I live and hunt northern Wisconsin. We are in cold weather constantly. I shoot a lot on the range and have learned a few things.. the powder you use is critical. You mention you were shooting Jim Shockey Sticks. I just am not a fan of American Pioneer Powder when I hunt. I shoot it, and on the range where you load and three minutes later you shoot.. it works fine. But even then I have had a POOF! load.
But I can not get myself to trust it after a long day of cold temperatures, snow, moisture, and especially humid ground blinds (ever been in one of them coated ground blinds for any length of time.. your breath will make it very humid in there. Frost even forms on the walls.). And my theory is.. if you don't have faith in the powder, why are you hunting with it?
If you want to shoot pellets I would suggest you change over to Pyrodex RS pellets. Use a good hot primer also. Also make sure to use a muzzle mit on the end of that rifle. Take it off at the end of the day, but you can shoot right through it. There are a lot of new powders on the market. But some I like and some I don't. I've shot Pyrodex RS in rifles for thirty years and it has never let me down. It is a good, consistent, accurate powder. Yes it is corrosive, and all that other stuff.. But I clean the rifle after I shoot it, so that has never been a problem.
Some will tell you to try loose powder. I agree with them. BUT if you like pellets, then shoot pellets. There are some excellent loose powders out on the market right now.
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