New Smoke Pole User - HELP

[soloshooter]

I had just purchased a 45 caliber CVA Kodiac Pro Magnum. I am new to the use of the firearm and would like to ask for some personal prefferences. I had purched the primers, tripple Seven 50gr pellets and T/C 200gr Shock wave Sabots. The rifle can be loaded with up to 150gr of load. Before I sight in the new scope that had been installed I would like to know what are the prefferences of a few users. Would you use a max load of 150gr or you I be satified with using 100gr of charge. Would there be a considerable difference in performance?[/align]

[shaman]

I prefer loose powder.  It gives you better control over your load.  Me?  I'd start with about 80grains and work up to a) where I was getting maximum accuracy and b) I wasn't getting my shoulder whalloped.  Right now, I'm shooting a .54 Hawken with only 90 grains of 777.  It kills them just fine.

[mnslayer]

I am shooting a cva buckhorn 50cal, got it to see if I would like shooting a smoke pole. been shooting powerbelt bullets and 777 pellets, 150 grain hits 3 inches higher then 100 grain. open sights 100 yards will hold 2 inch pattern and able to shoot half a dozen rounds between brushing bore. powerbelts don't foul the barrel as much and gives you a true caliber size. love it bought my son the same setup and getting the same results.

[fr0sty]

I use two 777 pellets and a 250gr round in my .50.

[Wanderer]

I shoot a .45 caliber CVA Kodiak also. I had been shooting 225 grain Powerbelts in front of 2 pellets of Pyrodex.
I swab the bore after every shot and sometimes I have a difficult time getting the jag out of the bore. I recently switched to 100 grains of Shockeys Gold FFFG loose powder and the difference in the cleanliness of the bore is amazing. It's easy to swab out and the patches are much lighter in color than with the Pyrodex. The 225's still hit in the same place. It's a little more work measuring out loose powder, but you also have the option of modifying your powder charge by smaller increments. Being as you shoot a 45 cal also, you've probably noticed that WalMart carries only 50 cal pellets and a lot of other stores are going the same way. Loose powder doesn't care what size bore you pour it in. Use up the pellets you bought sighting in that scope (or save a few to carry for fast reloads in the field if you stay with 100 grain loads) and give loose powder a try.

[Cgull]

I'd start with two 50 gr pellets for sighting in and for thick woods. If hunting bear or where you may have long shots (150-200 yrds) then use the mag load. Try using plain cooking lard for lubing your barrel, it cooks into the barrel leaving a non stick coating just as cooking on a cast iorn skillet. to clean, use a bucket of hot water and a nylon brush, pulling the hot water up into the barrel and then back into the bucket. Lube with a couple of lard soaked patches, then run a clean patch to remove excess lard. Good luck!!