The use of a plastic sub-base between the powder charge and saboted bullet often improves accuracy once velocity exceeds 2000 fps. As you can see in the accuracy chart, the 250-grain PowerBelt bullet averaged 1.60 inches with the sub-base and 4.80 inches without it.

Savage has incorporated several design improvements into the Model 10ML-II, the lastest addition to its series of in-line smokeless power muzzleloading rifles.

The accuracy difference is not always so drastic with all saboted bullets, but it is often enough to make the use of sub-bases worthwhile. They are available from Muzzleload Magnum Products, Dept. ST, 518 Buck Hollow Lane, Harrison, AR 72601; 870-741-5019; www.mmpsabots.com.

Something else I found to be quite interesting is the 250-grain Shock Wave bullet from Thompson/Center tied the PowerBelt bullet for first place in accuracy. That bullet is made for T/C by Hornady, and because it and the Hornady SST of the same weight are supposed to be the same bullet with plastic points of different colors, one might assume their accuracy would be the same.

This did not prove to be true. The only difference I could see between the two was the sabot of the Shock Wave was a bit smaller in diameter, allowing it to fit the bore a bit more loosely during seating. (In contrast to my experiences with the Savage rifle, a Remington Model 700ML I shot recently averaged 1.50 inches with the Hornady bullet and 2.20 inches with the T/C bullet. Those are classic examples of different rifles having distinct preferences in bullets.)

The new rifle does have an idiosyncrasy or two that the old rifle does not have. If any primer other than the Winchester 209 is used, propellant fouling may build up on the face of the breechplug and bolt, and if this happens the bolt will become increasingly more difficult to rotate to its locked position.

But because the rifle has to be fired several times before this begins to take place, this is not a factor worth noting in the field where more than one shot is seldom fired at a deer or bear. It does become noticeable, however, when shooting the rifle a number of times at the range. Removing fouling from the face of the bolt every five rounds or so helps, as does placing a dab of lubricant behind the bolt handle where it bears on a shoulder in the receiver bridge.

Something else may happen if a 209 primer other than the Winchester is used; after several firings, a fired primer can become quite difficult to extract. When the rifle fires, the primer cup obturates hard against the wall of its pocket in the breechplug, and if the primer cup does not shrink back to its original diameter, it will continue to grip the wall of the primer pocket, especially if the wall is coated with propellant fouling.

Again, this is not a problem when one or two shots are fired in the field; it only happens when the rifle is fired a number of times during a lengthy practice session. The solution usually amounts to merely lifting the bolt handle just enough to cock the firing pin and then rotating it back to its locked position and squeezing the trigger. The blow from the firing pin on the spent primer will usually break its grip on the wall of the primer pocket. If that fails, rotate the bolt to its unlocked position and give its handle a few light taps with a small leather or plastic mallet.

Overall, I like the Model 10ML-II about as well as my Model 10ML. But the true test of the new design will be how it performs for hunters in the field.