easy..MARK your ramrod at top of barrel with knife..Then everytime you load it from there on out it should go to mark..By grannys it gets hard to do after about 5 shots with the sabots!!!


 wont get hard after 30 shots if you use BH209


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## BIGGUS

An accuracy tip straight from the guys in the lab @ Blackhorn.


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## Jim Thompson

BIGGUS said:


> An accuracy tip straight from the guys in the lab @ Blackhorn.



thanks biggus...I edited my post too since I was showing a 1/4" drill bit


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## Brady01

Jim/Biggus, Great idea about the drill bit. A 1/8 bit was too big though, I had to use a 7/64 for my pro-hunter. Great information from everyone. Saved me a lot of time and effort. I hope to shoot again maybe Fri. I'll let you know how it goes.


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## Jim Thompson

Brady01 said:


> Jim/Biggus, Great idea about the drill bit. A 1/8 bit was too big though, I had to use a 7/64 for my pro-hunter. Great information from everyone. Saved me a lot of time and effort. I hope to shoot again maybe Fri. I'll let you know how it goes.



brady, the bit is prolly too big because of the carbon build up.  I went through this last year and never noticed how much of the hold is closed until I picked up a new one


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## AliBubba

Guys - great info - To finish off cleaning, I use a can of compressed air to blow anything out of the barrel, breech plug, and flash hole.


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## Brady01

Jim, You were right 1/8 was the right size. It didn't take long to start closing that hole. Like 6 shots. The sweet spot on my Pro Hunter was 100 grains of BH209 and 250 grain Hornady SST sabots. 1 1/2 groups at 100 yrds. I never could get the shockwaves to group as well. Next I am going to play with some Pyrodex and see what happens. Has anyone ever used the 30 grain pellets along with the 50 grain. According to Hogdons web site you can mix and match. For those who use Pyrodex what is the best load combination.


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## Wild Turkey

110 gr 777 and 250 SST sabots for mine.


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## hawgrider1200

*pellets????*



Brady01 said:


> For those who use Pyrodex what is the best load combination.


I have a TC Encore Muzzleloader 50 cal. I used the shockwaves with 100 grains of Goex. Got the same results with loose Pyrodex. MOA accuracy at 100 yards. I would never use pellets. I have read ever since they fiorst started making those that during the manufacturing, shipping, and selling some of the particles of propellent actually come off the pellet making for inc onsistant charges. consistant charges with BP is as important or maybe more so than consistant charges with your modern powders. Then there is the issue of value for ur dollar, I can buy a lb of BP or Pyrodex $20 and shoot until I forget when and where I bought the powder. a package of just a few pellets cost the same money. Saw that on Cableas website. $30 for 100 pellets or 50 charges. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true
I can measure out powder and put in a medicine jar for later like a speedloader only takes a few minutes. I got lots more time than I got dollars.


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## Capt Gary

My loves 110grs. BH209 with Hornady 300gr SST or the 290gr Barnes.


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