Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders My muzzle loader got a bulge in its barrel today?

Another question I have is. The power belt instructions advise a certain primer to reduce the crud from Triple seven? Is this primer efficacious? Is it a 209 or #11? Thanks.

It's a 209 that's weaker than standard primers.

It seems the hotter the primer, the more pronounced the crud ring is. Winchester came out with a lower powered 209 T7 primer to specifically address this. I've shot T7 powder with both #11 and 209 primers and the crud ring with the 209s is usually lower in the bore and more concentrated. With #11s there didn't seem to be as much of a "ring" of fouling, more like an area further up the bore. As to why and where you got the bulge with that load is a mystery to me.

the other year i talked to CPW and basically we are limited due to the uneducated that write and enforce these hunting laws. The guy I talked to..... Oh no! We don't allow sabots because they don't produce enough energy to take down wildlife.


Yet they allow a 10mm pistol for elk

You need to talk to the right people, not just "a guy from CPW."

Thanks 4 the advice. I will let you guys know what Thompson Center says when I send in the rifle.

"find a copy of the 2003 Hunting Guide published by the (then) DOW"
Smoke: A bit difficult to find a 13 year old Co wildlife publication. Since you are the author could you post it? Not trying to argue, I am just interested in the reasoning. Thanks

I'll see if I can find the original MS Word file. But the reasoning is just what I said-to limit the effective range during the time when bulls are vulnerable.

They allow inlines so tradition is not the reason.

Not on subject,but every PB I have pulled has had rifling engraved upon it,295 gr and 348 gr. The few I have recovered in the animal have had engraved rifling on it.

The Aerotipped seems to expand more than a hollow point,but if your remove the tip,you will see the hollow point under it is the exact size as one without.

This year,I was some what perplexed.I killed an elk with the 348 and it was expanded a little more than I wanted. No bone was hit except ribs. A week later killed a small whitetail with 295 Aerotip and it flattened completely and no bones were hit except ribs.Both were charged with BH209, 90 and 100 gr respectively. Probably need to go to 80 gr.

Previously , using another rifle that cannot use BH209,I was using black powder. The last elk I killed with it,I was using the 295 gr Aerotipped and it slugged all the way thru the elk, stopping under the hide on the far side.Hardly any appreciable expansion.That was with 100 gr of black powder.

Prior to those two rifles,I hunted with a TC Hawkin using Pyrodex, 777 or BP.The BP performed the best and didn't degrade from one year to the next.The bullet was the 370 gr Maxiball. It killed elk consistently with the great expansion.I even hollow pointed some
With these heavy bullets, and you cut a 50 cal hole thru and animal,you do not need much expansion and for sure SD doesn't mean much when shooting 100 yards or less.

AS for the CO regs saying you can use a scope if you have poor eyesight is not true. You must have an eye disease or injury and must have a certification from an optometrist or opthamalogist. Old eyes with failing vision doesn't cut it. .

I whole heartedly disagree with sectional density not meaning anything. But to each his own

Well, when you're using a 350-450 grain .50 caliber hunk of lead at 1500-1600 fps, what exactly does SD mean?

Amen to that.

It means it is the proper sectional density. I understand that fast monolithic do not require the SD of a lead projectile. But SD is a measurement that will predict how lead will penetrate. If one chooses to shoot let's say a 180 grain round ball at a mature elk, one will be best trying to avoid impact with bone. I try to stay above .25 for lead based bullets on elk. But like I say I have killed with arrows, and I am sure a 22 mag would also work. So basically a 385 grain or greater 50 caliber I would personally consider as adequate elk " medicine". But 2 each his own.

350 gains is 90% of 385 grains. So if you need to troll over 10% lead on.

Well, sectional density for a ML projectile means more when talking long range "carry-ability" than it does for tissue damage - given relatively short range impact. Given a large enough round ball with its piss-poor SD, you'd be surprised at the damage it can do. Trouble is, it runs out of steam quickly as range increases (in terms of velocity loss with attendant lessened energy and increased drop) which is where higher SD projectiles come into their own. That said, if I wanted to shoot at big stubborn animals at 200 yards I would rather use a .30-06, and if limited by ML hunting regs, either pass up the shot or try to get closer.

I limit my shooting with .45 and .50 round balls to 100 yards or less. But then again I hunt in relatively thick woods with no chance of an across-the-field shot so I can get away with it nicely.

Before you throw that barrel away cut it off right behind the bad spot. Its cery simple with a muzzleloader. I've been shortening 50 calber barrels to 20" or so for the last few years. With that twist it may not shoot well but its still worth a try.

Thanks. Good idea! But I think T C will replace it 4 free.

This thread tho..wow

I seriously doubt they will. They know when a bullet has been improperly loaded / short-started, or when the bullet/sabot combo is too loose for the bore.

That bulge was most-likely caused by either short-starting (or) the bullet / sabot combo moved off the powder charge during transit, prior to firing it. OR, the shooter may have encountered a no fire prior to putting on the new primer and firing the ML that produced the bulge Sometimes when only the primer ignites and not the powder, the bullet will move/loosen in the barrel.

Sounds like gun owner errors here..... not the fault of the manufacturer. I'm betting T/C will say the same thing.

if you decide to cut it. i cut them with a band saw ,file it as flat and square as you can. take a big countersink and crown the inside,touch up with the finest file you have to remove any burs. a q-tip work great for checking for small burs on the edge of the rifling. i usually take a buffing wheel on my dremel and smooth everything up before rebluing the muzzle. ever gun that i have cut actually shot better after it was shortened.rod holders are the only problem you could have depending on where the bulge is. you may have to drill and tap to get the rod holder to work.