Hunting & Fishing Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

M

Manzgear

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 10, 2011
406
2
47
Roundup, MT
#1
Ok I am very familiar with my CVA optima elite but I still have some questions as to what I should be doing regularly. Meaning....
ok I go hunting and dont shoot something.. what do you guys do?
Do you remove the powder and leave the bullet seated where it was and then just place the powder back in the gun when you go hunting again? that is assuming if you have a break action like me and can unscrew the breech plug and pull the powder- if you are shooting pellets... or dump your powder if you are shooting powder that is not in pellet form. ??? what do you guys do?
I have been removing powder- knocking the bullet/sabot out of the end of the barrel and clean the gun and start over every time. maybe I am wasting too much energy.. I just worry about rust and not having everything go well each time I hunt. again please tell me what you guys do with respect to your muzzle loaders and removing or not removing bullets after hunting and not shooting your muzzle loader. thanks
 
#2
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

Pull the breech plug out and push the bullet and powder out the back. I do this at the end of the weekend. In IL guns seasons are only 3 or 4 days long so at the end of that i push the load out and pitch it. I start with a fresh load for the next weekend. When the season is over i run a bore butter patch down the barrel to keep it from rusting. Don't use oil in the barrel as petroleum products will harden blackpowder. I use warm water and TC #13 to clean it. Also, leave your gun outside as much as possible during your hunt, as in don't take it in the house, put it in a shed or leave in the truck. When you go from a cold to warm environment the barrel will sweat and the powder will draw moisture, so then you have damp powder.

Also, it might depend on your powder that your using as far as whether it will corrode or rust the barrel if left unattended. If your using 777 - no problems, but if your using pyrodex i wouldn't leave it in there any longer than needed, that is some nasty stuff.
 
#3
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

ok well I am using pyrodex and It seems to be ok . maybe I need to try 777 next year.. I do really have to scrub my barrel after firing it. but I for some reason get a lot of plastic or maybe its the pyrodex- im shooting the barnes 250 TMX flat bottom bullets
and they shoot great. I am accurate out to 200 - I would take one at 250 but I would need a good rest- but I feel comfortable out to 200 no problem
thanks- I will have to leave my gun in the truck- see shotgun is ending on the 11th and then it goes back to either bow or muzzle loader till the 20th then we are done. but I use my MZ loader cause its so damn accurate. but I also shoot a remy 20gage 870 rifled barrel- pinned barrel- nikon sluger scope and benelli 12g M1 super 90- rifled pinned barrel - nikon slugger scope as well
and light field sabot-shotgun ammo in both those and they shoot great as well- sorry for the sideline-
thank you so so much for your help.
i hope you have had and continue to have a great season.
 
#4
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

Id say the plastic is from your sabots for sure, i always shot power belts out of my cva but shoot hornady sst out of my tc now. Sounds like you've got a good load. Best way to clean that cva is to take the barrel off by taking the forearm off, then fill the bathtub with warm water and let it soak, justsit in there on the barrel lug and keep the scope dry, makes it much easier! I highly reccommend 777, youll be amazed at how much cleaner it burns, and it burns hotter. Muzzleloader season comes in friday here and the weather finally turned cold so im hoping they start moving! Good luck to ya,
 
#5
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

Picked up the 777 today - shooting it tomorrow and hunting in the afternoon- hopefully two 777 pellets is going be the same as two pyrodex pellets and I wont have to move the scope much- just shoot it at 100, 150, and 200 to check it.
 
#6
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

Iwhen i shot pyrodex i used 130 gr. Of powder in pellet form, when i went to 777 i dropped to 100 grains in pellet form and it shot about the same and ised about a quarter of the patches!
 
#8
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

photo.jpg


heres the target at 100yards- first two low- made adjustment then shot high over bullseye then two touching just to left of bull winds were 17 mph from the west and I was waiting in between shots so I think its shoots great with the 777. and then I started shooting out to 200 and had no issues there so I am a happy man- thanks bornhunter!
 
#9
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

My muzzleloader stays loaded until it is fired. Either at my deer or the day after the season ends if I am unsuccessful. It is then cleaned.

I have two seasons in Michigan so the gun may be loaded for about 32 days.

The last two years I have been using blackhorn 209 and before that was using the 777 pellets in my encore. I have never had any issues but I do my best to keep it dry which isn’t too difficult in my stand.
 
#11
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

Just remember to keep your powder dry (pellets too).

Don't bring your ML in a warm house after hunting in the cold weather where condensation will not only ruin your powder load but may lead to rusting issues.
 
#12
Re: Muzzle Loading Do's and Don'ts - gun care?

well muzzleloader season has ended and i'm now 4/4 with my TC i bought last year. This makes my 13th muzzleloader kill. Tough tough year, and the deer are still rutting hard!

PC100132.jpg
 
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