are pellets dirtier than powder?

[user 30913]

Thanks for the insights. All food for thought.

I am shooting muzzleloader 209s (The triple7 primers to be exact) though I do have a pack of federal 209a and a pack of Winchester W209... But I haven't tried them yet. I actually was saving them for if/when I get BH209 to test out.

I got pellets because I thought hunting with them would be easier (my fumble fingers dropping a powder tube is not out of the question! ).

And the reason for the PowerBelts was (a) they are from the same CVA people and recommended for the Optima, and (b) it's a full bore bullet. I've since found out all about the bad reviews for PowerBelts and their soft lead fragmentation and poor performance in true hunting situations, so I'm looking to find another bullet. But I want to try to stay away from sabots, at least at first, because I want to use a full bore bullet and I also heard about how the plastic from the sabot can add more fouling to the barrel (I don't need MORE fouling ). If I can't find a bullet I like, I'll expand my horizons and look at sabots. But for now I'm going to buy-and-try the Hornady Bore Driver. If I can't get a follow-up shot easy because the full bore bullets are harder to load in a fouled barrel, so be it.

But back to powder, it's gonna hurt buying BH209 ($$$ !), but I'll probably buy a can (if I can even find some) just to try it and see first hand what it's all about. I'm not a range rat, so I really won't shoot a lot anyway. I'm just shooting alot now to zero the gun and find a powder/bullet load I like but when that's all done, I won't shoot a lot.

I guess, based on some of what you all said, I'll buy some 777 loose powder while I'm at it just to try that out, too. This is all new to me.. So I guess I should try it all and see for myself how the powder works, how dirty they are, and how they affect accuracy.

And I'll start a new thread on what full bore .50 bullets people like

 

[ElDiablo]

But I want to try to stay away from sabots, at least at first, because I want to use a full bore bullet and I also heard about how the plastic from the sabot can add more fouling to the barrel (I don't need MORE fouling ).

Many (most) of us here use sabots for hunting. I’ve heard people talk about plastic fouling but have only witnessed it a couple of times in my rifles and it’s never caused me any issues. Way more bullet choices with sabots.

 

[user 30913]

Is the "dirtiness" different between FF and FFF (Triple7 loose powder)? I would think the finer powder of FFF would have smaller particulates after the burn, but obviously I don't have no clue That's just a guess.

I ask because I think I have a choice between FF and FFF -- I have the CVA Optima V2 and .50 caliber seems to be a "tweener" caliber where either FF or FFF would work.

What do most people here use with .50 caliber -- FF or FFF?

 

[southdakbearfan]

Thanks for the insights. All food for thought.

I am shooting muzzleloader 209s (The triple7 primers to be exact) though I do have a pack of federal 209a and a pack of Winchester W209... But I haven't tried them yet. I actually was saving them for if/when I get BH209 to test out.

I got pellets because I thought hunting with them would be easier (my fumble fingers dropping a powder tube is not out of the question! ).

And the reason for the PowerBelts was (a) they are from the same CVA people and recommended for the Optima, and (b) it's a full bore bullet. I've since found out all about the bad reviews for PowerBelts and their soft lead fragmentation and poor performance in true hunting situations, so I'm looking to find another bullet. But I want to try to stay away from sabots, at least at first, because I want to use a full bore bullet and I also heard about how the plastic from the sabot can add more fouling to the barrel (I don't need MORE fouling ). If I can't find a bullet I like, I'll expand my horizons and look at sabots. But for now I'm going to buy-and-try the Hornady Bore Driver. If I can't get a follow-up shot easy because the full bore bullets are harder to load in a fouled barrel, so be it.

But back to powder, it's gonna hurt buying BH209 ($$$ !), but I'll probably buy a can (if I can even find some) just to try it and see first hand what it's all about. I'm not a range rat, so I really won't shoot a lot anyway. I'm just shooting alot now to zero the gun and find a powder/bullet load I like but when that's all done, I won't shoot a lot.

I guess, based on some of what you all said, I'll buy some 777 loose powder while I'm at it just to try that out, too. This is all new to me.. So I guess I should try it all and see for myself how the powder works, how dirty they are, and how they affect accuracy.

And I'll start a new thread on what full bore .50 bullets people like

Just a personal opinion here, having the same gun and having tried power belts. Power belts are junk compared to other bullets. Yes CVA recommends them, but they never shot anywhere near as good as sabots in my optima. Plastic fouling has never been an issue for me either.

3 shot group, 75 yards.

 

[Milwroad]

I have that same rifle and I started with powerbelts and white hot as well. I swabbed every shot and if I did not it got hard to load. I caved and bought BH209 (even at its high price!) to try with 290 grain bore drivers and 240 grain XTP. With BH209 and bore drivers I can easily load 3 shots. I have not tried more as I clean after 3 shots. Quite accurate. The XTP with the green sabot that comes with them are a bit harder to load but the XTP with the crushed sabot people reference here loads easier. Both are accurate enough but I have not had time to hone in the best powder charge with each bullet.

 

[user 30913]

I have that same rifle and I started with powerbelts and white hot as well. I swabbed every shot and if I did not it got hard to load. I caved and bought BH209 (even at its high price!) to try with 290 grain bore drivers and 240 grain XTP. With BH209 and bore drivers I can easily load 3 shots. I have not tried more as I clean after 3 shots. Quite accurate. The XTP with the green sabot that comes with them are a bit harder to load but the XTP with the crushed sabot people reference here loads easier. Both are accurate enough but I have not had time to hone in the best powder charge with each bullet.

Thanks! That's exactly the one load I do want to try .. BH209 and the 290gr Hornady bore driver. Glad to hear it got good results with the same gun. It's gonna hurt buying the BH209 though! I'm gonna try that bullet with 777 powder, too, because now I'm curious.

No one told me this muzzleloading thing gets expensive lol

 

[MrTom]

BH209 is cleaner than the others because of it's chemical make-up. I hunt BH209 because I am not wanting to buy it until I absolutely need it. In my Accura .50, Kodiak .45, and Optima .50 pistol, I have shot as many as 25 consecutive shots using BH209 and not needed to wipe the bore or swab and had zero accuracy issues.

At the range I shoot T7 fffg. It shoots way cleaner than ffg in all three of those guns. With the T7 I need to wipe the barrel after two shots, but simply relent and wipe after each shot for consistency. The T7 fffg shoots a world apart cleaner than T7 pellets, plus I get the benefit of fine charge flexibility if I want.

 

[earlthegoat2]

What do most people here use with .50 caliber -- FF or FFF?

I can’t tell you how many others use what but I use 3F in everything from 45 to 58. Both BP and substitutes.

This is mostly for my own convenience so I don’t have to be concerned with granulation, just type of powder.

I have also heard 2F does give higher velocities in larger calibers.

 

[GregK]

Yep, here in MI you can use a shotgun, 350L, 450BM, and many pistol cartridges(straight wall) during ML season.

Of course in their wisdom you can use a 45/70 handgun but not a rifle because of length requirement.

Greg

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Of course in their wisdom you can use a 45/70 handgun but not a rifle because of length requirement.

Greg

Right, like that makes any kind of sense?

 

[GregK]

Right, like that makes any kind of sense?

That’s what happens when you have bureaucrats instead of hunters making the laws

Greg

 

[MrTom]

That’s what happens when you have bureaucrats instead of hunters making the laws

Greug

The bureaucrats are masters at word manipulation and can twist things up so bad that even they don't know what they've written. Sometimes I think the bureaucrats think us hunters and gun owners are totally illiterate, yet most hunters have a better fix on ethic, game management and gun handling than those book smart, brain dead dolts writing our laws.

Wouldn't it be nice if every state had a group of citizen hunters who had to agree to the wording and content of every pending law pertaining to game and fish and gun ownership BEFORE the law could be made effective.