Getting The Most Out Of Knight's .52 Powerhouse!
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Why Introduce An All New .52 Caliber Bore Size?
When I first went to work with Knight Rifles back in late 1992, to head up their market development, the .50 caliber rifles were already dominating sales - accounting for nearly 60-percent of all production. Still, rifles of .54 caliber made up close to 30-percent of Knight's sales at that time - with the .45 caliber bore bringing up the rear with around 12-percent of sales. Over the course of the next 5 years, I witnessed the near total move to the .50 caliber bore. In fact, by the end of 1995, the sales of .54 caliber models had dropped to only about 10-percent. And it came as no surprise when Knight Rifles began to offer most models in .50 caliber only.
Imagine how surprised I was when the company announced, about ten years ago, the introduciton of an all new ".52 caliber" bore size. I had not so fond memories of helping Knight dealers move .54 rifles that tended to just sit on the shelf. Everyone wanted a .50 caliber Knight. And the reason why was simple enough to figure out - the .54 caliber bore offered very little advantage, if any. For the most part, the very same .451" and .452" diameter bullets were being fired out of both the .50 and .54. The only difference was the sabot used to make up the difference between the under-sized bullet and the bore.
Knight Rifles and Barnes Bullets helped the .54 bore to hang on for a few more years by introducing saboted .500" diameter bullets, but the writing was already on the wall. The .54 was doomed to die. Shooters had already learned that, with only a few exceptions, whatever the .54 could do...the .50 could do more efficiently, and with less plastic between the bullet and the rifling of the bore, the slightly smaller caliber could do it more accurately.
My first thought was that Knight Rifles was making a big mistake. Then, I learned that right along with the new bore size, the company was offering several new sabots and a bullet selection that would give the .52 rifles a definite advantage in the energy department. One of those sabot and bullet combos was the big 375-grain all-copper .475" diameter "Red Hot" bullet shown in the photo above. This is a lengthy projectile, measuring 1.205" in length - a bit too long for proper stabilization with the 1-in-28 inches twist rifling Knight had establsihed as a standard for the in-line industry. So, the company had Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Co. up the rate of twist for the .52 caliber bore to 1-in-26 inches. Two other bullets developed for the new bore were a large hollow-fronted all-copper 350-grain .458" bullet and a lighter .475" diameter 275-grain all-copper hollow-point. Barnes Bullets produced all three, and it came as no surprise that the 350-grain and the 275-grain bullets for the .52 were designed much like the all-copper Expander MZ bullets offered by Barnes for .50 and .54 caliber rifles.
Imagine how surprised I was when the company announced, about ten years ago, the introduciton of an all new ".52 caliber" bore size. I had not so fond memories of helping Knight dealers move .54 rifles that tended to just sit on the shelf. Everyone wanted a .50 caliber Knight. And the reason why was simple enough to figure out - the .54 caliber bore offered very little advantage, if any. For the most part, the very same .451" and .452" diameter bullets were being fired out of both the .50 and .54. The only difference was the sabot used to make up the difference between the under-sized bullet and the bore.
Knight Rifles and Barnes Bullets helped the .54 bore to hang on for a few more years by introducing saboted .500" diameter bullets, but the writing was already on the wall. The .54 was doomed to die. Shooters had already learned that, with only a few exceptions, whatever the .54 could do...the .50 could do more efficiently, and with less plastic between the bullet and the rifling of the bore, the slightly smaller caliber could do it more accurately.
My first thought was that Knight Rifles was making a big mistake. Then, I learned that right along with the new bore size, the company was offering several new sabots and a bullet selection that would give the .52 rifles a definite advantage in the energy department. One of those sabot and bullet combos was the big 375-grain all-copper .475" diameter "Red Hot" bullet shown in the photo above. This is a lengthy projectile, measuring 1.205" in length - a bit too long for proper stabilization with the 1-in-28 inches twist rifling Knight had establsihed as a standard for the in-line industry. So, the company had Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Co. up the rate of twist for the .52 caliber bore to 1-in-26 inches. Two other bullets developed for the new bore were a large hollow-fronted all-copper 350-grain .458" bullet and a lighter .475" diameter 275-grain all-copper hollow-point. Barnes Bullets produced all three, and it came as no surprise that the 350-grain and the 275-grain bullets for the .52 were designed much like the all-copper Expander MZ bullets offered by Barnes for .50 and .54 caliber rifles.
Getting The Velocity Needed For Open Country Effectiveness...
A major problem when shooting a bullet as large as the 375-grain "Red Hot" all-copper spitzer style hollow-point is getting enough velocity to keep them moving along at longer ranges with enough "ooomph" to bring down large game. When Knght set out to make the .52 far more efficient than the old .54 caliber Knight rifles, they also revamped their breech plug to insure a more complete burn of the powder charge. And for this bore size, the charge the company recommended was 150-grains of FFg Triple Seven.
To achieve a more efficient burn of the powder, the new breech plug featured a 1 1/2-inch long snout, with the flash hole for the fire from a No. 209 primer at the very front. The idea was to ignite the charge near the front of the powder column - instead of at the rear of the column. And, yes, it does work. When I first started shooting a .52 Knight DISC Extreme in 2004, the company was claiming that with this breech plug installed, they were getting 1,938 f.p.s. with the 150-grain charge of FFg Triple Seven behind the 375-grain all-copper "Red Hot" bullet. My initial shooting gave me 1,924 f.p.s. However, when I chronographed the load, it was in late September, on a morning with temperatures in the high 70s. If Knight's chrony work had been done with temps in the 40s or 50s, that would be enough to account for the difference.
Curious whether the stemmed breech plug, which Knight refers to as the "Power Stem" plug, actually made a big difference, I installed the standard DISC Extreme breech plug. (Both can be seen in the photo above right.) Shooting the same exact powder charge and the same exact sabot and bullet, three shots across my Shooting Chrony averaged 1,803 f.p.s. - a 121 f.p.s. difference.
To achieve a more efficient burn of the powder, the new breech plug featured a 1 1/2-inch long snout, with the flash hole for the fire from a No. 209 primer at the very front. The idea was to ignite the charge near the front of the powder column - instead of at the rear of the column. And, yes, it does work. When I first started shooting a .52 Knight DISC Extreme in 2004, the company was claiming that with this breech plug installed, they were getting 1,938 f.p.s. with the 150-grain charge of FFg Triple Seven behind the 375-grain all-copper "Red Hot" bullet. My initial shooting gave me 1,924 f.p.s. However, when I chronographed the load, it was in late September, on a morning with temperatures in the high 70s. If Knight's chrony work had been done with temps in the 40s or 50s, that would be enough to account for the difference.
Curious whether the stemmed breech plug, which Knight refers to as the "Power Stem" plug, actually made a big difference, I installed the standard DISC Extreme breech plug. (Both can be seen in the photo above right.) Shooting the same exact powder charge and the same exact sabot and bullet, three shots across my Shooting Chrony averaged 1,803 f.p.s. - a 121 f.p.s. difference.
Long Distance...The Next Best Thing To Being There!
I have always been more a fan of FFFg Triple Seven, and immeidately began playing around with that granulation, to see how much it would take to approach that same velocity. With a 130-grain charge, I was able to get the 375-grain bullet out of the muzzle at 1,933 f.p.s. - and accuracy was good. Most hundred yard groups were in the 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch class. However, when I dropped the charge to 120 grains, I was still getting great ignition with the stemmed breech plug, and my velocity only dropped to 1,921 f.p.s. - and my average group size tightened noticeably.
With 150 grains of FFg Triple Seven, at Knight's 1,938 f.p.s., the 375-grain bullet has 3,127 f.p.e. at the muzzle - at the 1,924 f.p.s. I got with my chronograph, it's good for 3,078 f.p.e. Switching to 130-grains of FFFg Triple Seven upped "my velocity" to 1,933 f.p.s. - with 3,108 f.p.e. Now, I liked the slightly lighter recoil of the 120-grain charge, along with a slight accuracy edge. I decided to make that "my" hunting charge with the big 375-grain bullet. At the 1,921 f.p.s. I was getting, the load is good for 3,071 f.p.e. As you can see, there is not a lot of difference in the energy generated at the muzzle.
I could never get anyone at the "Old" Knight Rifles, or at Barnes Bullets, to ever give me a definitive ballistic coefficient for this long, sharp-pointed bullet. But, my guess is that it has to be in the .300 b.c. range. Once it gets moving, it does not slow down very quickly. I once braved my chronograph and set it up at 200 yards, and (fortunately) managed to get three shots across the sky screens without hitting anything other than the target board. With 120-grains of FFFg Triple Seven, using the "Power Stem" breech plug, my average velocity was 1,511 f.p.s. That equates to 1,898 f.p.e. And the buck in the above left photo took the brunt of that amount of energy when I dropped it at 206 yards with my .52 DISC Extreme and big spitzer hollow-point bullet.
With 150 grains of FFg Triple Seven, at Knight's 1,938 f.p.s., the 375-grain bullet has 3,127 f.p.e. at the muzzle - at the 1,924 f.p.s. I got with my chronograph, it's good for 3,078 f.p.e. Switching to 130-grains of FFFg Triple Seven upped "my velocity" to 1,933 f.p.s. - with 3,108 f.p.e. Now, I liked the slightly lighter recoil of the 120-grain charge, along with a slight accuracy edge. I decided to make that "my" hunting charge with the big 375-grain bullet. At the 1,921 f.p.s. I was getting, the load is good for 3,071 f.p.e. As you can see, there is not a lot of difference in the energy generated at the muzzle.
I could never get anyone at the "Old" Knight Rifles, or at Barnes Bullets, to ever give me a definitive ballistic coefficient for this long, sharp-pointed bullet. But, my guess is that it has to be in the .300 b.c. range. Once it gets moving, it does not slow down very quickly. I once braved my chronograph and set it up at 200 yards, and (fortunately) managed to get three shots across the sky screens without hitting anything other than the target board. With 120-grains of FFFg Triple Seven, using the "Power Stem" breech plug, my average velocity was 1,511 f.p.s. That equates to 1,898 f.p.e. And the buck in the above left photo took the brunt of that amount of energy when I dropped it at 206 yards with my .52 DISC Extreme and big spitzer hollow-point bullet.
A Look At The Author's Longest Shot Ever With A Muzzleloader...
I've always been fascinated with the 375-grain all-copper hollow-point "Red Hot" bullet. During the winter of 2005, I had taken several coyotes at just over 200 yards with the bullet and 120-grain charge of FFFg Triple Seven, and the following spring managed to take one Missouri groundhog at almost 230 yards.
In 2006, I developed the prototype of the Hi-Lux Optics TB-ML multi-reticle scope, shooting a .50 Long Range Hunter. And after taking a few nice bucks that fall with that rifle, topped with the scope, I set out to fill several doe tags in northern Missouri. And one of my goals was to see if I could stretch a couple of shots out past 250 yards. I knew the rifle for that kind of range was the .52 DISC Extreme - and I put the prototype TB-ML scope on the rifle. Much to my surprise, the high b.c. of the 375-grain "Red Hot" bullet had the load still shooting about 4 inches above point of aim at 250-yards...using the 250-yard reticle of the scope.
The alfalfa field I planned to hunt was just over 300 yards in length, and about 100 yards wide. Along each side of the hayfield, the landowner had planted a long food plot strip, and the deer loved the combination. I set up a portable camouflage blind at the upper end of the field...and slid in my portable shooting bench - complete with sandbags. On the first morning of the hunt, I used a laser rangefinder to determine the range of a big doe...and dropped the deer with a "dead on" hold (with the 250-yard reticle) at 263 yards. Early the next morning, I ranged another big doe at 282 yards...put about 3 inches of daylight between the 250-yard reticle and the top of the back, and touched off the shot. The big 375-grain "Red Hot" literally picked that 120-pound doe up and threw the deer sideways. That doe was dead on the spot, and my longest shot ever at game with a muzzleloader. I've calculated that at that distance, the bullet still hit with around 1,450 f.p.e. Now...that's an elk load!
In 2006, I developed the prototype of the Hi-Lux Optics TB-ML multi-reticle scope, shooting a .50 Long Range Hunter. And after taking a few nice bucks that fall with that rifle, topped with the scope, I set out to fill several doe tags in northern Missouri. And one of my goals was to see if I could stretch a couple of shots out past 250 yards. I knew the rifle for that kind of range was the .52 DISC Extreme - and I put the prototype TB-ML scope on the rifle. Much to my surprise, the high b.c. of the 375-grain "Red Hot" bullet had the load still shooting about 4 inches above point of aim at 250-yards...using the 250-yard reticle of the scope.
The alfalfa field I planned to hunt was just over 300 yards in length, and about 100 yards wide. Along each side of the hayfield, the landowner had planted a long food plot strip, and the deer loved the combination. I set up a portable camouflage blind at the upper end of the field...and slid in my portable shooting bench - complete with sandbags. On the first morning of the hunt, I used a laser rangefinder to determine the range of a big doe...and dropped the deer with a "dead on" hold (with the 250-yard reticle) at 263 yards. Early the next morning, I ranged another big doe at 282 yards...put about 3 inches of daylight between the 250-yard reticle and the top of the back, and touched off the shot. The big 375-grain "Red Hot" literally picked that 120-pound doe up and threw the deer sideways. That doe was dead on the spot, and my longest shot ever at game with a muzzleloader. I've calculated that at that distance, the bullet still hit with around 1,450 f.p.e. Now...that's an elk load!
Blackhorn 209 Loads That Deliver Massive Knockdown Power!!!
When the former owners of Knight Rifles closed down production in June 2009, Barnes also dropped production of the big 375-grain all-copper .475" diameter spitzer bullet. If that bullet was indeed dropped, it wopuld have beebn missed by .52 shooters. It was, without a doubt, the best long-range saboted muzzleloader bullet I have ever shot and hunted with. The New Knight Rifles still offers a 375-grain all-copper bullet, but the bullet shown on their website is not of the sharp-fronted spitzer design. Instead, it features a large hollow-point cavity, much like the Barnes Expander MZ bullets.
Most whitetail in the East, Southeast, and Midwest are taken well inside of 100 yards. Likewise, most muzzleloader killed elk are shot well within 200 yards. Shooting loads similar to those already detailed, the big 350-grain .458" diameter all-copper hollow point is extremely well suited for taking any large game found on North America. Likewise, the 275-grain .475" diameter all-copper hollow-point is one of the most devastating whitetail bullets I have ever taken into the deer woods. I can remember one old 140-pound Illinois doe that I shot perfectly broadside at about 60 yards. I could literally stick my fist into the exit hole on the opposite side. The deer ran, maybe, 20 yards...and the blood trail was easily a foot wide. I was shooting 110-grains of FFFg Triple Seven, using the standard non-stemmed breech plug, which got the bullet out of the 26-inch Green Mountain barrel at 1,974 f.p.s. (with 2,376 f.p.e.).
Two years ago, I used the same rifle and saboted bullet for a bear hunt, only I loaded it with 110-grains of Blackhorn 209. At the muzzle, this load is good for 1,987 f.p.s., with 2,410 f.p.e. I passed on several small bears and did not get a shot that spring, but had put enough rounds with the load down range to realize that the load would keep groups at around 1 1/4-inches at a hundred yards. After the season, I took the charge up to 120-grains of Blackhorn 209, and the 275-grain "Red Hot" spit out the muzzle at 2,041 f.p.s., which translates into 2,543 foot-pounds of energy. This load too would keep groups at around 1 1/4 inches.
My groups with the 350-grain .458" "Red Hot" bullet opened just a bit, to around 1 1/2-inches at a hundred yards, which is still extremely acceptable. With 110-grains of Blackhorn 209, the big bullet leaves the muzzle at 1,873 f.p.s., generating 2,723 f.p.e. Propelled by 120-grain of Blackhorn 209, the bullet is launched at 1,927 f.p.s., with 2,887 f.p.e. This too is a long bullet, measuring 1.175" in length. Guessing at the b.c., I would say that it is in the .240-.250 range. With the hotter of the two loads just shared, that means the bullet would still be flying along at about 1,400 f.p.s. at 200 yards, hitting a bull elk with around 1,500 f.p.e. Not bad for a fairly blunt-faced hollow-point of this weight.
I have hoarded away a good supply of the older spitzer style 375's, and broke out a handful for a morning at the range. I was curious to see what kind of velocity I could get with the newer powder and the non-stemmed breech plug - mostly since the "Power Stem" breech plug and Blackhorn 209 just don't work together. This powder needs a hot, straight in flame.
With a 120-grain charge, the sharp-fronted bullet was pushed out of the barrel at an average of 1,868 f.p.s., for 2,904 f.p.e. Upping the charge to 130 grains of powder, velocity jumped to 1,919 f.p.s., with 3,063 f.p.e. And accuracy was superb. Several 100-yard groups shot that morning printed sub 1-inch. As long as my supply of these bullets hold out, this will be my rifle and load for elk.
Lately, I have been playing with several newer .458" diameter bullets that show one heck of a lot of promise for the .52 caliber rifles. One is the Barnes all-copper 300-grain SOCOM bullet. This is a poly-tipped spire point with a b.c. of around .240. Loaded with the Knight .52x.458 sabot and 120-grains of Blackhorn 209, I've averaged 2,052 f.p.s. at the muzzle, producing 2,802 foot-pounds of energy. At 200 yards, the load is still good for around 1,450 f.p.s. and 1,400 f.p.e. The other bullet is the 325-grain Hornady FTX. This one was designed for loading into .45-70 cartridges to be shot in a lever action rifle with a tubular magazine. The somewhat rounded spitzer polymer tip is of a softer material, to prevent detonating the primer of a forward cartridge - which of course is not a problem in a single shot muzzleloader. It does add some aerodynamics to the bullet, which has a .230 b.c. With 120-grains of Blackhorn 209, it gets out of the muzzle at 1,959 f.p.s., with 2,795 f.p.e. Upping the charge to 130-grains, velocity is 2,006 f.p.s., upping muzzle energy to 2,902 f.p.e. The hotter load is still good for 1,400 f.p.s. at 200 yards...and just over 1,400 foot-pounds of wallop.
The shooter who is willing to buy sabots by the package and do a little test shooting with .458" and .475" diameter bullets offered by most bullet manufacturers will find a very good selection of hard hitting and accurate sabot/bullet combinations for Knight's .52 caliber rifles.
Most whitetail in the East, Southeast, and Midwest are taken well inside of 100 yards. Likewise, most muzzleloader killed elk are shot well within 200 yards. Shooting loads similar to those already detailed, the big 350-grain .458" diameter all-copper hollow point is extremely well suited for taking any large game found on North America. Likewise, the 275-grain .475" diameter all-copper hollow-point is one of the most devastating whitetail bullets I have ever taken into the deer woods. I can remember one old 140-pound Illinois doe that I shot perfectly broadside at about 60 yards. I could literally stick my fist into the exit hole on the opposite side. The deer ran, maybe, 20 yards...and the blood trail was easily a foot wide. I was shooting 110-grains of FFFg Triple Seven, using the standard non-stemmed breech plug, which got the bullet out of the 26-inch Green Mountain barrel at 1,974 f.p.s. (with 2,376 f.p.e.).
Two years ago, I used the same rifle and saboted bullet for a bear hunt, only I loaded it with 110-grains of Blackhorn 209. At the muzzle, this load is good for 1,987 f.p.s., with 2,410 f.p.e. I passed on several small bears and did not get a shot that spring, but had put enough rounds with the load down range to realize that the load would keep groups at around 1 1/4-inches at a hundred yards. After the season, I took the charge up to 120-grains of Blackhorn 209, and the 275-grain "Red Hot" spit out the muzzle at 2,041 f.p.s., which translates into 2,543 foot-pounds of energy. This load too would keep groups at around 1 1/4 inches.
My groups with the 350-grain .458" "Red Hot" bullet opened just a bit, to around 1 1/2-inches at a hundred yards, which is still extremely acceptable. With 110-grains of Blackhorn 209, the big bullet leaves the muzzle at 1,873 f.p.s., generating 2,723 f.p.e. Propelled by 120-grain of Blackhorn 209, the bullet is launched at 1,927 f.p.s., with 2,887 f.p.e. This too is a long bullet, measuring 1.175" in length. Guessing at the b.c., I would say that it is in the .240-.250 range. With the hotter of the two loads just shared, that means the bullet would still be flying along at about 1,400 f.p.s. at 200 yards, hitting a bull elk with around 1,500 f.p.e. Not bad for a fairly blunt-faced hollow-point of this weight.
I have hoarded away a good supply of the older spitzer style 375's, and broke out a handful for a morning at the range. I was curious to see what kind of velocity I could get with the newer powder and the non-stemmed breech plug - mostly since the "Power Stem" breech plug and Blackhorn 209 just don't work together. This powder needs a hot, straight in flame.
With a 120-grain charge, the sharp-fronted bullet was pushed out of the barrel at an average of 1,868 f.p.s., for 2,904 f.p.e. Upping the charge to 130 grains of powder, velocity jumped to 1,919 f.p.s., with 3,063 f.p.e. And accuracy was superb. Several 100-yard groups shot that morning printed sub 1-inch. As long as my supply of these bullets hold out, this will be my rifle and load for elk.
Lately, I have been playing with several newer .458" diameter bullets that show one heck of a lot of promise for the .52 caliber rifles. One is the Barnes all-copper 300-grain SOCOM bullet. This is a poly-tipped spire point with a b.c. of around .240. Loaded with the Knight .52x.458 sabot and 120-grains of Blackhorn 209, I've averaged 2,052 f.p.s. at the muzzle, producing 2,802 foot-pounds of energy. At 200 yards, the load is still good for around 1,450 f.p.s. and 1,400 f.p.e. The other bullet is the 325-grain Hornady FTX. This one was designed for loading into .45-70 cartridges to be shot in a lever action rifle with a tubular magazine. The somewhat rounded spitzer polymer tip is of a softer material, to prevent detonating the primer of a forward cartridge - which of course is not a problem in a single shot muzzleloader. It does add some aerodynamics to the bullet, which has a .230 b.c. With 120-grains of Blackhorn 209, it gets out of the muzzle at 1,959 f.p.s., with 2,795 f.p.e. Upping the charge to 130-grains, velocity is 2,006 f.p.s., upping muzzle energy to 2,902 f.p.e. The hotter load is still good for 1,400 f.p.s. at 200 yards...and just over 1,400 foot-pounds of wallop.
The shooter who is willing to buy sabots by the package and do a little test shooting with .458" and .475" diameter bullets offered by most bullet manufacturers will find a very good selection of hard hitting and accurate sabot/bullet combinations for Knight's .52 caliber rifles.
Does The .52 Have A Future? Here's What N.A. Muzzleloader Hunting Sees...
Knight Rifles in .52 caliber are definitely the "Powerhouses" of today's produciton in-line rifles, thanks to the efforts made to come up with new sabot and bullet combinations - and especailly thanks to hotter new black powder substitutes like Triple Seven and Blackhorn 209.
While Knight did up the twist of the bore to 1-in-26 inches to better stabilize the lengthy 375-grain spitzer hollow-point bullet, I have heard from a few .52 shooters who claim that they can not get the bullet to shoot as well as I have. A few others say that their barrels shoot the bullet great.
I actually have two barreled receivers for my .52. One is the standard turn in 26 inches twist found in the production rifles. The other barrel, which can be seen on the rifle in the photo at the top of this page, is a prototype .52 barrel rifled with a 1-in-24 twist bore. If you can save the above photo, then look at it enlarged, you'll see the "PT" stamped in front of the serial number. And that is the barrel which has shot the long bullet best.
In my mind, it was the long range performance of the long 375-spitzer which really set the .52 caliber Knight Rfles apart from any other modern in-line rifle on the market. Nothing else out there retains velocity and energy as well. I think this bore size, with longer bullets, needs a faster rate of rifling twist. More testing needs to be done to determine if a 1-in-24 twist is better suited for the .52 bore.
Not everyone is into "shooting long range". The buck in the above right photo was taken at only about 18 yards with a custom .54 Green Mountain "Limited Edition" rifle dubbed the "Brush Rifle". This is, without a doubt, the finest and fastest handling muzzleloader I have ever packed and hunted with. Loading with a 120-grain charge of Blackhorn 209, the 20-inch barrel gets a saboted Harvester Muzzleloading 400-grain "Hard Cast" flat-nosed lead bullet out of the muzzle at 1,803 f.p.s. - with 2,880 f.p.e. This is one hard hitting close range big game rifle. I think a similar model in .52 caliber, with a 20 or 22 inch barrel would be ideal for those shots at game under 100 yards...and much closer when you have to go into the heavy cover after them!
With all the hoopla over the Knight .52, many shooters are now questioning why the .54 was never given the same facelift - with a speedier rate of rifling twist, and a new selection of sabots and bullets to turn it into a real powerhouse. For a look at that possibility, go to - http://www.namlhunt.com/54caliber.html .
Just thought I'd throw in my two-cents worth. - Toby Bridges, NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING
While Knight did up the twist of the bore to 1-in-26 inches to better stabilize the lengthy 375-grain spitzer hollow-point bullet, I have heard from a few .52 shooters who claim that they can not get the bullet to shoot as well as I have. A few others say that their barrels shoot the bullet great.
I actually have two barreled receivers for my .52. One is the standard turn in 26 inches twist found in the production rifles. The other barrel, which can be seen on the rifle in the photo at the top of this page, is a prototype .52 barrel rifled with a 1-in-24 twist bore. If you can save the above photo, then look at it enlarged, you'll see the "PT" stamped in front of the serial number. And that is the barrel which has shot the long bullet best.
In my mind, it was the long range performance of the long 375-spitzer which really set the .52 caliber Knight Rfles apart from any other modern in-line rifle on the market. Nothing else out there retains velocity and energy as well. I think this bore size, with longer bullets, needs a faster rate of rifling twist. More testing needs to be done to determine if a 1-in-24 twist is better suited for the .52 bore.
Not everyone is into "shooting long range". The buck in the above right photo was taken at only about 18 yards with a custom .54 Green Mountain "Limited Edition" rifle dubbed the "Brush Rifle". This is, without a doubt, the finest and fastest handling muzzleloader I have ever packed and hunted with. Loading with a 120-grain charge of Blackhorn 209, the 20-inch barrel gets a saboted Harvester Muzzleloading 400-grain "Hard Cast" flat-nosed lead bullet out of the muzzle at 1,803 f.p.s. - with 2,880 f.p.e. This is one hard hitting close range big game rifle. I think a similar model in .52 caliber, with a 20 or 22 inch barrel would be ideal for those shots at game under 100 yards...and much closer when you have to go into the heavy cover after them!
With all the hoopla over the Knight .52, many shooters are now questioning why the .54 was never given the same facelift - with a speedier rate of rifling twist, and a new selection of sabots and bullets to turn it into a real powerhouse. For a look at that possibility, go to - http://www.namlhunt.com/54caliber.html .
Just thought I'd throw in my two-cents worth. - Toby Bridges, NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING
Want Top Muzzleloader Performance? Go To... www.blackhorn209.com
