Newbie looking for best practices

[Farmingdale's Finest]

What is your process when shooting an in-line muzzleloader?

I won a CVA Optima in October at a NWTF dinner. Finally was able to get it sighted in this morning.

It is set up as follows: Scope Burris Fullfield E1 3-9x40, Ammo Hornady XTP 240 grain .44 caliber bullet in green sabot being propelled by two T7 pellets.

So everyone I spoke to and almost all forum threads say you should swab the barrel after your third shot. After two shots I couldn’t get the bullet seated all the way down. It would stop about 1/4” above the pellets based upon my tape mark on my range rod. No matter how hard I pushed I couldn’t get it fully seated. I then took the breach out and tried to push it forward so I could run a swab and that didn’t work so I put the plug back in and shot it. This caused my three farthest impacts from my group in the picture below. One very high and the other two right of the group. I then swabbed with a solvent soaked patch after two shots and it was still hard to get fully seated. Next I took the plug out and used a brass brush followed by a swab. The next group I used the brush with the patch and that worked the best but still at no time could I get past two shots.


The bottom 3 are my first shots to get a baseline and figure out where I needed to move the scope. As said the far right was with a not fully seated bullet. I turned my turret 1/2 a turn and the next three were the two touching at the bottom of the bull and one slightly high right in the black which is the farthest right.


I think the rest is ok for the first time shooting a muzzleloader and only the second time shooting a rifle since 1991. All shots were at 50 yards. Where I hunt I expect all shots at 40 and under. There was another shot I didn’t take that was high right in the yellow.


Looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks in advance!

 

[Tod osier]

What is your process when shooting an in-line muzzleloader?

I won a CVA Optima in October at a NWTF dinner. Finally was able to get it sighted in this morning.

It is set up as follows: Scope Burris Fullfield E1 3-9x40, Ammo Hornady 240 grain .44 caliber bullet in green sabot being propelled by two T7 pellets.

So everyone I spoke to and almost all forum threads say you should swab the barrel after your third shot. After two shots I couldn’t get the bullet seated all the way down. It would stop about 1/4” above the pellets based upon my tape mark on my range rod. No matter how hard I pushed I couldn’t get it fully seated. I then took the breach out and tried to push it forward so I could run a swab and that didn’t work so I put the plug back in and shot it. This caused my three farthest impacts from my group in the picture below. One very high and the other two right of the group. I then swabbed with a solvent soaked patch after two shots and it was still hard to get fully seated. Next I took the plug out and used a brass brush followed by a swab. The next group I used the brush with the patch and that worked the best but still at no time could I get past two shots.


The bottom 3 are my first shots to get a baseline and figure out where I needed to move the scope. As said the far right was with a not fully seated bullet. I turned my turret 1/2 a turn and the next three were the two touching at the bottom of the bull and one slightly high right in the black which is the farthest right.


I think the rest is ok for the first time shooting a muzzleloader and only the second time shooting a rifle since 1991. All shots were at 50 yards. Where I hunt I expect all shots at 40 and under. There was another shot I didn’t take that was high right in the yellow.


Looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks in advance!

With loose T7, I swab the barrel between every shot at the range. I use water just sprayed on a patch and then a couple dry ones. You want that projectile sitting right on top of the powder.

 

[ElDiablito]

Definitely a bad (dangerous) idea to shoot a muzzy with a bullet that isn’t fully seated on the powder.

As for “best practices” - in a .50 209 inline - Bh209 and a .45 cal saboted bullet. No swabbing required.

 

[WCB]

with 1 of my TC Triumphs using 2 t7 pellets I am in the same boat. 3 bullet will not seat. So I don't try to shoot a 3rd shot. However with BH209 and T7 FFFG I can shoot 4 shots with bullets seating perfectly.

If the bullet gets stuck like that simply remove the plug and pellets. Take a RANGE rod (not your ram rod for the gun) and tap the bullet out. In no way will you be able to "push" but a few taps on the end of the range rod will do the trick. Very few bullets in bore that I haven't been able to get out by simply "tapping" them out.

Get a spear pointed brass jag if you don't have one. soak a patch. You should be able to scrub back and forth the area right where the charge sits and get rid of the carbon build up there. You do not have to go all the way through the barrel like you do a brush. I shoot a .50cal and rarely use a brush.

Switching to loose T7 will help a ton. However, I would sight in with a completely clean barrel. Meaning cleaning it between each shot (not just a swab). Once you get a good clean barrel first shot group. Then shoot one on a dirty barrel (no swab) to see where a follow up will hit for hunting. If you need a 3rd shot while MZ hunting you can probably stop and clean the barrel....

 

[Rich M]

Swabbing between shots makes a diff.

 

[Farmingdale's Finest]

with 1 of my TC Triumphs using 2 t7 pellets I am in the same boat. 3 bullet will not seat. So I don't try to shoot a 3rd shot. However with BH209 and T7 FFFG I can shoot 4 shots with bullets seating perfectly.

If the bullet gets stuck like that simply remove the plug and pellets. Take a RANGE rod (not your ram rod for the gun) and tap the bullet out. In no way will you be able to "push" but a few taps on the end of the range rod will do the trick. Very few bullets in bore that I haven't been able to get out by simply "tapping" them out.

Get a spear pointed brass jag if you don't have one. soak a patch. You should be able to scrub back and forth the area right where the charge sits and get rid of the carbon build up there. You do not have to go all the way through the barrel like you do a brush. I shoot a .50cal and rarely use a brush.

Switching to loose T7 will help a ton. However, I would sight in with a completely clean barrel. Meaning cleaning it between each shot (not just a swab). Once you get a good clean barrel first shot group. Then shoot one on a dirty barrel (no swab) to see where a follow up will hit for hunting. If you need a 3rd shot while MZ hunting you can probably stop and clean the barrel....

I feel like an idiot after reading this because I used a range rod and had a hammer in my truck and it never crossed my mind.

I also am going to get some fffg T7. You’re not the first person saying it works better than the T7 pellets and ffg.


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