Muzzleloader question?

[Drenalin]

My CVA Optima would never burn 150 grains of pellets, even though it was advertised of being able to shoot those loads so I dropped to 100. If your eye relief is good, you probably just got excited and choked up on it, like you mentioned in one of your posts. You could spend a few minutes with it and stick a piece of tape on your stock where you want your cheek weld, then practice a little pulling the gun up and settling on that spot, kind of like an anchor point with a bow. Do it enough, and in the heat of moment hopefully you'll hit the right spot and not get scoped again. I'm not clairvoyant, maybe you have an entirely different issue, but that's my best guess.

[Lockdown]

Most scope cuts are the result of not keeping the gun TIGHT to your shoulder, and leaning in to the gun too much.

I got scope cut once and I was laying prone. The gun has nowhere to go in that situation but up and towards your forehead, as it can’t push your whole body back.

Scope cuts often happen from a shooting bench when you lean too far forward bracing for recoil. Sit upright, keep the gun pulled in tight to your shoulder, make sure the scope isn’t set too far forward (forcing you to lean in to it). Let it push your shoulder (and ultimately your head too) back when it recoils.

[Budgetbuck1]

I had a lot of trouble learning about muzzleloaders but have great success now. A few tips for you so that you don't repeat my muzzleloading mistakes would be to remember and change out your powder every year unless you are using blackhorn 209, swab the barrel with a wet patch between shots in the field(if you have time to do so), 100 grains of powder is more than adequate for whitetail hunting and remember to keep the stock in the pocket of your shoulder even when you are at a weird shot angle. If you get the stock near your bicep instead of the shoulder then you could get scoped. I got scoped with a 30.06 shooting a deer with the gun turned sideways leaning around the tree to get a shot.....never again. Good luck with your new muzzleloader!

[Horizontal Hunter]

Ok guys I usually bowhunt but 2 years ago my wife bought me a muzzleloader as I have always wanted one and so this weekend I took it out and shot a doe and scoped the crap out of myself. Its a CVA Accura V2 I sighted it in, in a vise so had no issues but I am shooting 150grains of powder which my gun is ok to use and am debating on dropping to 100. What do you guys see as a difference? Also what do you use? Thanks in advance keep on being beastly!

My wife also bought me my TC Impact. It’s great to have a wonderful wife who gets it.

Shoot the load that shoots best out of your rifle. Period. The only thing that matters is what is most accurate in your rifle.

I tend to climb up on the scope as well so I mount them a little further forward than most.

I shoot a150g load in my TC Impact because it is MOA at 100 yards. It likes 3 Triple 7 50g pellets on a LNL Hornady SST sabot, ignited by a Triple 7 primer.

I bought some 60g pellets and I tried 100g, 110g, 120g, loads as well. They were nowhere near as accurate.

I like the pellets on the LNL sabot as it is very easy to reload in the field as they go down the barrel in one piece. If you want to shoot less than 150g you can just snip the tail on the sabot.

I had a lot of trouble learning about muzzleloaders but have great success now. A few tips for you so that you don't repeat my muzzleloading mistakes would be to remember and change out your powder every year unless you are using blackhorn 209, swab the barrel with a wet patch between shots in the field(if you have time to do so), 100 grains of powder is more than adequate for whitetail hunting and remember to keep the stock in the pocket of your shoulder even when you are at a weird shot angle. If you get the stock near your bicep instead of the shoulder then you could get scoped. I got scoped with a 30.06 shooting a deer with the gun turned sideways leaning around the tree to get a shot.....never again. Good luck with your new muzzleloader!

FWIW:

I can add..

I have been using the same pellets for 4 years I think without issue. I vacuum seal my pellets and primers with my vacuum sealer during the off season.

Blue Loctite on the scope screws is a worthwhile addition to prevent it loosening up in the field.

Bob

[Sharpshoot3r]

I have the same muzzle loader. I currently use 100g 777 with sabot 295 horandy. No issue. Previously was using 150g but other then additional kick i dint see a reason. About 6" high at 50 yards flat at 100/150. I was going to switch to the power belts aerolite. If you go on there site they have ballistics for different band of loads and there product line. I find the that the sabots need more brushing of the barrel after 3 shots it gets hard to load.

[wolfie729]

Read the discussion started previously titled " I'm ditching pellet powder" I believe started by lockdown. There is absolutely no need for 150 grains of powder unless you are shooting 200 + yards with a minimum sabot bullet weight of 275 grains at some large game. Also from a safety factor i think you may be outside of your guns standards.

It says I am ok to shoot 150grains so my logic was more powder the flatter but now after scoping myself I did some reading and read 150 can cause erratic flight. Stupid question but does it make a difference on game?

[wolfie729]

My CVA Optima would never burn 150 grains of pellets, even though it was advertised of being able to shoot those loads so I dropped to 100. If your eye relief is good, you probably just got excited and choked up on it, like you mentioned in one of your posts. You could spend a few minutes with it and stick a piece of tape on your stock where you want your cheek weld, then practice a little pulling the gun up and settling on that spot, kind of like an anchor point with a bow. Do it enough, and in the heat of moment hopefully you'll hit the right spot and not get scoped again. I'm not clairvoyant, maybe you have an entirely different issue, but that's my best guess.

Ya I think thats what I did just got to much into the gun

[wolfie729]

Most scope cuts are the result of not keeping the gun TIGHT to your shoulder, and leaning in to the gun too much.

I got scope cut once and I was laying prone. The gun has nowhere to go in that situation but up and towards your forehead, as it can’t push your whole body back.

Scope cuts often happen from a shooting bench when you lean too far forward bracing for recoil. Sit upright, keep the gun pulled in tight to your shoulder, make sure the scope isn’t set too far forward (forcing you to lean in to it). Let it push your shoulder (and ultimately your head too) back when it recoils.

Thats what I did I was with my daughter in an old barn out back watching a field just so I could take her out without spooking all the deer off the property and I was sitting down and rested my gun on an old wall perlin as a rest and boom my face lol

[may21581]

Read the discussion started previously titled " I'm ditching pellet powder" I believe started by lockdown. There is absolutely no need for 150 grains of powder unless you are shooting 200 + yards with a minimum sabot bullet weight of 275 grains at some large game. Also from a safety factor i think you may be outside of your guns standards.

It says I am ok to shoot 150grains so my logic was more powder the flatter but now after scoping myself I did some reading and read 150 can cause erratic flight. Stupid question but does it make a difference on game?

As the old saying goes more isn't always better. Case in point when I started shooting muzzleloaders I had one that liked a real hot charge. I couldn't get it to group worth a darn with normal powder loads. After reading and investigating my power belt aerotip bullet with the gas seal on it was no good for my gun. The bullet was also like .499 in diameter so it was a fat sucker. I switched to a sabot and a bullet with a diameter of .450 at the same weight and holy moly what a difference. Much more accurate with as much power and less powder. The skinnier bullet also has a much better coefficient than the fatter ones. My shoulder also appreciates it. Good luck