Steve8511

I have a black powder story that may help some. I recently bought a CVA Optima Pro. .50 cal. It has the camo covering that as I now am accustomed its weaknesses if I had to do it again I would have not gotten the covering. It gets banged up very easily and will wipe off if any harsh cleaners touch it. But I like the gun.
I was zeroed in at 75 yards, I would have gone further but the range was very busy. I am a Marine and shoot for a living so I figured I was good to go. I killed a spike last week at about 80 yards through the heart but I was aiming at its neck! I figured a pulled shot, and brushed it off. The 295 grain power belt didn’t penetrate completely as I found the jacket under the skin about 90 degrees from the impact area. If this was a good broad side shot I may have had to track that deer due to the Power Belt. I was using 90 grains of ffg 777.
The next 2 days I missed 2 bucks one that was a nice 8 point neither was hit and both shot were at about 90 yards. To say the least I was mad and frustrated so Sunday at the range at 100 yards I missed the target twice and was on target the third time?
So to the trash with the power belts and I tried using 250 grain TC Shockwaves and 2 Pyrodex pellets. After a few adjustments I was in a 2.5 inch group with 7 shots. I know that the loose powder or pellets from 777 may have worked or been the problem I will need more experimentation to find out.
I have to say this as this may be a trend, I don’t see a lot of muzzleloaders at the range. But I “hear” and see a lot of smoke poles in the woods and no one bringing out deer as we on base have to check in all kills. I think there is a lot of missed shots from muzzleloaders because people are not sighting in and finding the best combination in there gun. I hope this helps someone, as I was a victim of not shooting enough.
If anyone has any advice I am open to hear it also.

cayugad

Steve you have related a problem I see all the time. It's very sad but true. Many people do not take the time to work with their rifle and learn it and their projectiles.

Triple Se7en

Nowadays, I sight-in and hunt on a fouled barrel. But for years, I hunted with a clean, dry, unfiredbore. The reason I quit my unfired regiment is because of all the hassle to get the gun to print holes in bullseyes when clean& cold.

The best way to understand where that first bulet is going inside that unfired bore takes a whole lot of patience. I got that Omega firing bullsesyes on a fouled bore three years ago - but was always six inches off both diagonally and vertically when unfired& cold. So that's when I began taking two muzzleloaders to the range. It took me8-9 trips to the gun range where I only firedthe Omegaone time-- adjusting my scope orsee-thru open sights each time.... then using either the other ML I brought or another centerfire.

That was a big hassle because the gun needed to be eventually cleaned. I had the Omega shooting 'dead-nuts' both ways - only to find boredom set-in and wanting to test other bullets & powders. Now I sight-in with a fouled barrel-only. Around 60 grains of powder with three of the hottest primers I found (Federals) ... then expel the load every evening- swab -reload it the next morning.

statjunk

Even with my centerfire guns I like to fire at least 20 rounds before the season starts and folks look at me like I'm crazy. I've even heard this line a few times, "Bullets are expensive, boy".

Tom

dmurphy317

I too have found that with some load combinations I can't rely on the first and sometimes not the second shot from a clean barrel hitting in the same spot as the rest. With those loads I always shoot a squib load of a cleanshot pellet (I have some left over from years ago) and an empty sabot packed with patches. This gets me a fouled bore that is more or less non corrosive. I prefer to find loads that will work without throwing the first shot but sometimes I can't find it in time for the season.

Tom,
I do a similar thing with my CF's in that I don't clean it after I sight in until the season is over. I know of a hunter whose 270 shoots a foot high and a foot to the left on a clean barrel and slowly walks in to dead on by the 5th shot. Despite several people telling them about this they insist on cleaning the gun before going hunting. A couple of years ago they shot at a nice CO bull only to make a bad shot and lose a wounded animal never to be found again. This is unacceptable to me, I want to know exactly where my bullet is going to go when the gun goes off.