Getting my kids started.

[Wyoharris]

Getting my 4H kids going here in a couple weeks. I have 4 Traditions and a Cabelas rifle, all 50 cal. A bunch of .490 balls, plenty of caps and patches, some prelubed, some not. Turns out I can lube patches with darn near anything! Honestly, starting out, will I notice any big difference on 25-40 yard targets? We arent shooting on a bench, just kneeling and standing. Will start on metal targets, just to build confidence and make noise and smoke! After a couple practices will get serious about targets. I am open to loading practice, shooting drills, and fun ideas. Thanks!

 

[64Springer]

Simulate hunting deer and let the kids shoot at paper plates.

 

[Nuthatch]

I notice no difference in accuracy with bear grease/beeswax lube, water, soapy water, bore butter or spit. I don't think it matters at roundball distances, which I would top out at 100 yards.

 

[Steve Wagner]

Read what Eterry and Black Powder Maniac have to say about making loading easy over on the "Question for Black Powder Maniac" thread. Speed things up, make loading easier and still hit where they aim at moderate distances with thinner patches. Early and consistent success is important for kids to keep them engaged. You already know that part though. Check that thread. SW

 

[Steve Wagner]

Your 4 Traditions are a great choice too. Not to say anything bad about the Cabelas [Investarms ?] but the Trads are very lightweight, consistently accurate and very unfussy about going bang. I taught my 13 year old grandson how to shoot my Trad Hawken 50 this weekend and he shot it about 25-30 times without any hang or misfires. He shot from a table using my hunting pack as a rest like I taught him for hunting with his centerfire. Using prelubed .010 and .490 roundballs, he could load it himself with just a ramrod [no short starter]. Any tighter patch and I had to help. We were shooting at about 40-45 yards, he shot great and I couldn't detect much if any loss of accuracy. With those .010 patches he put a 3 shot 1 1/2" group on paper after hardly missing pop cans etc. at the same distance. We did swipe between shots w a patch lightly lubed with avocado oil and I think it would be great for your ball patches too. I doubt it was necessary, but it does make loading easier and I was teaching him about consistent loading for hunting. The avocado oil cleans great and is pretty high temp, but I have been using coconut crisco as a patch lube when not using prelubed patches because it is solid at room temp and won't bleed into your powder when hunting. It melts on your fingers for easy patch application and then solidifies. Pop cans and plastic bottles and jugs filled with water make for rewarding and entertaining targets for kids when they explode and also show them to respect the kind of devastating power these weapons can generate. Loading was also made much easier with my Trad when it was new by polishing the bore with the finest steel wool and easing off the sharp edges at the crown with 400 grit emory. This also helped accuracy and reduced fouling for my rifle. Good folks on this forum taught me this and much more. You are doing something huge for these kids. Thanks for that. The more times they can put lead down range in a session, the more hooked they will be. SW

 

[Crows-R-US]

You'll notice more variation from kid to kid than you will from any change in lube/load.

 

[Sam squanch]

I’m not telling you your business- but a whole gaggle of hyperactive kids and loading a muzzleloader may not mix. If it were me, I’d keep the group small, or get help from other adults to supervise. I’ve been there….

 

[dave951]

I've been working with Scouts in summer camp now for several years. We start out with a safety brief, then a brief history lesson and on to the fun. Starting target is a paper plate at 25yd. While you're instructing, don't watch the target, watch the shooter. Two reasons, first, you need to be ready for any unsafe movement, second, watch technique. Once their technique is evaluated, time to start working on basic marksmanship. Our instructor/shooter ratio is 1/1 so we keep the group size down and work in 2 relays. All targets are reactive, vary in size and difficulty.

One thing we do that many don't is we also shoot minies meaning we can dispense with the wiping stuff and loading table and keep the kids shooting. Each instructor carries a cartridge box and cap box on a belt and the kids are taught to load at the line. Yes, they're capable of it. The instructor issues one cartridge to the shooter who loads it while the instructor monitors. Once done, then the instructor issues one cap and monitors the student. This eliminates the commotion of a loading table with open powder and other stuff and a side benefit, no dry balls.

PM me if you'd like to get a conversation going.

 

[Wyoharris]

A whole herd of kids would scare me too!, only 4 this year, and i have anothef adult leader helping. And i know about watching the kid and not the target. Its critical in shotgunning with kids. And thanks for the advice on other stuff.

 

[DixieTexian]

See if you can get some old propane tanks that might or might not be empty but are too old to pass the inspection to refill them. Surround them with lit candles dedicated to some of the old guys like Kit Carson and such. Have them shoot at the tanks. Don't forget eye protection.

 

[sheriff john]

Coached an NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge Team for some time, ultimately to winning the national championship. Muzzleloading rifle was one of the events. Thousands of kids compete each year. Targets are life-size NRA animal paper targets. Quite appropriate for muzzleloading and fun, too.

Available from the National Rifle Association.