I am most likely goin to get a rifle i saw yesterday. It is a .45 cal CVA long rifle, wood stock like a Kentucky(all the length of the barrel but several inches is covered in wood).i know what quality feels like though, the shop has a Thompson Center .50 cal.. wow that is an amazing feeling gun. but it being nearly 300 dollars more imma stick to this pint sized cva. The bores looked clean and it was a good price. I know this is not what i have been told is best.. but With 2 old cars needing constant attention and being thirsty at that, i can only do so much. However i will have many questions as i have no idea what the powder load is, where to buy bullets(or how to cast them?) and what gear a man needs to do some shooting. Hope every ones day is great,ill report back later.
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New to Muzzleloaders, taing advice and tips
- Thread starter ncswift
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Billnpatti
Cannon
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I have a .50 cal. flintlock Lyman GPR and can tell you that they are wonderful guns. However, I do not recommend a flintlock for a starter gun. Stick with the percussion rifle as a first muzzleloader, it will give you less trouble. Flintlocks are great and addictive but not a starter gun.
As to which caliber to choose.....either a .50 or a .54 will get the job done nicely. It may be a bit easire to find .50 cal balls but if you are going to shoot black powder, you will want to buy the equipment to cast your own balls so it won't make any difference which caliber you get.
The tools that you will need will mostly be tools that you already have on hand. I recommend that you buy a brand new mill file and, if you don't already have one, a card brush to keep your ifle clean. Get a box of chalk so youj can keep your file chalked to prevent the filings from building up in your file. If your file is sharp and clean, it will do a much nicer job of giving you a nice smooth finish. You will also need some emery cloth in various grades from around 100 grit to 220 grit to polish your barrel and any other steel parts. YOu don't want to go any finer than 220 or the browning solution won't be able to get a good bite and you will need more coats to give you the finish that you want. I like to use Laural Forge Browning solution to brown my metal parts. It gives a more original looking finish. The Birchwood Casey Plum Brown will give you a pretty shiny finish but requires that you heat the metal before applying the solution. You also will need to polish your metal a bit more so yoiu can get the shiny finish. You can buy your finishing material from Dixie Gun Works (www.dixiegunworks.com). For a stock finish, I'd use Boiled Linseed Oil. It will take several coats but it, too, gives a more authentic look. You can use Birchwood Casey's stock finish but if you do, I recommend that after the last (about the 5th to 10th) coat, yoiu let the stock sit for about a month and then go over it carefully with #0000 steel wool to knock down the sheen and make it look more like an original.
Building a gun from a kit is a lot of fun. Take your time, do a good job and you will have a gun that you can enjoy the rest of your life. :thumbsup:
As to which caliber to choose.....either a .50 or a .54 will get the job done nicely. It may be a bit easire to find .50 cal balls but if you are going to shoot black powder, you will want to buy the equipment to cast your own balls so it won't make any difference which caliber you get.
The tools that you will need will mostly be tools that you already have on hand. I recommend that you buy a brand new mill file and, if you don't already have one, a card brush to keep your ifle clean. Get a box of chalk so youj can keep your file chalked to prevent the filings from building up in your file. If your file is sharp and clean, it will do a much nicer job of giving you a nice smooth finish. You will also need some emery cloth in various grades from around 100 grit to 220 grit to polish your barrel and any other steel parts. YOu don't want to go any finer than 220 or the browning solution won't be able to get a good bite and you will need more coats to give you the finish that you want. I like to use Laural Forge Browning solution to brown my metal parts. It gives a more original looking finish. The Birchwood Casey Plum Brown will give you a pretty shiny finish but requires that you heat the metal before applying the solution. You also will need to polish your metal a bit more so yoiu can get the shiny finish. You can buy your finishing material from Dixie Gun Works (www.dixiegunworks.com). For a stock finish, I'd use Boiled Linseed Oil. It will take several coats but it, too, gives a more authentic look. You can use Birchwood Casey's stock finish but if you do, I recommend that after the last (about the 5th to 10th) coat, yoiu let the stock sit for about a month and then go over it carefully with #0000 steel wool to knock down the sheen and make it look more like an original.
Building a gun from a kit is a lot of fun. Take your time, do a good job and you will have a gun that you can enjoy the rest of your life. :thumbsup:
Little Wattsy
69 Cal.
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ncswift said:
BEFORE you buy..What do you want the gun for? What will its purpose be? Hunting, target shooting, to have and to hold? DONT get in a hurry....There are LOTS of good deals to be had!
Other provide some good feedback especially about the what you are wanting to use the gun for; now about the CVA Bobcat. It bought one at Wal-Mart for $45.00 a few years back. Great shooter; brenchrest I got cloverleafs at 50 yards. About a 6 months later I ran into a great deal T/C Hawkins for $250.00 and upgraded. Now my son shoots the Bobcat.
Little Wattsy
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ncswift said:
Then the .45 you mentioned should be a good start...
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I thought from your first post that $400.00 was what you were wanting to spend. But if you are looking for a good rifle at the least price. That is another ballgame. Before you buy the CVA Kentucky (you didn't say for sure what model it is) Hit every Pawn Shop with in driving distance of you house and start dealing.
I bought the TC Hawken in my signature seven years ago for $100.00 out the door. Now they are going for closer to $200.00. I refinished the stock and cleaned up the barrel (it has some pitting in the bore) but not bad enough to affect accuracy. But I bought a TC Round Ball barrel (32" 1 in 66" twist for round balls) for $185.00 plus $14.95 shipping from TC anyway. It is a tack driver.I have $300.00 in my rifle and if I want I can sell the standard barrel on ebay for at least $60.00. That would put me having $240.00 in my TC Hawken.
Take your time and check around before you jump in to something you latter won't want.
Robert
I bought the TC Hawken in my signature seven years ago for $100.00 out the door. Now they are going for closer to $200.00. I refinished the stock and cleaned up the barrel (it has some pitting in the bore) but not bad enough to affect accuracy. But I bought a TC Round Ball barrel (32" 1 in 66" twist for round balls) for $185.00 plus $14.95 shipping from TC anyway. It is a tack driver.I have $300.00 in my rifle and if I want I can sell the standard barrel on ebay for at least $60.00. That would put me having $240.00 in my TC Hawken.
Take your time and check around before you jump in to something you latter won't want.
Robert
400 is reachable i just rather have something simple and cheap where if i mess it up or it gets tore up its ok. trust me that lyman gpr has grown on me, your advice and input was surely no waste. I still know nothing about powder loads, patches and what a ff or fff is. this is why simple and cheap is my target now. And as far as maintenance i also am clueless. The only other weapons i own are an sks and a rem 870 and they can be broken down and maintained extremely easily and rarely needed. My shooting partner (my father) is into the current ak-47 craze so he rags on me for wanting to mess with muzzle loaders, but it seems so.. Traditional and American i dont know why someone wouldn't wanna get into them.
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It doesn't matter if you buy the CVA or find a TC Hawken or Renegade in a Pawn Shop. You can go to Thompson Center Arms and download a Sidelock Manual. Or you can still download a Sidelock Manual on Conneticut Valley Muzzleloaders website. Memorize the manual and you will have most of the knowledge you will need.
But remember if you buy that CVA you won't get a warranty. If you buy a TC product even though you are not the original owner they will still honor the Lifetime Warranty in most cases. I don't know if my rifle had a broken sear when I bought it or I broke it myself some how. But TC sent me a new one in the mail for free any way.
Robert
But remember if you buy that CVA you won't get a warranty. If you buy a TC product even though you are not the original owner they will still honor the Lifetime Warranty in most cases. I don't know if my rifle had a broken sear when I bought it or I broke it myself some how. But TC sent me a new one in the mail for free any way.
Robert
tv_racin_fan
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IF you haven't already passed on the Bobcat and can get it for $50 or so and it is your first BP rifle and it isn't all rusted up I'd go for it. I gave my son one and we like it just fine for what it is (he wants a much better flintlock next). I got myself a Traditions flintlock and I myself want something much better next go around. BUT I'd love to have another Bobcat or two to allow people at the range who want to shoot BP rifles to play with. They work and they are cheap. If you did pass on that Bobcat and it is for $50 or so I'd love to get it.
The Lyman rifle is a much better rifle and a good one to go with.
When you shoot a BP rifle you must clean it that day and clean it well. I prefer the half stocked Hawkens style rifles as you can easily take the barrel off and clean em in the bathtub or a bucket. I generally use a two liter soda bottle in the bathtub. I generally take the lock off and give it a good once over as well and when I reinstall the lock I just snug it down, do not wrench it like you stole it. Clean with dish washing soap and water or windex and water or just plain ole water or a BP solvent and oil with olive oil or crisco not a petroleum product. I really burnish the oil in when I oil em down.
The Lyman rifle is a much better rifle and a good one to go with.
When you shoot a BP rifle you must clean it that day and clean it well. I prefer the half stocked Hawkens style rifles as you can easily take the barrel off and clean em in the bathtub or a bucket. I generally use a two liter soda bottle in the bathtub. I generally take the lock off and give it a good once over as well and when I reinstall the lock I just snug it down, do not wrench it like you stole it. Clean with dish washing soap and water or windex and water or just plain ole water or a BP solvent and oil with olive oil or crisco not a petroleum product. I really burnish the oil in when I oil em down.
Ya i passed on the bobcat. its in decent shape but the guy thinks he got somethin special... and he dont. i bought the 45 cal cva rifle. i know i jumped quick, but i really like it. I however quickly noticed 50 cal is the most popular caliber. I saw these things that looked like a normal bullet, minus the shell case and had a yellow ring. where is a good place to get accessories like a powder measure, horn,ect. ?
longcruise
70 Cal.
Well, just cause it's the most popular, don't mean its the best!
Really depends on what you are going to do with it. If you plan to hunt with game no larger than whitetails, it's going to work just fine. I have a .54, two .50s and a .45 on the rack. The two that get shot most are the .54 for deer and elk and the .45 for other stuff. Rarely shoot the .50s any more.You seem to be describing a store bought prelubed conical bullet. Suggest you go with the round ball ammo. Less expensive and more comfortable to shoot due to less recoil. And, perfectly adequate for hunting.
If there is no traditiona ml supplier in your neighborhood, there are plenty on the internet.
Well i hear walmart is good for like powder. but i am gonna order a starter kit from cabelas, its got powder measure, 20 bullets and bunch other items. plus some round balls. but as far as balls i aint sure what to get for patches. are they called seasoning patches or something like that?
hanshi
Cannon
WalMart pillow ticking is all you need for patching. Just cut 1" squares with scissors and lube them with spit unless you prefer something else. I like Hoppes #9 Plus bp solvent & lube. The.45 is my very favorite for deer. You also might want to buy a Lee mold & cast your own .440 or .445 balls at some point.
paulvallandigham
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You are beginning to sound like a very dangerous person to allow around guns. I hope i am wrong.
OF COURSE you cast the lead Balls out of soft, pure lead. A lead ball will expand in flesh at even very slow velocities. That is why they are way more effective than people believe, IF THE ONLY BASIS OF INFORMATION to the people is modern ballistics and modern bullets. Then there are the shills for gun companies, that actually both write lies, and travel around the country trying to get state legislatures to outlaw PRB for hunting deer, claiming that the round ball is ineffective to kill deer. They cite a bunch of data used and needed when shooting modern BULLETS with Smokeless Powder cartridges.
Apples and Orange.
Black Powder ballistics has NOTHING to do with modern Smokeless powder ballistics. Get that out of your head. If you want to get into shooting MLers, you need to learn an entirely different set of rules.
Now, a .45 cal. RB only weighs about 125 grains, and while it does put a .45 cal. hole in anything it hits, It does so very well at ranges out to 75 yds, depending on the load used. Its Not a good choice for shooting deer at 100 yds, and further, for a variety of reasons. Having said that, the caliber has killed lots of deer out there, in the hands of experienced shooters, who know exactly how to hold those open sights, to place the PRB EXACTLY where it needs to go to kill a deer.
Unless a deer is hit in the head, or spinal column at those ranges, its usually not going to drop dead in its tracks. ( Even with a modern HP bullet!). You are going to have to track the animal down. A good hit to the Heart/lung area, just behind the front leg, will give you a short tracking job in most cases.
Most Whitetail deer are shot, regardless of firearm, at distances of 50 yards and less, so the .45 cal MLer is a fine choice for most hunters. I shot one for years before having a .50 cal. rifle built for me, so that I could have enough power out at 100 yds, to take shots at deer at those longer ranges, and expect a quick kill.
About Patching material. Go to the top of the index page to this forum. Then come down to the " Member Resources " box. Scroll down to the line that says, " Articles, Charts and Links". Click on the word links and it takes you to a long list of suppliers of MLer stuff. Click on any entry there and you go to their website, and usually, to their catalog. Check out Track of the Wolf, Cains, October Country, Dixie GUN Works, Midway USA, MidSouth Shooter Supply, and any other supplier that might be located close to where you live. You will find great catalogs, and descriptions about patches, their thickness, whether you can by them pre-lubed, or dry, cut round, or in strips. If you go to a fabric store, take a MICROMETER or CALIPER with you and measure the thicknesses of their pillow ticking, pocket drill, and even any Linen they may have. The shops will usually sell you 1/3" of a yard( 12" by 36 inches) so that you can take the material samples home, WASH THEM and dry them, to remove the starch-like sizing from the fabric, and then try them in your gun with the ball you choose. If you are shooting a ".45", remember that these guns come in different bore diameters, depending on manufacturer. You can find ".45 " barrels that are .430, .440,.445,.451, .454, and .457" Its important then, that you actually measure the bore diameter of your gun barrel, to determine what ball diameter to buy. Most "KITS" will come with balls that are .440" diameter. That won't work if your gun is the smaller, .430". The .440" actually works bets in a barrel that is .451" in bore diameter. If the bore diameter is LARGER, you usually have to choose a ball diameter that is within .010" of that larger diameter.
To determine what thickness of patch material you should buy, you really need to know the GROOVE DEPTH of the rifling in your barrel. This is the distance from an adjoining LAND, to the bottom of the groove next to the land. That gives you an idea how thick the patch fabric must be to fill that groove. The lands will compress the fabric as the ball is loaded, and the excess fabric will squeeze to one side or the other to stuff down into the grooves next to each land. You want a tight fit in the grooves to seal the grooves from burning gases from the powder charge behind the PRB. Otherwise, the hot gases burn the patch, tear it, cut, or melt, the lead ball, and accuracy goes SOUTH in a hurry! We lube the patch to help it stretch a bit, and to grease the bore so that the powder fouling left in the barrel after the PRB leaves the muzzle stays soft for easier cleaning.
I hope you know someone, or can find a local BP club where you can find folks familiar with these guns to keep you out of danger. There are lots of different safety rules for you to learn. Its not rocket science, but you have to pay attention. Good Luck with your new gun. :thumbsup:
OF COURSE you cast the lead Balls out of soft, pure lead. A lead ball will expand in flesh at even very slow velocities. That is why they are way more effective than people believe, IF THE ONLY BASIS OF INFORMATION to the people is modern ballistics and modern bullets. Then there are the shills for gun companies, that actually both write lies, and travel around the country trying to get state legislatures to outlaw PRB for hunting deer, claiming that the round ball is ineffective to kill deer. They cite a bunch of data used and needed when shooting modern BULLETS with Smokeless Powder cartridges.
Apples and Orange.
Black Powder ballistics has NOTHING to do with modern Smokeless powder ballistics. Get that out of your head. If you want to get into shooting MLers, you need to learn an entirely different set of rules.
Now, a .45 cal. RB only weighs about 125 grains, and while it does put a .45 cal. hole in anything it hits, It does so very well at ranges out to 75 yds, depending on the load used. Its Not a good choice for shooting deer at 100 yds, and further, for a variety of reasons. Having said that, the caliber has killed lots of deer out there, in the hands of experienced shooters, who know exactly how to hold those open sights, to place the PRB EXACTLY where it needs to go to kill a deer.
Unless a deer is hit in the head, or spinal column at those ranges, its usually not going to drop dead in its tracks. ( Even with a modern HP bullet!). You are going to have to track the animal down. A good hit to the Heart/lung area, just behind the front leg, will give you a short tracking job in most cases.
Most Whitetail deer are shot, regardless of firearm, at distances of 50 yards and less, so the .45 cal MLer is a fine choice for most hunters. I shot one for years before having a .50 cal. rifle built for me, so that I could have enough power out at 100 yds, to take shots at deer at those longer ranges, and expect a quick kill.
About Patching material. Go to the top of the index page to this forum. Then come down to the " Member Resources " box. Scroll down to the line that says, " Articles, Charts and Links". Click on the word links and it takes you to a long list of suppliers of MLer stuff. Click on any entry there and you go to their website, and usually, to their catalog. Check out Track of the Wolf, Cains, October Country, Dixie GUN Works, Midway USA, MidSouth Shooter Supply, and any other supplier that might be located close to where you live. You will find great catalogs, and descriptions about patches, their thickness, whether you can by them pre-lubed, or dry, cut round, or in strips. If you go to a fabric store, take a MICROMETER or CALIPER with you and measure the thicknesses of their pillow ticking, pocket drill, and even any Linen they may have. The shops will usually sell you 1/3" of a yard( 12" by 36 inches) so that you can take the material samples home, WASH THEM and dry them, to remove the starch-like sizing from the fabric, and then try them in your gun with the ball you choose. If you are shooting a ".45", remember that these guns come in different bore diameters, depending on manufacturer. You can find ".45 " barrels that are .430, .440,.445,.451, .454, and .457" Its important then, that you actually measure the bore diameter of your gun barrel, to determine what ball diameter to buy. Most "KITS" will come with balls that are .440" diameter. That won't work if your gun is the smaller, .430". The .440" actually works bets in a barrel that is .451" in bore diameter. If the bore diameter is LARGER, you usually have to choose a ball diameter that is within .010" of that larger diameter.
To determine what thickness of patch material you should buy, you really need to know the GROOVE DEPTH of the rifling in your barrel. This is the distance from an adjoining LAND, to the bottom of the groove next to the land. That gives you an idea how thick the patch fabric must be to fill that groove. The lands will compress the fabric as the ball is loaded, and the excess fabric will squeeze to one side or the other to stuff down into the grooves next to each land. You want a tight fit in the grooves to seal the grooves from burning gases from the powder charge behind the PRB. Otherwise, the hot gases burn the patch, tear it, cut, or melt, the lead ball, and accuracy goes SOUTH in a hurry! We lube the patch to help it stretch a bit, and to grease the bore so that the powder fouling left in the barrel after the PRB leaves the muzzle stays soft for easier cleaning.
I hope you know someone, or can find a local BP club where you can find folks familiar with these guns to keep you out of danger. There are lots of different safety rules for you to learn. Its not rocket science, but you have to pay attention. Good Luck with your new gun. :thumbsup:
longcruise
70 Cal.
Wal Mart will probably only have the sub powders like pyrodex and 777. No real BP.
Here's some suggestions for the stuff you need. Before you get this stuff, get a good book on how to shoot muzzle loaders. If you go to the Thompson Center web site you can download their manual for good information.
1. Propellant, Real BP or a substitute. ( the more real the better!)
2. You do NEED a range rod! It's invaluable for a day at the range and for cleaning. Get a steel rod (treso is good) and also a brass bore guide that fits it to prevent muzzle wear. Fiberglass is popular, but it also works your muzzle like fine sandpaper.
3. A good patch jag. The jag should have a tapered section behind the patch holding portion that allows a place for the patch to bunch up behind the jag when you pull it out of the bore.
4. Some kinda cleaning patches. Actually, cutting up an old cotton flannel shirt works pretty good. Lately I use cotton flannel from wal mart sold for making baby diapers.
5. You need a pour spout to put on your propellant container that you can cover while shooting or better yet that has an automatic open/close feature as you use it. That way a spark won't fly into the can and set the whole thing off!
6. A volumetric powder measure unless you plan to use pellets (as a new shooter, you might find that loose measured powder will make it easier to establish a good load for your gun. Besides, it's a lot cheaper to use loose powder.) Later, as an experienced shooter you will chuckle at the guys who use pellets.
7. A lost patch retriever. This screws onto your rod like the jag only it has a couple twisted wire dealies on the end. If you lose a patch down the bore, you can attach it to your rod and drop it down to the patch. Give it a few turns and pull the patch out. Sure, you can tear the gun apart or quit for the day and get it out at cleaning time, but the retriever will solve the problem in minutes and not ruin your day at the range! You should also get a caliber specific ball pulling fitting.
8. Course, you gotta have primers!
9. Projectiles. Round balls to match your caliber, eg., for a .45 use .440 or .445
10. Some lube TC 1000+ (also sold as bore butter) is an excellent lube
11. A short starter to get the projectile started down the bore the first few inches.
12. Some .440 or .445 round balls. Cheap to shoot and with light loads dandy for small game and fine for deer etc with heavier loads. Even cheaper if you cast your own using a $20 Lee round ball mold!
13. Some patching material if you decide to use the round balls. You can buy it at the sports stores or get yourself some 8 or 10 oz duck, denim or pillow ticking.
14. A very sharp knife to cut the patch material once the ball is started down the bore about a 1/4 inch with the short starter. Or, you can use precut patches either round or square.
15. How about some targets?
16. Some speed loaders if you plan to hunt. Butler Creek loaders are nice and they're cheap too!
17. Bore solvent. Mix tap water at 10 to 1 with kitchen dish soap and use for a bore solvent and patch lube. Don't use it for a patch lube while hunting since the water content will promote a rust ring in the bore. A grease lube is better for hunting. The TC 1000+ or plain old crisco is a fine grease lube
18. Some alcohol to dry the bore after cleaning (not really necessary but convenient).
19. Safety rated glasses to be worn while you shoot.
20. A sight adjustment tool (hey it's easy to forget, I've done it many times!!).
21. Two pieces of old carpet. One to put under the butt of the gun on the ground while loading. The other to put on the bench or whatever you lean the gun on while reloading.
22. A rag to wipe your hands off occasionally.
23. A plastic fishing tackle box to put all this stuff in!
24. Patience. It takes a while to get into the rhythm and flow of shooting bp guns. It seems like the big grails sought by most bp shooters is the powder that cleans easily and is the least like real BP and the magic lube/projectile/powder/secret potion that allows the shooter to shoot XXXXX times without wiping the bore. Avoid that trap!
25. Dedication. Shoot a lot. If shooting bp a lot is not fun, then get rid of the ml gun and go back to cartridge! You will not arrive at the best load combo for your gun by going to the range and shooting 4 or 5 three shot groups. You will probably burn two or three pounds of powder before you really get to know what your gun likes. One good accidental 3 shot group means nothing. Try shooting 10 shot groups for a true picture.
I probably missed a few things. Once you make a few trips to the range, you will be adding to and subtracting from this list!
Good luck and good shooting!!
Here's some suggestions for the stuff you need. Before you get this stuff, get a good book on how to shoot muzzle loaders. If you go to the Thompson Center web site you can download their manual for good information.
1. Propellant, Real BP or a substitute. ( the more real the better!)
2. You do NEED a range rod! It's invaluable for a day at the range and for cleaning. Get a steel rod (treso is good) and also a brass bore guide that fits it to prevent muzzle wear. Fiberglass is popular, but it also works your muzzle like fine sandpaper.
3. A good patch jag. The jag should have a tapered section behind the patch holding portion that allows a place for the patch to bunch up behind the jag when you pull it out of the bore.
4. Some kinda cleaning patches. Actually, cutting up an old cotton flannel shirt works pretty good. Lately I use cotton flannel from wal mart sold for making baby diapers.
5. You need a pour spout to put on your propellant container that you can cover while shooting or better yet that has an automatic open/close feature as you use it. That way a spark won't fly into the can and set the whole thing off!
6. A volumetric powder measure unless you plan to use pellets (as a new shooter, you might find that loose measured powder will make it easier to establish a good load for your gun. Besides, it's a lot cheaper to use loose powder.) Later, as an experienced shooter you will chuckle at the guys who use pellets.
7. A lost patch retriever. This screws onto your rod like the jag only it has a couple twisted wire dealies on the end. If you lose a patch down the bore, you can attach it to your rod and drop it down to the patch. Give it a few turns and pull the patch out. Sure, you can tear the gun apart or quit for the day and get it out at cleaning time, but the retriever will solve the problem in minutes and not ruin your day at the range! You should also get a caliber specific ball pulling fitting.
8. Course, you gotta have primers!
9. Projectiles. Round balls to match your caliber, eg., for a .45 use .440 or .445
10. Some lube TC 1000+ (also sold as bore butter) is an excellent lube
11. A short starter to get the projectile started down the bore the first few inches.
12. Some .440 or .445 round balls. Cheap to shoot and with light loads dandy for small game and fine for deer etc with heavier loads. Even cheaper if you cast your own using a $20 Lee round ball mold!
13. Some patching material if you decide to use the round balls. You can buy it at the sports stores or get yourself some 8 or 10 oz duck, denim or pillow ticking.
14. A very sharp knife to cut the patch material once the ball is started down the bore about a 1/4 inch with the short starter. Or, you can use precut patches either round or square.
15. How about some targets?
16. Some speed loaders if you plan to hunt. Butler Creek loaders are nice and they're cheap too!
17. Bore solvent. Mix tap water at 10 to 1 with kitchen dish soap and use for a bore solvent and patch lube. Don't use it for a patch lube while hunting since the water content will promote a rust ring in the bore. A grease lube is better for hunting. The TC 1000+ or plain old crisco is a fine grease lube
18. Some alcohol to dry the bore after cleaning (not really necessary but convenient).
19. Safety rated glasses to be worn while you shoot.
20. A sight adjustment tool (hey it's easy to forget, I've done it many times!!).
21. Two pieces of old carpet. One to put under the butt of the gun on the ground while loading. The other to put on the bench or whatever you lean the gun on while reloading.
22. A rag to wipe your hands off occasionally.
23. A plastic fishing tackle box to put all this stuff in!
24. Patience. It takes a while to get into the rhythm and flow of shooting bp guns. It seems like the big grails sought by most bp shooters is the powder that cleans easily and is the least like real BP and the magic lube/projectile/powder/secret potion that allows the shooter to shoot XXXXX times without wiping the bore. Avoid that trap!
25. Dedication. Shoot a lot. If shooting bp a lot is not fun, then get rid of the ml gun and go back to cartridge! You will not arrive at the best load combo for your gun by going to the range and shooting 4 or 5 three shot groups. You will probably burn two or three pounds of powder before you really get to know what your gun likes. One good accidental 3 shot group means nothing. Try shooting 10 shot groups for a true picture.
I probably missed a few things. Once you make a few trips to the range, you will be adding to and subtracting from this list!
Good luck and good shooting!!
well man its why i am on here asking questions, not giving out advice. I know that lead is dangerous as hell to mess with, so i wouldn't think you would mess with heating or touching it more than loading a gun.The only guns i have ever been around are not bp. so of course i have no idea what to do. Trust me i have had my fair share of gun issues, a bp rifle cant be that dangerous. I know i have sounded like an idiot, before i figured stuff out. its why people ask stuff. i know you didnt come out the womb knowing all this either.
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