More Muzzleloader Questions!

[Solid Snake]

I'm going to buy a ML tonight and got some questions for all you people that are smarter than me on the subject. I've never owned or even fired one before. I decided on a CVA Optima that comes with a scope - I know a lot of people recommended a TC but I couldn't pass up the deal on this one.

I understand the basics of loading and firing it but what do the different colors on the bullets mean? Are there brands of ammo I need to stay away from? Also, how often should I clean the barrel when I'm sighting in?


Thanks!!!!!

[lightsoutcalls]

Just make sure you get the right sized ammo for your ML.  In other words, if you buy a .50 caliber ML, buy ammo for a .50 caliber.  Sometimes the color on the ammo is there to help notice this difference, sometimes just different brands use different colors. 
So far I have only used the 295 grain hollow point bullets from Power Belt.  These have passed through every deer I have shot and the accuracy I get with 100 grains of loose 777 powder is dead on.  I am within 1/2" of a nickel sized bullseye at 100 yards on the 2 muzzleloaders I sighted in with this combo this year.  (Both are CVA - one Kodiak and one Wolf). 

[Crutch]

some loads shoot straighter than others for each type gun. In my Knight, only the knight loads hold a tight group. I have tested a few different types also. 

Number one rule, keep it clean, remove nipple and breach plug if you have one and grease it with specified grease to keep it from freezing up from crud.

[Crappiepro]

I shoot the Power Belts too and love them!! They the Power Belts are different colors for the diff weights of the bullets. When you first start siteing in use the ram rod and a piece of cloth or patch with some solvent on it in between shots, you'll be fine. Now for cleaning it after several shots, I use a boiling hot pot of water with dawn dish washing liquid( place a towel on the floor and set the pot of water on the towel) to clean mine. I take the ram rod with a patch holder from my cleaning kit and put about 3 patches on it and push and pull it up and down the barrel as the muzzle end is in the water. This will cause a suction and pull the hot water up to the breech plug. This will clean almost all the gunk out of the barrel, after that I use solvent on patches just to make sure there is no residue left, your patches should be clean and white at this point. Go back while the barrel is hot and run some Bore butter down the barrel while its hot and this will season the barrel and stop any rust from forming.