Cold weather

[Bowanna]

I know it's just a tad early to be thinkin' about this but I have been reading from y'all about cold weather ignition problems.
Our muzzleloader season here is in early Nov. the temps are usually 40's in the mornings and could be as high as upper 70's in the afternoon and until recently I used pellets. This year I'm using loose powder and plan on using my muzzys all season. What's the cold weather scoop? Is it primer issues or powder ignition problem? I've always used pellets and have never had any issues.
Like I said, a little bit early but I'm looking into my crystal ball and wondering about late season and what I need to do to be ready for the cold which will be here I'm sure!

 

[CatamountRob]

I live in VT and I’ve shot deer when it was below zero, the only time I’ve ever had an ignition problem was with BH209 and a Winchester 209 primer, after that I switched to CCI 209M’s and it’s never happened since. In fairness, the Winchester misfire happened before I knew about cleaning carbon out of the breechplug with a drill bit and a dirty breechplug may well have been the problem rather than the primer.
What powder are you using? I don’t consider 40’s to be cold enough to worry about a problem.

 

[Mike3888]

I’d imagine if you didn’t have a problem with pellets you surely won’t have any issues with loose, I’ve always preferred loose over pellets.

 

[Bowanna]

I live in VT and I’ve shot deer when it was below zero, the only time I’ve ever had an ignition problem was with BH209 and a Winchester 209 primer, after that I switched to CCI 209M’s and it’s never happened since. In fairness, the Winchester misfire happened before I knew about cleaning carbon out of the breechplug with a drill bit and a dirty breechplug may well have been the problem rather than the primer.
What powder are you using? I don’t consider 40’s to be cold enough to worry about a problem.

T7 2f. I've been using the Federal MZ primers, running low on the Winchester 209 I have left which I think I'll save for hunting, without any issues so far.

 

[MrTom]

I've used the Winchester shotshell 209 primers for years with BH209 and never had a mis or hang fire except once in a 45 cal with a dirty plug. Same scenario as with CatamountRob.

I've shot deer as low as 18 below using those mentioned primers and Bh209.

 

[Bowanna]

I've used the Winchester shotshell 209 primers for years with BH209 and never had a mis or hang fire except once in a 45 cal with a dirty plug. Same scenario as with CatamountRob.

I've shot deer as low as 18 below using those mentioned primers and Bh209.

That's good to know Mr Tom, thanx and I don't guess I'll ever know about neg. 18 'cause my old ass ain't goin' outside if it's that cold!

 

[.45er]

I know it's just a tad early to be thinkin' about this but I have been reading from y'all about cold weather ignition problems.
Our muzzleloader season here is in early Nov. the temps are usually 40's in the mornings and could be as high as upper 70's in the afternoon and until recently I used pellets. This year I'm using loose powder and plan on using my muzzys all season. What's the cold weather scoop? Is it primer issues or powder ignition problem? I've always used pellets and have never had any issues.
Like I said, a little bit early but I'm looking into my crystal ball and wondering about late season and what I need to do to be ready for the cold which will be here I'm sure!

I live in VT and I’ve shot deer when it was below zero, the only time I’ve ever had an ignition problem was with BH209 and a Winchester 209 primer, after that I switched to CCI 209M’s and it’s never happened since. In fairness, the Winchester misfire happened before I knew about cleaning carbon out of the breechplug with a drill bit and a dirty breechplug may well have been the problem rather than the primer.
What powder are you using? I don’t consider 40’s to be cold enough to worry about a problem.

X2 on breech plug maintenance. A clean flash channel and flash hole is always a safe bet to get good ignition.

 

[Bowanna]

Guess maybe I was concerned about nothing. Since I've been here and heard about cleaning the flash channel with a drill but it has become a regular part of my rifle cleaning routine. I don't use a drill bit every time, mostly I use pipe cleaners with the wire scrubbers embedded in them that I get from the local cigar shop.(of course while I'm there I pick up one of my favs) And what do y'all recommend to use for a breech plug soak?

 

[MrTom]

And what do y'all recommend to use for a breech plug soak?

For plugs having shot BH209, simple solvent like Hoppes. All other powders being burned, windex.

At the range or at home after hunting, I clean the flash channel of every plug after 15 shots even though I can probably get 25 to 30 shots using BH209. And I do this religiously. And by clean, I mean using the hand twisted drill bit and then a fine wire thru the flame hole. It only takes a few minutes so its not a hassle at all and besides it gives the barrel some cooling ventilation. T7 granular at the range I clean the plug every 10 shots with the drill and wire. I think T7 loads the plug faster, or at least it seems to, to me.

All of my inlines are plugged with plugs using vent liners. When I wrap up the shooting for the day or at the end of the season I clean the plug as described but also pull the liner and give it's threads and the threads of the plug a good cleaning. I use a shotgun rod run down the barrel and a 16 guage bronze brush attached at the breech end to turn clockwise in the plug threads of the breech to clean them. For the plug I i use a standard nut of appropriate size to chase the threads clean and then wash the plug well.

I keep each gun's plug in an old sock tied to the trigger guard while the gun is in storage. This allows air flow thru the barrel. I also treat the inside of the barrel with the special purpose WD-40 Rust Inhibitor, along with the plug.

 

[Bowanna]

It's funny Mr Tom that about 95%of your routine is mine also except (my wife calls me O.C.D. because it takes me longer to clean my smokers than it does our other deer rifles) I do the threads thing almost everytime used. The plug in a sock is an excellent idea which I believe I'm gonna do when there in the "at the ready" box (rifles and shotguns as per the season usually kept here, ammo sold separately)

I to am a stickler when it comes to keeping a firearm clean. I can still hear my father as a kid, him saying"Now if you take it out it gets cleaned when you get home!" Shot or not it got a good goin' over and a good wipe down before you put it in the locker. If you broke this rule that was the end of the hunting privileges, sentence dependent upon severity of the of incident, for usually 2 weeks and that was a long time to a kid living in the sticks in middle Michigan during hunting season with nothing else to do. Dad sometimes gave in after 5 or 6 days and just said," There better not be a next time!"

My ramble, anyway thanx for the sock idea!
B