First time shooting a muzzleloader

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  • Crusader17

    Marksman
    Jan 15, 2017
    198
    16
    Miami County
    Got to shoot black powder in a muzzleloader for the first time this week. Didn't know anything about it but family member gave me an old rifle a while ago with a box of various supplies. I had a friend with just a little bit of experience help me. Used 85 grains of an unknown powder, sketchy, I know. But it was pretty cool. Just fun to go through the process of loading it. It's a Lyman .50 trade rifle. What kind of powder should I get when I run out? Just shooting for fun, not for power or hunting. Also when cleaning, it smells extremely sulfuric, and a question, how do you get a muzzleloader clean??? I feel like I just rammed a bunch of gunk down in the end of the barrel.
     

    Winamac

    Expert
    Site Supporter
    Sep 11, 2011
    1,344
    83
    Logansport
    Black powder can be fun to shoot. However you mention "unknown powder, sketchy," Not trying to be" Preachy" but you must make sure that you did NOT and DO NOT load modern re-loading smokeless power or you will blow yourself and the gun up. If you are unsure of the type,make etc... of the powder you have on hand. I recommend you get rid of it and get some actual Goex blackpowder or Pyrodex which is made for BP firearms.
    Now with regard to cleaning. Good old soap and warm water. Then dry swab the barrel and once patches come out clean. Swab it with a patch and light oil. Remove the nipple clean it with the soapy water clean thoroughly with soapy water the area where the nipple screws in.
    You mention " Used 85 grains" might I suggest you begin with 50-60 grains and work your way up swabbing between shots. Some folks believe the more powder the better. I was taught less powder more accurate.
    Last might I suggest if you are really wanting to learn BP. Find a local BP club and join it. Most of these folks will be happy to educate novices. Hope this helps.
     

    Crusader17

    Marksman
    Jan 15, 2017
    198
    16
    Miami County
    Black powder can be fun to shoot. However you mention "unknown powder, sketchy," Not trying to be" Preachy" but you must make sure that you did NOT and DO NOT load modern re-loading smokeless power or you will blow yourself and the gun up. If you are unsure of the type,make etc... of the powder you have on hand. I recommend you get rid of it and get some actual Goex blackpowder or Pyrodex which is made for BP firearms.
    Now with regard to cleaning. Good old soap and warm water. Then dry swab the barrel and once patches come out clean. Swab it with a patch and light oil. Remove the nipple clean it with the soapy water clean thoroughly with soapy water the area where the nipple screws in.
    You mention " Used 85 grains" might I suggest you begin with 50-60 grains and work your way up swabbing between shots. Some folks believe the more powder the better. I was taught less powder more accurate.
    Last might I suggest if you are really wanting to learn BP. Find a local BP club and join it. Most of these folks will be happy to educate novices. Hope this helps.
    Yeah this does help, thanks. I know firearms and assuming don't go well together but it was just a small amount of powder in the box of supplies I was given, so assumed it would be okay, but not my smartest move. It's all gone so I'll have to get new stuff when I want to shoot again. Thanks for the cleaning tips!!
     

    LarryC

    Master
    Jun 18, 2012
    2,418
    63
    Frankfort
    Personally I use Pyrodex rifle powder in my muzzleloader. It is a black powder substitute that does not foul the barrel as much nor does it fill the air with black smoke. If you are going to use Black powder use 2F for rifle, as was stated above start with about 50-60 gr for a 50 cal rifle.

    Cleaning of either black powder or pyrodex is best done with a water soluble cleaner, soap and water, or any water based rifle cleaner. Be sure to clean your nipple out thoroughly as was stated above. I then swab my barrel with "Bore Butter" to prevent rust.
     

    EyeCarry

    Master
    May 10, 2014
    1,532
    63
    Bloomington
    I was taught to take the barrel off of mine and to put the breech end into a bucket of HOT soapy water. Then using the rod and a patch swab up and down the bore like a plunger, pulling the solution in and out of the bucket/bore until clean then dry swab and oil.
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,050
    77
    Southside Indy
    I was taught to take the barrel off of mine and to put the breech end into a bucket of HOT soapy water. Then using the rod and a patch swab up and down the bore like a plunger, pulling the solution in and out of the bucket/bore until clean then dry swab and oil.

    Been awhile since I had a muzzle loader (I'm too lazy :):), but after cleaning and oiling, I would fire a couple of percussion caps before I would start shooting again. I found that if I didn't, and if I had left too much oil in the bore I could have ignition problems. The caps "burn off" any excess oil and helped eliminate that problem.
     

    jspy5

    Sharpshooter
    Sep 8, 2012
    563
    43
    Southern Marion County
    I was taught to take the barrel off of mine and to put the breech end into a bucket of HOT soapy water. Then using the rod and a patch swab up and down the bore like a plunger, pulling the solution in and out of the bucket/bore until clean then dry swab and oil.

    Ditto, this method is all I ever did with my Hawkins rifle. HOT water is the key and I always had on some leather work gloves to make it easier to keep hold of the barrel. Doesn't take long and the barrel will dry itself off because of the heat of the water. Afterwords I might put a little denatured alcohol in the nipple as an extra precaution, no oil. YMMV
     

    PGRChaplain

    Master
    Jan 13, 2011
    3,765
    83
    Waynedale (FT Wayne)
    To avoid taking the barrel off use some tubing/hose that fits tightly on the nipple. Submerge the hose in the bucket of Hot Water. Dawn Dish Soap works good on BP residue. BP is highly corosive, always use something in the Bore after cleaning to prevent Rust. I like Break Free.
     

    dnurk

    Expert
    Site Supporter
    Jun 20, 2012
    1,057
    63
    Boone County
    Another way I always use to avoid taking the barrel out of the stock is to plug the nipple or flash hole (flintlocks)with a quill. Point barrel up and fill with hot soapy water and let it sit for 30 minutes. Pour out the gunk and then swan barrel with a mixture of water and balistol. Finish with some dry patches and you’re good to go.

    I also was never one to obsess over getting a perfectly clean patch at the end of cleaning. The soapy water stops any corrosive action from the BP so rust isn’t an issue after that step. Just get it try at the end and maybe finish with some oil or balistol straight up if you’re putting it into storage for a while.
     

    Bucky623

    Master
    Oct 6, 2008
    1,570
    63
    Northern Indiana
    During your final rinse with hot water make sure the barrel has warmed up pretty good. A warm barrel will cause the water to evaporate out of the bore better.

    If you go with Pyrodex make sure you get RS. (Rifle/Shotgun)

    b780e552-8e44-407f-acf2-44d57d48cfb0_1.3f08a7a9490154140189197cc22afe1c.jpeg
     

    Bucky623

    Master
    Oct 6, 2008
    1,570
    63
    Northern Indiana
    When you fire a couple of percussion caps, like DoggyDaddy suggested, fire then at a leaf or some grass so you can watch for movement and make sure the nipple is clear.

    When the muzzleloader is empty, put the ramrod in the barrel and mark it. Then when you load, it mark it again. Using these marks is an easy way to tell if it’s loaded or not.
     

    Winamac

    Expert
    Site Supporter
    Sep 11, 2011
    1,344
    83
    Logansport
    When you fire a couple of percussion caps, like DoggyDaddy suggested, fire then at a leaf or some grass so you can watch for movement and make sure the nipple is clear.

    When the muzzleloader is empty, put the ramrod in the barrel and mark it. Then when you load, it mark it again. Using these marks is an easy way to tell if it’s loaded or not.

    ^^^^^ This what Bucky said^^^^^^ All the guys and gals in my ML club drop the ramrod into the barrel when they are done shooting. The reason is because they said if they get distracted and then come back to the rifle and forget rather or not it is loaded? All they do is look at the mark they have already made of the ramrod. They have their ramrods marked for loaded and unloaded. Makes sense and works.
     

    Cerberus

    Master
    Sep 27, 2011
    2,359
    48
    Floyd County
    I won't parrot the warnings mentioned above. Do not fear black powder, but do fear the substitutes. BP residue, contrary to popular myth is not corrosive, it is how ever hydroscopic, which means it will attract any moisture in the air, which is what causes the corrosion/rust. Pyrodex residue is corrosive and unless cleaned totally and completely will turn a nice bore into a rust garden and will erode accuracy. Clean up with BP is so simple. If it's a Hawken style with removable barrel the simply remove the barrel and pour warm tap down it until the water comes out clean then dry and oil it well with a non petroleum oil (I use olive oil). Use a pipe cleaner to clean and dry the nipple area. Before you shoot it run a dry patch down the bore to remove any excess oil and snap a cap in the nipple to both dry any oil and observe a blade of grass to ensure everything is clear.

    I will NEVER, ever, ever, ever use pyrodex in any of my muzzleloaders. Find some good 2f or 3f BP.
     
    Last edited:

    ru44mag

    Master
    Feb 6, 2013
    2,369
    48
    Can't really add much. Sounds like everyone hit all the things I could think of. Just have to stress the importance of cleaning the same day you shoot it. Never put it up and say, I will clean it tomorrow. Fastest way to ruin a good rifle.
     

    FlatSixShooter

    Plinker
    Jan 4, 2018
    85
    8
    Westfield
    I've often thought of trying a muzzle loader and there's a lot of good advice in this thread. It does seem pretty maintenance intensive. What's the approximate "shoot time to clean time" ratio??
     

    Mattroth54

    Sharpshooter
    Mar 23, 2013
    370
    18
    I've often thought of trying a muzzle loader and there's a lot of good advice in this thread. It does seem pretty maintenance intensive. What's the approximate "shoot time to clean time" ratio??

    It really depends what you’re shooting. My smokeless Savage doesn’t require much more than any other rifle, cleanup wise. When shooting black powder or some other black powder substitutes, cleaning after shooting gets pretty important. I’m learning about Blackhorn 209, a BP sub that may not require as strict cleanup. Even if it’s cleaner, it’ll be pretty difficult to put up that gun after shooting without cleaning. Just ingrained into my mind I guess. That said, nobody I know got into muzzleloaders because they enjoy breaking down and cleaning guns more than actually shooting. There’s lots to draw someone into this hobby. Simply extending a firearms deer season is enough for many. This was my initial draw. What’s really kept me interested is looking at muzzleloading as another form of reloading, no fancy press required. There’s enough combinations of guns, calibers, projectiles, powders to keep someone busy for a lifetime. If someone just wants to drop a couple pellets down the barrel and hunt an extra coiple
    weeks in December, all good, too. Don’t even get started looking at the world of smokeless muzzleloading. I’ve just scratched the surface there. There’s plenty of guys dang near touching shots at 500y with some pretty cool custom setups.

    My point is, If you’re not adverse to a bit more maintence, there’s a bunch of payoff. There’s really a lot of fun to be had with muzzleloaders beyond scrubbing barrels. Make sense?
     

    FlatSixShooter

    Plinker
    Jan 4, 2018
    85
    8
    Westfield
    Thanks Mattroth54. That is very helpful. I'll admit, I do like taking deep dives when in new waters so (despite my concern for more maintenence) , I may give it a try. I have an acquaintence with some acreage who shoots muzzleloaders I may tap.

    Thanks again!!



    .
     

    Mattroth54

    Sharpshooter
    Mar 23, 2013
    370
    18
    Thanks Mattroth54. That is very helpful. I'll admit, I do like taking deep dives when in new waters so (despite my concern for more maintenence) , I may give it a try. I have an acquaintence with some acreage who shoots muzzleloaders I may tap.

    Thanks again!!



    .

    If I can help out in anyway, let me know. Always happy to give my opinion. That’s still free and perhaps worth what you pay. Go make some smoke!
     
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