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Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today [Re: kyron4] #7135717
01/13/21 11:03 PM
01/13/21 11:03 PM
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,147
Happy Valley
CoonsBane Offline
trapper
CoonsBane  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,147
Happy Valley
Hunted this morning with the flintlock. Gun was outside all morning. Nice and cold. Was going to do the evening sit in a heated stand. Fired the gun and cleaned it then brought it in to the heated stand to let it warm up for an hour or two. I swabbed the barrel with a dry patch then loaded about two hours before dark and the barrel was still cool even though it had been in the heat. Just as legal shooting time comes to an end I've got a doe broadside. Pull the trigger and sparks, no flash. Pan is still full. Pull trigger again. Flash, no bang. Re-prime, flash no bang. Re-prime, bang some in the hole, just another flash in the pan. By this time, the deer is laughing so hard it can barely walk away. I head back to the cabin and try one more time, just a flash in the pan. I pull the ball and get some powder out. Rod won't go all the way down. Slug of solid powder. Had to break it up with the ball puller. Still couldn't get it all out. Had to break it down and do a full hot water cleaning.

The point of this story. Temperature changes for the gun = condensation. Moisture and black powder don't like each other.

Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today [Re: kyron4] #7135788
01/13/21 11:33 PM
01/13/21 11:33 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,480
New Hampshire
N
Nessmuck Offline
trapper
Nessmuck  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,480
New Hampshire
Simple instructions

#1 ...get a powder measure...and a short starter

#2... pound of Goex FF powder

#3 ...start with .490 ball....and lubed .015 cut patches

#4....#11 percussion caps

#5...get a nipple pick / nipple wrench combo

#6.. gallon of Windsheild washer solvent

# 7 ...bag of cleaning patches

#8.. 50 cal Jag...Worm..

#9 ...run some cleaning patches with some Windsheild fluid on it....then a dry patch or 3 ..just to make sure it’s clean...and dry.

#10.... put a cap on the nipple ( with no powder in the barrel )...and pullback the hammer ..pull the trigger...and blast the cap.

#11... pick out the nipple ..with the nipple pick...to make sure it is clear.

#12....measure 70 grains of Goex Black powder and pour into barrel

#13...center patch over muzzle and center ball in the middle of the patch...ram down with the Short starter

#14 ..the take your ram rod and and push down until firmly seated on the powder charge

#15.. pull hammer back one click ( 1/2 (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman)) ...and put a cap on the nipple

#16... with gun pointed down range...pull hammer to full (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman)...If you have a set trigger..pull that next....Aim and fire.

#17 ...run a wet patch of Windsheild washer down....then 3 dry ones....Repeat and have fun....plenty of you tub3 videos to watch too


It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today [Re: GREENCOUNTYPETE] #7135794
01/13/21 11:36 PM
01/13/21 11:36 PM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404
Northeast Oklahoma
M
Mike in A-town Offline
trapper
Mike in A-town  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404
Northeast Oklahoma
Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE
the way I get the kids started we go over a safety breif

then this procedure

I pull a rifle from the rack often my little deer hunter.

like taking any rifle form the rack we check that it is empty

place the hammer on half c-o-ck
pull the ram rod and drop it down the bore , explain that it both bounces , rings a bit and is flush with the muzzle (or even with an unloaded mark on some)
I pull the rod and show them that placed against the side of the barrel my rod comes about even with the bolster on the deer hunter the flash hole on the flinter this also lets me know it is empty,

I go over the terms briefly Lock , stock , barrel , muzzle , nipple , hammer , half c-o-ck and full c-o-ck , trigger, thimbles ram rod.
some are the same as modern guns and some are unique to muzzle loading
(I call the line hot)
then I step up to the line cap and fire down range
cap and pop that cap also down range
I cap a 3rd time and place the muzzle down range but at a blade of grass and pop that cap watching that the blade of grass or leaf is moved by the gasses exiting the bore

for a demo of how much pressure there is I will take a sheet of paper towel or tissue and rubber band it over the muzzle , then pop a cap down range it will blow a hole through.

back to the loading bench
place the hammer at half c-o-ck
I moisten a patch with Speed juice and run it down the barrel with the range rod , asking the kids what they hear. a hissing sound air rushing out the nipple (or flash channel in the flinter) if they don't hear the air rushing we need to start diagnosing why.
there will be a little soot on the patch , this is the cap and the oil that may have been in the flash channel.

now we have a ready to load muzzle loader

measure powder (the cap needs to be back on the powder before it is poured in the muzzle this is why I like flasks as they are self capping)
we limit the kids to a max of 60gr it is enough to shoot targets , yet 1/2 of a max charge for the gun
70 is a good place to start working a hunting load in a 50
you make sure the muzzle is away from your face as you pour powder ( you at no point put your face over the muzzle the gun stays angled away from you)
then lube a patch, I will sometimes take the patch I cleaned with flip it and place it over the muzzle we use pillow ticking patches for consistence and I don't fully know if it 100% matters I put the stripes up and down in line with the front sight
set the ball on the patch sprue up if your using Hornady swaged balls there is no sprue , I cast the balls so we have sprue . sprue is the flat spot where the lead was poured into the mold then is sheared off flat.
start the ball with the button on the short starter , then run it down with the long starter(the shaft)
then using the range rod with short strokes and not grabbing over the end of the rod.
when you have the ball down on the powder take note of how much rod is still out of the barrel. we mark the range rod with a marker or electrical tape. this is the mark you need to get to each time when loading this charge of powder.
I show the kids that it is approximately the same as the powder measure is set for and the ball

we can tell what is empty from the factory ram-rod and we can see and mark the rod for loaded this is so that we have this as a tool to diagnose problems later.

Now we have a loaded muzzle loader , make sure the ramrod is out and head to the firing line

with the muzzle down range, cap the nipple you often have to pull the hammer back to full c-o-ck to get your thumb in there give it a firm push down if it is not seated on the nipple the fist fall of the hammer may not set it off and just seat it further on the nipple the second strike will generally fire it.
take aim
because we have a number of people on the range and some muzzle loaders send a jet of gasses out to the side we call "fire in the hole" and i think it is fun for the kids to say they then have warned the line around them they intend to fire they acquire final aim and sqweeeeeeze the trigger, special attention is paid to focus on follow through stay on the target , if it pops and does not boom stay down range wait there can be a hang fire when 30 seconds have passed while keeping down range they may recap and try again,

because we followed all the steps above it goes boom

clear the spent cap from the hammer cup it it is stuck there place on half c-o-ck and return to the loading bench

the reload
moisten a patch , run the patch your listening for the hiss (this cleans the bore to the same each time , snuffs any ember that could remain and pushes air out your nipple to make sure it is clear)
measure the powder, pour the powder
with a fresh moistened patch or the fresh side of the patch place it over the muzzle center it and place the ball in the center sprue up
start the ball with the ball starter
using short strokes run the ball down and seat it on the powder (you don't need hard compression but you need it to the powder touching with no gap, be as consistent as you can from shot to shot)
remove the rod , head to the line, cap , aim , call fire in the hole and fire when ready.

this seems like a long process. I would say the initial run through takes 15 minutes or so, reload maybe 2.
rather than shooting the second shot I will have one of the younger or newer kids take that shot. if I have a steel plate hanging I will have them shoot that , the boom, the smoke and the ringgggg gets them ready for more.



tools and supplies at each loading station

range rod
short starter
patches
balls
powder in a flask
powder measure
small spray bottle of speed juice
a bucket or coffee can to put their trash in (loading stations get messy in a hurry clean is good or they loose things in the clutter)

this is what the kids need to know , and that if at any point any of it is not right ask for help from an instructor and keep the muzzle down range

tools I keep with me

a ball puller
welding torch cleaner set
screw driver with some bits
nipple wrench



as I said the youth program is limited to 60gr , most of the time for targets at 25 yards we shoot 30gr. we should get about 200-220 rounds to the pound there is always a little spillage

there is safety built into every part of this procedure it may be much more than what others do with their own muzzle loading. this is a teachable procedure for kids 12 and older with safety in mind.

I figured it would be a place for you or any new to muzzle loading person to start








Good write up Pete!

Mike


One man with a gun may control 100 others who have none.

Vladimir Lenin
Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today [Re: kyron4] #7135837
01/13/21 11:53 PM
01/13/21 11:53 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,480
New Hampshire
N
Nessmuck Offline
trapper
Nessmuck  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,480
New Hampshire
Pete likes to type....I hate it.....


It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today [Re: Nessmuck] #7135900
01/14/21 12:18 AM
01/14/21 12:18 AM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin
G
GREENCOUNTYPETE Offline
trapper
GREENCOUNTYPETE  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin
Originally Posted by Nessmuck
Pete likes to type....I hate it.....


I never took a proper typing class and I started very slow but 25 years of typing up reports I figured out how to get decently fast at it.


America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today [Re: kyron4] #7135931
01/14/21 12:33 AM
01/14/21 12:33 AM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin
G
GREENCOUNTYPETE Offline
trapper
GREENCOUNTYPETE  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin

this is fairly close to the equipment at the loading stations , for the kids at the range we just leave tins of caps at the firing line but a capper is nice

this is track of the wolf

[Linked Image]


America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today [Re: kyron4] #7135939
01/14/21 12:36 AM
01/14/21 12:36 AM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin
G
GREENCOUNTYPETE Offline
trapper
GREENCOUNTYPETE  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin
I picked up my first muzzle loader for 99 dollars , what a shock it was when I had another hundred in before firing the first shot


oh anti seize , on the nipple threads


America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today [Re: GREENCOUNTYPETE] #7135943
01/14/21 12:40 AM
01/14/21 12:40 AM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404
Northeast Oklahoma
M
Mike in A-town Offline
trapper
Mike in A-town  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404
Northeast Oklahoma
Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE
I picked up my first muzzle loader for 99 dollars , what a shock it was when I had another hundred in before firing the first shot


oh anti seize , on the nipple threads


LOL, it's like buying a car where the price is great but they hammer you on all the frivolous extras... like a motor and tires.

The good thing about muzzleloading is you can make a lot of your own stuff to get you by.

Mike


One man with a gun may control 100 others who have none.

Vladimir Lenin
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