Cold weather mishap

X7ahunter

Active Member
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This evening I was hunting with my CVA buckhorn mag. I was using 100 grains of pyrodex and Winchester 209 primers. I had a very, very nice whitetail buck come out within 100 yards. Go to shoot, the gun makes noise and I can hear the bullet strike. But no smoke, and the buck never reacted like he was hit. Checked the barrel and the bullet had cleared.

Has anyone had this happen before? If so how did you remedy it?
 
I’m confused. Did the gun go “boom” or did just the primer go off?

And you heard an impact on the deer? If it went boom and you heard a hit, did you check for blood, track him?

Need a little more info to work with.
 
Just the cap went off. No boom. In the heat of the moment I didn't realize that, but there was no recoil or smoke and no report other than the cap. Pretty sure the thump I heard was the bullet hitting the dirt. Deer never reacted other than his ears came up. The doe that was forty yards from me ran off. The buck just put his head back down and fed off the property
 
Ah ok. I don’t really think it was cold weather related, or at least not directly. Powder should work fine no matter how cold.

Couple things- Was gun just loaded that day? Was it older powder that hadnt been sealed well? Had gun been outside/inside and condensation developed? Did moisture get down barrel? Are you SURE you loaded powder? Was bullet seated well? Was your breech plug recently cleaned? Was there oil or dampness left in the barrel the last time you cleaned/swabbed before loading powder?

If everything checks out, well, sometimes things just happen with muzzleloading. Probably won’t happen again. You can always use hotter primers for peace of mind, not the muzzleloader primers which are not as hot.
 
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Ah ok. I don’t really think it was cold weather related, or at least not directly. Powder should work fine no matter how cold.

Couple things- Was gun just loaded that day? Was it older powder that hadnt been sealed well? Had gun been outside/inside and condensation developed? Did moisture get down barrel? Are you SURE you loaded powder? Was bullet seated well? Was your breech plug recently cleaned? Was there oil or dampness left in the barrel the last time you cleaned/swabbed before loading powder?

If everything checks out, well, sometimes things just happen with muzzleloading. Probably won’t happen again. You can always use hotter primers for peace of mind, not the muzzleloader primers which are not as hot.
It did have powder. But it had sat in the truck over night, and the powder is a year or so old. Worked fine up until that night though.
 
It did have powder. But it had sat in the truck over night, and the powder is a year or so old. Worked fine up until that night though.
Like I said, things happen with muzzleloaders sometimes. I usually hunt each day with a fresh charge. I’ve never had one not go off like that but have had old charges (multi-day) produce a lot of smoke and variable sound/recoil. I think condensation is the culprit (enemy!).
 
First Thing You Do Is Get Rid Of The JUNK PYRODEX!
I suspect people like Marley would disagree with that statement. I do. Haven’t used it in a long time but it was always a reliable powder. Not sure what happened but prob not the choice of powder.

That said, I have never used pyrodex pellets. Only loose. Were you using loose or pellets?
 
Keep thinking pyrodex is junk, leaves more for me.
I still use it. Pellets even. Never had an issue, 2” groups at 100 with open sights and stay within my limits
Have fun finding your fancy powder.
 
Took More Than Just a Primer To Get The Bullet Out of The Barrel!

And To Shadow:

Keep Shooting Your PYRODEX!:D

The Load REMINGTON Recommends in Their Inlines Comes With The Gun!

TOTAL JUNK!

4 Pellets/200 Grains Is a JOKE!

By Shot # 4-5 There's Such a CRUD RING You can't Reload The Gun!

The Gun Will Handle The Load Safely!

But It's Way Too Much Powder for any kind of Accuracy!

Maybe Somebody Could Start A Committee To Ban BH 209?

Then Maybe We Could Buy Some!:D
 
Yeah I can’t imagine 200 grains would gain you anything but a mess. I know there is better stuff out there but I’ve killed a pile of elk with pellets and I can’t see myself fixing something that ain’t broke.
Back to the OP, is there a chance you forgot to seat the bullet after starting it? I watched a friend do that once, it coughed the bullet out, went about 30 yards (half way to the bull?) and dropped like a rock. I was laughing so hard I almost forgot to shoot the bull myself.
 
What was hour friend shooting powder wise? The only time I have ever shortseated a bullet was with BH 209. It “popped” out the bullet about 20 ft. I was VERY lucky because BH requires the pressure of a bullet to go off

But I thought that pyrodex would explode if you did that.
 
What was hour friend shooting powder wise? The only time I have ever shortseated a bullet was with BH 209. It “popped” out the bullet about 20 ft. I was VERY lucky because BH requires the pressure of a bullet to go off

But I thought that pyrodex would explode if you did that.
Yeah it was pyrodex pellets. He had missed a bull earlier and the could best we could guess was that in a hurry to reload, he forgot to push the bullet down. When he fired it, I could literally see the bullet pop out and drop about 20-30 yards out. Sounded real strange too, made kind of a “poof” sound.
 
I was never a fan of plunger-action ignitions, like-that of the CVA Buckhorn. Moisture-seepage is a problem with many plungers.

Fall action and break action MLs are the most dependable in humid conditions. I own two.... T/C Omega and Knight Vision.
 
Maybe Somebody Could Start A Committee To Ban BH 209?

Then Maybe We Could Buy Some!:D
I just bought two jugs at cal ranch last week Bess. It was the last two but they was there. My buddy's wife bought the other two they had for him for Christmas.
 
I was never a fan of plunger-action ignitions, like-that of the CVA Buckhorn. Moisture-seepage is a problem with many plungers.

Fall action and break action MLs are the most dependable in humid conditions. I own two.... T/C Omega and Knight Vision.
Well granddad is bringing me his White, so still the same issue I suppose. I might just hunt the Kansas September muzzleloader hunt for now. But eventually I'm gonna go smokeless.
 
I Went To Ace In Roosevelt First Thing This Morning!

They Have Several of The New & Improved 8 oz KEGS on The Shelf!

89.00 a KEG!

Plus Tax!

You Got a Bargain JakeH!:D
Just checked the receipt they was $75 a can, and total with tax was $160 for both so $80 a can with tax. I should be set for awhile now. And they was the 8 Oz cans.
 
I Still Ain't Happy About Paying 75.00 a KEG With TAX Earlier This Last Year!(They Were The Massive 10 oz KEGS Though!)

GOUGING BASTARDS!

Oh and Throw the 2.80 a Piece on Ignition In!



Just checked the receipt they was $75 a can, and total with tax was $160 for both so $80 a can with tax. I should be set for awhile now. And they was the 8 Oz cans.
 
I Still Ain't Happy About Paying 75.00 a KEG With TAX Earlier This Last Year!(They Were The Massive 10 oz KEGS Though!)

GOUGING BASTARDS!

Oh and Throw the 2.80 a Piece on Ignition In!
I have enough powder, bullets, and primers for my Paramount to last me for many years at this point, especially since I'm not much of a muzzy hunter. Quite the change from where I was at a few month's ago ?
 
It did have powder. But it had sat in the truck over night, and the powder is a year or so old. Worked fine up until that night though.
Was there oil residue in the barrel from previous cleaning? I always run a dry rag through mine after I pull it out of storage to shoot.
 
What was hour friend shooting powder wise? The only time I have ever shortseated a bullet was with BH 209. It “popped” out the bullet about 20 ft. I was VERY lucky because BH requires the pressure of a bullet to go off

But I thought that pyrodex would explode if you did that.
I had a similar shot-fire the very last time I loaded Blackhorn 209.
I was using a 460gr No Excuse conical in it and the bullet landed around 10 yards away.

I had forgotten Blackhorn doesn't fare well with the real heavy conicals .... especially ones that don't load snugly.

I certainly won't miss BH209 in the future.
 

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