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First Time Shooting a Muzzleloader Today

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leadaddict

leadaddict

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Oct 2, 2009
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Location
Iowa
So my new Optima came this week. I had never loaded or fired a muzzleloader until today. First off, I had a great time. A very satisfying boom and after a few shots got on the paper at 100 yards. I have some scope rings coming, but for now it's open sights.

A few questions...

Do you clean between each shot? If so what exactly do you do? Dry patch, wet patch? Do you remove the breach plug or just run it down and back up from the muzzle?

I was kind of scared to load it after my first shot as the barrel still had smoke rising from it. I didn't want the powder to ignite. Is that possible, or not something to worry about? Should I wait before loading?

I loved the quick release breach plug; no trouble at all loosening it with my fingers after several shots. I don't have anything to compare it to, but it worked as advertised, so I'm happy!

I used a 100gn load Blackhorn 209 pushing a 250gn Hornady SST in a low drag sabot, lit by a Winchester W209 primer.
 
Damp patch between shots, sloppy dripping wet patch not reccomended, as it can leave a puddle in the breech, spoiling the powder for the next shot. You can either purchase a commercial swapping liquid, or, do what most people do, mix some home brew. For every shooter out there doing home brew lubes, and swabbing liquids, you will get 3 oppinions, and 5 recipies from each one... My advice, a simple 50/50 mix of tap water, and rubbing alcohol, in a small windex type sprayer bottle. Thread the patch trough the patch fitting at the end of the ramrod, spray it damp, swab the barrel a few times up n down, toss the patch... you're ready to go.

Everything else you're doing is just fine, you're doing GREAT !!!

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David, "EW"
 
Congrads on makin' Smoke... Now that yur hooked and got bit by the bug there's no turnin' back. You have an inline...next after readin' these threads on Traditional Muzzleloading we'll probly be seein' you with a Hawken .50 in Percussion or Flintlock, or a Harpers Ferry Rifle and flinlock pistol ... the choices are endless. Welcome to the realm of the Soot flavored rifles... and probly Revs and Pistols of various models and styles :)
If you ever have any questions on any of the above listed feel free to PM me and ask ...
SG
 
Just wait till you shoot a .44 black powder revolver, or a Howdah pistol.
 
first off with blackhorn209 you do NOT swab between shots! Its not like black powder, triple 7 or pyrodex. I've fired well over 60 shots in a single day without ever having to touch the bore with any kind of patch.

What you DO need is a 3mm or #32 drill bit to clean the carbon out of your breech plugs flash channel. If not, once that carbon builds up, you will start experiencing hang fires.

Blackhorn209 needs an oil based solvent to clean up the best. Soapy water and stuff like that will just make a horrible mess.

Birchwood Casey Bore Scrubber i use and highly recommend. Butches bore shine is another excellent product to use. Before running any solvent, run a few DRY patches to push out the loose fouling. Then go a head and wet patch.

Check this out while you're at it. I did a video of this today & will have it up loaded by tomorrow. http://gandersmuzzleloadingblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/cva-muzzle-loaders-keepem-clean.html

This isn't about the Optima, but it uses the QRBP as well. Shows you how much carbon builds up in your plug, especially with those Winchester primers.
http://gandersmuzzleloadingblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/cva-accura-v2-range-report.html

I too love the Optima! I recently ordered a thumb hole a couple weeks back to keep my non thumbhole optima company LOL.
DSCN2264.jpg
 
Thanks all! There's definitely a special joy involved with ramming the bullet down the barrel right before you send it down range!

I'm very excited to get the scope mounted on it next week and get it honed in. I'll be sure and post some pics when I do! (everybody loves pictures) :)
 
steelbird, that comment could easily get a new guy hurt.

When using an inline with 209 primers, Pyrodex - American Pioneer - Triple7 " especially this powder" can create a "crud ring" which basically has the shooter feel like hes on top of the powder charge, yet in truth, hes caught on this hard crud of powder. Hot 209 primers cause this and while they make lower temp, special muzzle loading primers to help reduce it, it does just that. It reduces but does not eliminate it.

A 1/2" gap between the powder and bullet is not a good thing to deal with.

If you shoot any Pyrodex, Triple 7, American Pioneer, Goex, Swiss, Jim Shockeys Gold in your inline muzzle loader, make sure you swab between shots.

With Greg shooting Blackhorn209, this is the only sub black powder that does not require cleaning between shots as its a much different powder than the other subs.

Crud Ring AFTER running one wet patch down the bore.
CrudRing.jpg
 
More & more mis-information! Man, somebody's going to get hurt and it won't be pretty.
Click to expand...

No offense, but if that's the case, educate us.
 
What you have are traditional shooters who have no experience with modern inline muzzle loaders and how the synthetic sub powders act with 209 primers. Even goex gives you a crud ring with a hot 209 primer :(
 
My apologies- I stand corrected. I'm mainly a revolver shooter, and my inline experience comes from old fashioned flintlock shooting, in combat fashion, without cleaning b/t shots. Wasn't taking the modern stuff into account. Poor attempt at humor, I suppose.
 
I think those of us who are not inline shooters learned a lot here. I know I did. I will admit I dont know the first thing about a inline. I have tried pyrodex at a friends suggestion and did not like how it worked in either my percussion rifle or pistols, so I have been using it in my cannon just to use it up. It works wonderful in the breach loader cannon with a shot gun primmer. Had a great 4th of julyand have used most of the pyrodex up. May go to that again in the cannon because of price. I have learned alot from reading this post
 
So here is a picture, as promised. I setup at 50 yards today. I intended to shoot more than one group, but over 90 degrees with 70% humidity and I wimped out after my first 5 shot group (shown below). I had already been out for an hour and half before I was able to get the muzzleloader out. It was a hot one! I'm very happy and can't wait to get the scope mounted on it this week.

Nothing special, but as they say...
"There are many Optimas, but this one is mine." :) (or something like that)

optima10.jpg
 
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