New muzzleloader safety concerns

[deermanok]

I had read about the triple 7 crud ring. Is Pyrodex better in that regard or pretty similar? In Idaho muzzleloader seasons I don't believe blackhorn 209 is an option since we can't use 209 primers or closed ignition.

I have been pushing the caps on firmly and have been getting them to go off every time now

I don't have a lot of experience with Pyrodex but the few times I have used it, I did not see any crud ring.

 

[phalanx]

Used Pyrodex and 777 this past weekend sighting in my and my friends rifles. Zero crud ring with Pyrodex and it felt odd as I had started with the 777.

 

[ElDiablo]

I shot Pyrodex for years and for me 777 is a huge improvement. I’d never shoot Pyrodex again.

 

[phalanx]

I agree with you ElDiablo but we have plenty of both and some of my friends prefer the smell and smoke from Pyrodex over 777. For my Knight DISCs I was using BH209 but for the Traditions it was 777.

 

[Buster Brown]

Just added safety info for you: If you have a partial ignition of powder (hiss and fizzle), don’t re-cap and fire. This doesn’t sound like what you experienced.

This happened to me when was first starting out and I used a patch that was a bit too wet to clean at the range between shots. The dampness affected the powder I loaded next, and when I fired I got a fizzle and it drove the bullet almost fully out of the bore (stopped a few inches short of the muzzle and I had to later pound it out with a brass rod). After removing the breech plug there was still a lot of un-burnt powder still in the barrel. It might have ignited with a second cap, if the first partial ignition dried out the wet powder. Probably not? Hopefully not?

After discovering the initial conditions on the range (bullet 3-4 inches from end of muzzle and lots of unburned powder), I thought about putting a small charge of 10-20 grains in from the back and trying to shoot it the rest of the way out by leaving it in the rest and pulling the trigger with some string. But as it was, I just quit the range, came back here to confer with the collective, and pounded it out (which was still a real bear).

Hope you can learn something from that,

Buster

 

[Bad Karma]

Just added safety info for you: If you have a partial ignition of powder (hiss and fizzle), don’t re-cap and fire. This doesn’t sound like what you experienced.

This happened to me when was first starting out and I used a patch that was a bit too wet to clean at the range between shots. The dampness affected the powder I loaded next, and when I fired I got a fizzle and it drove the bullet almost fully out of the bore (stopped a few inches short of the muzzle and I had to later pound it out with a brass rod). After removing the breech plug there was still a lot of un-burnt powder still in the barrel. It might have ignited with a second cap, if the first partial ignition dried out the wet powder. Probably not? Hopefully not?

After discovering the initial conditions on the range (bullet 3-4 inches from end of muzzle and lots of unburned powder), I thought about putting a small charge of 10-20 grains in from the back and trying to shoot it the rest of the way out by leaving it in the rest and pulling the trigger with some string. But as it was, I just quit the range, came back here to confer with the collective, and pounded it out (which was still a real bear).

Hope you can learn something from that,

Buster

That’s a bullet dodged right there!

 

[bronko220002]

All good advice above. in regard to swabbing between shots, being sure the cap is firmly on the nipple, popping off a couple caps before shooting and dry patching etc.. But don't forget to clean your flame channel off thoroughly during your cleaning process. Another thing that I do after cleaning the rifle is to store it muzzle down for at least a day to allow any residual oil to flow away from the breech area. It doesn't take much oil to contaminate a lot of powder.

 

[280Bravo]

Knight 52 cal on sale now with western bolt and plug set up and free shipping.
And the Parker hydro con.