Muzzleloader deer

[xringshutr]

Thought someone would like to see the nice buck I dropped last week with my Ruger 77/50. 320 gr REAL and 80 gr 777. The load actually didn't shoot too accurately, but I didn't get time to work up something accurate. I'll have to work on it before next season. :-)
18158

[two dogs]

nice buck.going out sat for late season flinter.

[TCLouis]

Nice Deer, Congratulations!
Looks like it was accurate enough.

[10 ga]

"NICE BUCK" Congratulations! For consistency try some Goex or Swiss in FFF. It is the most consistent and gives best accuracy in all my BP guns. Seems with real BP that changes in charge only change the elevation of impact and don't really get any windage changes. Good luck and good shooting. 10 ga

[mooman76]

That load is probably a little stout for the Lee REAL in that tight a twist but you got the job done so it must be at least minute of deer. Congradulations.

[Jayhem]

Congrats!

I dropped a 187 lb 8 pt buck on the opening weekend of our early muzzleloader season here in VA. My load was 90 grains of Pyrodex RS pushing a 370 grain TC Maxi-ball of WW lead from my mold. My gun is a Remington Model 700/.50 cal with 4X weaver scope. It shoots 1.5- 2.0 groups at 100 yards.

[45r]

Congratulations on a nice buck and with your own cast boolit.I always feel good about getting a buck this time of year with a ML.I got a four point the last day of our ML season at 20 yards.He dropped DRT also.

[Underclocked]

Nice buck!

[xringshutr]

I'll keep my eye out for some Goex or Swiss FFF. What do you think, 70 gr or so for a starting load? I know the REAL's like it a little slow, and I cast them out of pure PB. The soft lead I have is sheet stuff from an x-ray room. Nice and soft.

BTW, it didn't need to be real accurate at 60 yds. :roll:

I'll get this baby shootin though. It was really accurate with the original breech plug, about 2.5-3" at 100 yds with open sights. I converted it to 209's (and installed a scope), but accuracy has fell way off. The #11 breech plug was reliable about 40% of the time. Click, recock, click, recock, click, BANG. Cap was seated well. I am thinking maybe trying the 410 primers or the muzzleloader 209's. They are supposed to have less priming compound. If not, then back to the #11's and more trial and error. Who knows what #11 cap is the softest for this type of situation. Any more recommendations for the this Ruger? I really like the rifle, but it is a PITA to get is shootin accurate AND reliable. Thanks gents, hope you all had a Merry Christmas.

[Willbird]

If you are using BP or 777 you can try what are called "vari-flame adaptors", they look like a 209 primers, but will take a small rifle or pistol primer. Cabelas lists them in their online catalog. I tried mine with WW small pistol primers and they lit goex just fine.

Bill

[mooman76]

If you are haveing recock to fire the primer again the problem isn't with the type(#11) of primer. Either something wrong with the primer like it's old or got wet, a weak spring in your firing pin or somethin wrong with the nipple. The nipple being the most likely. It could need adjusted some or it's becomming flatened out and soft and needs replaced. I'd try changing it out first. You should have spares on hand anyway.

[Willbird]

If you are haveing recock to fire the primer again the problem isn't with the type(#11) of primer. Either something wrong with the primer like it's old or got wet, a weak spring in your firing pin or somethin wrong with the nipple. The nipple being the most likely. It could need adjusted some or it's becomming flatened out and soft and needs replaced. I'd try changing it out first. You should have spares on hand anyway.

I agree there, I have never seen a #11 fail to light BP that is sitting on the other side of the nipple (no flash channel) unless there was oil present. Which is why it is common to pop a few caps before loading the gun.

I have heard of some uber cheap traditional guns (CVA from back in the 1970's comes to mind) that had flash channels that were not sure fire with #11 caps.

Bill

[mooman76]

I agree there, I have never seen a #11 fail to light BP that is sitting on the other side of the nipple (no flash channel) unless there was oil present. Which is why it is common to pop a few caps before loading the gun.

I have heard of some uber cheap traditional guns (CVA from back in the 1970's comes to mind) that had flash channels that were not sure fire with #11 caps.

Bill

He didn't say anything about the cap going off and having to put a new cap on to get it to fire or at least that is the way I understood it. If that were the case then I would have suspected a little oil left in the channel. Yes I had some of the earlier CVAs because that is what I could afford and one of the first things I would do was to replace the nipple with one of uncle mikes hot shot nipples. I believe they fire better. The older CVAs weren't made as well back then too and allot of the time the hammer didn't line up as well with the nipple and you wouldn't get consistant ignition. I always pop a few caps off before I load.

[waksupi]

If you have a cap lock, and the hammer isn't lined up properly, heat the hammer, and bend it until it does.

[Willbird]

He didn't say anything about the cap going off and having to put a new cap on to get it to fire or at least that is the way I understood it. If that were the case then I would have suspected a little oil left in the channel. Yes I had some of the earlier CVAs because that is what I could afford and one of the first things I would do was to replace the nipple with one of uncle mikes hot shot nipples. I believe they fire better. The older CVAs weren't made as well back then too and allot of the time the hammer didn't line up as well with the nipple and you wouldn't get consistant ignition. I always pop a few caps off before I load.

Yep you are dead right, I did not read what he posted well enough.

[xringshutr]

I guess I should have been more clear in my explanation earlier. These Ruger 77/50's were notorious for doing what mine is doing. From what I have read and discerned on my particular rifle, the mechanism to set off the #11 is flawed.

It is a nipple design with a flat striker, but inline. I have never dry fired it for fear of flattening the nipple, so that shouldn't be the problem. The striker seems to not have enough inertia to hit the cap hard enough to set it off. That, or the nipple diameter is too large to completely seat the cap when placing it on by hand. I've even used a small flat screwdriver to "press" it on the nipple. Sometimes it will go off after one time recocking and other times, it takes two or more. But I can always get the cap to eventually go off. It's like the cap just isn't getting struck well enough to ignite the priming compound. I actually took some emery cloth and reduced the diameter a little to see if that would work. No dice.

Like I said earlier, my time is somewhat limited too, so experimentation opportunities don't come often. I just know this rifle will shoot well, I have seen what it will do with open sights. That is why I don't want to give up on it too soon. I just hate to go buying a bunch of different caps, powder, primers, bullets (or molds), to get it back down to 2.5" @ 100 yds. Or spending countless hours trying to get it to have reliable ignition.

How about a recommendation on a soft cupped #11 that I could try on the original nipple since that seems to be the most accurate so far? Or any other recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks again gents.

BTW, about 13 more inches of snow dropped on Thurs and Friday. Should make for some kick butt coyote calling next week. Me and my buddy are going to put the smack down on some song dogs. I'm off until 4 Jan. The little 221 Fireball is ready too deliver the medicine. Gotta make time for callin coyotes. Sweeeeet. :grin:

[Willbird]

The striker fall should be like the hammer of death :-). IE the darn cap should go off no matter what. Have you thoroughly cleaned the striker assembly of all gunky greasy oil and stuff ??

If they have a flat striker how do they deal with 209's ?

I guess I would not use #11's unless I HAD to, or I had them for another gun already like a cap and ball revolver ??

Bill

[mooman76]

Unless I missed it. I didn't see what kind of caps you use. I like CCIs. they are ribbed so they tear easy and made of soft copper. A good cap fit is a must for good ignition. If your cap isn't going on all the way, grind the nipple down until it does but not so much that it isn't a snug fit. Also on revolvers the nipples need to be adjusted sometimes. Maybe if you back the nipple out a little you will get harder hit if your bolt is having troble reaching it. I use Uncle Mikes hot shot nipples. They have a good fit and fire better IMO.