Muzzleloading Help Needed - Orange/Rockland County

kev74

kev74

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alistair said:
I just received a muzzleloader from another forum member.
Looking for some help/advice before I load and fire for the first time.
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I've got the same rifle. Junker, made in Spain, .45 caliber. Shoots pretty accurately.

The guidance I was given for black powder is for the powder charge to be between 1 and 2 times the caliber. .45 caliber would be charged with between 45 and 90 grains. The charge is measured by volume, not by weight.

You'll need to use a patch around the ball. I cut patches out of old T-shirt material and use Bore Butter on the patch as a lubricant. Cleaning patches would work. Traditionalists use linen patches.

Pour the powder in the barrel, pack it with the ram rod, puch the patched bullet in, seat it firmly with the ram rod. Then pop a cap on and shoot. Don't leave any airspace around the powder - pack everything in tightly! Empty space will make too much pressure.

If you'd like to meet up at the range some time, let me know.
 
repete

repete

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Like ^ he said, but I'd like to add, before loading (in a safe place) put a cap on the nipple and fire it. I do this in the field and place a leaf over the muzzle, the leaf should flutter or fall off, this indicants the bore and nipple are clear.
I have an old .45 ML and used 60 or 90 grains depending.
Make sure you clean it completely! I clean the day of firing and then run a patch or two down the bore for another two days, if you do this you'll see why. A little Never Seize on the nipple will help keep it removable. Caps come in IDK how many sizes, #10 and #11 are very close BUT not interchangeable! Use the proper caps I believe that would be #11.
 
repete

repete

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Forgot to add, DO NOT GET DISTRACTED WHILE LOADING!!! A double charge can be bad, a complete double load can ruin your day!
Also if you ever ram a ball WITHOUT powder DO NOT USE THAT STUPID SCREW TYPE BALL PULLER! It has a tendency to screw in off center and jam the ball even tighter, instead remove the nipple and use a nipple pick to poke a couple of grains of powder in the flash hole then cap and fire, repeat as needed. Use only a few grains each time, use the ram rod as a measuring stick to check progress. Remember what I said about not getting distracted?
 
Xae289

Xae289

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Everything kev74 said, and a few tips.

Getting started with patched round balls, I bought pre-lubed patches. The good thing about them is that they sell the patches in fixed thicknesses so I bought 0.490" balls for my .50 cal muzzleloader and used a 0.015" patch for a tight fit. I also didn't have to bother lubing them myself.

Also, after you pour the powder and before seating the projectile, give the rifle a couple slaps right next to the lockwork. That helps some of the powder shimmy down into the flash channel and ensure better ignition.

After seating your first charge (powder, bullet), I recommend putting your ramrod in the barrel and putting tape on the ramrod where it meets the muzzle. That way you'll have a visual way of knowing whether your rifle has a charge of powder and a ball loaded, or you would be able to tell right away if you double-charged it.
 
Acer-m14

Acer-m14

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powder measure ..

muzzleloaders-brass-powder-measure-mz1410-1_1050x700.jpg
 
Acer-m14

Acer-m14

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you will also need a hot tub .. if you don't have one

then the bath tube or shower will work .,.

strip the gun down and your self too

and jump in with all the metal gun parts ..

hot hot water and soap to clean it and your self too ..
 
Acer-m14

Acer-m14

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i use this in my 50cal inline ..

no plastic base wad needed or cloth patch

pretty sure they came from Hornaday .. i would have to go get my BP ammo box out to confirm ..

i do know they are 350 grains and i used 90 on the measure for Real BP and for Pyrodex

img-muzzleloading.jpg
 
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alistair

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kev74 said:
I've got the same rifle. Junker, made in Spain, .45 caliber. Shoots pretty accurately.

The guidance I was given for black powder is for the powder charge to be between 1 and 2 times the caliber. .45 caliber would be charged with between 45 and 90 grains. The charge is measured by volume, not by weight.

You'll need to use a patch around the ball. I cut patches out of old T-shirt material and use Bore Butter on the patch as a lubricant. Cleaning patches would work. Traditionalists use linen patches.

Pour the powder in the barrel, pack it with the ram rod, puch the patched bullet in, seat it firmly with the ram rod. Then pop a cap on and shoot. Don't leave any airspace around the powder - pack everything in tightly! Empty space will make too much pressure.

If you'd like to meet up at the range some time, let me know.
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I have some lead balls. Can it also shoot sabots?
 
Robin

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alistair said:
I have some lead balls. Can it also shoot sabots?
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You should know the twist rate of the barrel, it should be stamped on the underside and you will have to disassemble to find it. If it has a slow twist like 1 in 66, it is too slow to stabilize a saboted bullet and was meant for a patched round pure lead ball.
Robin
 
Xae289

Xae289

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Like was said, slow twist rate barrels won't stabilize sabots well. 1:66 is slow, 1:48 is medium, and it's unlikely to have a faster twist than that. If it's 1:48, it'll potentially shoot sabots well, and will likely shoot patched round balls well. If it's 1:66 it should shoot ball very well but sabots won't stabilize. Try different powder charges and projectiles if you can to figure out what your rifle likes.

Make sure you press the projectile firmly down onto the powder every single time, but don't slam the ramrod down. Be firm, but don't beat the heck outta it when it's seated on the powder. Consistency is king.
 
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