got all my stuff together .....

[JeffB1961]

got all my stuff in



i got more stuff than i need to start with , particularly powder and primers , but i should be good to go now .
time to start cleaning my old freebie 2003 optima .
it's supposed to rain most of tomorrow but i hope to get a few shots off with Steve sunday .....

 

[deermanok]

You rock, Jeff.
Can't never have too much muzzleloader stuff. Lol

 

[phalanx]

Looks great Jeff! Never, ever total up what you spend on muzzleloaders!! Plausible deniability when the spouse asks how much did all that stuff cost!

 

[JeffB1961]

deermanok since my bro-in-law Steve was so generous to give me the optima i figured i'd go ahead and get myself set up for it .
i wasn't planning on getting anything till august but ...... i'm not complaining !

phalanx she got a $300 egg chair for the deck yesterday so she can't really complain ...... but i'm sure she'll say something anyway . hahahaha !

 

[toytruck]

Take her along shooting. After all it's Mother's Day....
You might be looking for another gun before you know it!

 

[CatamountRob]

Pretty soon you’ll have a freezer full of “free” venison and it’ll all be worth it!

 

[JeffB1961]

got a pot of water steaming real good but not a rolling boil to get the biggest of the stuff out before i start using my new stuff .
looks like i get to experience removing a crud ring ... LOL
that CVA lifetime range rod feels very durable !
before


after just water

 

[Jitterbug]

Looks good, especially having a brick of primers on hand!

If you can replace the powder and primers more or less as you use them… you’ll always have a supply to get you through tight retail market times (at least for a while).

While the “crud ring” is definitely a real phenomenon, I sometimes think it’s overblown. I remember the first time I distinctly felt it, shooting T7 through my Omega. Luckily, I had already read about it, and recognized it, as it was forming.

I thought, “That must be the crud ring they’re talking about!”
I scrubbed it out, and kept on shooting!

Good job so far, on the bore. I’ve heard many horror stories about BP/Pyrodex corrosion, and seen some badly pitted guns. Still, I think that sometimes people get carried away with “story time” when it comes to corrosion/pitting. I’ve “rescued” several muzzleloaders that were not well cared for, and had been written off as junk. All of them cleaned up well, to the point that there wasn’t any meaningful damage.

 

[JeffB1961]

BTW , if someone sees me making a mistake please point it out . i have ZERO muzzle loader experience ! i'm going by CVA you tube cleaning videos and a few things i've read from different places .

no brick Jitterbug , H &Y had four 100 packs left in the box so i have a total of 400 primers . i've blown my "disposable income" budget this month LOL but given the scarcity of powder and primers i'm gonna try to sneak in some more next month ... without my lady finding out !

 

[CatamountRob]

400 primers is a lot of primers, a lifetime supply for most people. I wouldn’t worry too much about getting more right off. I’d be thinking about buying more when the supply increases and prices improve.

 

[CatamountRob]

I’m not telling you that having more primers, powder, bullets, etc, is a bad idea. I have a substantial stash of everything. I’m just saying that this is the time to get by, you can stock up later. These things do eventually correct.

 

[Jitterbug]

no brick Jitterbug , H &Y had four 100 packs left in the box so i have a total of 400 primers .

400 primers is a lot of primers, a lifetime supply for most people. I wouldn’t worry too much about getting more right off. I’d be thinking about buying more when the supply increases and prices improve.

Sorry JeffB1961, I thought you had a whole brick. It sure looks good in your picture!

CatamountRob makes a good point, too… 400 shots is a lot of shots, especially when you’re getting familiar w/your firearm, developing a loading routine, and doing load development. Might be even easier (certainly cheaper!) to replace the primers a tray at a time, if you can find them locally.

Be safe, be careful, and “have a blast!”

 

[ingramjets]

are those 209a primers?? might be a little hot for 777. they will work fine but then the dreaded crud ring. looks like your having fun good luck at the range

 

[eekjellander]

Sorry JeffB1961, I thought you had a whole brick. It sure looks good in your picture!

CatamountRob makes a good point, too… 400 shots is a lot of shots, especially when you’re getting familiar w/your firearm, developing a loading routine, and doing load development. Might be even easier (certainly cheaper!) to replace the primers a tray at a time, if you can find them locally.

Be safe, be careful, and “have a blast!”

Add another 0 and maybe /Ed

 

[deermanok]

Your barrel looks good. A couple passes with a bore brush wouldn't hurt to loosen up any crud, if you haven't done so already.
I have one of those hand held steam cleaners, got it on ebay for about 30 bucks. It works great for cleaning a very dirty barrel and parts.

 

[JeffB1961]

i got the crud ring out but there appears to be some very shallow pitting a few inches forward of the breech plug . i was told this gun hadn't been shot in 10 years or more and it was loaded with 2 pellets and a saboted bullet (no primer though) when it was given to me 2 or so weeks ago .



not a great pic with my cellphone .
FWIU this model/year wasn't made with stainless but nickel ... i'm guessing it's nickel plated ???
can anyone offer sight on this ? is the pitting shallow enough that it's still safe to shoot ?

 

[JeffB1961]

Your barrel looks good. A couple passes with a bore brush wouldn't hurt to loosen up any crud, if you haven't done so already.
I have one of those hand held steam cleaners, got it on ebay for about 30 bucks. It works great for cleaning a very dirty barrel and parts.

i went over it with the brass brush and then with one of the nylon brushes when i could feel the brass brush wasn't making good contact after several minuets of scrubbing with the wonder gel . glad i got the nylon brushes as someone here suggested to me a while back .

hers a pic with the wonder gel swab bottom and dry patch on top . is this clean enough ?

 

[JeffB1961]

this lifetime range rod is nice . i like that i can put the handle on the bottom section to make it shorter for easier scrubbing on the crud ring . and as a bonus using the full rod the join ring on the top section lands perfectly at the end of the barrel with it empty and a rust preventive patch resting on the installed breech plug

 

[deermanok]

i went over it with the brass brush and then with one of the nylon brushes when i could feel the brass brush wasn't making good contact after several minuets of scrubbing with the wonder gel . glad i got the nylon brushes as someone here suggested to me a while back .

hers a pic with the wonder gel swab bottom and dry patch on top . is this clean enough ?
View attachment 21259

Don't look bad. I try to get my patches to come out of the barrel clean, no marks but a few of my guns it doesn't happen. Even if I run 100 patches down.

 

[JeffB1961]

well it's clean and back together . i took the ramrod holder off because i'm not gonna use the ramrod and i think it looks a little cleaner without it . flushed the trigger/hammer and firing pin hole out a few times letting it sit a little and some black and grey came out at first but after a few flushes it was just clear .
hopefully the weather is dry sunday and i can get some shots in .