54 cal Hawken loading issue

[Blacksheep]

Jon, I apologize if this should be on the range forum.  Today I was shooting my 54 cal Hawken carbine and everything was going fairly smooth.  I had two of my Winchester 400 gr bullets tear or kink ,the purple sabots on one petal, that came with the bullets but I was getting 1.5 inch groups with iron sights at 50 yds looking into the sun so I was not complaining and swabbing after every shot as I was shooting 80 gr of Black MZ .  Now to the problem on the 13 th rd it was hard to load it broke the barnes aligner off in the barrel which I unknowingly rammed down the bore and fired it out.  Well the good news is the aligner hit in the group and the bullet it loaded landed 3 inches to the right.  I just swabbed the bore and I don't feel a walnut or ring in the barrel. 

Besides visually checking the bore which I plan to do anybody think of another way to check it.

Secondly, I am now going to need another short starter,anybody have a suggestion ?  Would plastic fouling build-up that quickly when I started shooting I was able to start them with the palm of my hand and use the starter to push 3- 4 inches down the bore. 

Anybody ever use the Harvester equivalent sabot ?

 

[exMember]

I'd imagine its a combo of the black mz fouling at the muzzle which is the reverse crud ring we get with low temp primers/percussion caps. I know its a devil to load REAL bullets in the cabelas hawken after a few shots with APP/Black MZ, get the bullet down 4" + and it loads easily.

I would give it a warm soapy bath and really scrub at it with a bore brush, dry it and then follow up with some centerfire solvent that will break down plastic.

Now that you mention it, some years ago I shot a 400? grain hard cast bullet in the purple sabots from a cva mountain stalker, they shot excellent but did give me some issues at the muzzle, but again, I hadn't been swabbing at that time.

I'd just break it down and really scrub that bore out good and give it another try. Next time pay special attention at the muzzle while swabbing.

 

[Blacksheep]

Thanks Jon I was a panicking lol I shot 3 deer this week and I was using my 50 cal traditions deerhunter w 4x scope and the load was the same except topped by a PR Bullet 300 gr Kith Nose and I thought that was hard to load.  Any suggestion on the short starter ?

 

[exMember]

check this one out,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SpinJag-Bullet-Starter-Muzzleloader-Black-Powder-50-cal-/190639998388?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c630785b4

 

[patocazador]

I just got 3 new short starters but one is a custom one made from a piece of deer antler with a 30 gr. hole bored in one end and a depression for the ramrod end.
The others are generic wooden balls with a hole drilled 1/3 way through for the palm-saver and a regular 5" short starter plus a very short starter threaded into the side of the ball. One came with an accessory pack of starter ends for variously shaped bullets. It has brass fittings throughout.

It was similar to this one but with a brass shaft. I can't remember where I got that one.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cva-powderbelt-universal-bullet-starter.aspx?a=416001