Quick Path to Savage 10ML-II Deer Hunting Loads
The Savage 10ML-II is one of the easiest muzzleloaders I’ve used to work up a load for. If your choice is non-corrosive smokeless powder as allowed by this rifle, 44 grains of Accurate Arms 5744 is really the only powder you need to work with—though there are certainly other options. Accurate Arms 5744 distinguishes it self as it is the easiest powder to ignite regardless of sabot fit. Not only forgiving in the ignition sense, it is the easiest powder to volumetrically measure with the yellow Lee 3.4cc smokeless powder dipper. This dipper yields right at 44.5 grains, at least in the style that I “dip.”
There may well be “exceptions that prove the rule,” but I’ve not shot a Savage 10ML-II yet that has not given acceptable accuracy with AA 5744, nor is there any basis for a 10ML-II not to shoot well with this propellant. A full-powered deer hunting load is the goal here, and this propellant gives you all the steam you need to cleanly harvest any deer that you can accurately place a shot into. It really is about that simple.
There is enough data that has been assembled over the years to narrow the possibilities as to what your individual gun might like quite quickly; there really isn’t much mystery left. Del Ramsey’s current formulation MMP sabots are the acclaimed choice, regardless of bullet. The list of popular projectile combinations showing both suitable accuracy and good performance on game include the standard (non “Mag”) .452 250 grain Hornady XTP, the .452 300 grain Hornady XTP, the .451 / 50 250 gr. Barnes MZ-Expander, the .451 / 50 300 gr. Barnes MZ-Expander, and in many guns—the .40 / 50 260 gr. “Dead Center,” particularly when the supplied sabot is discarded in favor of the blue MMP .40 / 50 sabot.
The Hornady XTP’s are readily available in bulk, and combined with the short, black “MMP” sabot have done particularly well. The Barnes MZ-Expanders come automatically with current formulation “HPH12” MMP high performance series sabots, so no separate sabot purchasing or sabot switching is required. Due to the 1:24 rate of twist of the Savage 10ML-II, it does well with longer, 300 gr. bullets than many muzzleloaders—and there is scant reason not to use them. The 300 grain bullets offer better sectional density and higher ballistic coefficients than their lighter counterparts—with a comparatively low velocity penalty when employed with Accurate Arms 5744. Directly put, if a saboted bullet combination will not group with 44 grains of Accurate Arms 5744, I don’t want it. Rather than obsessing over powder charge weights, or switching propellants—switching bullets has proven the most productive for me.
Mark Lynch, of Hunterman Boolets, offers swaged lead bullets in any weight you determine. I’ve found the 287 grain .451 spire point rebated boat tail bullets in the MMP short black sabot to be quite accurate. These custom bullets are available only on a direct basis from Mark at [email protected] .
Regarding primers, I’ve not been able to detect any appreciable accuracy difference between Winchester 209 shotshell primers and Federal 209a primers. The Federals are a bit hotter, and offer a small but real “free” velocity increase. The choice of primers is determined by what primer fits your breechplug the best. I use Federals when I can, but if they fit too tightly (sticking primers, or hard to close bolt) then the Winchesters get the call.
I’ve found “reading sabots for accuracy” to be a singularly fabulous time-waster. Whether a sabot shears one petal, twists then, looses them all is completely unimportant to me, for after a sabot exits the muzzle it has done its job. I’ve had sabots that are torn to bits upon exit, yet they have thrown the bullets into the same hole day after day, range session after range session. Conversely, I’ve experimented with loads where the fired sabots look picture perfect; engraved beautifully with the petals symmetrically flowered out—but these loads have never produced anything near what I could call a “group.” The only thing that matters to me is group size, and whatever combination produces the best repeatable group size wins—whether a disposable piece of plastic wins beauty contests after use is off-topic, and has nothing to do with the goal of finding a reliably accurate hunting load.
If the propellant used is Hodgdon’s Triple 7, whether by personal preference or due to regulations, the starting load is always 100 grains of T7 FFg. The same bullet combinations apply; if it does not group well with 100 grains by volume of Triple Seven then I have no use for that combination. Here, the only caveat is that I opt for lighter, 250 grain genre bullets due to the velocity penalty that comes with Triple Seven and related synthetic propellants.
This little commentary is not meant to be limiting; there are certainly other combinations that work, and work well. However, if you want the no hassle approach to a suitable deer load that will fill your meat locker without fail with the Savage 10ML-II; then this is it. Those that enjoy tinkering will of course find the time, but finding an effective load for your own 10ML-II requires a minimal amount of it.
Email: [email protected]
© 2004, 2005 by Randy Wakeman
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