In the market for a ML - Knight ultra-lite

[ocurtis]

so I am newbie to the muzzleloader game and have been researching for what gun to purchase. I am in Washington state so open sights required. I

I think I have settled on the knight ultra lite (45 cal) but I have some concerns I am hoping I can get help with
1. Although the gun has outstanding reviews, I am concerned with the service (or maybe lack of?) from knight guns. There is no phone number to call. I sent the contact us request and received a generic response that did not answer any of my questions (very simple ones). The signature of the person who responded had a phone number. I called it and it says send an email because we have a very high volume of questions and cant answer the phone. Anyone have any experience that can ease my concerns?
2. What is the best powder to shoot with these Guns? One of the questions I asked and was told it depends on what model and and type of ignition (I had specified the ultra-lite) I am leaning towards bare 209 primer ignition
3. Bullets - I have been researching this too. Sabot, no sabot? Brand?
4. Can I mount the Williams peep sites?
5. I have read that it is best to replace the breach plug. Anyone know why?

Thanks in advance for any help!

If there is a different gun that would do what I am looking for please let me know! I want the ability to shoot accurately to 200 yards. I have been considering the Accura LR-X as well - i am being told horror stories on accura QC

 

[ElDiablito]

Knight makes nice rifles. Just about anything on the market can be made to shoot accurately to 200 yards. I’d stay away from anything CVA makes. Powder and bullet? I’d go with BH209 or Triple Seven and a saboted bullet. There’s no one best bullet/powder for any particular rifle. A 209 ignition will shoot any powder. Yes, the Williams peep sights are a good choice and will fit a Knight.

Another brand to consider is Woodman Arms. They make great rifles.

Woodman Arms Home Of The Patriot™ Muzzleloader

Woodman Arms is the home of the most accurate & reliable muzzleloader rifle in America, the Patriot™. Located in Fremont, NH, we ship nationally including, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Tennessee, North Carolina, & Virginia.

woodmanarms.com

Have you checked out other sources of info like modernmuzzleloader?

 

[ocurtis]

Knight makes nice rifles. Just about anything on the market can be made to shoot accurately to 200 yards. I’d stay away from anything CVA makes. Powder and bullet? I’d go with BH209 or Triple Seven and a saboted bullet. There’s no one best bullet/powder for any particular rifle. A 209 ignition will shoot any powder. Yes, the Williams peep sights are a good choice and will fit a Knight.

Another brand to consider is Woodman Arms. They make great rifles.

Woodman Arms Home Of The Patriot™ Muzzleloader

Woodman Arms is the home of the most accurate & reliable muzzleloader rifle in America, the Patriot™. Located in Fremont, NH, we ship nationally including, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Tennessee, North Carolina, & Virginia.

woodmanarms.com

Have you checked out other sources of info like modernmuzzleloader?

thank you! The BH209 is hard to find and crazy expensive! I will check out woodman arms. I main concern with knight is how hard it is to get ahold of them for support.

I havent gone to modernmuzzleloader much but I will, I have been researching all over.

Why would you use a sabot? I have ready that they are the weakest link on the ML accuracey and others swear by them.

 

[BRTreedogs]

My WA setup is a UL NE Edition that I converted to 209, with a factory breach plug kit..
shooting 90 grns by volume of BH 209 with the 250 sst sabot.
Id did not like the 300 sst or 100 grns by volume of 209.
You have to notch the stock a bit with a dremel to run the Williams peep.
I used a scope to get a load and think it was about 1.5
And with the peep about 2.5 at 100 yards.

The front bead is to large on these rifles imo, covers up to much of the body.

My rifle shoots fine and I don't muzzle hunt enough to worry about the breach plug.

Don't over think it.

 

[ocurtis]

My WA setup is a UL NE Edition that I converted to 209, with a factory breach plug kit..
shooting 90 grns by volume of BH 209 with the 250 sst sabot.
Id did not like the 300 sst or 100 grns by volume of 209.
You have to notch the stock a bit with a dremel to run the Williams peep.
I used a scope to get a load and think it was about 1.5
And with the peep about 2.5 at 100 yards.

The front bead is to large on these rifles imo, covers up to much of the body.

My rifle shoots fine and I don't muzzle hunt enough to worry about the breach plug.

Don't over think it.

Ha, you're totally I right I am Mind F$% it now. Thanks for the advice on this.

I have seen many forums where people replace the front Sight with he Williams for the very reason you jus mentioned.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Ha, you're totally I right I am Mind F$% it now. Thanks for the advice on this.

I have seen many forums where people replace the front Sight with he Williams for the very reason you jus mentioned.

The issue for me is I also configure it Oregon legal for lead bullets.
I have not found a front sight low enough for me to sight in as I as I want with the Oregon setup.

 

[4090Sharps]

Anyone have any experience that can ease my concerns?

I have a CS experience I can share.

I bought a 45 cal Knight UL with nitride finish, summer 2022. When it arrived, I noticed the bolt had an obnoxiously loud click on closing. Contacted Knight the weekend before 4th of July, and had a response as soon as they opened July 5th, followed by a return label shortly after that.

July 25th, Knight emailed to tell me they were reviewing the gun, and then we had a call later that day to discuss the work and resolution. IIRC, the polished up some parts, reassembled, and the issue was resolved.

July 26th, my rifle was shipped out via UPS, and I had it back in hand August 1. I was pretty happy with that timeline, considering the volume of work they had to have been dealing with leading up to hunting season.

 

[ENCORE]

................................... Why would you use a sabot? I have ready that they are the weakest link on the ML accuracey and others swear by them.

Sabots are simple and easy, but yet still have issues. The enemy of sabots is barrel heat.

Here's a photo example of how barrel heat can affect a sabot. Now, before someone goes off on the cup of this sabot, this was shot through a radial brake. The open cup touches the brake, thus shreds some plastic. The bullet has long been gone.

When I stopped using sabots and went bullet to bore, my shooting life changed for the better. The most accurate modern inline shooters, ALL size their bullets and shoot bullet to bore.
If you were to purchase the 45cal Knight, I'd certainly learn to size bullets. Your choice

 

[ElDiablito]

Why would you use a sabot? I have ready that they are the weakest link on the ML accuracey and others swear by them.

I shoot sized jacketed bullets as well in my custom smokeless muzzleloaders. But, for hunting, sabots offer many advantages. I wouldn’t mess with sized jacketed bullets if you’re just starting out. Heat is not an issue with sabots except when shooting shot after shot at the range. When hunting it’s absolutely not a concern. Don’t let anyone tell you that sabots are the “weakest link” - it’s nonsense.

Check out this thread

Sabots or Bullet-to-Bore for Hunting?

For big game hunting, what are the advantages and disadvantages of shooting a saboted bullet vs a bullet-to-bore (a sized jacketed or monometal bullet - not a lead conical - but a bullet that you’ve sized for your barrel.)? And for the majority of hunters reading this, who own a 1:28 twist .50...

www.modernmuzzleloader.com

 

[ENCORE]

If...... you are looking for the HIGHEST DEGREE OF ACCURACY, regardless of rather its hunting or target shooting, sabots cannot compete with bullet to bore in fast twist 45cal rifles.

This fact has been proven over and over by the top modern inline shooters in the Nation. When bullet to bore first premiered in 2015 at the NMLRA Nationals, sabot use ceased to exist, especially when extreme accuracy is the name of the game.

If you only shoot a few rounds a year and you're not an accuracy nut, sabots are easy, but don't forget to let the barrel cool if at the range.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Muzzy isn't much of a thing in the west IMO, muzzy specific tags are few and far between.

 

[tracker12]

I have a UL and really love the gun. Been flawless for me and shoots just about everything I stuff down her throat. Mine is a 50 cal and 70 grains by weight with LeHigh Defense 250 and mag primer easy MOA out to 200.