vortek northwest magnum question

[Duckslayer89]

i would put a musket cap on the nipple and make sure it ignites as soon as you can? try a rws musket cap. they are setup for musket most issues i heard was with caps not going off. if this is the new model with the breech plug they may have solved this.

Ok roger I bought a bunch of those RWS musket caps. And mine does have a breach plug. I don't see how they could work without one but i know nothing about muzzleloader I just bought a multi season tag and it seems cool

[Duckslayer89]

How loud is a cap going off? Is that something you can get away with in a back yard

[shorthair15]

yes just put it on there stick it outside and pull the trigger. i did it on my patio. it will just make a pop noise if it ignites. better to know now then be out hunting and go to take a shot and it dont go off. it's not loud like a gun shot sounds like a pop it you throw on the ground. you will know if it goes off. just make sure you do it outside with the gun pointed in a safe direction.

[shorthair15]

rws are the best caps you can buy! i looked at a vortek northwest strikefire. i did not see a breech plug on it. maybe the newer ones have them. enjoy smokepole's are fun to shoot. im useing number 11's on my knight disc extreme. tighter seal than the musket cap but either will work. good luck with that multi season tag and have fun!

[Duckslayer89]

Ok sounds good I'll try it. Ya it's a break action then inside the barrel there is a breach plug. It seems pretty well built. I heard the big thing is keeping them cleaned? Few questions, do you always take the bullet and pellets out of the gun every time you go hunting? How many shots do you take before a strip down clean? How often do you put a new primer on if you don't shoot it? Do you like to save the primer or periodically change them out after hunting? Thanks shorthair!

[Pete112288]

I would have to agree with the over expanding issue with the powerbelts. I would use them on deer in a heartbeat but probably one of the heavier ones 300-348 grain. I shot the 348 grain aerotip copper jacket out of my vortek when I first started muzzleloader. It shot amazing, clover leaf at 100 off a solid bench and 100 grains 777 FFG. However the first I retrieved from an elk did not even make it through the first lung on a 50 yard broadside shot, and I didn't hit shoulder or anything like that. When I retrieved the bullet it was completely flat like you pounded it with a sledge hammer. Then I didn't know any better so I used it again, took 3 well placed shots at close range to down a cow the second year. Since then I have been trying others, tried NoExcuses and it wouldn't group for me, went to Hornady Great Plains bullets. Much better. decent grouping to 100 yards, blew through both shoulders and kept going leaving a huge exit hole and a great blood trail on a good sized cow last year.

[shorthair15]

i always unload my gun at the end of the day or shoot it off. that is just me. powder absorbs moisture can cause it to hangfire. you can only use the caps once. they have to be replaced every time. use triple seven 3 f! your gun may not like the barnes they are  good bullets but may be super hard to load. you may have to try a few others to see what the gun like's.

[Duckslayer89]

Ok sounds good. I will probably unload it every time then. I knew the caps could only be used once but didn't know if the caps absorbed moisture as well or what actually causes misfires. That's the last thing I want, part of the reason I've always done archery because my bow never missfires

[shorthair15]

did the cap go off! ive took the musket cap off before and put it back on when i got out and hunted another spot. i always took the cap off when i used a musket cap before i headed to another spot. i never had any problems with them absorbing moisture. ton of  info on here for smokepole hunting. good luck to ya!

[Rem14]

Take a look at "Klickitat Buck" heading, you will see the new Federal Premium Trophy Copper 270 gr bullet that I recovered from my buck. Shot at about 70 yds, 100 gr Triple  7, I was impressed.

[BigBullDreamer11]

I shoot 275gr. bloodlines out of my vortex and they shoot great and they worked great on my buck this year.. It was around 60 or 70 yards. The bloodlines are very tight in the vortex though and are "fun"  to load