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muzzleloader tips

mossberg500manmossberg500man Member Posts: 833 ✭✭✭✭
I bought my first muzzleloader recently. It is an older knight. I wanted to know If You guys have any tips as to the cleaning and care of my muzzle loader. I am planning on takeing it out to shoot this weekend and get a feel for it before I take it hunting.

Comments

  • mossberg500manmossberg500man Member Posts: 833 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Im completely new to the muzzleloading game i got a tc impact for my birthday and in looking for tips on a little bit of everything, thanks
  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Read the Owners Manual. Read it again. Know the safety precautions of handeling black powder / subsitutes and muzzle loading rifles. Make sure the bullet is down all the way on top of the powder. Clean the rifle by the end of the day's shooting to prevent corrosion developing. You do not need maximum loads for deer hunting and target shooting. There are good books on shooting muzzle loaders.
  • anderskandersk Member Posts: 3,627 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Find and join a Muzzle loader club near you and learn all you can from folks with lots of experience. Worked for me!
  • andrewsw16andrewsw16 Member Posts: 10,728 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You will almost always find your most accurate load is NOT your maximum power load. That is good news for both your pocket book and your shoulder. [:D]
  • mossberg500manmossberg500man Member Posts: 833 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by andrewsw16
    You will almost always find your most accurate load is NOT your maximum power load. That is good news for both your pocket book and your shoulder. [:D]
    ahhh ok [:D]
  • Okie743Okie743 Member Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by andrewsw16
    You will almost always find your most accurate load is NOT your maximum power load. That is good news for both your pocket book and your shoulder. [:D]


    Very True. First forget about the 150 gr HV stuff you see on TV. It's BS!
    Read the owners manual couple times.
    Start out with 70gr charge (powder or pellets) and then not over 80 gr. If it's 50 cal try a 45cal bullet and a plastic sabot. Whatever the caliber keep the bullet caliber as large as possible with a sabot. (the less plastic the more accurate usually) Ie, 50 cal bullet for a 54 cal gun. Do not get the plastic or barrel warm or hot, (cold plastic produces best groups, use a bore brush with a cleaning patch wrapped around it to clean the bore between shots. (the bore brush with a patch wrapped around it don't hang-up in a dirty bore like a jag does and is more user friendly. Do get yourself a patch getter, to retrieve a in barrrel patch without having to remove the breech plug, etc. (you will loose a patch in the bore every once in awhile)
    When first starting shooting for groups, (at 50-60 yards) if you are not getting decent groups with 70 gr, you need to change your sabot bullet choice if it's a 1 in 48 or faster twist barrel. You will USUALLY find that the higher the charge you use the less consistent the guns accuracy will be, 99% of time.
  • OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,519 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Constantly clean your rifle. I find that most accurate loads come from that other then max load. I shoot 245 power belt bullets at 80 grains of powder. I have killed many deer out to 250 yard.Practice, practice, practice. It is not like shooting a modern rifle. BP can extend your season and be very enjoyable. Don't forget to unload your gun after the season. I forgot one year and destroyed a gun.I also like a stainless steel barrel because they are easier to clean and I don't have to worry about the elements. I have two T/C omegas with the thumbhole camo stocks.I also have a Bushnell trophy 3x9 scope on it. I can shoot 3/4" groups at 200 yards with mine.
  • RandyTheReloaderRandyTheReloader Member Posts: 23 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    As a former now retired hunter education safety instructor...the posts I'm reading all give you good advise.There are three safety rules that you must follow without disregard.1)ONLY cap the gun when you are ready to hunt.An un-capped gun cannot fire.2)"Score or Mark" that ram rod when you have tamped down your favorite powder & bullet load located at the muzzle crown.The mark on that ramrod will allow you check for a gun left loaded.Glow in the dark nail polish works wonders,but always keep it fresh.3)If you leave your loaded(un-capped)muzzleloader in an outbuilding for the next hunt place the ram-rod in the barrel.That tells you it has a charge in there,NOT to RELOAD.Too many times hunters & shooters fail themselves by NOT checking a muzzleloader barrel.They will pack down another round of powder & bullet over a charge already in place.If you always follow these three rules in addition to ALL the rest...you & others around you will stay SAFE! Now * out thar' an put some venison in that FREEZER before this season is GONE!
  • blackpowder70blackpowder70 Member Posts: 154 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ive been hunting with Black powder for many years.Just remember to clean your rifle after a day at the range or after you shoot it in the field.

    Black Powder unlike modern guns sometimes require a fouling shot to get you on target.Mine shoots high left first shot then after that right on the money. You will just need to experiment with powder loads and sabots and also bullet types to find what your gun likes.Then keep a log of the best load combinations.I shoot 95 grain with a 265 grain Barnes expander for the best results. My full bore conical need 80 grains to be on the money.Just have fun and try loose powder different types and pellets if you want.
  • mossberg500manmossberg500man Member Posts: 833 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks all for the advice, I did some experimenting and found I can get a 1 1/2 inch group at 75 yards with 185 .45 cal Tc sabots and 90 grains of Pioneer ffg loose powder
  • hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,119 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mossberg500man
    Thanks all for the advice, I did some experimenting and found I can get a 1 1/2 inch group at 75 yards with 185 .45 cal Tc sabots and 90 grains of Pioneer ffg loose powder



    that will kill just about any deer around..... have fun
  • andrewsw16andrewsw16 Member Posts: 10,728 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hate to beat a topic to death, but one more suggestion on determining a loaded vs unloaded muzzle loader. If you have neglected to mark your ramrod or are using an unmarked replacement rod in a pinch, just drop the rod all the way down the bore and make a small mark on the rod even with the muzzle with a pencil or even your thumbnail. Then withdraw the rod and lay it alongside the barrel with your mark even with the muzzle. If the other end does NOT reach clear to the breechplug, that barrel is already loaded. Good luck on the hunt. [:D]
  • hector15hector15 Member Posts: 14 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by blackpowder70
    Ive been hunting with Black powder for many years.Just remember to clean your rifle after a day at the range or after you shoot it in the field.

    Black Powder unlike modern guns sometimes require a fouling shot to get you on target.Mine shoots high left first shot then after that right on the money. You will just need to experiment with powder loads and sabots and also bullet types to find what your gun likes.Then keep a log of the best load combinations.I shoot 95 grain with a 265 grain Barnes expander for the best results. My full bore conical need 80 grains to be on the money.Just have fun and try loose powder different types and pellets if you want.
    My encore is the same way, but the 3rd shot is the most accurate. After I clean I shoot it twice, and then go hunting. I have the same to true in some of my center fire rifle's also.
  • hector15hector15 Member Posts: 14 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you really want to make it accurate, after you find your favorite load recipe, put a scope on it. The new in-line's are accurate, and to take full advantage of that put a nice scope on her. It also helps at morning and evening hunts in low light situation's. P.S. you might try Hornady SST bullets(45 cal. bullets with a 50 cal. sabot) they come in the same box together.
  • anderskandersk Member Posts: 3,627 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've been deer hunting with a .30-'06 for the past few years (after seven years of hunting with a smoke pole down in Massachusetts where I had no choice) but I'm thinking seriously about going back to a muzzle loader long gun this fall.

    It's just that a follow up shot is not so quick, but I have gotten a lot faster than when I started shooting BP. And, of course, if the first shot is good, the follow-up shot is not necessary!
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