Noob from iowa

[Fbodyfan]

Hello just purchased my first muzzleloader went with the CVA optima V2 looks like alot of good info here I'm sure I'll have a few questions lol

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Welcome Fbodyfan. Goodchoice for your first ML.

 

[rangerod]

Welcome. I'm also from Iowa. Waterloo. Where in Iowa are you.

 

[DJ_Brutus]

Welcome Fbodyfan! I have 2 of the same and they shoot great.
RangeRod - my in-laws are lifelong residents of Waterloo. Love visiting and good fishing out there!

 

[deermanok]

Welcome from Oklahoma.

 

[HC]

To the brotherhood.

 

[Fbodyfan]

Welcome. I'm also from Iowa. Waterloo. Where in Iowa are you.

I'm from the big ol town of denver about 15 minutes north of you

 

[Fbodyfan]

Alright so here's how I'm sitting now I've got the black/stainless CVA optima V2 and I picked up CVA muzzleloader scope for it my FFL is also a buddy of mine and he recommended Blackhorn 209 loose powder and set me up with some hornady SST 300gr pills for it i had trouble finding primers but managed to find some federal 209s at a walmart of all places
The gun came with an anti seize stick and some CVA wonder gel some patches couple nylon brushes and a basic bullet starter.

HOWEVER after a bit of reading it appears I'm going to have to buy a different breech plug if I want to run this blackhorn 209?

Been perusing on muzzleloader . Com a bit today looking at that breech plug and all the other cleaning supplies just curious what other gear or tools I should pick up before deer season rolls around for me or whatever the best place to snag some gear or any different cleaners (looks like alot of guys just use windex?)

 

[DJ_Brutus]

Going to be a wide variety of opinions on what to be shooting, but a common load, and one that works for me, for the Optima is a Hornady XTP bullet (.452 300gr non-MAG), or Speer Deep Curl (same size/weight) using a black Harvester crush rib sabot or smooth short black sabot, or an MMP HPH/24 sabot. Try 90-110gr (measured by volume) of BH209 and see what does best. And yes, get the plug designed for BH209/loose powders.

If you notice soot on your primer and around the breech after shooting, you can use small rubber O-rings that fit in the primer pocket, or shims behind the firing pin bushing to eliminate the blow-by. Search on this forum for more info.

Cleaning wise, use what you use on your standard centerfire rifles. Hoppes #9 or any other common cleaner. BH209 cleans completely different than black powder/black powder substitutes. Don’t use water based cleaners.
You will need to clean the breach plug with a drill bit (every 5 to 25+ shots, depending on who you ask). Just by hand. Couple twists to remove carbon deposits. 1/8” bit if I’m remembering right.
All this info I picked up on this forum. Hopefully some of the guys I learned from will chime in with more. The search tool is your friend and this forum is a wealth of information.

 

[gman57]

welcome to the club from NC, ask any questions you can think of here, there are no stupid questions. First thing put witness marks on the ram rod. I mark the rod where it sits on a empty barrel ,also mark it on a loaded barrel. Enjoy your new V2 and this forum.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Double check those primers, Fbodyfan. The Federals that malwart sells are usually the weaker muzzleloader version designed for t7 and other subs. For Blackhorn 209 you will need the regular shotgun or magnum version of 209 primers. Checkout Lehigh for a powder breechplug that has a replacable liner.
https://sskfirearms.lehighdefense.com/all-products?product_id=308

 

[Fbodyfan]

Double check those primers, Fbodyfan. The Federals that malwart sells are usually the weaker muzzleloader version designed for t7 and other subs. For Blackhorn 209 you will need the regular shotgun or magnum version of 209 primers. Checkout Lehigh for a powder breechplug that has a replacable liner.
https://sskfirearms.lehighdefense.com/all-products?product_id=308

THANK YOU for that link I was reading a few threads last night hearing people talk about the plugs with removable liners got one ordered

And yes after some more reading I realized the federals are not ideal my FFL buddy said all his suppliers were empty so I'm currently sitting outside my local fleet farm hoping they got some lol my local scheels was bone dry

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Give the primers you have a try. Once you have the right plug for powder, it may light off. May not. Wont cost anymore to try it and you will gain some knowledge.

 

[Fbodyfan]

Give the primers you have a try. Once you have the right plug for powder, it may light off. May not. Wont cost anymore to try it and you will gain some knowledge.

Fleet Farm came through there wasnt any CCI magnum primers I kept reading about but they had some remington 209 shotgun primers so hopefully those are hot enough just finished mounting the scope and cleaned everything up now the long wait for my breech plug

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Lehigh is pretty quick. You'll have it in no time. The Rems should work fine once you have the right plug.

 

[rangerod]

I'm from the big ol town of denver about 15 minutes north of you

Great. Maybe get together and shoot sometime. Do you know where Black Hawk park is? Past up a little forky last night. Dropped the Omega while loading so go with the Triumph until I can check the Omega.

 

[Okie Hog]

Welcome from SW Oklahoma

 

[Fbodyfan]

Update
Installed lehigh breech plug measured out 100g by volume of bh209 using a video I saw member besthill? I believe his name was
Fired a whopping one round before the snowstorm started
BUT IT WORKED no delay worked perfect currently deep cleaning it right now
Plan on maybe next weekend taking it out and using 100g by volume bh209 and the power belt bullets that came with it just to practice proper loading and getting used to it then going up to 110 by volume and switch to my hornady bullets and dial the scope in.

 

[GM54-120]

The Lehigh plugs are typically VERY well made. Make sure to remove the vent liner, clean the threads and apply a very tiny dab of antisieze when you reinstall it.

For channel thread cleaning the Pro Shot Gas Port brush set should work. Its a set of 2 tiny SS brushes.
https://www.proshotproducts.com/Port-Brushes_p_591.html

 

[UndeadPoet]

Welcome! Lots of great information here.