100% Reliability with the Savage 10ML-II
When it comes to big game hunting applications, there are few things more important than absolute reliability of your firearm. This is, if anything, even more critical in the sport of muzzleloading where the entire premise is "one shot, and make it a good one." By virtue of its patented, efficient breechplug design and its ability to use non-corrosive, non-moisture attracting propellants, the Savage 10ML-II is the most reliable muzzleloader ever manufactured. That is if, and only if we follow a few very simple steps to ensure that reliability.
NEVER LEAVE YOUR MUZZLELOADER LOADED
Regardless of propellant, our propellant does not improve once it is loaded into a muzzleloader. It cannot. For the very same reason that we put powder back in the original bottle at the reloading bench, for the very same reason that we put the lids back on powder bottles, we cannot leave an unattended muzzleloader loaded. Smokeless powder contains moisture; all of it does. Certainly, Savage propellants do not attract and absorb moisture in a manner comparable to blackpowder, Pyrodex, Triple Se7en, and all the hygroscopic so-called blackpowder subs out there. Nevertheless, if you want complete reliability it is mandatory that your Savage 10ML-II gets a fresh powder charge the morning of every hunt. After your Savage is loaded, normal temperature variations occur. Muzzleloaders go in and out of lodges and vehicles, and so forth. Metal sweats, of course, and one only has to observe condensation on windows to realize that that leaving a muzzleloader loaded overnight, any muzzleloader, even the Savage 10ML-II is unsmart. Predicting a misfire is very difficult; how close we are to a blooper is speculative. It is a pass / fail situation; either our muzzleloader goes bang with consistent velocity, or it doesn't.
Sure, you'll hear a few folks brag about leaving their Savages loaded "since last year" and it still went bang. Unfortunately, the exemplary reliability of the Savage has resulted in some type of weird competition: that being who can leave their muzzleloaders loaded the longest. It makes no sense, it isn't smart from the standpoint of safety or reliability, and is it unwise to compromise the complete reliability of your muzzleloader on a big game hunt for the tortured notion of saving a few cents worth of powder. As a matter of fact, with no spit-patching, bore cleaning, or attention paid to the bore between shots . . . the Savage is the easiest muzzleloader there is to clear at the end of the day, and give it a fresh charge the next morning.
PROPELLANT SELECTION
All Savage propellants are cleaner, more efficient, and less hygroscopic than blackpowder and substitutes. That, however, does not mean that there aren't salient differences between propellants--there are.
Double-based propellants are far less sensitive to moisture than single-based propellants. Single based propellants rapidly absorb and expel moisture compared to double-based propellants; and moisture clearly does affect ignition and burn characteristics. This is not to suggest that single-based Savage propellants (N110, SR4759) are remotely as problematic as Pyrodex or Triple Se7en is this regard-- they aren't. But, the double-based Accurate 5744 is the easiest Savage propellant to ignite, and less sensitive to moisture than any other 10ML-II propellant. The goal here is 100% reliability under any and all hunting conditions, and in that context . . . Accurate 5744 has yet to be bettered, simple as that.
The better 10ML-II high-performance loads have been the subject of past articles, of course, and will be addressed in future articles as well. The subject at hand is flawless reliability, reliability we can count on whether it is a humid ninety degree day or twenty degrees below zero--and Accurate 5744 is the propellant of choice under challenging conditions for the reasons stated.
Note: Accurate Powder designations:
Since 2003/4 all prefixes of Accurate Powder designations such as “XMR” or “XMP” no longer apply. The products are merely designated as “Accurate” or abbreviated with a single “A” prefix. As long as the numerics are the same example: A-"5744", the powder will have the same characterists/burn rate and the same loads will apply.
BREECHPLUG MAINTENANCE
209 shotshell primers are filthy little sparkplugs with little question. All we have to do is look inside a yellow 20 gauge shotshell hull, and we can witness the impressive spew of particulate matter created by just one 209 primer. All breechplugs get lined and clogged with 209 primer material after a time, something that most muzzleloading manufacturer have failed to mention, much less address. The problem with many muzzleloading designs is they have no backstop nor proper piloting of the 209 primer; small wonder that 209 primers all too often are free to spew their impressive spittle all over actions, and inside them as well. This is not the case with the Savage 10ML-II's patented breechplug array, fortunately.
That Savage 10ML-II's patented bolt properly holds the 209 primer against and into the breechplug. Upon ignition, the 209 primer effects a proper seal, and all of its flame, heat, and particulate matter is efficiently injected through the 10ML-II breechplug. It is the most efficient breechplug ever created-- and its efficiency means you never have to disassemble a 10ML-II bolt for cleaning, never have to worry about a scorched scope, and have no action fouling whatsoever. All of the primer's eruption goes right where we want it-- through the breechplug.
It is the Savage 10ML-II breechplug that is just about the only part of the entire rifle that requires a little regular attention, again all by design. Savage Arms has a commitment to 100% quality control. Part of that means that every single muzzleloader is fired several times before it leaves the factory, both with a proof overload and with standard full-power hunting loads to properly function test each rifle. No one tests their muzzleloaders better than Savage Arms.
When you get your new Savage 10ML-II, the very first order of business is to service your breechplug. As your gun has already been fired several times, we need to start with a verified clean breechplug. After removing the ventliner, go in with a 5/32ths drill bit from the primer side, drilling through the breechplug with your electric drill until the drill bit goes all the way through and comes out the ventliner side (powder side). Don't worry about damaging the ventliner threads-- it can't happen, the drill bit is self-aligning. This takes but a few moments and is the only regular maintenance your 10ML-II needs. After every box of primers (100 shots), repeat this and install a fresh ventliner. Make no mistake about it; all inline breechplugs erode. Many folks never notice until they finally replace the breechplug. Annual replacement of breechplugs is eliminated with the 10ML-II's patented breechplug. The ventliner is simply a replaceable flash hole, eliminating the need to replace the entire breechplug is ensure optimum consistency and accuracy.
Typical cleaning of your 10ML-II's barrel is just a few patches of Hoppe's at the same time of breechplug service. When putting up your 10ML-II for longer storage, a couple of patches soaked with Breakfree CLP does the trick as a longer-term bore protectant.
When you want to put your stored 10ML-II back into service, swab the bore with a clean white cotton patch. Hold a second white cotton patch down the bore, holding it against your breechplug with your ramrod or cleaning rod. Fire one, and only one 209 to blow any oil that may have accumulated into your breechplug from storage. The patch catches any residual oil, and you are good to go. Please do not make the mistake of snapping a bunch of 209's in an empty Savage. All that does is fill your breechplug full of primer material-- far, far quicker than would happen in a normal firing cycle.
PRIMERS
209 primer vary dimensionally by brand-- and also lot by lot in some cases. As of this writing, I believe CCI 209M shotshell primers are the best available primers for your 10ML-II.
BULLETS / SABOTS
Bullets vary, as do sabots to an extent. So do individual rifle's bores. Though preferred loadings are discussed in detail elsewhere, approximately a .004 in. interference fit between loaded sabot and your bore offers ease of loading with excellent accuracy. An undersized saboted bullet that just drops down an individual rifle's barrel with little or no resistance is just asking for bloopers. Saboted bullets need to load firmly, but smoothly . . . in other words, "properly." That means some 80 lbs. of ramrod pressure to start, and then 30 - 40 pounds of prevailing resistance as it is travels down the rest of the barrel.
My first choice for the 10ML-II is the Orange MMP .458 / 50 sabot along with the Barnes Original Semi-Spitzer 300 grain bullet, Barnes part # 457010.
Follow the few basic steps mentioned here, and you will discover what many have long enjoyed-- unparalleled accuracy that the Savage 10ML-II is famous for, and 100% reliability that this muzzleloader achieves like no other.
Copyright 2011 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
