Muzzleloader best practices?

[Farmingdales Finest]

10 minutes ago, archer36 said:

You can buy them at Harvester Bullets (gave you a link before) or Midway USA.  I bought mine at Midway USA because they were on sale, and I got free shipping at the time. 

I saw that after I posted.  Thanks!

[Lunatic]

23 hours ago, Farmingdales Finest said:

Ok so I guess I am glad I am not alone but was also hoping to hear I was doing something wrong that would allow an easier second shot. I don't mind having to swab it down for the third because I really can't see a typical scenario that would require or allow in most cases a third shot. But unlike you I can get the second seated but not very easily.

I am wondering since I keep reading conflicting info about using bore butter. A friend swears by it in his CVA but it seems that's more for a percussion or flintlock than an inline?

Change your powder. I bet you are using pyrodex pellets. Two shots is the most I could get when using it. Find something cleaner. I can shoot for ever without cleaning when using Black Horn 209. But I know there are other pellets, if you don’t like to mess with loose powder, which are much cleaner than pyrodex. 
I don’t clean between shots and I never missed a deer. 

[Lunatic]

23 hours ago, mazzgolf said:

You could get 2 shots off without re-swabbing? That's pretty good  

I also have a CVA Optima and after only one shot I cannot load a second. I have to swab the barrel before I can get a second bullet down.

My process at the range (and I do this for two reasons : (1) because I have to swab that barrel to get a second bullet down and (2) I prepare for hunting... and when I hunt, I will be going out with a clean barrel after the gun comes out of the safe. So I want the barrel how it will be during my hunting scenarios - which means a clean barrel with one cap popped):

1. Start with clean barrel (gun-out-of-safe-clean)

2. "Pop a cap" - I only use up one primer, that seems to prep my barrel pretty good. (I get flyers if I shoot out of clean barrel)

3. Load 2 pellets, bullet, primer - shoot

4. Take out the plug, run 2 or 3 wet patches down the barrel (wet it with that Windex+Vinegar product)

5. Run 3 or 4 dry patches down the barrel, each patch I run through twice (I flip it over the second time)

6. Inspect the pin hole in the breech plug and make sure it is 100% clear. If not, run a pick through it to clean it out. Do NOT get the plug wet with solvent.

7. Replace plug

8. Start all over with step number 1.

I'm not crazy about having to zero my muzzleloader  Takes alot of time and alot of patches. People will tell you "Switch to BH209" but of course (1) finding some to even buy isn't trivial and (2) it is ridiculously expensive for the amount you get. So for now I'm OK shooting Triple 7 pellets... drawback is, yeah, I need to swab out the barrel after each shot (but I'm going to do that anyway because I'm practicing for the field - and I'm going to be shooting out of a clean barrel when out in the field, so I want my practice to be the same as when I'm hunting). The main issue is that I do have to worry about needing to take a second shot out in the field. I'll be carrying some patches with me in case I need to swab out the barrel after shooting the first time and need to shoot a second.

You are crazy, I’m tired and frustrated just reading what you do 

[Greybeard]

Try the hornady sst bullet.  I have a very tight barrel and that was the smallest diameter bullet I could find, and the only round I could get down for a second shot, and 3rd, even 4th while using pyrodex.

[Farmingdales Finest]

8 minutes ago, Lunatic said:

Change your powder. I bet you are using pyrodex pellets. Two shots is the most I could get when using it. Find something cleaner. I can shoot for ever without cleaning when using Black Horn 209. But I know there are other pellets, if you don’t like to mess with loose powder, which are much cleaner than pyrodex. 
I don’t clean between shots and I never missed a deer. 

I am shooting Triple 7 pellets. BH 209 is not an option this year. They didn't have any at the store and every place to order it including the company is out of it with no backorders.  I am going to swab the barrel after every shot and I can get a second shot but it is significantly harder than the first shot.

[Lunatic]

3 minutes ago, Farmingdales Finest said:

I am shooting Triple 7 pellets. BH 209 is not an option this year. They didn't have any at the store and every place to order it including the company is out of it with no backorders.  I am going to swab the barrel after every shot and I can get a second shot but it is significantly harder than the first shot.

I know your pain., I did it for years with pellets. Good luck 

[archer36]

Switching to Crush Rib Sabots will help a lot.  If you were using Pyrodex, there is no hope. 

[tcook8296]

Pyrodex pellets are dirty. 

Keep an eye out for yhr bh209 and use that. 

Try using just a little bore butter on your fingertip and put a thin coating on the Sabot. 

It makes a big difference. 

What ever frequency of swabbing you find works for you, keep it consistent but it will be less with the bh. 

Don't heat the barrel, and don't scrub the barrel clean when you get it sighted in. 

I don't fully clean mine until the end of season. 

Also marking your ram rod so you know when it's loaded just in case you forget. 

Try a lead slead when sighting in. 

Get it 2 inches high at 50 yards and you should be on the money at 100. 

Try out the TC Shockwaves or Barnes expanders. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by tcook8296

[Ducker]

Everyone has their own theory in proper procedure.  My main concerns with ML hunting is consistency and protecting against corrosion.  I have a stainless Omega, and use 777 loose.  After every shot, I run one spit patch and two dry.  At the range, in the field, wherever, I do the three patches.  My thinking is I have close enough to a clean gun to let it go without a serious cleaning until the end of the season.  So it will sit in back of truck, loaded, for sometimes a month or more, without any corrosion issue.  Since every shot is taken with that procedure, barrel condition is always consistent.  That has seemed to work well for me for over 20 years.  It is a bit more work than simply fire and load another, but not a lot.  Takes literally one minute to minute and a half of extra effort.  And no, if I had a wounded or stupid enough deer standing there looking at me loading after the first shot, I would not do the patches.  Hasn't happened yet.  Good Luck tomorrow!

[Mixbaghunter]

I am using 777 pellet and power bely green at range I cleaned offer every shot. I did shot a 2nd shot once to try it just incase I need a second shoot. Clean after range will snap a cap and load tonight before tomorrow.  But this is my first year so we will see. Will have cleaning stuff in truck. 

[vdep217]

I shoot tc xtp 240 grain 2 50/50 pyrodex pellets I don't swab or any thing between shots.  This is with load from last year at 100 free hand

[Gobblengrunt]

I shoot a knight disc extreme 50 cal pushing a 300gr barnes bullet with 120gr 777 loose powder and 777 primer.  Im meticulous on how my bullet seats onto powder.  I run 1-2 wet patches (T7 cleaner) between every shot even when hunting followed by 2 dry patches.  Bore is perfectly clean every shot.  When actually cleaning gun, my breech plug is soaked in T7 cleaner, cleaned with pipe cleaners and finished with bore brite.  My barrel is finished with bore brite too.  Super accurate and consistent, its a true 300 yard muzzy

[Farmingdales Finest]

47 minutes ago, Gobblengrunt said:

I shoot a knight disc extreme 50 cal pushing a 300gr barnes bullet with 120gr 777 loose powder and 777 primer.  Im meticulous on how my bullet seats onto powder.  I run 1-2 wet patches (T7 cleaner) between every shot even when hunting followed by 2 dry patches.  Bore is perfectly clean every shot.  When actually cleaning gun, my breech plug is soaked in T7 cleaner, cleaned with pipe cleaners and finished with bore brite.  My barrel is finished with bore brite too.  Super accurate and consistent, its a true 300 yard muzzy

Who makes the Bore Brite? I found a Remington Brite Bore and a Brownell J-B Bore Brite. 

[Gobblengrunt]

24 minutes ago, Farmingdales Finest said:

Who makes the Bore Brite? I found a Remington Brite Bore and a Brownell J-B Bore Brite. 

Im bad with names lol, its the Remington brite bore 😊 

[smittty]

18 minutes ago, Gobblengrunt said:

Im bad with names lol, its the Remington brite bore 😊 

Jb bore brite is what you want good stuff. I do a wet crc and let it soak ten minutes the 3-4 dry patches then the bore brite then let that sit for ten minutes then another wet crc then a few more dry. Oh before the first crc a bronze brush about ten passes. That should remove all plastic and copper 

Edited November 26, 2023 by smittty