Need muzzleloader help...NEWBIE

[Chillstone]

Need a little help from those of you who know a little something bout muzzleloaders...

I purchased a Pedersoli .50 Frontier Carbine percussion rifle.
I would really like to shoot a pig with it at some point but I don't know enough about muzzleloading to make it happen. I have started a list of equipment:

.50 cal brush
.50 cal jag
Bullet puller
Capper
Musket balls
Nipple wrench
Patch puller
Patches
Percussion caps
Piece of leather
Pipe cleaners
Powder
Powder can cap
Powder flask
Powder measurer
Ram rod
Short starter

Does this list look complete? Did I miss anything?
Man this is gonna be expensive!

[TXHUNT3R]

Add something else that starts with a P

[Chillstone]

Add something else that starts with a P

Preposterous Price!

[TMiddleton]

Sorry, all of mine are inlines. I've never even shot a side lock before but one of these days I want to get one!

[TXHUNT3R]

Preposterous Price!

HAHA, spot on!

[ted_kennedys_liver]

Ttt for you. I am also an inliner. Can't recall any side lock threads on here. Huntingforum.net has a black powder section that has been very helpful for me.

[westtexducks]

I will add to check out Huntingnet.com they have a very good blackpowder section and they helped me out a ton when getting my dad setup.

When we got my dad his we just bought him a starter kit that had everything above in it. They are a whole lot of fun and shortly after getting him a rifle he went out and got a pistol and it is also a ton of fun. In all honesty it really wasn't all that bad on price buying it all together. It might not be the best of the best but it works great for the few times a year we get it out and shoot it. I will also had that the flasks are not water or humidity proof so if you are having hell getting it to shoot after letting it sit a few months then dump the powder and start fresh. I will also advise getting the magnum caps much much more reliable than the regular caps. We were getting lots of mis fires and have only had one mag fail, and if they are not setting it off then something is wrong with the powder. I would have complete faith in taking it deer hunting, might just try to get him to drag it out this year to smoke a doe.

[Chillstone]

Thanks for the info! I will check out huntingtonnet.com tonight.

[moe monsarrat]

Maybe I can help a bit. You have pretty much everything I think. You may want to get a ramrod/cleaning rod made of steel with a wood handle. Mine are called Durango Rods. These make cleaning and accurate consistent loading easier than the one on the gun or a plastic one (which may carry a static charge). Get spare nipples & a spare jag. I would suggest a 60gr FF or Pyrodex load for target shooting using .490 patched round balls. For hunting I'd start with 80gr. You always want pure linen or cotton pillow ticking for patches & the thicker the better. Put the rough side of the patch out facing the barrel. Here's the very best cleaning solution I've found: mix equal parts Murphy's Oil Soap, peroxide & rubbing alcohol. You can buy commercial stuff, but this is better and way cheaper. After cleaning the bore, put some Crisco, Bore Butter or even light oil on a patch and swab out the bore. Remove this BEFORE shooting again with alcohol or my favorite......brake parts cleaner/degreaser. Although some people recommend washing the bore out with warm soapy water, I never put water down my barrels. Here's an important tip: If you go out hunting and do not fire the percussion gun, do not expect it to go off the next day without cleaning out the nipple by removing it and forcing a wire though it and then forcing the wire through the hole in the barrel into the breech. Remember I told you to do this or 9 times out of 10 it will NOT go off. You would not have this problem with a flintlock. Feel free to ask any questions about muzzleloaders. I shot in competition and did quite well & still have many guns and use them often.

[Chillstone]

Great information Moe. That should get me started. I will definitely have to get back with you with more questions.

[175gr7.62]

One thing you may need to check is the twist in your barrel. Most of the guns you buy today will have a 1-48 or 1-28 twist with fairly shallow rifling. To shoot patched round balls accurately out of a 50 you may get by with the 1-48 but 1-60 to 1-72 will usually shoot much better, along with deep rifling. The faster twist barrels with shallow cut rifling will do better with the maxi/minie balls and saboted bullets.

I would also play around with various path thickness and ball sizes (.490-.495) to find out what the rifle likes the best. Also, go pick up the spent patches after you shoot and check them for rips and tears. If your patches are ripped up you probably need to keep playing.

Just my opinion but I absolutely hate Pyrodex along with the other substitutes. Give me good old Goex black powder, FF in a 50 works great. One trick I use while hunting is to unscrew the nipple and pour in a touch of FFFF after the rifle is loaded. I get much better ignition doing this, especially on those damp mornings.

I, like Moe, used to shoot competitively and muzzleloaders are capable of phenomenal accuracy when you find the right combinations.

A couple of other tips..

1. Once the rifle is loaded try to keep it outside. A warm rifle taken into cold, damp air can develop condensation inside and powder is like a sponge.
2. Once you put the cap on your loaded rifle I will paint nail polish around the cap/nipple joint. This helps with the seal and it blows off when you fire the rifle.
3. Never hunt with a wooden ramrod. I have seen two many folks get excited on a reload and end up breaking the ramrod off seating the ball. I know of 3 instances where we took the guys to get the ramrod removed from their hand.
4. Before you load, pop a few caps through the rifle with it pointed at the ground. I'll aim it at a leave or something and make sure the objects moves when I fire the cap. This is a good way to make sure the barrel, nipple, drum, and bolster are clear prior to loading.
5. Keep aiming until the recoil comes. The fastest muzzleloader ignition is still way slower than a modern centerfire.
6. Patched round balls tear up way less meat than modern center fire rifle bullets. I shoot deer right through both front shoulders. They usually go straight down and you get very little damage to the tissue aside from a round hole.

Man, I'm gonna have to get my rifles out and go burn some powder.

[Buckwheat]

Maybe I can help a bit. You have pretty much everything I think. You may want to get a ramrod/cleaning rod made of steel with a wood handle. Mine are called Durango Rods. These make cleaning and accurate consistent loading easier than the one on the gun or a plastic one (which may carry a static charge). Get spare nipples & a spare jag. I would suggest a 60gr FF or Pyrodex load for target shooting using .490 patched round balls. For hunting I'd start with 80gr. You always want pure linen or cotton pillow ticking for patches & the thicker the better. Put the rough side of the patch out facing the barrel. Here's the very best cleaning solution I've found: mix equal parts Murphy's Oil Soap, peroxide & rubbing alcohol. You can buy commercial stuff, but this is better and way cheaper. After cleaning the bore, put some Crisco, Bore Butter or even light oil on a patch and swab out the bore. Remove this BEFORE shooting again with alcohol or my favorite......brake parts cleaner/degreaser. Although some people recommend washing the bore out with warm soapy water, I never put water down my barrels. Here's an important tip: If you go out hunting and do not fire the percussion gun, do not expect it to go off the next day without cleaning out the nipple by removing it and forcing a wire though it and then forcing the wire through the hole in the barrel into the breech. Remember I told you to do this or 9 times out of 10 it will NOT go off. You would not have this problem with a flintlock. Feel free to ask any questions about muzzleloaders. I shot in competition and did quite well & still have many guns and use them often.

One thing you may need to check is the twist in your barrel. Most of the guns you buy today will have a 1-48 or 1-28 twist with fairly shallow rifling. To shoot patched round balls accurately out of a 50 you may get by with the 1-48 but 1-60 to 1-72 will usually shoot much better, along with deep rifling. The faster twist barrels with shallow cut rifling will do better with the maxi/minie balls and saboted bullets.

I would also play around with various path thickness and ball sizes (.490-.495) to find out what the rifle likes the best. Also, go pick up the spent patches after you shoot and check them for rips and tears. If your patches are ripped up you probably need to keep playing.

Just my opinion but I absolutely hate Pyrodex along with the other substitutes. Give me good old Goex black powder, FF in a 50 works great. One trick I use while hunting is to unscrew the nipple and pour in a touch of FFFF after the rifle is loaded. I get much better ignition doing this, especially on those damp mornings.

I, like Moe, used to shoot competitively and muzzleloaders are capable of phenomenal accuracy when you find the right combinations.

A couple of other tips..

1. Once the rifle is loaded try to keep it outside. A warm rifle taken into cold, damp air can develop condensation inside and powder is like a sponge.
2. Once you put the cap on your loaded rifle I will paint nail polish around the cap/nipple joint. This helps with the seal and it blows off when you fire the rifle.
3. Never hunt with a wooden ramrod. I have seen two many folks get excited on a reload and end up breaking the ramrod off seating the ball. I know of 3 instances where we took the guys to get the ramrod removed from their hand.
4. Before you load, pop a few caps through the rifle with it pointed at the ground. I'll aim it at a leave or something and make sure the objects moves when I fire the cap. This is a good way to make sure the barrel, nipple, drum, and bolster are clear prior to loading.
5. Keep aiming until the recoil comes. The fastest muzzleloader ignition is still way slower than a modern centerfire.
6. Patched round balls tear up way less meat than modern center fire rifle bullets. I shoot deer right through both front shoulders. They usually go straight down and you get very little damage to the tissue aside from a round hole.

Man, I'm gonna have to get my rifles out and go burn some powder.

I agree with both of these guys. Like them I shot comps. I shot a 50 cal traditions Hawkens. Nothing fancy but could make that rifle shoot. It was a 1-48" twist. It would shoot both round balls and sabots very well. My round balls where .495 with pillow ticken. Lil hard to get started but shot dang good over 60 gr of FFF BLACK POWDER. My Huntin load was a .44 cal 230 gr(if I'm not mistaken) XTP pistol bullet wrapped in a sabot. Over 80 gr of FFF

[OBU13DAD]

I would like to add I did not like my percussion caps being so delayed I found a 209 shotgun primer retrofit for my Traditions .54 cal and it made all the difference in the world.

[dustoffer]

Woo-hoo I have a couple of boars that need some chest ventilation. Maybe I need to get my CVA Mountain Rifle out--

[175gr7.62]

I would like to add I did not like my percussion caps being so delayed I found a 209 shotgun primer retrofit for my Traditions .54 cal and it made all the difference in the world.

I put one of those conversions on a buddy's Lyman Great Plains. I will say that it went off every single time cleanly but it was horrible for accuracy. Couldn't get that thing to shoot at all and we spent weeks playing with it. Just ended up opening up the nipple and he's been good.

Solved the problems on my small Siler flints by opening up the touch holes. My offhand rifle has to have a plug in it to keep the powder from pouring out. The guys to my right on the firing line don't like it much but it goes off as fast as most percussions.