I have just started using a muzzleloader, an .50cal. A&H 420. I went to sight it in yesterday and aside from a problem with some irregular Barnes sabots, all went well, I got it shooting into 1/2" @ 50yds. Good enough for where I hunt here in NY.

I shot 13 rounds yesterdays, using 2 Cleanshot pellets and #11 CCI caps. On about half of them I would never hear the hammer fall, just the gun go boom. On the other half of my shots I could hear the hammer fall then a spit second later the gun went boom. Is this normal or could there be a problem, perhaps the caps are old or I should use hotter, magnum caps? I made sure the nipple was clean, there didn't seem to be any order to it happening such as it got worse as the gun got dirty, it just happened randomly.

Second question is that as I was pushing the load down the bore it seemed tightest up at the muzzle and on the way down there seemed to be 2 or 3 spots where it would tighten, then loosen. Doesn't sound normal to me but the gun seems to shoot OK.

BTW, anyone else have problems with Barnes 50cal. Expander Sabots? The first ones I used, a 10 pack blister packed on a card would not go down the bore, got stuck and had to be knocked out. Another shooter had a box of 25 and they worked fine albeit a bit tight.

Lonewolf,
The bulets measured the same from both paks, the problem was in the supplies sabot.

777, thanks for the links I'll get on it.

Rob