First time shooting a muzzleloader...

[howieb]

First time shooting the gun today. CVA Optima V2 with a Burris Fullfield E1 scope. First time with a ML, third time with any kind of rifle.

I shot three different kinds of bullets, with two different loads. All 50 yards to get started.

Two shots WInchester 209 primer to foul the barrel.

First shots: Powerbelt Aerotip .50 250g, White Hot pellets 100g, Federal 209A primer. 1.5" group. 10 MOA low, 1 MOA left. I adjusted the scope, but I think I may have done windage in the wrong direction.

Second shots: Hornady SST .50 250g, Pyrodex pellets 100g, WInchester 209 primer. Bigger group, but I know I screwed up one shot that was would make the group 3.5". Not counting that, a 1.5" group, further left, but nearer center vertically. I didn't make any more scope adjustments though.

Third shots: TC Shockwave .50 250g, Pyrodex pellets 100g, Winchester 209 primer. Best group yet. 3/4". Then I shot one more Powerbelt before I had to leave, just to check against the first group.

One wet patch and one dry patch after each shot, except two wet patches after my mistake... see below.

A couple of observations. Powerbelts loaded pretty easy. Hornady SST were hard, and TC Shockwaves/Pyrodex were the hardest to load, but appear to have more energy than the Powerbelts/White Hots... At least that's my conclusion so far seeing that they are 4 MOA higher at 50 yards. Is that a reasonable conclusion?

I made one important mistake that I should never make again. I loaded, pushed the bullet down about 4 inches with the bullet started, and then for whatever reason (?) did not seat the bullet with the rod. It sounded different upon firing and I knew I did something wrong. Removed the breech and checked the barrel to make sure it was clear, and it was. Halfway unscrewing the breech I paused thinking what if the pellets had not fully ignited, but then continued some seconds later.

All in all, very pleased with the first session. Looking forward to many more to continue to sight in the scope, go out to 100 yards, and narrow down to a load I'll hunt with.

-Howie

 

[toytruck]

Yeah, the short load is a big thing, you could have ruined the barrel. I would take the gun to a gun shop or smith and let them make sure the barrel is okay.
I have the same gun, optima V2. I shoot 90gr.V Black horn 209 and a 300 gr. .452 XTP in a Harvester black ribbed sabot.
I can't recommend pellets and I would stick to one powder for final load development.
Your getting there.. just takes time and practice like anything worth while.
Also clean the gun ASAP!! Pyrodex is very corrosive will eat gun metal fast!

 

[howieb]

Yeah, the short load is a big thing, you could have ruined the barrel. I would take the gun to a gun shop or smith and let them make sure the barrel is okay.
...
Also clean the gun ASAP!! Pyrodex is very corrosive will eat gun metal fast!

If I ruined the barrel, could I have shot that 3/4" group afterwards? Really curious as to what damage I might have done. I cleaned it thoroughly after getting home, and the barrel looked nice, shiny and clean except for a few pieces of dust.

Thanks,

Howie

 

[michiganmuzzy]

A 'ring'(bulge) in the barrel right behind where the bullet was sitting when you fired it. May or may not affect accuracy a lot. Depends on how bad and how far from the muzzle. A light enough load in a strong barrel and you may have got lucky... this time.

 

[toytruck]

Probably not, since you shot the group. A short started load could cause a bluge in the barrel where the bullet lodged. A bulge isn't always noticable. Put a tight patch down the barrel and attempt to "feel" any changes when it goes down.

 

[howieb]

I'll take a closer look at that area in the barrel. If anything looks out of uniform with the rest of the barrel, I'll get it checked out. Thanks.

 

[ENCORE50A]

WITNESS MARKS ARE A REQUIREMENT.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS USE A WITNESS MARK.

 

[deermanok]

Yeah, you probably lucked out and didn't damage the barrel. Lesson learned. You have to develop a loading, shooting, cleaning routine and don't deviate from it.

 

[howieb]

WITNESS MARKS ARE A REQUIREMENT.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS USE A WITNESS MARK.

Agreed, but that wouldn't have made a difference because I thought I had loaded it and didn't have any second thoughts until after I fired it. I'm not sure how I got distracted.

 

[edmehlig]

It's easy to get distracted with a Muzzle Loader. e.g. Did I put a charge in? Did I put in a Wad?, Did I seat the bullet all the way. Did I remove the ramrod? One main thing is don't talk to anyone while loading your ML. That's how most of us get distracted. Just keep the focus on what you are doing. Most of us have done something stupid at one time or another at the range.

 

[brad502a]

Howie
By not seating the bullet you create a pipe bomb, not a rifle. There are a lot of examples on the web about short started bullet blowing up guns.

 

[howieb]

Howie
By not seating the bullet you create a pipe bomb, not a rifle. There are a lot of examples on the web about short started bullet blowing up guns.

So it could have been disastrous. Any idea why it wasn't? Could it have been because the bullet was only a few inches from the muzzle? Less pressure built up before forcing the bullet out, and then less time for additional pressure to build before it was released?

 

[brad502a]

THE BEST ANSWER IS "YOU GOT LUCKY". It doesn't matter what the reason is it didn't blow up, it is what are YOU going to do to prevent that from happening again!

 

[Slingingslugs]

What Brad said

 

[howieb]

It was a process issue. I think it was because there was a time gap between loading and shooting. Maybe waiting for the range to clear or the barrel to cool.

To correct it at the range, of course I need to ensure I complete it. That’s the most important thing. Another additional step might be to leave the rod in the barrel until I’m actually ready to begin mounting the rifle to shoot. If the rod isn’t in the barrel when I go to make that transition, then I need to double check with the rod.

I am interested if others have a good process that helps avoid disaster.

 

[brad502a]

I NEVER leave the rod in the barrel!!! This is another recipe for disaster.

 

[sdporter]

So it could have been disastrous. Any idea why it wasn't? Could it have been because the bullet was only a few inches from the muzzle? Less pressure built up before forcing the bullet out, and then less time for additional pressure to build before it was released?

Not all barrels bulge or blow up every time from a short seated bullet, or a double charge, or shooting a ramrod down range.
Just like all old dynamite doesn’t explode when you pick it up.
You just picked up old dynamite and it didn’t go off. You were lucky, but you don’t want to press your luck for sure.
As Encore said, witness marks on your ramrod is the VERY BEST WAY to make sure everything is ok before you pull the trigger. It can be as simple as a piece of tape, which I would suggest while your developing a load. If your load won’t push to your mark, you better do some checking to see what’s up.

 

[brownisdown]

Consentrate and stay focused.Do not try to load if starting a conversation with anyone.If necessary start from the beginning and back track what you did.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Dont leave the rod in the gun. Most ranges will wait on you once you start the loading process until you fire it. Dont rush. Dont stop in mid process either. Surefire way to forget something.

 

[Bushfire]

If you use loose powder you can hear the slight crunch when the bullet seats.

Glad nothing bad came of it, doesn't always end pretty though. Pic not mine.