new gun - working up loads - advice?

[rhwestfall]

Have a new GPH .50 flint. Followed Lyman's suggestion of soaking the barrel with Hoppes solvent for 24 hours then swabbing the heck out of it. Followed it up with a few flushes of HOT water, then TC 1,000+ lube.

Started shooting - just to learn the gun. 75g Goex fffg, TC pre lubed patches, TC .490 ball. Little sporadic but what I expected. Loaded easily, didn't have to swab and got off maybe a dozen shots.

Question time: There seems to be a number of variables to dial this thing in (including just learning to shoot a flintlock). Seems from discussions here, even the shipping crud in the barrel is an issue. Where do I start? Barrel? Lube? Patches? Powder? Balls? When do you know "oops, it wasn't that?" The way I see it now, it would take over a year to "solve". Any suggestions to get me going? What did you guys do? (not your magic load, but how you got there....):thanks:

BobW

 

[Rebel]

well, that packing grease in the barrel is some bad stuff. If you don't get it ALL out before shooting it can gum up the barrel bad. Soaking it in the hoppes may have got it all. I normally take some spray carb cleaner and spray some down the barrel,(with the barrel out of the stock) and then use a muzzlelaoder bore brush and scrub the heck out of it. Then patches with the carb cleaner until they start coming out looking fairly clean. Then a good hot soapy water scrub, then oil the barrel. Now as for shooting, if this is your first flinter, you are going to have an adjusmnet period, where you get used to all the little idiocyncracies of a flinter. Loads, my GPR's all liked a .495 rd. ball, pillow ticking or #40 Drill cloth patch, i used Crisco for a lube, and as for powder, try 50-80 grs of 3f Goex or 60-100 grs of 2f. A good sharp Black English flint. I prime with 3f, doesn't seem to be any slower than 4f and you only need one powder. Keep the frizzen, pan, pan cover, and flint clean, and have fun. OOOPs i just notice that you say you have a GPH. That has the fast conical twist. You may get decent accuracy with rd balls and a lighter load of powder. Hope this helps some.

 

Rebel said a lot and I'm only going to add a couple little things. Brake clean or any other similar degreasing solvent will work as well just be absolutely sure to use "chlorine free" which most times comes with a green lable or lettering. Chlorinated solvents will cause numerous problems in gun, most notably corrosion of the breech plug, touch hole liner and or barrel threads on CF's. Bad news no matter how you turn that one.

As for the fast twist barrel and PRB's, definitely lighten that powder charge, my starting point would be 40gr of 3F and go up 5 at time from there until you loose accuracy (three shots at each charge change minimum, I prefer five shot grouping)

If you still can get them to settle in, try a little looser or tighter patch ball combo. I have a deerstalker .50 that shoots great groups with somewhat loose combo (.490 & .010) and 60gr of 2F. On the other hand, a friend has the same rifle and it likes a .495 ball, .020 patch and 80gr of 3F, dang near gotta start 'em with a hammer but that's all she'll print with.

Good luck!

 

[RiverRat]

Good luck with your fine new rifle. My advice is simple. Shoot it every chance you get. Treat it like it is the only rifle or gun that you own. My GPR really started shooting well when I was almost done with my second box of hornady .490 rb's.
The patterns tightened up and the loading got easier. Mine likes patches no thinner than .015, I like the thicker .018 or even .020 for better accuracy. A steady diet of 50grs of fffg works for me too :thumbsup:

 

[pepperbelly]

I collect old rifles- Swedish Mausers, etc. that have been packed in cosmoline, some for 50 years or more.
The best way we clean them is to use low odor mineral spirits for the big parts and the spray brake cleaner for the small/tight areas. Denatured alcohol works after the mineral spirits and leaves no residue. You can pick up cans of these, and acetone, at a paint store and pay much less than dedicated firearm cleaning products from anywhere.
Keep in mind that the alcohol strips all oil base products and the metal will need immediate attention to prevent rust.
HTH,
Jim

 

[WRussell]

For working up a load, you can't do better than spend a few bucks here:
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

Dutch Schoultz.

He's been there, done that (very, very well), and written it all up in very readable fashion. Well worth the price.