Five Simple Steps You Need To Take...

Subject: Five Simple Steps You Need To Take...

1. The most important thing in muzzle loading is to be consistent in how you load your gun, how you swab between shots – everything needs to be consistent at the range and carry over to the field. Most competition shooters always start off by firing two primers through to clean an unloaded traditional muzzleloader of any solvents or lubricants and to foul the barrel. It’s been found the most consistency if just using a saliva patch to swab after my shot,” dampen the patch and run it down the barrel. A little water will work too, but steers clear of solvents because they tend to remove too much of the fouling.

2. Mark your ramrod so you know it is properly loaded. Start with a clean muzzleloader and load it carefully, assuring the bullet is seated properly (If using powder pellets, don’t crush them. Never crush them.) Once you’re sure the bullet is seated properly on the powder or pellets, mark a line around your ramrod with a gray Sharpie, nail polish, something that will last. That provides a quick visual check you’ve reloaded properly. One issue muzzleloader hunters deal with is the buildup of a carbon ring in the barrel after a shooting session. If the ring isn’t swabbed away it can build to a point where it stops the bullet from being seated properly on the powder, creating a short-loading situation which can adversely affect accuracy. It also lets you quickly check to see if there is already a load in the barrel.

3. Match your bullet to the game you’re going to hunt. Power Belt bullets and Aero Lite bullets are designed to be used with 100 grains of powder. On the other hand, if your hunting elk, chose a 270-grain or 300-grain Power Belt bullet, which is a little harder and “very effective on elk.

4. If you travel to hunt, double-check your zero on arrival. Not just for possible bumps to your rifle and/or scope along the way, but also for changes in elevation. “Say you sight your gun in Pennsylvania and are heading to Colorado to hunt elk at 10,000 feet. That higher elevation can change the point of impact – significantly.”

5. Know the state’s muzzle loading regulations before you go. Requirements change state to state. Colorado, for instance, requires use of loose powder and allows only open sights. Some states require an exposed breech plug (CVA’s “Northwest” line of muzzleloaders – with Real-tree APG HD stocks – meet this requirement). Also some states don’t allow saboted bullets. Know the regulations.


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