Low kick muzzleloader

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Wandering around sportsmen warehouse last week. My eyes usually fancy the muzzleloader over the rifles. Saw a CVA wolf S/S in black with an adjustable length of pull. My wife's oldest kid hunts with his girlfriend. She is barely 5ft and maybe 125lbs about 23 or 24 yrs old. She uses a 243. Doing this on a budget so I am putting a older but good swift 3-9x on it.

Thinking 60-70 gains of FFFg blackpowder. Ordered a 50 down to 40 harvester sabots and 155gr hornady XTP 40 bulletheads. Thinking of zeroing at 100 yards and see how high it hits at 50, if too high, go back to 80 yard zero or 3 inches low at 125. Basic loaner season extender, maybe double as a 2nd shot in my treestand. Was thinking pellets, because most folk uses them, but thinking 50grs will be too little and 100 be too much. I only use 80 grains FFFg in my thompson center omega with a 240gr XTP 44 mag bullet. It's the same 80gr FFFg goex load I use in my 54 cal flintlock.


What do you guys use with the youngins?

 

[buckdeer1]

50 cal with 100 grains,get a good recoil pad.I have also shot ML with down to 80gr just because they shot round balls in those guns better.I bet you can go down to no less than 50. But I don't think 100 is anymore than a 243

 

[SwampCat]

They used to make 30 grain pellets in pyrodex. My daughter has killed a couple shooting 60 grains pyrodex - and back in those days - a 240 gr speer bullet and sabot.

 

[MadMadHoosier]

If you already have a 209 primer breech plug, I'd find a light load of BlackHorn-209 powder that works with the bullet you like. If not, you can get the CVA BlackHorn breech plug for about 40 bucks. You will really appreciate how much easier it is to clean the gun after shooting BH-209!

 

[Telemark]

Try putting more weight in or on the muzzle loader. My Knight is quite heavy, and I don't even notice the recoil.

 

[Kooch]

If you already have a 209 primer breech plug, I'd find a light load of BlackHorn-209 powder that works with the bullet you like. If not, you can get the CVA BlackHorn breech plug for about 40 bucks. You will really appreciate how much easier it is to clean the gun after shooting BH-209!

This is what I use and agree. The problem is expense. It feels like I’m using gold dust to shoot my muzzleloader now.


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Been cleaniing muzzloaders for so long now, it takes like 5 minutes f that for a modern inline. I use 3-5 lbs a year of blacckpowder at muzzloader shoots. Probably 2/3's 54 cal and 1/3 45 cal.

The inlines as much easier to clean than the flintlocks. No wood to worry about getting messed up.

Still waiting forthe scope mount and bullet heads.

Far as needing the BH209 plug. The plug is designed to provide more reliable ignition.....

100% reliable method. Get a drill bit the size of your flashhole. Ue this to clean between shots at the range and when your done. Clean the breech however you lie, then pour a little rubbing alcohol in it. Never store the gun with the breech in, and store the gun muzzle down. This removes oil and a clogged flash hole from the equation.

No matter how the shot went, I always reload the gun. Never had a problem with a 2nd shot using real blackpowder. Out of all the propellants used, blackpowder is the easiest to ignite. OF course, not the easiest to get. Most shops don't have it.

MY thompson center omega 2008 vintage or so from the 209 primer side, I use a 1/8" drill bit to clean it by hand of course. Reading up on the CVA breech, seems they use a 3mm.

Only had 1 time where a gun didnt go bang while hunting. Was about 6 years ago in PA. A tuft of snow got into my my pan while moving my gun for a shot. Was under a pine tree. I have a camo frizzen cover for the gun now. LEave her covered until I need to shoot, or change the pan powders every other hour or so. Some folks leve the pan empty with a toothpick in the flashhole, then prime when they see a deer coming.

 

[spaniel]

Back when I was in high school I bought a Traditions 50cal sidelock and shot 85gr Pyrodex FFg and a 44cal 240gr HTP (predecessor to the XTP). Killed dozens of deer out to 180 yards with that little gun, it didn't kick bad at all. If those 155gr XTPs are accurate from the gun 80gr should be plenty. Remember they are designed for pistol velocities, anything above that they can actually come apart.

 

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The 60gr FFFg, 155gr XTP 40 cal head, and harvester 40 cal sabot is an awesome combo. I only sighted the gun it dead on at 100 yards. I suspect the bullet drops like a rock past 100 like a shotgun slug.

The gun is too light. I need to add weight to the stock / forearm. Barrel is about 3 inches shorter than my T/C Omega. I had my Omega at 80gr FFFg and dead on at 100, but I turned her up to 100grs and have it shoot 2 inches high at 100. Im in cornfield country with her now, so I need more range. The thompson kicks noticeably more with 100gr stuffed in her.

I use the real blackpowder because I also shoot flintlocks. Modern guns are easy to clean anyways vs flinters.

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

My kids have killed more deer with our CVA Wolf / Blackhorn 100g / 250 Sabot / Vortex Firedot than anything else.
We shoot 22s all summer. Don’t even shoot the big guns. Kids never once complained about recoil after shooting deer.

 

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Nice. Kids must be having a blast. Wasn't allowed to shoot guns when I was a kid. I got in trouble when my mom found out I had a go-kart hiding in the woods.

The kids use the whole stock, or have the chunk removed?

Kind of an impulse buy. Would of tried to get a good used omega IF i thought it out some more.

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

Bigbore. They use the whole stock. The vortex firedot is clutch for the kids. Just a red dot is a lot easier for target acquisition for the kids

 

[TreeStander]

We use the muzzleloaders here in NY to extend our deer season. Son got his first muzzleloader deer this year and he is hooked. He was using my Thompson Encore with a 24" barrel , 90gr of 777 with 250gr xtp and black harvester sabots. It can shoot a 2" group at 100 with just about anything we put in it. Have never tried to find that perfect load. Currently considering having vent liners installed in our breech plugs.

 

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That loads sounds alot like my regular T/C omega I have used for years n years. 100 grains FFFg blackpowder and a 240gr .429" XTP hollowpoint. The gun makes cloverleafs.

Some folks like different chambers with different propellants. This is mostly folks using harder to ignite pellets. Certain pellets have a black side to the them, they have real blackpowder on them. Using loose powder, chamber you use is sort of irrelevant.

What really matters is the condition of your breech plug. A few little things and your gun can be extremely reliable.

-Leave your muzzleloader pointing barrel down in the safe and without the breech plug in it. This way to oil stays away from the breech.
-Do not oil your breech plug, you can put a little on the threads. But wash it in soapy water and let it air dry. It's stainless and its cleaned, it won't rust.
-Consider switching to the never-sieze type thread lubricant.
-When cleaning, find a drill bit that fits inside your breech plug primer end. My T/C omega I believe is a 1/8" drill bit. Go in there with just twisitng it with your fingers. It'll get the last bit of crud out of that quickly. My newer CVA uses a 3mm drill bit, I might be using one those number style drill bits, like a #23 for example. Not sure, found one that fits.
-IF you have your doubts about oil on your breech, clean it with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip with most of the fluff removed.

You now know your breech channel is free of debris and oil. There is no need to fire a primer before you load. Your just adding crud a combustion moisture if you do.

I put my muzzleloader away with WD40 only. I will push a wet ptach, then a dry one if it's rainy. I'll just push a dry one if it's not before loading. Breech to muzzle direction.

I have been doing this for about a decade, never ever a problem once. I hunt 3 different muzzleloader seasons, Early NY, late NY, and even PA. Sometimes it has been in shotgun only areas too Completely relibable. I only replace the load after a bad rain and I'm out in it. If in the blind, I keep the load for another day. I always reload after a shot, even if it goesdown like a rock. That 2nd load does not get a cleaning primer shot between loading. The more gunk in that channel, the more problems you get. Sometimes I clean that chamber with the drill bit between shots when hunting. Depends IF I need that 2nd shot quick or not. At the range, I use that drill bit between shots. Again. Decade of shooting, easily 300+ shots through that gun, no problems.


Cleaning I have been using winder down the bore, a brush, a few pathces of windex, then dry patch and repeat until clean. Then WD40. Wipe down the outside too. Got a stainless barrel. IF it's at the range and got shot alot, I use soapy water in the barrel. I rarely have a range session without using a flintlock, so I would have the soapy water at use anyways. But, windex would make it just fine.

I'm not sure if they make muzzlelaoder specific 209's anymore. Just use plain old remington or nobel shotgun 209's.

 

[Kooch]

I shoot BH209 also and just clean my Omega with Hoppes solvent and a few patches until clean. Then I run a patch with Hoppes gun oil back and forth a few times. A bottle brush wrapped in a patch cleans the breach threads.

I have an extra breech plug. I put the dirty one in a jar with solvent and take the previously used one out and the gunk just wipes right off. I also use the drill bit and a little wire flash channel cleaner thing. I add a little high temperature grease to the plug threads and store it muzzle down in the safe.

So far I’ve never had an issue.

90gr of the BH209 and a 200gr shockwave has shot clean through a deer from bow to stern at the short ranges I shoot.

Recoil with this lightish load and bullet is not harsh to me. But daughter or wife never seem to want to fire it.

Omega X7 with the laminate stock.


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I shoot BH209 also and just clean my Omega with Hoppes solvent and a few patches until clean. Then I run a patch with Hoppes gun oil back and forth a few times. A bottle brush wrapped in a patch cleans the breach threads.

I have an extra breech plug. I put the dirty one in a jar with solvent and take the previously used one out and the gunk just wipes right off. I also use the drill bit and a little wire flash channel cleaner thing. I add a little high temperature grease to the plug threads and store it muzzle down in the safe.

So far I’ve never had an issue.

90gr of the BH209 and a 200gr shockwave has shot clean through a deer from bow to stern at the short ranges I shoot.

Recoil with this lightish load and bullet is not harsh to me. But daughter or wife never seem to want to fire it.

Omega X7 with the laminate stock.


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I forgot waht model CVA my new one is, but it's noticeably lighter than my omega. I am putting some lead in the stock and forearm when I get around to it.

You'd be very surprised what another 1 lb of gun weight does for recoil.


Progress isn't going to well with the build, But I hve a 41" D profile barrel to make a 54 cal flintlock. Should be a little shy of 10lbs.

 

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The long range gun I'm eyeing might be an older omega in 45 cal. I'm also tempted to swap out the 54 cal barrel in my build for a fast twist 50 cal. So I can use sabots. PA flintlock season only says iron sights and flint ignition. With my 46 year old eyes 150 with irons is pushing it. But, where I hunt in PA thats about as far as you can see in the woods most times.