Wondering about 209 primiers

[bradisthebest]

Hi i bought a CVA Hunterbolt 50 caliber muzzleloader laster and shot a few deer with it. My question is should i be firing a primier through my gun before i load my gun?

[cayugad]

many people pop a 209 primer or two in order to insure the breech plug is clear of any obstructions. Then they load as normal...

[QTompkins2005]

if you shoot the primers but no black powder, is cleaning neccessary?

[sabotloader]

QTompkins2005

Primers are non-corrosive, but they do leave a nice layer of black soot in the barrel especially the chamber area so I patch that out. Probably is not necessary but it makes me feel better.

[bowtech die hard]

a lot of folks will fire the 209 before they load up. If i were you I'd just hold up my barrel to the light to see if you can see light coming through the breach.

[cayugad]

QThompson as for whether you have to clean 209 primer fowling, it depends on who you ask. I was told by other posters, you do not have to. I think as far as letting it sit there a couple days, even a week would not be a problem. This is never the case with me. I clean my rifles every night and start the next day with a clean fresh rifle. While others don't do this cleaning ritual as I do, and that's fine, I never worry about primer ignition or a fowled barrel.

Have you ever seen how easy it is to clean a rifle that was shot one or two times in a day? Nothing to it...

[Triple Se7en]

ORIGINAL: bradisthebest

Hi i bought a CVA Hunterbolt 50 caliber muzzleloader laster and shot a few deer with it. My question is should i be firing a primier through my gun before i load my gun?

After arriving on the scene, I alcohol-swab the bore to rid the bore of any gun oils. Then I fire three of the hottest 209 primers available (Federal 209A's) -- then install a 40 grain REAL BLACKPOWDER (Schuetzen or Goex)charge with an empty sabot holding the powder in -- thendo a dry swabusinga 3" patch -- then load my first Triple Se7en powder & bullet load for hunting or range work.

I've done this the last two times at the range. My first & 2nd shot groups were within 2" both horizontally and vertically. Seems to work for me.

[HeavyDutyWonk]

After arriving on the scene, I alcohol-swab the bore to rid the bore of any gun oils. Then I fire three of the hottest 209 primers available (Federal 209A's) -- then install a 40 grain REAL BLACKPOWDER (Schuetzen or Goex)charge with an empty sabot holding the powder in -

Triple Se7en are you saying you fire the 40gr charge with empty sabot before you start the real shooting? Never heard of that being done before, but I haven't been around the smokepole that many times yet.

[Triple Se7en]

ORIGINAL: HeavyDutyWonk

Triple Se7en are you saying you fire the 40gr charge with empty sabot before you start the real shooting? Never heard of that being done before, but I haven't been around the smokepole that many times yet.

Yep!... it's called a fouling shot! But by doing this with real black instead of a substitute powder, you decrease the moisture-absorption that fouled substitute powder barrels see after a full day hunting in higher humidity areas of our country. I've seen my fouled substitute powder barrel release a stream of water from the bore when tilted downward at the end of a long hunt. I live right smack-middle inside the Great Lakes region thou... lots of humidity here.