need some advice
 

I have a CVA Optima Pro. I am relatively new to ML and have onbly been using it for 2 seasons. I have noticed that I get a buildup where the powder meets the sabot. It makes reloading a quick second shot more difficult. I also missed a deer low on a second shot. I have never missed a deer with any weapon. IT was a 100-125 yard shot and I had a greatr rest.

Is it possible that the second shot would have been impacted dramatically with the buildup? ANy ideas, short of field cleaning the gun?

I shoot asabot at 285 grians with 2 pellets of pyrodex.

RE: need some advice
 

Yes, it is possible - likely, even!!Accuracy with a muzzleloader is dependent on doing everything the same each time you load it. If you can't get the bullet seated on the powder to exactly the same depth in the barrel, (you should have a mark on your ramrod showing this depth), and seated on the powder with the same amount of pressure, the gun is going to shoot someplace different!


What you've described is called "burn-on at the breech". It happens to all ML, and gets worse as the powder charge increases. Some guns are worse than others in this respect. It has to be dealth with to permit proper loading.

I suggest you use a ramrod withyour rifle that has a tip that you can screw a jag into, and carry a cleaning jag and several clean patches with you while hunting. After you fire your first shot, chew on one of the patches and get it wet with saliva. Swab the bore with this damp patch a couple of times, Then dry your bore with a dry patch and reload. This is not really cleaning the bore, but it will remove enough of the fouling that you can reload correctly each shot. Juyst make sure you get all the dampness out before pouring in the powder.

IF you want to try something that MIGHT prevent this problem, switch from Pyrodex to American Pioneer Powder or to Black Mag 3. Both are somewhat cleaner than Pyrodex, and may not leave that crud ring-or at least leave less of it!

I can shoot my guns all afternoon with loose Pyrodex without having to clean them, BUT I don't use pellets-the pellets have a black powder igniter pad glued onto their bases, which may make them dirtier than plain loose Pyrodex.

Go to the range, and test these ideas. Let us know how it works out for you. Good luck!:)

RE: need some advice
 

I am shooting 777. How will a cooler burningprimer help? Is the "drud" from plastic? If I go with a cooler burning primer, I am assuming, I will need more range time to adjust for accuracy?

My ramrod has a mark and I am able to seat the sabot at the same point consistently, it is just the last little bit that gets very hard.

I opogize for my ignorance. Thanks for the help

RE: need some advice
 

"I shoot asabot at 285 grians with 2 pellets of pyrodex."

Now which is it? It can't be both-you're shooting Pyrodex or 777!

IF you are shooting 777, that's THEbig cause of thecrud ring in the bore. 777 IS CRUDDY!! I stoppedshooting 777 for that very reason (among others!)

IF you're shooting 777, change powder! Use American Pioneer or Black Mag 3. Even Pyrodex leaves less fouling in the bore than 777! BUT Pyrodex is harder to clean up after shooting, since you can't just wash it out with cold water.

RE: need some advice
 

As eldequello said, if you're shooting Triple Se7en pellets you are probably experiencing a hard crud build up and you need to swab that out. If the spit patches do not work, use a bore brush on the end of your ramrod. Wrap a patch around that an put some bore cleaner on that patch then push that down there and scrub the crud ring off.

Some things you could do to avoid that is change powders or primers. A cooler primer will sometimes cause less of a crud buildup to occur. Switching to pyrodex will still have fowling but it is usually much easier to remove. Then there is Pinnacle, APP, and Black Mag3 which produce little or no fowling (I've never had a chance to test Black Mag3 but the people who recommend it I respect highly).

I think your deer got lucky on a mis loadeded rifle. Be careful with crud rings. You can sometimes short load the rifle because the crud ring will give you a false sense of hitting the powder charge when you actually have not. If it were bad enough you have a barrel obstruction.

Good luck in the future.