first time firing the 54 cal

[defib_wizard]

Well after a bunch of prep. I finally shot my 54 cal. lyman trade rifle today. I've taken the 44 cap & ball revolver out twice, Today was rifle day. It was fun enough that my wife told me to go out again tomorrow if I like. She even thought about shooting once but changed her mind. ( previous shoulder injury).
I did make two obvious mistakes though. I loaded a patched ball without loading powder first. I remembered right after using the starter . luckily I had a ball puller ( easy fix )
The second one ( it also required the ball puller) I cleaned the barrel but forgot to run a couple of dry patches through. I now see what they mean by keep your powder dry. If its wet it wont burn. My next investment will be a co2 bullet remover.






Thanks to everyone on this forum. Your posts helped me be prepared for these human errors.

:bow: :bow: :bow:

 

[walruskid1]

my wife told me to go out again tomorrow if I like.

damn, i wish i had one like that. my wife has a chore list two miles long!

 

[shmrck1]

defib,
Glad you enjoyed yourself! It only gets
better....Don't give the dry ball incident
another thought. Its part of the learning
process and we have all done it.But it is :redface:
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[MSW]

only two kinds; those that have dry balled and those that are gonna

msw

 

[Pork Chop]

my wife told me to go out again tomorrow if I like.

damn, i wish i had one like that. my wife has a chore list two miles long!

Don't feel bad Walruskid. I think I married your wife's long lost sister. At least I am sure I did when it comes to chores. Thankfully, I finally finished flooring the entire house the other day!

 

[Plains99]

I have never had much luck with a CO2 unit. Normally if you just remove the nipple and pour a few grains of powder into the drum, you can blow the ball out. It is difficult to get a good seal with a CO2 unit. Personally I like to set my gun barrel down with the percussion nipple removed after cleaning to help ventilate the ignition chamber and then run a dry patch before storage, and a patch again before loading.

 

[fw707]

only two kinds; those that have dry balled and those that are gonna

msw

Yep, it's no big deal. Just hope you don't leave your ramrod in the barrel, like at least one of us on here has done! :cursing: :rotf:

I wonder if anybody else would admit doing that??? :hmm:

 

[Goldhunter]

I know someone that has done that. :winking: First shot missed the buck. The buck stood there, mesmerized by the pretty blue smoke in the air. So the hunter hurried and reloaded, and shot. The second shot kicked a bit more. The deer ran off and stopped about thiry yards farther. Hunt went to reload again and realized his ramrod was missing. So hunt puts his rifle on his shoulder and walks back down the hill. :shake:

 

[crmyers]

:redface: Guilty as charged on more than one occasion.

 

[Alberta Black]

so far I have not dry balled my new .50 flinter - yet

 

[Toomuch_36]

I know someone that has done that. :winking: First shot missed the buck. The buck stood there, mesmerized by the pretty blue smoke in the air. So the hunter hurried and reloaded, and shot. The second shot kicked a bit more. The deer ran off and stopped about thiry yards farther. Hunt went to reload again and realized his ramrod was missing. So hunt puts his rifle on his shoulder and walks back down the hill. :shake:

Had nearly the same happen to one of our party about 10 years ago, only the doe came home with us. First shot went way high, you could see the leaves falling way back on the other side of the deer. Second shot went who knows where but the deer fell. When we went to retrieve the animal, there was the ramrod sticking out of the rib cage like an arrow. :redface: :v

Toomuch
...........
Shoot Flint

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

I have never had much luck with a CO2 unit. Normally if you just remove the nipple and pour a few grains of powder into the drum, you can blow the ball out. It is difficult to get a good seal with a CO2 unit. Personally I like to set my gun barrel down with the percussion nipple removed after cleaning to help ventilate the ignition chamber and then run a dry patch before storage, and a patch again before loading.

That's odd. I've had just the opposite... I had very good fortune when using the CO2 unit. I was fortunate that my shooting buddy had one of these units with him. Brand new too! We were out target shooting and in the excitement, I dryballed. I got to break the CO2 unit in for it's first discharge.

I must say that it worked extremely well... but maybe it was because it was brand new? and that I had a brand new nipple on the rifle? Got to be some factor that is missing somehow. I know that the outside dimensions on the various manufacturer's #11 nipples can vary greatly. I wonder if I just was fortunate to have the right match?

Anyhow, the thing worked great and once I get a few extra dollars set aside, I will be adding one of these CO2 units to my possibles box.

Regards, and shoot safely!
WV_Hillbilly

PS Be mindful of that high heat. It can sneak up on you and really ruin your day.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Well fw707, let me tell you a story. In 40 plus years of shooting muzzleloaders I've never dry-balled once....before that sounds too self-important I have to admit that twice I found out why you point the muzzle away from your chin when you pour in the powder. FOOSH!!; smell like scorched cat; no hair from chin to 4 inches in my hairline; look like Al Jolson in black-face; butt of many jokes!! Yes, I said "TWICE"...you'd think an old fart like moi would learn the first time!! :rotf: :rotf: :youcrazy:

 

[faw3]

Words to live by Wes-Tex. :hmm: (from East Tex) Fred :hatsoff:

 

[aloz]

Hi defib,
Are you mono or biphasic? If you put a ball in and forget the powder... sync-cardiovert at 200Joules and you'll never do it again!
CO2 gizmos? The Devil's work.
On the 7th Day the Lord did sprinkle the Earth with flint and say verily, "This is bloody beaut!"
I'm back! Ordained now!
See ya, Al (Rev)

 

[Plains99]

WV Hillbilly: Yeah, I always had real problems getting a good seal on the nipple so I just blew gas but didn't have any significant movement of the load. Don't have any explanation. Two companies sent me their models, I tried them and now they are taking up space in my tried but wasn't very impressed box. Right next to the hand-held thermal readout electronic deer finder....oh well, at least the holster it came in was good for a turkey box call. I don't know. I'm glad you had good luck.

 

[Snuffy]

Using around 5-10 grains of powder (like you did) is alot easier on the ol' wallet than buying a CO2 cannister.

 

[fw707]

FOOSH!!; smell like scorched cat; no hair from chin to 4 inches in my hairline; look like Al Jolson in black-face; butt of many jokes!!

Now that was funny!! :grin:

 

[Slake]

I thought I was going to go with a CO2 set up for blowing dry balls out and then I got a sturdier T handle for my range rod and when {I should say IF} I dry ball I screw that heavy T handle on my range rod put the screw on the other end and put the T on the ground hold with my feet and put the rifle upwards...much easier than it sounds

 

[musketman]

I thought I was going to go with a CO2 set up for blowing dry balls out and then I got a sturdier T handle for my range rod and when {I should say IF} I dry ball I screw that heavy T handle on my range rod put the screw on the other end and put the T on the ground hold with my feet and put the rifle upwards...much easier than it sounds

May I suggest placing the "T" in the branches of a stout tree whenever possible, if the gun was to discharge while pulling the ball, all you will loose would be the rod...