1st ever ML shots today, what went wrong?

Hunt4more

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So my boy and I went out to shoot the new CVA optima muzzleloader.
load data ,
209 primer , Hodgdon triple seven pelleted powder two pellets, Barnes 250 bullet T EZ FB.

we had about four shots out of 10 that the primer went off there was a delay and then the gun went off it was probably a half second delay which doesn’t help in trying to sight in a gun.
Looking back these came after I tried to clean the gun with a patch, dry patch, then wet patch, and dry patch. I also ran out of brush down the barrel and cleaned out the breech plug hole with a small brush.
What’s the process for cleaning the gun in the field and then getting it to the fire without moisture in the barrel? Is there any other reason that would make that gonna have a slight delay before the powder ignited.

What’s the process for cleaning the gun in the field and then getting it to the fire without moisture in the barrel? Is there any other reason that would make that gonna have a slight delay before the powder ignits?

Can I shoot more than two pellets from the Hodgon triple seven? It’s says on the box no more than two but I hear of guys using three or 150 grain equiv?

All in all a fun experience but lots to learn.
 
Many muzzleloader shooters will fire a primer (some fire two) in an empty barrel after cleaning the barrel to clear out moister from the breech plug.

Every muzzleloader is different and the safest thing to do is follow the manufactures recommondations. CVA does have some instructions in the owners manual, their website and on Youtube about cleaning and loading.

If the manufacture says two pellets, do not try stuffing 3 in there. Your health and safety are not worth the risk.
 
There are many different things affecting ignition, and performance. The first I would question would be the primers you're using, what is the age of the powder, and how much compression are you using to seat the bullet. Weak flame from the primer will lose intensity going up into the hollow of the pellet. Try looking to Chuck Hawks articles on the Web, and all of his reviews of Triple Seven powders and different primers. It will show the good and bad, what works and what doesn't. You'll just have to find what works for you and your firearm.
 
First of all, when using 777, you should be using Winchester 777 primers. They are actually reduced power primers because when you use regular 209s, it ignites too much powder too quickly and causes too much powder residue to form in the breech area. Do a search on 777 “crud ring” to find out more.

When I start at the range with a cleaned gun, as stated, I first fire 2 primers off with no powder or bullet in gun to clean out any moisture or oil.

I then load powder and bullet and fire a shot. I then use a “spit patch”, both sides ( I actually use spit) followed by 2 dry patches (both sides). In other words, I run a patch down, flip the porch over to clean side and repeat. Then get a second dry patch and do the same thing. Some people take patches and soak in Windex and squeeze out the excess moisture and keep in zip lock to use as wet patch’s. Anyway, that means you run a patch down 6 times between each shot! That is why I switched to Blackhorn 209 powder. Lots less work!
 
I may be wrong (and dont use pellets so no first hand knowledge) but i thought 777 pellets still had a bottom and top. the bottom was actually pyrodex which is easier to ignite thus igniting the 777. So could pellets gave been loaded top down? This is basically heresay so I could be way off base. Another thing that helps is a tiny stiff wire pushed all the way through the breech plug ignition hole, as cleaning debris and carbon easily plugs it and you cant get it out with a brush. I have carried a wire on a loop for 30 years and its one of my indispensable tools. Other than that, at the range, I typically blow a cap on a recently cleaned bore to clear any oil, but not between shots as that does not replicate hunting.

All that failing, switch to loose powder and you wont have those ignition problems, along with more flexibility in your loads. Once load set, I pre-pour and label dozens of small powder vials for hunting, takes only a second to re-load. If you use 777, buy the right type of primers.
 
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Also, did u clean gun of packing grease before any attempt at shooting? Read manual regarding initial cleaning. And firing a primer off to rid cleaned gun of moisture is good advice. I have used CCI primers with no dude for 3 years now. Switch to Blackhorn 209 powder.
 
I know some will cringe...I always run a dry patch down the barrel after cleaning. I keep the dry patch on the jag and fire a primer. I keep the primer fowling out Or the clean barrel and see the burn pattern on the patch to look for irregularity. I have always done that and have more than a few people freak out thinking I was about to shoot my ram road down range.

I had hang fire when I switched to BH209 but was able to fix with hotter primers and (knight disk extreme) removed plastic jacket to bare primer. I have also had problems previously with pellets (crushing them when loading) and now avoid the pellets.
 
I’ve thrown 100 grains of white hot down the barrel of my cva optima v2 and never had a problem. Use a 209 primer as well. I carry a couple strands of wire from a brush to clear out breech plug primer hole in case it fouls up after a couple shots. But again, never had a problem firing multiple rounds of white hot behind a 250 gr power belt.

I hear good things about the triple 7. Just never had a need to venture out into different powders and bullet weights.
 
I shot loose triple 7 and 209’s for years, and never a single misfire or hang fire.

I cleaned the bore every few shots and ran a welding tip cleaner thru the flash hole at the same time. I also seat the load firmly, like my ramrod is a digging bar.;)

As a meaningless antidote, I also shot hundreds of thousands of shotgun rounds and can count genuine misfires on one hand. My point is that the primer is not the first place I would look.

I use BH209 now. I don’t clean as often, but I still run the tip cleaner thru it every half dozen shots or so.
 
It’s a primer issue. I’ve had the same issues a few different times and it always happened when I changed primers. Find one your gun ignites with, without any issues and stick with that.
 
pellets are hard to ignite. Having hang fires or misfires or even a load that only lights up halfway and looks like a roman candle, can and are going to happen. Loose powder is best and a hell of a lot more reliable.
 
BTW, I am using Cheddite primers for the last few years. They have sealer looking stuff on them so they “look” more waterproof to me.

I usually have one rolling around in the console of the truck in the dust and debris, so when I unload my gun a week before season :rolleyes: I use it and swap it out with a fresh one. No misfires.
 

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