O/T Muzzler loader problems.

[old]

Well I tried to take a shoot this evening but all I got was a pop, no bang. Tried another cap and same thing. To get it to go off I had to pour a little powder into the side clean out hole below the nipple area and then it shoot. So the question do you need to tamp the powder down and then tamp the bullet in or do you do it all at once. The shoot I had was a long shoot so not a real big deal because I figured I would have missed but I wanted to try to see how far it might knock one down. So what I'm I doing wrong?? Seems like this CVA smoke pole doesn't like to throw lead at deer. This has happened a few times and always at a bad time.
Thanks
Hobby farm

 

[8N'r--WI]

Old--it sounds like the nipple is plugged up. You don"t get ignition unless you bypass the nipple.

Take the nipple off, clean it good,and try it tomorrow.

You should get ignition of the powder even if you do not have a bullet pressed against the charge.

With a clean barrel, I drop the powder charge down, tamp the side of the barrel with my hand and seat the bullet snug against the powder. I then put a mark on the ram rod so I know I am seated correctly on subsequent shots after the barrel starts to foul up.

Get"er workin for you before you get that 40 yard shot at a big"un. You don"t want to here your gun go "pop" when you get that chance.

It would be nice to get a pic of the one you get "tomorrow".

Good Luck, I am going muzzle loading Friday and Saturday-----Tim

 

[ezyed]

try muzzleloaderforum.com. they have all the answers .

 

[730-LP]

Good advice below,see if you can get a converison kit to use 209 shotgun primers works great.

 

[Little Ed]

I am assuming that this is a conventional type smoke pole since you mentioned a drum and nipple. I also had a CVA like this and it would do the same thing, when I would use Pyrodex. I switched to FFG black rifle powder and it solved the problem. Pyrodex is more difficult to ignite, and there seems to be a problem getting the flame from the cap to go aroud the 90 degree bend. I used to wrench out the nipple and put a few grains in that opening. A hotter cap may work better. I think CCI makes a cap that is very hot. I took the old caplock and coverted it to flint and have had a blast (of course) ever since.

 

[old]

Nipples not clogged. I thought that at first so I took out my nipple cleaner and did the poke poke and it was clear. Tried another cap and pop no bang again, did that 3 or 4 times and got the same thing. Pulled the little side screw out and drop in a few grains of pwoder and it went pop/bang. I have since checked it out and I have good air flow in and out of the barrel, nipple and side screw so I know all is clear. I'm thinking the powder wasn't down where it should have been and thats why I asked about tampping it before the bullet

 

[John in Nebraska]

I have a CVA percussion rifle too. I get better results when I tamp the powder down, shaking it to get some back into that drum. It won't ignite Pyrodex at all. There is a Hot-Shot nipple? Gun store will know about it, throws a better flame down the tube. Reading at other sites, CVA is kinda known for this, compare that drum and nipple to another brand, you'll see.

 

[Matt Weltz]

What is the humidity level in your area? Never had any trouble with my traditionals in Colorado. As soon as we moved to Iowa I could never get them to fire; was told humidity was the culprite. Switched to an inline and am glad I did! Never had any more trouble and the inlines have alot more knockdown power even with a smaller caliber (.54 traditional to .50 inline). Just my 2 cents...

 

[BillinCentralMO]

What do you clean it with? You can't have oil in there if you want it to fire. Have you cleaned it?It won't work if it is all crudded up. They are touchy. I also fire mine each nite so I always have a fresh load. Using Black Powder may help. Good Luck.

 

[Mark]

Old,

Did you dry fire a couple caps before you loaded it? That is one precaution you should always do before loading your rifle. This dries out any dampness or oil if you had just cleaned it.

I have an old CVA cheapie that I prefer to my Thompson inline. It has NEVER failed me here in humid Kentucky.

If you have any Pyrodex.....THROW IT AWAY! Or, if you have somebody you don't like, give it to them..LOL!

Another thing I suggest is to use 3F instead of 2F.

I used to shoot a lot and while I don't claim to be an expert.....I learned a few things along the way. I chronographed my loads......I always shoot a ball, prefer them to concials. I started with 65 grains of 3F and worked up at 5 grain increments. 75 grains gave the best accuracy and velocity. 80 grains gave very little more speed, but accuracy began to fall off as the heavier charge fouled the bore quicker. 85 grains gave no more speed at all. Most of the extra powder was being blown out the barrel and burning in the air.

For the very best accuracy.....run a bristle brush down the bore after every shot....you'll be amazed at the difference it makes. Black fouls a barrel very quickly and the CVA's have shallow rifling..3 or 4 shots and the grooves are filled with fouling. For hunting purposes, you'll be lucky to shoot twice in a day...so it's a moot point. But, if you're target shooting, just run a dry bristle brush down the bore before reloading.

Always snap 2 or 3 caps on an empty barrel before loading it. Hold the rifle out from you while loading it and pour your charge down the barrel...like the other fella said, smack the side the barrel near the breech a couple times to settle the powder and then seat your ball/bullet. DO NOT stand there and tamp the bullet with your ram road. That deforms the soft bullet. Just ram it home in one smooth motion until you feel it seat. You might need a ball starter for the first 3 inches.

I've killed a bunch of deer with a muzzleloader and never had any misfires.

 

[old]

I cleaned it a few days before season and then used clean patch till it was also clena. Then set it on the gun rack. I loaded it the day of opening and was loaded till today. I use FF powder in it

 

[Anonymous-0]

When I was a kid my granddad showed me how to shoot his old .30cal squirrel rifle. Pour the powder (fffg) down the barrel and tap the butt stock on the ground a few times tipped a bit with the drum downward. Then seat the bullet and cap and it's ready to go.

 

[old]

I always fire one or 2 caps off before I load it. I use ff powder 90 grains. I do have fff powder but use it in my walker pistol. I loaded the gun on saturday and it has been loaded since till the moss fire tonight. Its now unloaded and I'll load it again just before I go out to hiunt and also will fire off a few caps before I load it
Hobby farm

 

[hayray]

For my CVA I always had to do what you did with the powder down the nipple hole if you really want to count on it, especially if it is the next day after you load the charge. I always tamped after I load the bullet.

 

[old]

Always humid here in missery/ Missouri plus I live close to ponds and a creek and the lake of the ozarks is only about 10-15 miles away

 

[Keith-OR]

Hey Rich, I know what your problem is, ya need to get your wrenches out and fix that loose nut on the butt....ROTFLMAO

Keith & Shawn(Special Olympic Champion)

 

[LaLaLand]

hey old:
a good way to see if your getting the load properly tamped is to see how far the ramrod goes down into the barrel when it is empty...mostly, a properly tamped load (70-80 grains of FFg and a patch on a ball in a 50 cal) should be about 2" long...i always ram mine home and then if you have a nice heavy rod with the brass ferrules on the ends, sort of throw it down the barrel afterwards, and if it bounces back quite a bit you should be good!!! but don't over do it!!!

really, the humidity in any area shouldn't be your trouble, unless the powder is old and hasn't been kept tightly capped in the can!!! and here's a little hint about that high humidity...you know, when it drips off the brim of your hat...you can put a condom over the end of the barrel, to keep the moisture out of your load!!! can shoot right through it, if you get the shot!!!

hope that helps, but no one should ever listen to a Case owner!!!

Happy Holidays
rick

 

[banjo]

Try the FFF and see if you like the way it ignites. I'll never go gack to FF. Also a lb will last longer as you dont use as heavy (volume) a charge.

I know you already have the FF and want to use it , but just fire one off with the triple f and see how you like it.

It was pretty common on the older cva sidelock rifles to hang or miss fire. Another thing you might want to try is get a musket nipple for your gun. Just get the one with the right threads that fits your gun. couple advantages to the musket cap is hotter fire and larger so they are easier to get a hold of and find if you drop it.

But you would have to carry 2 seperate caps since you carry a pistol also.

 

[banjo]

i'll stick with the pyrodex, less fouling and easier to load after several shots. No problems with pyrodex after many years of using it.

 

[old]

Well I use fff in my pistol and ff in the rifle. And yes I have #10 caps for the pistol and #11s for the rifle. Funny thing is I have about 3 times more powder for the pistol then I have for the rifle. Guess I should try maybe 60-65 grains of FFF in the rifle and see how it works. I also use 585 grain bullets in it since that is what came with it

 

[banjo]

I'd go to 80 grains in the rifle, 60-65 would be a little light. 80 gr should not affect your accuracy. should be close to the same as the 90gr of FF.

 

[Nolan]

Who's primer are you using? We did an informal study of them some years ago, and the difference was tremendous.

CCI primers were phenominally superior to everything else we tried.

 

[old]

I'll have to give that a try. I know I'm tired of the miss fires and it sure doesn't help get a deer when it goes pop with no bang. Seems all it does is tells the deer to get the heck out of dodge LOL

 

[jlmtractor]

huh well that is wierd i shoot a cva and have never had that problem but my cousin did have the same problem with his traditions but that was because of a bad lube job but what kind do you shoot an in line or a percussion cap