Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today
[Re: kyron4]
#7135788
01/13/21 11:33 PM
01/13/21 11:33 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,491 New Hampshire
Nessmuck
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,491
New Hampshire
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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.
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Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today
[Re: GREENCOUNTYPETE]
#7135794
01/13/21 11:36 PM
01/13/21 11:36 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404 Northeast Oklahoma
Mike in A-town
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404
Northeast Oklahoma
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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
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Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today
[Re: kyron4]
#7135837
01/13/21 11:53 PM
01/13/21 11:53 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,491 New Hampshire
Nessmuck
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,491
New Hampshire
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Pete likes to type....I hate it.....
It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
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Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today
[Re: Nessmuck]
#7135900
01/14/21 12:18 AM
01/14/21 12:18 AM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,382 Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,382
Green County Wisconsin
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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.
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Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today
[Re: kyron4]
#7135931
01/14/21 12:33 AM
01/14/21 12:33 AM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,382 Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,382
Green County Wisconsin
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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
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
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Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today
[Re: kyron4]
#7135939
01/14/21 12:36 AM
01/14/21 12:36 AM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,382 Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,382
Green County Wisconsin
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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.
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Re: Joined the world of muzzleloading today
[Re: GREENCOUNTYPETE]
#7135943
01/14/21 12:40 AM
01/14/21 12:40 AM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404 Northeast Oklahoma
Mike in A-town
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10,404
Northeast Oklahoma
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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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