Hello members of Modern Muzzleloader Forums,
So I have recently acquired all of the materials necessary to begin firing my CVA Wolf inline muzzleloader rifle. Here is my list of supplies I will bring with me to the range:
1. CVA Wolf PR2110S Rifle with carrying case
2. Barnes T-EZ copper sabots (must be California legal for me)
3. White hots pelletized black powder substitute
4. Federal 209A Primers
5. Powerbelt Bullet starter
6. Thompson breech-plug grease
7. Bore solvent/cleaning patches
8. Safety glasses
9. Earmuff sound protection
10. Shovel (to bury bullet litter)
11. Fire extinguisher
12. Non-metal targets, plastic sheets to attach to objects such as milk cartons (what else could I use?)
I have prepared my rifle by cleaning it with bore solvent (Hoppes No 9 & CVA barrelblaster presoaked patches) followed by dry patches. I applied breech-plug grease and will re-grease the breech plug when I arrive at the range. I think it has been completely cleaned of the factory preservatives coating the inside of the barrel, and so it must be safe to start shooting.
I located an outdoor BLM shooting area near me. It seems very private and do-it-yourself; you park off the road behind these rock formations, walk into the field to place your targets, and shoot from behind the rocks. I plan on just firing 3 or 4 times just to get a feel for it. And of course, I will shoot a few blank primers beforehand, as suggested, to test the functioning.
What I'm worried about is how to safely handle a gun malfunction and learn what the problem is. Say I have my gun primed, charged with powder pellets, and loaded with the sabot. I cock the hammer back and shoot but it does not fire. I wait for 2 minutes with the gun still pointed downrange to see if it just has some kind of delayed fire (is that what I should do?).
If nothing happens, do I open up the gun and empty the load? What do I do? What could have prevented the gun from misfiring? I really don't know what to expect, I just want to be sure that I don't destroy my gun or blow off my hand or something. What are the important things I need to know?
Also, I'm open to suggestions for objects to place my targets on.
And, should I clean the barrel after each shot? What are suggested cleaning techniques for after the first few shots?
Thanks for reading and I appreciate all feedback.
So I have recently acquired all of the materials necessary to begin firing my CVA Wolf inline muzzleloader rifle. Here is my list of supplies I will bring with me to the range:
1. CVA Wolf PR2110S Rifle with carrying case
2. Barnes T-EZ copper sabots (must be California legal for me)
3. White hots pelletized black powder substitute
4. Federal 209A Primers
5. Powerbelt Bullet starter
6. Thompson breech-plug grease
7. Bore solvent/cleaning patches
8. Safety glasses
9. Earmuff sound protection
10. Shovel (to bury bullet litter)
11. Fire extinguisher
12. Non-metal targets, plastic sheets to attach to objects such as milk cartons (what else could I use?)
I have prepared my rifle by cleaning it with bore solvent (Hoppes No 9 & CVA barrelblaster presoaked patches) followed by dry patches. I applied breech-plug grease and will re-grease the breech plug when I arrive at the range. I think it has been completely cleaned of the factory preservatives coating the inside of the barrel, and so it must be safe to start shooting.
I located an outdoor BLM shooting area near me. It seems very private and do-it-yourself; you park off the road behind these rock formations, walk into the field to place your targets, and shoot from behind the rocks. I plan on just firing 3 or 4 times just to get a feel for it. And of course, I will shoot a few blank primers beforehand, as suggested, to test the functioning.
What I'm worried about is how to safely handle a gun malfunction and learn what the problem is. Say I have my gun primed, charged with powder pellets, and loaded with the sabot. I cock the hammer back and shoot but it does not fire. I wait for 2 minutes with the gun still pointed downrange to see if it just has some kind of delayed fire (is that what I should do?).
If nothing happens, do I open up the gun and empty the load? What do I do? What could have prevented the gun from misfiring? I really don't know what to expect, I just want to be sure that I don't destroy my gun or blow off my hand or something. What are the important things I need to know?
Also, I'm open to suggestions for objects to place my targets on.
And, should I clean the barrel after each shot? What are suggested cleaning techniques for after the first few shots?
Thanks for reading and I appreciate all feedback.