Legal Muzzel Loader Bullets/Powder?

[cbzdel]

I bought my first muzzle loader loader a couple weeks ago, and I have spent a bit of time researching what is legal in WA. I bought a CVA Optima with open sights and converted it to NW Legal with a musket cap breech plug and fire pin set.  I want a NW legal muzzle loader, but I am not certain I will ever take it hunting, I just want to be prepared if that ever happens, so I will probably just target shoot with whatever I would be using to hunt deer.

That being said, I am looking for a simple fool proof setup, being new to Muzzel loaders, and by new I mean I never even handled one until my Optima came in the mail.

I was thinking about using pellets and power belt bullets with RWS musket caps.  The musket caps are easy enough and legal, but I am finding mixed results when searching pellets and power belt bullets.  Half the posts are saying they are both illegal in WA and the other half say they are both totally legal.  I read though the hunting manual and I cant see anything that would state them being illegal myself.

Can anyone recommend me a decent bullet and powder/pellet that are Washington legal and would work well for target practice and deer season?

[bobcat]

Until a couple years ago you could only use all-lead bullets. (no copper jacket)

That law was changed and now there aren't any restrictions. No restrictions on powder either, as long as it's black powder or a black powder substitute.

The only thing you can't legally use for hunting during muzzleloader season is the 209 shotgun shell primers.

For just target shooting and deer, I'd recommend Hornady XTP bullets. You can use 44 or 45 caliber with the appropriate sabot, which you buy separately. They are actually meant for handgun cartridges but work great for muzzleloaders and are economical to shoot.

[lokidog]

Patched round ball.

As Bobcat said, pretty much everything besides 209s is legal, even they are during modern rifle season. With the price of alternative bullets these days, and powder, I would seriously look at target shooting, and even deer hunting (at least on the wet side) with roundballs.  They are cheaper than sabot style bullets and take less powder per shot. Once you are comfortable shooting the roundballs, maybe find a heavier bullet that you want to use for hunting in the future.

[Sabotloader]

cbzdel

You will not be able to use one BP sub - Blackhorn 209 unless you duplex the load. Washington and the 3 PacNorWest States require cap ignition.  Caps will not produce enough heat to ignite BH by itself.

[Chukarhead]

Couple of things...

NW or western legal isn't a uniform thing-- different states have different requirements with regard to bullets, powder, and sights.  In Washington, fiber optic sights are OK, and you can use whatever bullet and BP substitute you please, but have to use caps (as you've surmised).  I only mention it because you used both terms, and it would be unfortunate to work up a load and then find out you couldn't use it where you were going to hunt (like Oregon).

If you're just plinking, round ball and light loads of loose powder are the cheapest, most fun to shoot.  If accuracy is really important to you, or you want to shoot out past 75 yards or so, plain lead powerbelts are great for punching paper in most guns.  Easy to load, not too spendy.  If convenience is more important than cost, pellets are great at the range.  A single 50gr pellet under a round ball or light (248 gr) powerbelt is a lot of fun, nearly recoil-free, and you don't have to measure anything between shots.

If you don't mind paying $$$ for target shooting, and you're not recoil averse, then use a serious hunting load for target practice.  Loose Triple 7 powder in FF or FFF (somewhere between 80 and 130 grains) and high quality sabot bullets (Hornady, Barnes, Lehigh, etc. marketed under various names).  That way, when you make a spur-of-the-moment decision to shoot at a deer, you're already dialed in with your hunting load.  Powerbelts are proven killers, but most informed muzzleloader hunters will admit that there are much more reliable, deadly bullets on the market.

I tend to keep everything dialed for hunting, and then plink with cheap saboted pistol bullets and single pellets, and just adjust my aim for drop (which is substantial at longer ranges).

[Rem14]

I switched to the new Federal Premium Trophy Copper,270 gr bullet this year. Behind 100 gr FFG Triple 7. Very easy to load shot after shot, very good groups at 100 yds. Check out "Klickitat Buck" under this heading for a picture of the recovered bullet.

[cbzdel]

I like how cheap the lead balls are.  So my CVA Optima is a 50cal so which size lead balls would I want? I see there is 0.480, 0.490 and 0.495

And with a lead ball I need a patch, correct? So are all patches created equal? I see there is dry and lubricated, would I want one over the other?

I am looking at shooting less than 100 yards.

[MagKarl]

Patches seal the bore to keep the gas behind the ball.  They also serve to clean and lube.  Dry patches are meant to be lubed with liquid, grease, or spit before loading.  If you patches are too thin they will cut and burn.  You will have to experiment with patch thickness to maximize accuracy and minimize fouling.  Inspect your patches after shooting for holes and burning.  I like 0.010" under balls and patches around 0.018-0.020" for mine, yours may be like something else.  I like Hoppe's BP lube for patches in practice, loads easy with little fouling.  The prelubed patches are fine for hunting but not enough lube for extended shooting in my opinion. 

Powder, patch, ball, cap. 

[floatinghat]

Thinking that you might have an over spun ball, if you Optima has a 1-28 twist.  To help you might want to back the charge way down.

I would look at some cheap conicals or Sabot and bullets.

[cumminsbassguy]

those great plains pure lead bullets, super cheap, super heavy and have the knock down power of a 385 grain chunk o lead. or what ever size you use. 13 bucks for a box of 15 I think. im going to pick up a CVA v2 northwest version hopefully before next season. currently own a CVA buckhorn. shes a finicky girl. ill have to try the Ball rounds. I like to shoot my ML quite a bit.  What ever you do DO NOT FORGET TO CLEAN IT!!!!!!!!!!! wet patch after every shot

[Soady]

Straight from the CVA Instruction Manual:
Round ball and patch loads are not recommended for CVA Break-Ac- tion In-Line rifles. The fast rate of rifling twist (1:28) associated with CVA Break-Action In-Lines may not provide optimum accuracy when using patched round ball loads.

But hey your mileage may vary if all you want to do is shoot the rifle and hear it go bang. Reducing the powder load has nothing to do with spin rate the ball is still in a 1/28 barrel and the ball is going to over spin and be inaccurate.

[lokidog]

Straight from the CVA Instruction Manual:
Round ball and patch loads are not recommended for CVA Break-Ac- tion In-Line rifles. The fast rate of rifling twist (1:28) associated with CVA Break-Action In-Lines may not provide optimum accuracy when using patched round ball loads.

But hey your mileage may vary if all you want to do is shoot the rifle and hear it go bang. Reducing the powder load has nothing to do with spin rate the ball is still in a 1/28 barrel and the ball is going to over spin and be inaccurate.

That's a bummer.

[Soady]

As Bobcat suggested Hornady .44 or .45 coupled with the Harvester crush rib sabot.
Midwayusa  has them listed at $15.99 in 300 grn and Harvest crush rib at $8.99 per 100 couple that with 777 ffg or fffg you should be on track in no time. Start powder at 80 and work from there range at 50 yards and out until you find what works. Caps will be your choice. Hornady XTP 250 grn will run you more $$  why but still a possibility.

[lamrith]

For just target shooting and deer, I'd recommend Hornady XTP bullets. You can use 44 or 45 caliber with the appropriate sabot, which you buy separately. They are actually meant for handgun cartridges but work great for muzzleloaders and are economical to shoot.

Given that, to bring the cheap factor even higher would other .45 230Grn pistol bullets work for target shooting when used with the sabot?  Thinking say of the readily available 230grn plated round nose bullets for 45acp..  Berry's, Rainier, Xtreme..