Originally Posted by NMwapitichaser

Thanks for the feedback. I'll check into the other blogs. I was shooting CCI primers. Had to use magnums to improve ignition with the Blackhorn. Used standard CCIs with the 777. I tried swabbing between shots and not. I didn't see a lot of difference yet, but I've only put about about 100 rounds through the gun so far. Since I had so much trouble with fouling, I cleaned the barrel and breech plug thoroughly at least between groups.

I'm trying all the easily available bullets--XTPs, Shockwave, Barnes, Hornady, CVA, Precision, etc. I'm willing to try various powders, but the only things on the shelf around me are 777, Shockey's, and Blackhorn. CVA mentioned White Hots to me too, but I haven't seen any on the shelf anywhere. I did pick up a can of Alliant's MZ recently, but obviously can't report any results on that yet.

I'm just getting back into muzzleloading, but I've been a hunter all my life. I also consider myself more technically competent than most. I've modified triggers, shimmed parts, glass bedded, refinished, and did light gunsmith duty at a sporting goods store for a couple years. I do all my own archery work except build strings and I'm working on that. Anyway, just saying that I didn't expect this much trouble with a new gun. If the firing pin was going to clog up in less than 100 shots, then I should have been warned and properly equipped to deal with it. I don't see any reason you wouldn't want the modified breech plug for all loose powders. It puts the grains about a quarter inch from the primer versus close to an inch with their standard breech plug.

Thanks again for the comments. I'll post more when I have news.