First muzzleloader questions

[Prairie Acres]

Keep us posted on what ypu do.

I have a CVA Optima on hold at Bass Pro. I'll pick that up tonight or tomorrow. The trouble is finding the BH209 breech plug. I might have to get that shipped 2-day from Midway. I waited last minute for all this, dumb. I may end up using 777 pellets this season if I can't get the breech plug.

Ten day muzzleloader season here. Can I keep the same powder in the muzzleloader for the ten days assuming I don't shoot it? Right now temps are showing 10-30 degrees. When I'm not hunting is it best to store it in a cold garage before hunting the next day? Or take it inside?

 

[356]

This year I finally have the time to participate in Wisconsin's muzzleloader season at the end of the regular rifle season. I don't know anyone who uses a muzzleloader so I've had to do my own research. I've decided that I'll buy the CVA Optima V2 with a scope.

I only plan on shooting the muzzleloader enough to get it sighted in and take it hunting. I don't plan on shooting it for fun so hopefully not a lot of shots. Is the added cost of Blackhorn 209 worth it in my circumstance? The powder is more expensive, harder to find and I would also need to buy a special breech plug for it.

Where to buy my powder and bullets? Anyone order from Natchez Shooting and Outdoors? They seem to have really good prices.

Thanks.

I have the same setup. I order from Natchez, Midway USA and Cabela’s, depending on price. I do recommend cleaning the barrel after each shot when sighting in, however, I use pellets, so Blackhorn might mitigate this. Also, buy small amounts of powder and get new each year. I have done enough testing to know that old powders don’t provide consistent results.

 

[Prairie Acres]

Purchased the CVA Optima V2 with Konus scope this morning from BPS. Hornady 250 gr. SST and White Hots. I'll look into BH209 next year. I ordered cleaning supplies, sling and a bullet starter. I'm really looking forward to shooting it this weekend and hunting with it next week!

 

[bigboreblr]

Have fun with the new gun. All likely, you like the white hots even more. One of the cleanest burning powders. I used to shoot 250gr hornady's they work good.

 

[bigboreblr]

No update?

 

[Prairie Acres]

No update?

Yes, I got it sighted in and it's really accurate. I really enjoyed shooting it despite the hassle of cleaning between shots. I have hunted twice with it and unfortunately saw no deer. I hope to get out hunting tomorrow evening and hit it hard this weekend. I loaded it on 12/2 for hunting and I hope it's safe/reliable to shoot should I get a shot this weekend. Should I shoot that load soon and reload it with fresh pellets? I have been storing it in an unheated garage, temps outside have been 10-35 degrees.

Thanks!

 

[Prairie Acres]

I loaded it on 12/2 for hunting and I hope it's safe/reliable to shoot should I get a shot this weekend. Should I shoot that load soon and reload it with fresh pellets?

I contacted CVA customer service and they recommended keeping the same powder loaded for only one week.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I contacted CVA customer service and they recommended keeping the same powder loaded for only one week.

Glad you're enjoying it. Not sure if you have a stainless barrel or not, but when I am at the range all I do is wipe the barrel down with a quick patch. They come in little screw-lid jars already pre-soaked. In my experience that's all you really need between shots at the range.

And yes, I will typically leave my pellets in the rifle for a week at a time. I don't fire the weapon to clear it though. I remove the breach plug and push everything out so I can re-use the bullet.

 

[Prairie Acres]

And yes, I will typically leave my pellets in the rifle for a week at a time. I don't fire the weapon to clear it though. I remove the breach plug and push everything out so I can re-use the bullet.

Thanks for the tip!

I just clean the barrel between shots.

 

[bigboreblr]

Glad you're enjoying it. I have left my muzzleloader loaded from mid october until december before no issues. Maybe not sound advice......

I do the same thing natty does, push the bullet out. I reuse it at the range. Modren muzzleloaders are pretty good, but they are relatively slow. Make sure your know how it shoots every 25 yards out. Some of them are pretty high at 50 and 75 with a 100-150 yard zero. After 125-150 most start to dive. LEarn what they do and you can work with it. Still prefer a modern muzzleloader over a slug gun in shotgun only areas.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Spend the extra and start with Blackhorn. Muzzleloader.com might sell guns that come with the BH breech plug instead of the stock plug.

Dad and I started with white hots and Power belts in the Accura v2. We have been shooting flint locks for ages. We quickly learned you will get a crud ring from burnt powder on the breach plug and bottom of barrel. We were not brushing between every shot. Maybe every 3. My gun generally had a much harder time seating PowerBelts all the way down. It was so bad/hard that I switched the Hornady .44 caliber sabots. We're working our way through the last of the white hots and will switch over to Blackhorn. The white hots leave more residue than we like. Blackhorn will be significantly cleaner. Both guns are very accurate with their current loads. My 2 cents.

 

[Prairie Acres]

Spend the extra and start with Blackhorn. Muzzleloader.com might sell guns that come with the BH breech plug instead of the stock plug.

Dad and I started with white hots and Power belts in the Accura v2. We have been shooting flint locks for ages. We quickly learned you will get a crud ring from burnt powder on the breach plug and bottom of barrel. We were not brushing between every shot. Maybe every 3. My gun generally had a much harder time seating PowerBelts all the way down. It was so bad/hard that I switched the Hornady .44 caliber sabots. We're working our way through the last of the white hots and will switch over to Blackhorn. The white hots leave more residue than we like. Blackhorn will be significantly cleaner. Both guns are very accurate with their current loads. My 2 cents.

That's the plan, shoot through my white hots and switch to Blackhorn. Thanks.

 

[bigboreblr]

The musket put any meat on the table?

 

[Prairie Acres]

The musket put any meat on the table?

No. Only saw small bucks and fawns. It was an enjoyable season, I'm glad I bought the muzzleloader. I look forward to hunting with it again next year. I'm thankful for all the good advice I got on this forum!

 

[bigboreblr]

Put a thread on here about it. i think you relative or neighbor is letting use his spot with the brushy field out back. Make sure you go back about a week after it snows and see the activity.

Sometimes the best spots are the places with the worst shots.....

 

[bigboreblr]

So, I shot a deer with my muzzleloader in mid october. I immediately reloaded the gun. Cleaned the breech hole with a 1/8" drill bit by hand, spit wetted a patch, then a dry patch, then load. I use real blackpowder goex 3f 80 grains. Sounds like alot but only take like 30 seconds or so. The deer ran off out of sight.

Found the deer 100 yards way in like 5 minutes, dead as doornail. I quarter'd the deer back at camp, then shot the gun to clear the load. For some reason I loaded the gun the next day, probably out checking cameras and wanted a gun with me. I just cleaned the gun a few minutes ago. today. 2 and half months in. No harm no foul. Powder sure looked good to fire. Ran water wet patches and a wet bore brush with water. Dried it with a patch, then wet it all inside with wd40 and pushed a patch through. I leave the gun with no breech plug in it and the bore is pointing down. I'll run a patch of wd40 through it in a few days to check for residual crud. Bore looks great, breech plug was nice n shiny.

I cleaned the breech plug with water only. That way oil never sees the primer area.

Im home sick with covid, so probably no christmas week hunt here in NY for me. See how I feel new years day. MY flintlocks didn't make it out this hunting season, so I'll probably load up the 54 if I go.

I keep a small shaving bag with everything to load and clean the gun. I also have everything for a 2nd shot in my hunting jacket pocket. Make sure you buy 2 of everything you need for muzzleloading. IT easy to loose a charging handle, bore jag, or loading tube.

 

[bigboreblr]

I shot my CVA optima very little, just enough to get sighted. Thing scope kissed me, but I had the youth chunk of the stock removed. It is a really light muzzleloader compared to others. Debating how to put some lead in the stock. The forend is held on by 1 screw, so I am a bit weary of adding lead into the forearm cavity.

What do you think of the recoil on it. Seemed like a light thud, but didn't like scope kiss, though that was my fault.

Not sure what to do with this gun. Bought it for the oldest kids girlfriend to use. They barely hunt rifle season though. Guessing in 2 or 3 years they wont go at all, or just opening weekend for a day.

Was loading 60gr FFFg and a 180gr 40 cal sabot, something nice and light far as recoil goes for the lady.

For a few years I was dragging in 2 muzzleloaders, the modern and the flintlock. For a year or two, I was hunting my mom property. You can shoot into the woods deeper no problem, shooting back towards the houses, I kept my bow around for that.

NY is a pain to sell cheapie guns, got to go through FFL even for muzzleloaders. So selling it doesn't seem that great to me.

Probably got 250 bullets and sabots for the CVA and about the same for the T/C Omega. I usually just shoot 3 to 5 shots before the season, 1 for the deer, then shoot out the 2nd shot I reloaded out in the stand. Between the 2 guns, I am good for another 70 years of hunting.....

Anybody do anything different for a 2nd muzzleoader?

 

[Prairie Acres]

What do you think of the recoil on it.

I didn't think it was to bad, no better or worse than my .270.

 

[Angus 1895]

I really like no excuses bullets. I shoot triple 7 as Idaho doesn’t allow shot gun primers.i use musket cap primers.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I started off right away with an arrowhead smokeless conversion on a TC encore for my first muzzleloader so don't have experience with BH209, or pellets, or more traditional powder. Is my memory right that a major benefit of BH209 is that it is less corrosive and requires less cleaning than the more traditional options? That would be a primary reason to use it for me but i hate cleaning guns.

I also had a snafu with leaving a round loaded for too long in my rifle. It was just a copper jacketed Bullet sized to fit my bore, with smokeless H4198 powder. I don't recall how long i left it loaded in the safe after a hunt, 3 weeks to 2 months maybe? But after season when I went to shoot it at the range it walloped me with recoil and pierced the primer so I knew something was wrong. Manufacturer things the copper jacket had some kind of cold weld with the stainless bore. The bore was slightly bulged right in front of the breech. Not only was it scary, it ruined a $1000 barrel. So dont leave your stuff loaded for too long, even with smokeless and a stainless barrel if you've got a bullet to bore setup!