Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Bullet seating trouble

Started today with a clean bore and the Precision Rifle QT .50/.40/250 saboted bullet seated quite easily. It was also 8" high at 100 yds. Second shot from a fouled barrel dropped right into the 10 ring but I noticed that it was not quite seated as deeply as the first shot. This using 2/50 of 777.

I have it figured out that I can kill deer to about 150 yards with this thing and the load I'm using now. Today was my last opportunity to shoot before fridays deer opener.

I do intend to try BH209 after the season ends. But cannot switch before the season. Is there anything I can do to seat this load without hammering on it?

carry some alcohol swabs and swab the bore to keep the crud ring from grabbing the bullet. That crud ring is a real pain in the butt.

OK...

When you say swab the bore, do I remove the breech plug and swab from the breech end?

Or do I simply stand the rifle up and swab from the muzzle?

since you are in the field, just swab from the muzzle.

You be sure to seat that bullet properly. Otherwise you could end-up with a barrel bulge...... or worse.

The reason I quit 777 was crud rings, seized breechplugs, nipples and bolster drum screws.

Boy Howdy!

+10!!! Long ago, shooting blackpowder and trying to get one more round downrange, I failed to seat and bulged the barrel of my .50 TC Hawken. You can actually see the bulge on the exterior of the barrel down toward the receiver end.

Had to take the day off work to help a friend who just got out of physical rehab. The afternoon was free and I made the switch to bh209.

Excellent accuracy and no more bullet seating issues. The counter guy (about 21 years old) who sold me the rifle tried to tell me this from the get-go.


Not all young guys at the gun counter are clueless. He offered his advice and cut me loose. He also predicted the progression I would take. He was correct right down the line except I got there a month or so ahead of his prognostication.

T7 sucks.

Gonna try BH in my one 209 gun after the season. Everything else gets FFg or FFFg Goex.

NOPE, NOPE, NOPE, NOPE, NOPE.

Ultra bore coat the sucker.

When I bore coated my GPR I went from needing to swab every 2 shots to every 8-10 shots.

The thing just doesn't foul like it did before... freak'n amazing stuff.

The last 5" or so never did cure right because the barrel is too long, so when I seat it's stiff for a few seconds and then the ball and patch fly down the barrel onto the the charge. In fact I have to hold it down a few seconds in order not to get the thing to fly up a bit from the pressure inside the nipple (if I leave the fired cap on).

Ultra bore coat it and don't look back.

Spot

If I am understanding what you are saying, you used a 90 gr. of powder the first time and 100 gr. the second time. Did not say, but I assume the same powder. It should seat to different places. I mark my rod where it should seat and check it every time. Using Barnes bullets, which are tapered on the end, I can drop the sabot in, seat it, then drop the bullet in and seat it. Easy in a tight bore. Works great. miles

Well, no...

I used the same load every time. A .50 saboted .40 dia. 250 gr bullet over two 50 gr pellets of t7.

T7 pellets may be an option for those who simply refuse to handle loose propellant.

For my purposes the BH209 advantages outweigh any simplicity-in-handling factor of the T7.

I live in an area where the only legal guns for deer are shotguns, handguns and muzzleloaders. Am looking for the most businesslike muzzleloader set-up I can find.

I have mentioned this many times, but 100 gr. of loose powder is all that I use. I take penny wrappers and fold one end twice and glue with wood glue. A Clothes pin holds them until they dry. Then I put the right amount of powder fold twice and glue. Store them in a ziplock until needed. I keep them for years that way and never had a problem. Easily torn open and poured into the barrel. If using 105 grains a nickle or quarter size would work. Best way that I ever tried. miles

Speedloaders work really, really well with loose powder, and they even hold the bullet in a handy location as well.

Pellets are simple, but loose powder is a lot more precise and pretty damned easy to use.

Ultra bore coat would stop the crud ring. Shooting thor bullets would to. You are getting a plastic build up. Trash that 777 may help

it wont completely stop it but it does help tame it down to the point you can reload a few shots at least.

Can't fathom running a ML without UBC to the bore, especially if having the opportunity to start from clean, bare, virgin metal.

I have a set of the BH209 volume powder measure/carriers.

Is there something out there that will carry loose powder, bullet, and primer ready to use?

I use these, and cut off the little cylinder that projects down into the primer holder so it'll hold a 209 primer:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Thompson-Center-Magnum-Quickshot-Speed-Loader-Per/740360.uts

What does 'Ultra bore coat' do? I've always used the TC bore butter and # 13 cleaner[both food grade] in all 3 of my TC's exclusively and have no issues. Can go 6-7 shots easy if necessary. Goex FF or FFFg only.
The guns are 32 years old[Renegade] and 20 years old[ThunderHawks]. No problems in any of them.