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New Muzzle Loader Help...

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New Muzzle Loader Help...

Old 10-18-2011, 09:12 PM
  #1  
Spike
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Default New Muzzle Loader Help...

OK here goes... I bought a Traditions Pursuit and I took it out to shoot it yesterday and again today. I started off using Pyrodex pellets (100 gr) with powerbelt .50 cal aero lite bullets (250 gr) and triple 7 209 primers. I noticed after the third shot that the breach plug was pitch black on the side where you put the primer. After a few more shots I could barely open the breach and when I did the gun would not close back. (on a side note I could not get it to hit a thing!!) So I took it home and cleaned it. Took it back out today and changed powder and bullets. I use Triple 7 powder (100 gr) and Thompson Center Sabot .50 cal (including the sabot) (250 gr) and had the same thing happen with the plug.. they shot a little better groups. Also while I was there both days I had two different guys come up to me and see what kind of bullets I was using b/c it was so hard to get them packed down completely. Today I also took my dads muzzleloader with me in case I could not get mine sighted in due to these issues. When i loaded his it was way smoother loading. So I was wondering if maybe there is something wrong with my barrel that is causing the bullet to be to tight which might be causing the blow back on the primer side of the breach plug... here is a pic of the plug and you tell me if your muzzle loader plug looks like this when you shoot 3 times.
Attached Thumbnails New Muzzle Loader Help...-plug.jpg  
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Old 10-18-2011, 09:34 PM
  #2  
Typical Buck
 
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Hey swoosh glad to see you made it!! I trust someone will know how to help you out.
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Old 10-18-2011, 10:23 PM
  #3  
Spike
 
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Did you clean the barrel good with some thing to get the packing lubricant out of it before you shoot it ? If not I would take a good brush and cleaner an give it a good scrubbing.As for the dirty breech plug I would try some different primers and check to see what the head space is and if it's out of spec ,I'd get it set or send it back to the factory and let them fix it for you .
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Old 10-19-2011, 02:52 AM
  #4  
Giant Nontypical
 
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Well, I'll start...First off welcome, these guys will all chime in and give you plenty of options...

A couple of things...First, did you put grease on the threads of the breach plug??? Second, 777 is known to leave a crud ring on some muzzleloaders with some primers...Third, as mentioned, make sure you remove all oils, grease, lubricants from the barrel before shooting...

As far as your dad's gun loading easier, you can adjust that by changing sabots...Some guns have a tighter bore than others...Both MMP and Harvester make sabots with different thicknesses to account for bore size...

Now, my personal opinion...I don't care for pellets, 777 or PowerBelts...I still shoot real black powder as I also shoot flintlocks so I have a good supply...If I didn't shoot black, I'd shoot loose Pyrodex R-S...Each shot with a muzzleloader is a hand load and I prefer to be able to experiment with different powder charges to find the optimum charge for accuracy...

Also...I don't care for PowerBelts, there are more aerodynamic projectiles out there and since velocity with a muzzleloader is pretty low I prefer to use them...As you gain experience you will see the advantage of buying bulk pistol bullets and sabots to match what you plan to hunt...

Good luck and enjoy...
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Old 10-19-2011, 03:29 AM
  #5  
Nontypical Buck
 
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You might try to find a better fitting brand of primer. I know that primers are not all the same length. Maybe a longer (or shorter) primer would cut down on the blowback.

Also, you did not say whether you are swabbing between shots. I use a patch soaked in a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and windex. After a shot, run a wet patch down, reverse it and run it down again, then follow with a dry patch. Then pop a primer. Then you're ready to load and shoot.
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Old 10-19-2011, 06:21 AM
  #6  
Dominant Buck
 
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I am sure by now you have the rifle very clean. And take some white Teflon plumbers tape and clockwise, wrap that breech plug treads before you install it. Unless this is one of those quick release plugs, then I am not sure what you do with them. But if not, wrap the threads with Teflon white tape. Then apply just a light film of anti seize to the tape outside and put that in. That should help stop any blow back.

If appears that the primers you are shooting are filthy and letting a lot of blow back through the flash channel. Sometimes this is not a bad thing, as it means they come out easy, but they are a mess. You could try changing brands of primers. Also after say five shots.. take some isopropyl (rubbing alcohol from a drug store). Apply that to a patch and a Q-tip. Wipe the face of the breech area off and use the Q-tip to clean the primer pocket. Make sure you wipe any place near the breech that is being fouled out.

After you shoot, you are aware that you have to swab the bore of the barrel for the best possible accuracy. Even shooting Powerbelts. Also get rid of the pellets and go to a loose powder. Start your load testing at 80 grains. I have a CVA Staghorn Magnum that with 90 grains of powder is deadly accurate. 100 grains and it sprays all over. Yet this is a magnum rifle. But you will find in the muzzle loader world that more is not always better.

If you need information about swabbing just ask, but I am sure you are swabbing the bore. As for powder, pellets are easy to use, and in a lot of cases produce some very accurate loads, but some rifles are not pellet crazy. They like loose powder. Try changing to loose powder, get a pack of 250 grain Shockwaves and try them in the rifle also. They normally shoot well in any rifle I try them in.

Other then that, without having the rifle in my hands on my range, it is always hard to tell someone what the rifle is doing wrong. Even sometimes when it is in my hands on my range. All rifles are different and behave different. Granted some are very close to the next, but still.. weather, humidity, loading pressure, primers, powder, projectiles, trigger pull, approach of the rifle... all of these things can change how well your rifle will shoot for you.

Good luck with your new gun. If you suspect the bore is ruff.. get some JB Bore Paste and use that in the bore. It will help smooth things out.
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Old 10-19-2011, 09:00 AM
  #7  
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primer blow by. And the sucky part, in order to clean the firing pin which often jams up on these guns due to that messy blow by, you have to send it to traditions for them to service and clean it out when the firing pin becomes stuck.
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Old 10-19-2011, 09:51 AM
  #8  
Giant Nontypical
 
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Guys, can he order a new breech plug that might have a tighter fit???
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Old 10-19-2011, 10:01 AM
  #9  
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its always worth a shot but this is pretty normal for the traditions. The 777 primers are always messy due to their short length.

Could take a pop can and use a paper hole puncher and make some shims and drill a hole through the center and drop that into the primer pocket. I do this on our CVA Apex and its seals up the primer blow by.
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Old 10-19-2011, 11:24 AM
  #10  
Typical Buck
 
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Here's some metric O-Rings. http://www.mcmaster.com/#9262k611/=dskgtz

A picture without the o-rings


One with the o-rings, the Breech plug looked just as clean as the primer
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