A.D.D. BOY

Ok i told my parents that what i want for christmas is a chest protector for motocross and to get everything i need for my muzzle loader. I already have my primers CCI #209, and powder Pyrodex pellets. Now all i need is a bullet starter and cleaning kit. Theres a cleaning kit at bass pro, its 50 dollars and made by CVA, heres the link tell me if this will do http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=55501&hvarDept=400&a mp;hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode= 5&hvarTarget=browse

Now i need some recomendations for a bullet starter. And i want one that will convert to a extinsion for the ramrod that came with my CVA Optima, that way i wont have to push it down with no handle. Im going to be shooting Hornady SST'S in 250 grains. And im going to get the Bushnell Banner 3-9X40 with the 4 inch eye relief, recomended from cayugad. Now basically im just asking if the cleaning kit above is worth the money, and i need some good recomendations on bullet starters, thank you very much, hopefully i can get it all before my muzzleloader season for a early christmas present. Thank you in advance.

Pittsburghunter

I think you will be happier with a seperate t-handle and ball starter that way when at the range you don't have to keep taking the starter off your rod every time you start a bullet. I like both types of starters the "ball" type and the t-handle type. I got a poly t-handle for my range/cleaning rod that stays on it all the time.

A.D.D. BOY

Its just wheni go hunting i dont want to have to carry in 2 things but if thats what ill have to do then i will.

Pittsburghunter

For hunting buy one of the wooden ball starters I was talking about and drill a hole in it on the top about 3/4" deep and just oversized for your ramrod. Use the starter to start the bullet and then flip it over and put it on the end of the ramrod to drive the bullet the rest of the way down the bore. I would still get the t-handle for cleaning and range loading.

cayugad

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=55524&hvarDept=400&a mp;hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode= 6&hvarTarget=browse

The T handle starter works great for me as a short starter. Especially with conicals and sabots.



http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=64459&hvarDept=400&a mp;hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode= 6&hvarTarget=browse

The ramrod end covers also work great for out in the field if you want more pushing power on the end of the rifle ramrod. I made one out of an old brass door knob. I drilled it out to fit over the end of the RIFLE ramrod and just carry it in my coat pocket. It slips over the end of the ramrod and then I don't have to push with my hand.

As for the cleaning kit... save your money. Instead have them get you a 32" rugged rod (range rod) for all your range work, cleaning the rifle, and every thing else. I would be lost without one. Actually I have two of them. Once for loading projectiles and one for swabbing. I never use the one that came with the rifle.

Then get a brass cleaning and loading jag, the correct jag head for loading the kind of projectiles you want to shoot, a couple of brass brushes, a breech/nipple brush combination, some quality gun oil, quality solvent, and a bag of patches. Also some patches for swabbing. It will cost you a lot less, last you much longer, and work much better.

sabotloader

A.D.D. BOY

To be honest with you I do not use a bullet starter (short starter). Your post indicates you have the 209 primers so I assume you are using an inline. Next are you loading sabots? Most of my loads involves sabots, so if you are using a conicals you might need that short starter. And certainly if you are loading "Power Belts" you would not need a "short starter." I have through a lot of trial and error found sabots that will load in all my ML's both inlines and sidelocks. I can put the sabot in the barrel and push the sabot down with thumb pressure, then with the ram rod and the handy dandy gadget Cayugad showed you seat the bullet... at first I was using a wooden cabinet knog that I had drilled out to fit my ram rod.

You will want to get a cleaning kit of some sort, I do not think I ever purchased a cleaning kit, just the stuff that I need to clean the gun. I use my "range rod" as my cleaning rod. About theonly time I use the ram rod with the gun is in the field hunting other than that it is pretty much useless.

As I mentioned areally handy thing that you mightwant is a "range rod" to use while you are target practicing or plinking or for cleaning. I actually haveof them, cann't really tell you why I have 4 other than one for the truck one for in the house/shop and 2 just in case I guess... Actually one one them I use for cleaning shot guns, it is a stainless steel one and I really do not like it for a ML's, even with the bore guide I really do not want to rub the muzzle crown so i use a fiberglass for the ML's.

Follow Cayugad's recommendations for that cleaning kit. So far in my 8 years of shooting ML's I have not needed the brass brushes for the bore the only thing I use them for is to clean the internal threads of the breech plug recepticle. I do not get plasitic fouling and powder fouling comes out really easy with my windex patches followed by dry patches.

Good luck in your shooting adventures, but be careful it really gets addictive you may put away that bike and put all your spare time into shooting ML's..

DNICK

I use the t-handle short starter with the wooden handle sold by knight and like Piittsburghunter did I drilled a recess 90 degrees from the starter rod to fit over the end of the ramrod to act as a t-handle when loading in the field

MLKeith

You didn't mention the rifle. If your rifle accepts the Hornady sabots better than my Omega does you will not need the short starter but may need the handle for the ramrod. I agree to spend the money on better solid "range rods" for cleaning and not a full cleaning kit. You will likely find that windex from Walmart (the white kind withoutamonia) or a mix of rubbing alcohol and windshield washer fluid works just fine as a cleaner and is much cheaper than the stuff in the kits. Ballistol oil is great also but you might find it hard to get without searching the web. I just started using it and it is great stuff. You can use it as a cleaner mixed with water about 10 parts water to one part Ballistol and as a preservative in concentrated form to prevent rust when storing the rifle. Check your local Walmart; mine is starting to mark down the muzzleloading stuff and I just bought some cleaning jags extensions etc. at about 50% off list.

AJ52

I like the starters with the plastic tip vs metal(alum,brass etc).

Zero bullet distortion when loading.

Gotbuck

You might try this handy number http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=40488&hvarDept=400&a mp;hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode= 6&hvarTarget=browse

I use it to load my 250gr Shockwaves and it does not deform the bullets. It has various tips to load with so if you deceide to change bullets your covered.