Needed 1st range trip supplies for a percussion rifle?

[zzzippper]

Sorry. I'm sure this has been covered elsewhere ad naseum and if it has I would love a link. I base this on Dixie Gun Works catalog. I would love a checklist and they have one but it is all-encompassing and non-specific.

If I miss a NEED to have please tell me.

NEED
I know I need the rifle .45 caliber (duh).
Powder (duh) FFFG?
Powderhorn
Caps (duh) 10 or 11?
Balls
Patches
Ball starter?


Rifle has a ramrod

NICE TO HAVE
Now (for me) the hard part:
Nipple loader
Nipple charger
Nipple wrench
Nipple sucker (sorry, I couldn't resist)
Powder measure

Left handed Johnson wrench?

 

[user 49399]

If this helps, here's what I take to the range with me when shooting one of my percussion 50 caliber rifles. You will soon find out that other folks use different variations but will be basically the same.

Rifle, of course.
Safety glasses and hearing protection.
Possibles bag.
FFg powder, but FFFg will work also. Carried in homemade horn or brass flask.
.495 round balls. Sometimes .490.
White cotton tee shirt cut up for shooting/cleaning patches about 1 1/4" X 1 1/4" square.
Crisco shortening for patch lube carried in used cap tin.
#11 CCI magnum percussion caps.
Brass adjustable powder measure and homemade deer antler measure (50 gr.) for backup.
Short starter.
Nipple wrench.
For the range I use a delrin rod with a combination cleaning and loading jag.
Small screw driver that fits screws on gun.
Couple of small rags.
Piece of pipe cleaner about 4" long. Use it to clear nipple occasionally.
Targets of choice (I like to use old cardboard boxes - cheap).

Sometimes, but it's not necessary, I'll take a couple shooting bags for a rest. But mostly I shoot off hand or rest on my elbows.

Other folks have different ideas and you will find out what works for you and what doesn't.

One more thing, and very important, don't let anyone or anything distract you while loading. If someone starts yakking to much or you start getting tired, stop. You don't want to dry ball or double load. I've done both and it's a pain to undo. Pay attention to what you're doing, be careful and have fun. There's nothing like muzzleloaders.

 

[Grenadier1758]

There's a couple of items I would add to my need list.

1. Adjustable powder measure of up to 120 grains
2. Pouring spout for the powder can. Will be needed to fill the horn and the measure. Yes, you can make a funnel from a sheet of paper.
2. Nipple wrench for rifle nipples.
3. #11 caps (#10's can be forced on, but #11's fit better)
4. 45 caliber jag for cleaning and loading
5. Working range ram rod. Preferably brass with a bore protector.
6. 0.440" balls and unlubricated patch material
7. Patch lubricant (cooking oil, olive oil, dish soap, or spit) Rubbing alcohol for wiping at the range since the alcohol won't freeze in the cold.

 

[FishDFly]

Someone needs to make a definitive list and make a sticky for new folks. It needs to contain what is needed and what is a waste of money.

 

[Carbon 6]

Make sure you clean your barrel of oil before you first load it. This will save you potential headaches.
Alcohol make a god solvent for this, as it won't affect the powder.
This means you need good cleaning gear before you shoot. a good range rod and a proper jag. stay away from bushes if you're a newbie, or you'll be asking how to remove a stuck brush.

Do not use the ramrod under the barrel without first inspecting it. A range rod is preferred for target shooting, but eventually you will have to use the one on the gun. When you do, use it properly, grasping it low, and not high, as a high forcefull grab can break the rod and cause damage to the shooter.

Also, do not load directly from the horn or flask, and don't lean over the muzzle when loading.

 

[10acres]

@Carbon 6 I am fairly new to traditional muzzleloaders, why do you say to stay away from brushes?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The muzzle loading rifle has a closed breech and the brush is not pushed through and out the breech. The stiff brushes are pushed back and require a lot of effort to change the direction of the brush. All too often either the ram rod tip is not pinned or the brush has the bristle's wire pressed into the threaded tip. All that force to pull the brush back will pull the tip off the ram rod or out of the threaded tip. Now you have a brush stuck at the breech. I'll leave it to you to search on the site for all the methods to get that brush out of the barrel.

Note: Its best to avoid the brush.

 

[10acres]

I appreciate the info. I will pull the brushes out of my kits.

 

[azmntman]

Targets, glass for checking targets, pen to check off hits on target, Pepsi, sand bags or rest, camera or cell w/same, ear/eye protection, note pad to record the best load developed and what has been tried to date. Stapler or push pins for target placement. Different lubes, different patch material (all cotton but different thicknesses), even different powders if time allows and you have it available (some guns love Goex, some Pyrodex, some Graff & Sons, some 2f, 3f etc etc.). Make sure you have tools to dissasemble a rifle as needed. Once yer grouped in add a file to adjust set primative sites. Many more but you will never remeber till you get to the range or woods and realize you forgot (the rifle, yes we have!), the powder, (huh uh), the caps (some use flints as they never could be counted on to bring caps), the CORRECT balls size etc.

Last year I went out 3-4 times and was able to shoot. The rest of the time I was guilty of forgetting one or two of the above essentials!

Have fun.

 

[zzzippper]

Holy socks, Batman! That's a lot of stuff. Dixie Gun Works is going to love me.

 

[FishDFly]

You ight your stuff earlier if you look at other vendors.

 

[zzzippper]

Yes, I've noticed that DGW is slooooow. Can you list some of the better ones? Otherwise I'll fire up the googling machine.

 

[10acres]

Track of the Wolf

 

[kje54]

Holy socks, Batman! That's a lot of stuff. Dixie Gun Works is going to love me.

Not to mention the deuce and a half to haul everything to and from the range.........

 

[kje54]

Turkeyfoot Trading and October Country

 

[FishDFly]

The Log Cabin Shop
The Possibles Shop
The Gun Works
RMC OX Yoke

Another place to try is MidSouth Shooters

 

[10acres]

Buffalo Arms

 

[10acres]

If you want something local, try Full Circle Reloading on 5th Street, used to be Graf’s. They have a very limited supply. They do have some percussion caps.

 

[Dibbuk]

Here is my personal opinion. YMMV

Additional items:
A bag or tackle box to carry everything in.
An adjustable powder measure is a MUST have item. You can buy/make a fixed measure once you find the ideal powder-patch-lube-ball combination.
Nipple wrench
Nipple pick
Short starter
Small pan charger to put powder under the nipple, if cap doesn't set off charge, or you dry ball.
Patch knife, or very sharp pocket knife
Range rod. I use a brass rod just long enough to fit inside the barrel. Threaded both ends.
Patch worm
.45 cal. cleaning jag-ball seater.
'T' handle for the other end of range rod.
Small bottle of bore cleaner
Small bottle of oil
Leatherman multi-tool or similar
Kleenex
Band-aids
Water bottle
Snack bar
Small pill bottle with a dozen map pins, for when the staple gun doesn't work.
Small notebook
Pen

When the range rod is assembled with cleaning jag-ball seater one one end and 'T' handle on the other, the rod is long enough to avoid banging my knuckles or pinching my hand.

 

[SchwartzStock]

Some ranges will not allow you to load from the can or from a flask/horn. They are afraid of an accidental detonation of a large amount of powder. The solution is loading tubes you can buy from numerous sources. Mine are plastic, hold up to 150grs and fit nicely in a MTM R-50 Series magnum rifle box.

At the range I find loading from the tubes to be much easier and quicker than from the flask. Some of my local ranges are a bit dark at the firing line so the tubes are great.

By the way, Flint is way better than caps!