statjunk

Hi Guys,

I am new to muzzleloading and I have a bunch of questions. I have a knight master hunter II with the thumbhole stock and stainless barrel. It uses the orange primer disk. Here goes.

Every how many shots do I need to clean my muzzle loader if I am using the 777 pellets that claim to be ultra clean?

Every time I clean it do I need to grease the breech bold?

How much grease?

How do I clean the little hole in the breech plug?

How much effect does having a dirty barrel have on your shot with a muzzle loader?

I am shooting bullets with a plastic tip. I notice that when I force them down the barrel that I have to tug up a bit to get the rod out. Is this causing decreased performance or does it not matter? (ie I believe I am crushing that plastic tip on the way down the barrel?

After so many shots I find that it is much harder to push the bullet and sabot down the barrel. Is this because the barrel is dirty or because the barrel is hot?

Could someone please discribe the best way to start a bullet down the barrel? I have a hunting T-Handle that I am using.

What is typical accuracy that I should be getting out of my muzzle loader using a premium hunting bullet at 225 grains?

Any additional info would be great.

Thanks
Tom

cayugad

An excellent rifle. You're a luck person to have such a fine rifle.

I am wondering if your not refering to swabbing between shots. When on the range, load your rifle on a clean barrel. When I work up a load I swab between each and every shot. I swab with 50/50 combination of isopropyl alcohol 91% and summer blend car windshield washer fluid. I run a wet patch, working it in short strokes from the muzzle to the breech. The strokes get longer of course the further down they go. I then flip the wet patch and work that same side in the same manner. I then wipe the bore with dry patches, usually two is plenty. Don't get the idea that when you swab the barrel the bore is clean, it is just wiped free of the loose fowling. You could not swab for instance and then put the rifle up because it would ruin the rifle.

Even though 777 is a clean burning powder, it will leave fowling. All powders do. 777 is just easier to get out in most cases. You might encounter a hard crust after shooting the rifle near the breech. This is a crud ring. Normally swabbing will remove it. If not put a bore brush on the rod, wrap a patch on the bristles, and then wet the patch. The brush and patch will scrub the crud ring off the bore...

Yes, when you clean the rifle after each shooting you have to re-grease the breech plug on the rifle. If not it will seize up in the breech of the rifle. I use CVA Slick Nipple and Breech Plug Grease. Put on a good coating of the grease. Do not get any inside the breech plug.

Make sure all the threads of the breech plug have a good solid coating of the breech plug grease. When you set the breech plug the excess grease will come off the back of the plug and this can be removed with a Q-Tip. I personally fill all the threads. I normally have to wipe some off the back of the plug, but would rather be safe then sorry.

They make a small brush to clean the breech plug itself. They also make a brush to clean the breech of the rifle. You can use Q-Tips to clean a lot of the inside area of the breech plug. I soak the breech plug and other smaller fowled parts in a tub of M.A.P. while I clean the rifle. Then when I am ready to clean those parts they are almost able to be wiped clean. Some Q-tips and a few patches and I am ready to re-oil the parts and put every thing back.

It will effect the accuracy. The only real way to know is to shoot the rifle.It might not be all that much. I swab between shots when working up a load, but after I have the load sweet, I like to see how many the rifle will shoot in a row before it needs a swabbing. I like to be able to shoot at least three shots between swabbing with good accuracy from all three.

They do make a special loading jag for the plastic tip bullets like the Shockwaves and SST's. They also make loading jags for some of the other nose styles. What you're describing might be causing a decrease in accuracy. Only your target will tell that when you shoot. Just make sure you have the right loading jag.

That's usually the result of a build up of fowling. Run an extra wet patch or two in the bore and scrub it a little better. Also sometimes if the bore is real clean the plastic seems to be harder to push down the barrel. Whether that is because the barrel is hot I do not know. I wet the sabot with a little spit from my mouth to help it slide down the clean bore. It seems to help and what little moisture I put on the outside of the sabot is long worn off before it reached the powder charge.

On many of the T handles look at the ends of the short T. You will notice they are different sizes. One of the smaller sized will start the long nose projectiels into the bore. Place the sabot into the bore and with your thumb push the projectile into the bore as far as possible with the thumb. I sometimes cover the projectile with a small piece of cloth to protect it and my thumb. Then I use the short end of the T-handle to set the projectile deeper into the bore, flip the T handles and use the other larger short side to set the projectile even deeper. Now is when I put the longer end of the T handle on the nose of the projectile. I center that as best as possible and push in a steady motion with the flat of my hand until I can push it no deeper into the barrel. Now is the time for the ramrod to do the rest of the work.

Some projectiles are more accurate then others. Also the powder charge will effect the accuracy. Accuracy changes from person to person. With a scoped rifle I like them to be under 2" at 100 yards. I strive for a large hole at that distance. Try different weigh projectiles. Some might shoot better then others.

1shotkill

i use a cva magbolt and i use pyrodex powder and powerbelt bullets and i swab the barrel bout every 5 times.
no u dont every time u take the breach plug out to clean it you should apply anti seaze grease to it. look on the tube im not completely sure butr dont over do it couse it could ooze into your barrel.
i use a very small fine pointed piece of emtal or a ice pic works good (dont ask how i found out) or small gauge wire but be sure not to scratch it. also a fine hard jet of air like out of a air tank will work good.
well it depends after bout 10 or 15 shots itll have a bad effect in accuracy but 5-10 nothing to worry bout.
well it sounds like you dont have the right tip on your ram rod the tip should be a dinted in circle to form to the top of the bullet. or your barrel is extremely fowled.
it is becouse your barrle is fowled with burnt powder.
use a ball starter i use a oak round handle ball starter with a brass shaft there only bout 10.00.
i use 225grn powerbelt bullets with 120grns of pyrodex powder and i get 1 to 2 inch groups at 50 to 100yds with a scope.but it all depends on how you shoot.

statjunk

Thanks for the responses.

So when I swab the barrel between shots I don't need to remove the breech plug? Will the jag pull the patch back up the barrel?

Since you are familiar with my rifle do you have a reference on the ram rod? Is the standard ram rod that comes with the MH II the proper tip to push bullets with a plastic tip down the barrel?

Should I switch to bullets without the plastic tip to remove one more problem from the system?

Thanks
Tom

cayugad

There is no need to remove a breech plug when you swab the barrel. with a loading jag you just work the patch down the barrel and remove the fowling. It does not hurt to twist the breech plug once in a while, like every seven or ten shots, to make sure it is not seizing up. But you only need to remove the breech plug for the final cleaning at the end of the day.

When I am on the range, I use a range ramrod. I leave the ramrod that came with the rifle for the rifle and for hunting. I like a nice long range ramrod. A 32" is the kind I like that is nice and solid. Get one with female ends on both ends of the rod. That way you can put a T handle on the other end for pulling leverage.

This is the loading jag for the T/C Shockwave or other long nose spitzer type projectiles... Most on line stores carry them.



There is no need to change projectiles if they shoot well for you. Just use the correct loading jag so you do not damage the head. I always put one on the long stem of the short starter also, so get two or three. They are easy to misplace.

Another projectile you might want to get and try in that nice rifle of yours is a 250 or 300 grain Barnes Expander. They are a hollow point type but are very well made and do not splatter when they hit game. They do put large holes through the animals and I have read they are even good on elk size game although I never used them on elk...

Good luck with your rifle.

statjunk

Thanks a lot for you help. I appreciate it.

Tom