First muzzleloader on its way!!!!

[Canuck Bob]

I am waiting on a used flintlock Lyman Deerstalker in lefty and .54. The gun will be shipped from the US on Monday.

I have some questions to prepare for shooting this rifle.

I can find production balls and prelubed patches to get started in town. I'm ordering a primer measure and probably a charge measure as well. They are supplying a tool ring with the common tools and some flints. Any advice or such to get me started?

I will drill the vent if it is not 1/16 and clean the rifle well.

One problem has risen up. I can get only 1F and 4F BP locally. I'm being told that is all thats available in western Canada, I'll check. Most load work I see uses 2F or 3F charges. Can I make 1F charges work in this rifle for medium weight charges and PRBs?

I may have to try duplex charges with pyrodex which is available everywhere. I've read about them and lots say ok and lots say no. This is a respected gun and uses pyrodex in the percussion rifle, opinions?

.530 balls and .015 patches have been suggested as starting points. Anyone have 1F load data? Load data for this rifle with the proper BP?

 

[nkbj]

Hi there.
The %'s of S, C and K2NO4 aren't going to change between Fg and FFg. I'd just find the amount of Fg that makes the rifle happy and rejoice mightily as a right brained (left handed) shooter should.

 

[torn moc]

Well...if you are right bained and left handed your doing purty good just to know what S,C and KNO3....
actually is !! :rotf: AND the % of these chemicals dont change in any of the different granulations 1F thru 4 FFF.
I wouldnt drill the touch hole untill you first shoot the gun and see how it is acting...
it might not need drilling at all.

 

[trent/OH]

It is very important that THIS WEEKEND you fully clean and oil all of your cartridge firearms. I mean like long term storage clean and oil. It's almost certain that once you start shooting your muzzleloader, you will forget about your cartridge guns, and it would be a shame if they deteriorated from disuse.
And after you shoot your new rifle, clean it that very same day. Don't ever put it off.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Well...if you are right bained and left handed your doing purty good just to know what S,C and KNO3....
actually is !! :rotf: AND the % of these chemicals dont change in any of the different granulations 1F thru 4 FFF.
I wouldnt drill the touch hole untill you first shoot the gun and see how it is acting...
it might not need drilling at all.

I agree. It's easy to take away too much metal but awful hard to grow it back. Shoot it first.

An overly large touch hole can rob you of pressure, consistancy and, therefore, accuracy.

 

[Canuck Bob]

The cleaning duty is very important? I'll hold off on the enlarged vent until I fire it.

What size measure should I get as far as volume is concerned for the charge powder.

And one quick observation, lefties aren't right brain they use both sides. thats why we pity righties because if they weren't all the same they would forget how to open doors.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Go to Track of the Wolf's catalogue and buy an adjustable powder measure with a funnel attached to the measure. The run about $20.00 USC. As to a priming tool or horn, you can solder a .308, or .30-06 Casing to the lid of a powder can, cutting a hole in the lid and the bottom off the casing, to make a pouring spout for the can of 4Fg priming powder. Stick with that until you find what works. I now have a couple of priming horns, and one of those spring loaded priming tools. You can buy the spring loaded nozzle to install in your own piece of wood, or antler for a measure yourself. The Antler measure I have I won off a blanket Shoot where someone in the club donated it for a prize. It drops about 3 grains of powder with each stroke, so it takes a couple of strokes to get enough powder in the pan. But the things work in all but the hottest, most humid conditions. Then, they clog up pretty fast. I like a priming Horn, with a simply wood plug in the nozzle, because it allows me to pour out the amount of powder I need, and there are NO metal parts to condense moisture. If the powder does clump up a bit, I can shake the horn to break the clumps up. Actually, in very humid conditions( like the day long rain I experienced on a Labor Day weekend Boar hunt) its better to use FFFg powder or even FFG powder for priming the pan, and leave the 4Fg powder in the range box. The coarser granules of FFFg and FFg powder are far less likely to absorb any water, soon. I have no problem igniting it with my flintlock.

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany!

Congrats to the new smokepole! :thumbsup:

For your powder problems:

Pyrodex won't ignite at all in a flinter because its ignition temp. is too high. So if there is really only 1F and 4F available then use 4f for priming the pan and for a starter load under the 1F charge. I think 10-15 grs of 4F pured down the barrel before the 1F main charge will be enough. Then load about 60 grs 1F, lubed overpowder wad and finally the PRB (.530 with .010" patch).

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[MSW]

congrats on your first muzzle loader. what that smart fella said about cleaning and oiling your ctg rifles... it's for true!

i tried the duplex thing a while back, but it never really worked as well as i had hoped. i don't think it's unsaf or anything like that- it's just not worth the bother (but that's just one guy's opinion, and may well be worth what you just paid for it.

as regards enlarging the touch hole- don't do it yet. try the rifle for a bit and if you're getting a fair number of flash in the pan incidents, then consider getting out the drill bits - 'till that point, see if it's broke before you try to fix it.

be happy! make good smoke!

 

[Mike Brooks]

You may get 1f to work quite well, worth trying if you can't get anything else. I'd wipe between shots, 1f burns pretty dirty.

 

[410-er]

Never drilled any of mine and never had problems.

 

[Canuck Bob]

Well I found a source for powder about an hour away. I am going to buy a pound of 4F for priming and a couple pounds of 3F to get started.

This has really eased my worries about BP supply. I also found out they are a well supplied store for accessories.

Now for some load development soon.

 

[PreglerD]

Good to hear you have a bp source near you! Let us know when your rifle has arrived and post some pics!

Regards

Kirrmeister