New to Muzzleloading - just bought a CVA Wolf

Thanks for all the feedback. Some good discussion so far.

For the PR bullets do you need a special breech plug? I was browsing the web site, and noticed some references to breech plugs.

I think Mike & GW11 have alluded to the reason why I am looking to get into ML season. Each November seems to be getting warmer and warmer, and i saw more hunters in the area of crown we hunt & no deer last year. I think the ML season may be my solution to both deer & crowding. Hopefully this year we'll test that theory.

PR Bullets do some custom gunsmith work and after market manufacturing...they have created some great work around solutions to OEM problems..ie: Savage 10ML issues and 209 primers and powder.

Their web page has all the info, but it's just not very well done, it takes some digging.

Was just doing some reading online & noticed Randy Wakeman really has a hate on for the Powerbelt bullets & not much love for CVA ML's either. The general reviews and videos of Powerbelt performance seems relatively positive re:accuracy and mixed on knockdown power. I must admit my interest in them is in removing the sabot & fouling out of the equation & relative ease of loading.

RTRand GW you got a ML for the same reason I did. The early season makes me nervous in crown land. I moved to an area with a late season ML hunt but no slug hunt so I traded the shotgun. I'm learning as I read this thread. Unfortunately I don't have good land for doinking around. I need to travel to avoid disturbing the neighbours. I live in the country but I'm timid about upsetting others target practicing so I wait until I get up to the big bush.

Thanks for the hints on cleaning.JS4 I know a 20 gauge snake bore doesn't do the trick easily.

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Originally Posted by RTRonthefly

Was just doing some reading online & noticed Randy Wakeman really has a hate on for the Powerbelt bullets & not much love for CVA ML's either. The general reviews and videos of Powerbelt performance seems relatively positive re:accuracy and mixed on knockdown power. I must admit my interest in them is in removing the sabot & fouling out of the equation & relative ease of loading.

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I'm not sure if you'll be able to see this pic or not. I don't post pictures through Tapatalk normally. Here are a couple of Powerbelts that I have recovered from deer. One did a great job, the other not so much. The fragmented one was a quartering towards shot that hit bone. It might have made contact with a little twig before hitting the deer also. The mushroom did not hit bone.

As to your bullet seating/loading questions. You can just faintly make out the rifling grooves on the bottom portion of the middle bullet. I pushed that one out the breech end to unload it. That should give you a visual on how well they fit/seal. They load really easily in my Optima. My buddy has a Wolf and uses the same load and they load easily for his as well.

My only gripe with them whatsoever is that they've fragmented on me as often as they haven't, but I haven't tried the heavier bullets on game yet. I suspect that two Triple Seven pellets are pushing the 270 grain bullet too fast.

Cleanup with a bit of dish soap and hot water works great. A bit of sabot solvent, oil and breech plug lube before storage and it's ready for the next hunt.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f79eb5b053.jpg

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GW,
Have you tried the copper coated powerbelts? I was thinking of trying the 295grn Copper coated. They seem to have good reviews on Cabelas.com

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Originally Posted by RTRonthefly

GW,
Have you tried the copper coated powerbelts? I was thinking of trying the 295grn Copper coated. They seem to have good reviews on Cabelas.com

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I started with copper and went to the platinum because they shot a little flatter and were a bit faster in 270 grain. Looking back on that decision I think slower is better for Powerbelts, especially at the ranges I normally hunt at (100 yards or less). I never got the chance to shoot any live game with the copper but I found a couple in blocks of wood that I was using as a backstop and they held together fine.

I'm planning to switch back to copper this year, probably in the 300+ grain range.

Edit: I should add there are far more knowledgeable folks than I on this site when it comes to muzzle loaders, just giving you a bit of information on my experiences with Powerbelts.

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Had the Wolf out to the range for the first time yesterday. 295grn Powerbelt Copper aero tips, 2 white hots and Winchester 209 primers had me zero’d at 50yd with 4 shots using iron sights. Need some work to figure out 100 yds next.

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Originally Posted by RTRonthefly

Had the Wolf out to the range for the first time yesterday. 295grn Powerbelt Copper aero tips, 2 white hots and Winchester 209 primers had me zero’d at 50yd with 4 shots using iron sights. Need some work to figure out 100 yds next.

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In this day and age, any of the in-lines will shot a good grouping out of the box at 50 yds no matter what bullet or powder you use .....It's a no brainer, which is all a lot of guys want, nothing wrong with that.

But once your seek out 100 yds; then you start to see the problem with using powder sticks/pellets. You begin to loose control of the bullet if you aren't controlling the amount of powder your using. Guys like them for the ease of loading and are willing to sacrifice accuracy. And since pie plate accuracy is 'good enough' for a center of mass shot , it really doesn't affect the ability to kill a deer at 100 yds.

If you want to be more precise (accurate) in your shooting, you'll have to go to a loose powder and start to find the sweet spot for the bullet/gun. Most guys find 80-85 grs of loose T7 is a great load for most of the MLs to give you a consistent tight group. I know if I increase my loads to 100 grs, the same bullets giving me 1" groupings with the lighter loads, are now all over the place.

Then there are the guys who start to push for great velocity, to try an flatten out the trajectory of a 300 gr bullet fighting gravity. Then the hunt is on to find the better bullet and powder combination with loads greater than 100 grs. Then you're hooked and start looking at $1,000 ML's to achieve those elusive but attainable 300 yd 'bull' shots.

Have fun, it's contagious and it's addictive..but in a good way..LOL..



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