Loading Preference

[Clark Badgett]

I like to push till bottom.. then give it my shoulder weight for packing. A few packing rod drops to feel is down nothing crazy.. just to feel bottom.

I don't know what's better... im more about whatever as long as it's down all the way.. most my packing is just checking that it feels seated.

I've seen some people on video pick the rod up and throw drop it down hard on the wads packing.

I think you are thinking of 2 different things. There is the pour and then the compression. Compressing the powder is not the same as beating on the butt to unsettle powder.

 

[Trigger]

I think you are thinking of 2 different things. There is the pour and then the compression. Compressing the powder is not the same as beating on the butt to unsettle powder.

Yup...

I though we tapped that horse to death.. drifting away from that one..

 

[Trigger]

Yea compressing the powder. over powder wads. I've seen it 3 ways in video..

I was drifting.

One.. to the extreme packing..

Two.. down n a little compressing

Three... Down seated and that's it. No compressing.

 

[Trigger]

He seated firm.. it was a push firm and that was it.

 

[wiscoaster]

So you got XRay vision in dirt?

No, a carpet pad laid down on concrete.

 

[Mike in FL]

you know with a potatoes gun after shooting you open it and swing it back and forth to get fresh new oxygen in there..

Makes a difference...

And very verrry little squirt of starting ether.. just a little . You want allot of oxygen.

Yep. The one time I got to shoot a 'tater gun I could not believe how far it would shoot. Made from PVC pipe and powered by hair spray the potatoes smacked a fence post 200 yards away. Amazing

 

[Trigger]

I'd have to get the.. special specifications from my dad's old friend..

Is allot of work.. barrel length.. where the potatoe seated....

Size of the combustion Chamber and all..

It all makes a difference. Big time.. crappy potatoes gun send it.

His potatoes gun shoots a whole cucumber over 100 yards. A carved And fitted potatoe is gone.

I'd be afraid to add hospital grade 99% oxygen into it.. that would blow it up.

 

[Trigger]

So yea.. gun powder might be different but.. just pushing the wads down probably gives you a air change anyway...

In the tater gun.. you need a good mix air to oxygen...

But it wouldn't surprise me if oxygen 99... blow things up.. it's crazy what oxygen and fire do.

I worked ounce in an old home.. oxygen in use everywhere.. everyone had a tank.. sighs everywhere no smoking.. I felt good.. like good and high that day. Good day

 

[Mike in FL]

The old guys used to fire a "fouling shot" at the range prior to shooting for their score. You are ON to something here...just remember to clean it real well before putting it away!

Don't have a smooth bore so my opinion is worth nothing, but I think a fouling shot has no value IF you clean between shots. I believe, perhaps wrongly, that all shots including the first ought to be done with a clean bore
That contributes to consistency
If we load over a fouled barrel we negate the fact that fouling builds up shot to shot is passing through a different condition barrel, because not cleaning for several shots means each subsequent shot is from a bore more caked up than the previous. . I say that but can't back it up from personal experience.

 

[Trigger]

With a rifle yea.. I clean it good.. 3 0r 4 damp patches windex squirt or spit works.. but passed twice each side used.. then a dry patch both sides.. shoot and repeat...

For hunting with the rifle.. I'd shoot one.. run my patches then load it and good..

With the shotgun.. it's Shotgun.. it's smooth bore... I might just shoot 30 grain and a wad.. then load it for the turkey season. Just a little dirty.

 

[Trigger]

The smoothbore is different... fun to dirty up.. the shotgun.. the barrel only holds so much and it's dirty but a nice coat. If that makes sense.

I need to try a little spit lube or something between shots to see if that affects patterns. Just to see..

I like the way its going.. just cards did good without cleaning. My number one load is the simple affective out there for birds hunt... happy just cards was better.. I don't need any other wads... I though I needed more stuffing but everything kinda hurt pattern.. so now I'm more thinking better powder and try different charges now light medium and heavey.. to compair.

been loading dirty no lube. It loads... the hardest to push is a thick nitro and it's not that bad.

My first tc rifle.. I was like how many shots till you need to clean out fouling... I did get the second shot down but it was bad. I really wished I hadn't done that.

 

[Rebel bull]

I never worry about rocks, mud , what ever when shooting matches I use one of the wife's old running shoes with the tongue removed to set the butt in for loading, cleaning. or just leaning while posting new targets, it keeps it clean, dry and cushioned. I never worry about it falling over when against a bench as its always in my universal bench clamp.

 

[Rebel bull]

getting ready for saturday's shoot

CANNON VALLEY MUZZLELOADERS
1st shoot of the season
SATURDAY MAY 11TH 9 AM APPROXIMATE Start
We don't discriminate all are welcome as long as it loads from the
muzzle
$10 registration, kids shoot free. .50 relays winner takes half the
pot
AT AHLMANS GUNS IN MORRISTOWN MN.
9525 230TH.ST. W.
MORRISTOWN MN
CALL Lynn 612 250 5943 or Deryk 612 388 4249

 

[Gary Romich]

He seated firm.. it was a push firm and that was it.

I am relatively new to muzzleloading but I remember clearly being told never press down a load with your hand on top of the ramrod if you don't want a ramrod through the palm if it fires prematurely. If that is true, why would a training video make a fundamental error? Or was I given wrong information??

 

[Trigger]

I am relatively new to muzzleloading but I remember clearly being told never press down a load with your hand on top of the ramrod if you don't want a ramrod through the palm if it fires prematurely. If that is true, why would a training video make a fundamental error? Or was I given wrong information??

I kinda go by wait a min just in case there's amber in there.

Either way if it was to do that.. you hand its messed up either way maybe.. it's still above the muzzle.

Wait a min.

If it's not down all the way your in trouble just the same... I was worried about that too. Had the ram rod marked to check.. but now it's not that bad you can feel it.

It's not wrong info... if your trying to shoot all the Buffalo before they run away.. it might happen.. there guns were beat on a little.. powder raw ball butt bang it off the ground too. Shoulder n fire repeat..

 

[Mike in FL]

I've never, ever pressed on a powder charge that is in the barrel other than push in g into the barrel to get the other componen

 

[Mike in FL]

I've never, ever pressed on a powder charge that is in the barrel other than push in g into the barrel to get the other componen

Oops. To finish that sentence, . . . to get the other components in. No "packing." MARK YOUR RAMROD. I can't see how pounding on the powder helps anything. I suppose everyone taps the rod down a little to make sure the load is seated, but the ramrod marks makes even that unnecessary. Sometimes we over think the smallest aspects of muzzleloading.

 

[Trigger]

I have a pen mark... I use it.

It needs to be changed now. A little.

I'll rub it out and make a new mark... it's good to have.

 

[No Answers]

I didnt know either. powder, patch ball, ram it.
I too slap the rifle to help settle the powder, maybe its not necessary but I do it. I also always out of habit, blow a long breath into the muzzle after the shot, to help soften fouling.
Just something I got into the habit of doing, much like using a blow tube after the shot in black powder cartridge shooting.

I do hope that you use a piece of surgical tubing to blow down the barrel without putting your face over the muzzle.

 

[Mike in FL]

I do hope that you use a piece of surgical tubing to blow down the barrel without putting your face over the muzzle.

I reckon we all have different habits we get into that are different from what others do, and that's good 'cause we might inadvertently teach each other.