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Regular Guy

Need a little help with an In-line muzzleloader

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I got a CVA Optima V2 to add days to the hunting calendar.  I had used someone else's muzzleloader in the past and it was set up for 209s and he used pellets, so that's what I'm familiar with. 

Anyway, I got mine at Cabelas in Delaware.  The salesman said he owns and hunts with the same gun and that it comes out of the box with a breech plug for using 209 muzzleloader primers.  I got 209 primers, some T7 50 grain pellets and boolits along with the gun.  After I got home and checked the gun out more closely, I found the breech plug has a nipple in it like it should take a percussion cap instead of 209s.  

 I checked the owners manual and found I am correct; I will need to replace the breech plug to be able to use the 209 primers I bought, but I should be able to use percussion caps.  This led to a couple of questions that were not answered in the manual, but I'm thinking you guys have the answers.

1.  What size percussion cap do I need?  The manual does not specify a size, it just says to use musket caps.  The only thing stamped on my breech plug is a letter "H" stamped above the flash hole.  I see there are #10 and #11 cap sizes.  I know that re-enactment caps are not to be used to fire real ammo.      

2.  Can a cap ignite the pellets or should I only use loose powder with caps?  I know how to be safely select and measure powder if I have to. The manual says to use FFG grade powder when using loose powder and the limits are 50-150 grain lower and upper limits, with somewhere between 90-120 being optimal.

 

  

           

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5 hours ago, Regular Guy said:

I got a CVA Optima V2 to add days to the hunting calendar.  I had used someone else's muzzleloader in the past and it was set up for 209s and he used pellets, so that's what I'm familiar with. 

Anyway, I got mine at Cabelas in Delaware.  The salesman said he owns and hunts with the same gun and that it comes out of the box with a breech plug for using 209 muzzleloader primers.  I got 209 primers, some T7 50 grain pellets and boolits along with the gun.  After I got home and checked the gun out more closely, I found the breech plug has a nipple in it like it should take a percussion cap instead of 209s.  

 I checked the owners manual and found I am correct; I will need to replace the breech plug to be able to use the 209 primers I bought, but I should be able to use percussion caps.  This led to a couple of questions that were not answered in the manual, but I'm thinking you guys have the answers.

1.  What size percussion cap do I need?  The manual does not specify a size, it just says to use musket caps.  The only thing stamped on my breech plug is a letter "H" stamped above the flash hole.  I see there are #10 and #11 cap sizes.  I know that re-enactment caps are not to be used to fire real ammo.      

2.  Can a cap ignite the pellets or should I only use loose powder with caps?  I know how to be safely select and measure powder if I have to. The manual says to use FFG grade powder when using loose powder and the limits are 50-150 grain lower and upper limits, with somewhere between 90-120 being optimal.

 

  

           

Musket caps are different than 10 and 11s as well as 209's

 

You will need 209 for pellets....they are hotter than 10/11 to ignite the pellet ....loose powder for 10/11 better ignition

AND you don't have to run the powder charge super hot to be effective....

 

 

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#11 percussion caps. 

I've never used pellets so can't comment on whether a cap will ignite them. 

With percussion caps use true black powder or pyrodex. 

I use pyrodex in my traditional BP guns. 

In my T/C encore inline I use a 209 primer behind blackhorn loose powder. 

And yes you do not need full power loads.  In my traditional gun I use 80 grains of pyrodex behind a 275 grain maxi Hunter and it's punched thru deer inside of 60 yards. 

In my inline I use 100gr(volume) of blackhorn behind a 250 gr saboted bullet and it's knocks em flat. 

Good luck with your gun. It's fun stuff. This morning would have been a great morning to walk a swamp edge holding a boomstick.  

 

Nick

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So I went back to Cabelas this morning and I took the breech plug with me.  For as many employees that work the firearms and hunting equipment department at Cabelas in Delaware, I surprised at how many quickly confessed they knew nothing about muzzleloaders.  They all kept passing me off to another employee, but each would refer to "Bob."  Supposedly Bob was the only one in the store with the knowledge to tell me what size cap fit the nipple in my breech plug and I was on a quest to find him.  

Eventually I found him (he didn't have his earplug in, so nobody could reach him on the walkie-talkie).  He looked at the plug and without asking any questions, he said with the utmost confidence, "This is from a rifle.  Rifles use #11 caps and pistols use #10 caps."  I bought #11s, checked out and went out to my truck. 

I remembered USRifle30Cal said musket cap was its own size so I figured I better check it out before crossing the bridge again.  I opened the package without damaging it and took a cap out.  It was way too small for the nipple.  I took it back in and exchanged it for musket caps and those are what fits. 

The only replacement breech plugs they had were for the Thompson/Center rifles.  They didn't have any for the CVAs so I couldn't get one that uses a 209 primer (gotta order it online if I want to get one).  I got some Pyrodex Hodgdon RS Select powder, a powder horn and a measure to be able to use powder instead of pellets.   I'll be hitting the range to sight it in tomorrow morning.  I got a couple weeks off so I should be able to get some time in the woods this ML season.   

 

Thanks for the help guys!  

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1 hour ago, Regular Guy said:

 

I remembered USRifle30Cal said musket cap was its own size so I figured I better check it out before crossing the bridge again.  I opened the package without damaging it and took a cap out.  It was way too small for the nipple.  I took it back in and exchanged it for musket caps and those are what fits. 

 

Thanks for the help guys!  

.....  in for the win !

 

.....remember you really get one shot...make it accurate....make it ethical...put some food on the table and always treat your prey with the utmost respect.... and honor its life to extend yours......  

 

Keep us updated !

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