Loading Muzzleloaders

[Knute78]

I have a new Omega that I went to sight in today. I got it sighted in and have since cleaned it. After shooting it, it came time to reload, after sending a cloth down the barrel to clean it quick, I put in the pellets and started the bullet down the barrel, I use Hornady SST .50 cal 250 grain bullets w/ 100 grains of powder and they have a sabot jacket around the "ball".

The problem is I can hardly get the (Contact Us Please) bullet down the barrel without using all my body weight(I consider myself a strong guy). I felt like I was going to break the ram rod, I actually did break the ram rod attachment or jag. I got the gun loaded each time but couldn't believe the effort it took to seat the bullet. I would never be able to reload the gun in the field on stand. What should or can I do?

I have freinds who use pretty much the same setup but it looks to take a lot less effort to load their guns. Is there anything that can lube the inside of the barrel? I am fairly new to the sport.

Thanks

[Johnny_Namakan]

I had the same problem as you, and actually did break my ramrod trying to get the bullet down the barrel. I had the two piece system, i.e. the bullet and sabot were two separate pieces. I switched to the powerbelt brand that has the little plastic ring already attached to the base of the bullet. I found these much easier to get down the barrel and seat. Not sure if this would help, I use it everytime so I have nothing to compare it to, but have you tried Bore Butter? It should reduce the resistance. But to be honest I would ty a different type of sabot/bullet.

[WalleyeWeasel]

Yes, it can be tough sending a 50 cal.sabot down a 45 cal. barrell ??

[dewydog]

knute78,

I have been muzzleloading for 10 years and have encountered just about everything, I am not an expert just experienced! Make sure you clean the barrel with some kind of bore cleaner. When you are done run a pre-lubed patch down the barrel and you will like the outcome. I actually run a pre-lubed patch down the barrel after every shot. Let me know if this works for you?

dewydog

[Whoaru99]

There are lots of people who use the Powerbelts just because of this.

Maybe try some of the TC Shockwaves with the yellow sabot. I think they are just a touch thinner and softer. They are easier to load in my CVA than are the Barnes Expanders I'm currently using.

My scenario seems a bit different than many I've heard but I don't know why. Mine actually seems much easier to load after a shot or two.

[Gissert]

I, too have had difficulty loading Hornady sabots in an Omega after the first shot, but not to the degree you state.

I have switched to Shockwaves, and they load a little better than the Hornadys did. It still is a considerable amount of effort to seat the second sabot, however.

[Knute78]

Thanks guys. It is a .50 cal muzzelloader and I do have the correct sized bullets. I have done everything I can think of to clean the gun correctly as the DVD that comes with the gun helps and from the advice of a few buddies. I have not tried bore butter yet but may. When I go hunting this weekend one friend is going to let me try a few of his Powerbelts and extra shockwaves he has, we will se if it makes any difference.

I'll probably just archery hunt Friday morning then shoot the gun mid-day to get it squared away for the rest of next weekend.

Any other opinions/thoughts are welcome.

[Knute78]

Dewy-

I will try the pre-lube patches this coming weekend as it will be my next opportunity to shoot. I will report back next monday.

[troutmaster]

bore butter!

[Mark Christianson]

I second bore butter!

[fishermn]

My guess here is that the sabot on these is leaving a lot of residue making the next bullet that much harder to load. The powerbelts mostly eliminate this problem. I think if you look at the info on the powerbelts they recommend not using a lubricant as it can cause pressures to vary and fouling to increase. Check out the powerbelt HSOforum, it has a decent amount of info.

[Borch]

Quote:

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Thanks guys. It is a .50 cal muzzelloader and I do have the correct sized bullets. I have done everything I can think of to clean the gun correctly as the DVD that comes with the gun helps and from the advice of a few buddies. I have not tried bore butter yet but may. When I go hunting this weekend one friend is going to let me try a few of his Powerbelts and extra shockwaves he has, we will se if it makes any difference.

I'll probably just archery hunt Friday morning then shoot the gun mid-day to get it squared away for the rest of next weekend.

Any other opinions/thoughts are welcome.

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Just be aware that the actual bore diameter may vary ever so slightly from different manufacturers and even different guns from the same manufacturer. You can buy different sabot cups of different thicknesses to help. Often just switching saboted bullet brands can help.

Btw,

I ran into the same issue with the same bullets in my muzzleloader. So I just stick to the powerbelts which shoot great for me anyways.

[fishermn]

This whole discussion got me thinking and I pulled up my manual for my Encore. Here is some of the wording right from my T/C's manual...

"However, when using bullets inside plastic sabots, lubricating the barrel is not recommended, as accuracy is sure to suffer as a result. Sabots should be loaded without being lubricated and any lubricant in the bore should be removed prior to loading a sabot."

Also

"The very nature of what a sabot is ie a plastic sleeve encompassing a bullet, calls for as dry a bore as possible

for maximum accuracy. Because of that fact, there will be more fouling build up (including plastic), and swabbing the bore will have to be done more frequently. For maximum

accuracy at the range, you should swab the bore between each shot."

I didnt recall that, but thought you might find it interesting... Similar to what Powerbelt recommends.

[Nova]

I had this same issue last year also along with an accuracy issue. I called TC and they told me to try the shockwaves. They are made by TC for their guns. I switched to the shockwaves and it made a huge difference both in loading and accuracy. I was using hornady bullets when I had the issues.

[Whoaru99]

Thought I read somewhere that the Shockwave bullets are merely T/C branded Hornady SSTs. The sabot is definitely different though - at least the yellow Super Glide ones are.

[perchking]

Bore Butter..

[Hines R]

Powerbelts are great bullets so you could give those a try. Much easier to load, and also legal in all states.

If you are going to keep shooting sabots I'd recommend trying a different brand. In this case I would try the TC Shockwaves. Different sleeves and bullets have slightly different thicknesses. Different rifles will have slightly different bore diameters.

Sabots are always harder to load in general and much harder on successive shots. I personally wouldn't recommend adding any lube to the barrel. This creates a damp area in the barrel. This would affect how your powder burns. If your shooting loose powder it will collect powder down the whole barrel before you ram your bullet. Just my take and I knew that TC doesn't recommend it.

Ryan

[Whoaru99]

Quote:

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...Sabots are always harder to load in general and much harder on successive shots...

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This is weird. I hear/read this all the time, but mine is absolutely, positively, MUCH easier to load AFTER the first shot and doesn't seem to start to get harder until I get somewhere above 5 or 6 shots. What's up with that?

[Mr Special]

Just wondering what setup do you have?

Sounds like it's a winner.

Thanks

[Whoaru99]

CVA Hunterbolt Mag

Shooting 250gr Barnes Expander MZ and/or 250gr T/C Shockwave over 90gr loose 777 sparked by Winchester 777-branded primers.

[Mr Special]

Being a HunterBolt, is it harder to clean then a BreakOpen or Rollin Breach action??

[Whoaru99]

Can't say for sure since I've never had to clean one of the others.

But, it doesn't seem too bad to me. Remove the bolt and breech plug and clean pretty much like the rest as far as I know. I don't have to take anything apart using tools other than the wrench for loosening the breech plug.