Really basic question about loading

[dewnmoutain]

So I have a real basic question...

How do I load and fire my muzzleloader? I think I know how to do it, but ill post what I think are the steps and correct me if im wrong.

1)dump powder into barrel
2) pack powder tight.
3) wrap ball shot in patch
4) shove shot and patch down tube. Ram hard to powder.
5) half cock the hammer
6) put percussion cap on nipple
7) full cock hammer
8) squeeze first trigger to engage second trigger
At this point I know what to do.

Extra info: I own a pedersoli kentucky .45 percussion rifle.

Extra questions: a) ive read in some places that you use lubed patches. Why or why not?
B) do I clean between shots?
C) how do you clean a traditional muzzleloader.

 

[Zonie]

If you don't mind, here's some thoughts on your list.

1)dump powder into barrel
Only after measuring the powder with a black powder volume measure. Also, pour from the measure, never directly from a powder horn or flask.

2) pack powder tight.
This step is not needed.

3) wrap ball shot in patch
This is best done by laying the patch on the muzzle of the gun. Then, after placing the ball in the center of the patch and pushing it a little into the barrel use a short starter or block of wood to force the patch and ball in. The combined size will be larger than the bore of the gun.

4) shove shot and patch down tube. Ram hard to powder.
Sounds good but don't try to do this in one big stroke. Instead, grab the ramrod about 8-12 inches above the bore. Push it down and repeat grabbing the ramrod 8-12" above the bore and then ram it down. Continue this until you feel the ball stop on the powder.
One more push to make sure the patched ball is down and then remove the ramrod.

By the way, all of this should be done without a cap or fragments of a cap on the nipple and the hammer should be at half cock.

5) half cock the hammer
As I mentioned, the hammer should be at half cock before you start.

6) put percussion cap on nipple
Sounds good.

7) full cock hammer
Yup.

8) squeeze first trigger to engage second trigger
By first trigger you mean the rear trigger on most set triggers.

At this point I know what to do.

Things I might mention:
If unlubricated patches are being used, rub in some lube on the side of the patch that's going to be against the bore.

Before the first shot is loaded in a percussion rifle it's a good idea to "pop" a cap on the nipple. This helps to blow out any oil/grease that might have settled in the nipple or flame channel to the bore.

I just noticed your additional questions:

Extra questions: a) ive read in some places that you use lubed patches. Why or why not?
Pre lubed patches can be handy if they are new. If they have been sitting on a store shelf for a year or more they can be blown apart when they are fired. The oil breaks down the fiber over time.

B) do I clean between shots?
You will get 100 different opinions from 100 people. I only wipe the bore when loading starts to get difficult. Usually after 3-5 shots.
The target shooters who are looking for the ultimate accuracy wipe after each shot.

C) how do you clean a traditional muzzleloader.
Use water along with a few drops of dishwashing soap to break down any lube left by the patch.
As for the exact method, the same 100 people mentioned above will give you 125 different ways.
Browse thru our forum. You will find hundreds of posts about how to clean your gun.

The most important thing to remember is the fouling from black powder (or all of the synthetic black powders) will cause rust. Do not put off cleaning your gun. It should be done as soon as possible.

 

[GaCop]

If you don't mind, here's some thoughts on your list.

1)dump powder into barrel
Only after measuring the powder with a black powder volume measure. Also, pour from the measure, never directly from a powder horn or flask.

2) pack powder tight.
This step is not needed.

3) wrap ball shot in patch
This is best done by laying the patch on the muzzle of the gun. Then, after placing the ball in the center of the patch and pushing it a little into the barrel use a short starter or block of wood to force the patch and ball in. The combined size will be larger than the bore of the gun.

4) shove shot and patch down tube. Ram hard to powder.
Sounds good but don't try to do this in one big stroke. Instead, grab the ramrod about 8-12 inches above the bore. Push it down and repeat grabbing the ramrod 8-12" above the bore and then ram it down. Continue this until you feel the ball stop on the powder.
One more push to make sure the patched ball is down and then remove the ramrod.

By the way, all of this should be done without a cap or fragments of a cap on the nipple and the hammer should be at half cock.

5) half cock the hammer
As I mentioned, the hammer should be at half cock before you start.

6) put percussion cap on nipple
Sounds good.

7) full cock hammer
Yup.

8) squeeze first trigger to engage second trigger
By first trigger you mean the rear trigger on most set triggers.

At this point I know what to do.

Things I might mention:
If unlubricated patches are being used, rub in some lube on the side of the patch that's going to be against the bore.

Before the first shot is loaded in a percussion rifle it's a good idea to "pop" a cap on the nipple. This helps to blow out any oil/grease that might have settled in the nipple or flame channel to the bore.

I just noticed your additional questions:

Extra questions: a) ive read in some places that you use lubed patches. Why or why not?
Pre lubed patches can be handy if they are new. If they have been sitting on a store shelf for a year or more they can be blown apart when they are fired. The oil breaks down the fiber over time.

B) do I clean between shots?
You will get 100 different opinions from 100 people. I only wipe the bore when loading starts to get difficult. Usually after 3-5 shots.
The target shooters who are looking for the ultimate accuracy wipe after each shot.

C) how do you clean a traditional muzzleloader.
Use water along with a few drops of dishwashing soap to break down any lube left by the patch.
As for the exact method, the same 100 people mentioned above will give you 125 different ways.
Browse thru our forum. You will find hundreds of posts about how to clean your gun.

The most important thing to remember is the fouling from black powder (or all of the synthetic black powders) will cause rust. Do not put off cleaning your gun. It should be done as soon as possible.

+1! :thumbsup:

 

[Big John]

I'd run a dry cotton cleaning patch down the barrel first to get any oil out and fire 1-3 caps to clear the barrel/oil left from previous cleaning. Then more or less follow your list.

 

[buford87]

Yes your patches for the round ball do need to be lubed. If you buy pre-lubed patches they can be old and the patch will break down and fail which will result in poor performance. New clean patches can be lubed with any non-petroleum lubed including but not limited to spit, cooking oils, neatsfoot oil, any animal grease or oil such as lard or bear oil, production patch lubes such as bore butter, mineral oil, and the list is almost endless. If the patch is not lubed it is much more difficult to push the ball all the way down to sit on the powder and can result in a damaged firearm................watch yer top knot...................

 

[dewnmoutain]

4) shove shot and patch down tube. Ram hard to powder.
Sounds good but don't try to do this in one big stroke. Instead, grab the ramrod about 8-12 inches above the bore. Push it down and repeat grabbing the ramrod 8-12" above the bore and then ram it down. Continue this until you feel the ball stop on the powder.
One more push to make sure the patched ball is down and then remove the ramrod.

By the way, all of this should be done without a cap or fragments of a cap on the nipple and the hammer should be at half cock.

5) half cock the hammer
As I mentioned, the hammer should be at half cock before you start.

Why would you half cock the hammer prior to loading the ball?

 

[Black Hand]

Because the air being pushed down the barrel by the patch/ball combo needs somewhere to go. On half-cock, the air escapes from the nipple-hole.

 

[Billnpatti]

What you asked was going to take a LOT of typing to answer and I was half way through my finger limbering exercises before I read all of the other answers. By golly, the other folks have answered your questions quite well and saved me a lot of typing. I didn't see where anyone mentioned running a clean dry patch through your bore to remove any oil prior to loading your first round. I do that before popping the cap to clean out my nipple. Also, I do not use a wooden ramrod to load my rifle unless I am in the field hunting. If I am at a range, I always use a brass or steel range rod with a muzzle protector. The muzzle protector is very important to protect your muzzle from wear which ruins the accuracy of your barrel. If you do use a wooden ramrod to load with, be absolutely sure to use the method that Zonie told you. If you break one of those wooden rods while shoving down on it, you could end up with the broken end run through your hand.

Zonie was also right about there being more cleaning methods than there are people to answer the question. Here is what works for me. I use straight Ballistol as my patch lubricant because it is a good lubricant and it cleans my bore with each loading. So, my bore stays clean as I shoot. At the end of the day, I use a bit of commercial bore cleaner that someone gave me to remove most of the crud from my bore before heading home. Once home, I start my cleaning process by removing my lock and spraying it out with automobile brake cleaner. That stuff really removes the dirt and crud but it also removes all traces of oil and you must not get it on your stock or it might damage the finish. Shake it out and let it dry, then lightly oil the working parts. After I have washed out my bore with soapy water and then rinsed with clear water, I dry it thoroughly with several dry patches. At this point, I know that there is still some moisture lurking in the bore. So, I spray it with a generous amount of WD-40 to get out this moisture. I then remove as much of the WD-40 as I can with a bunch of clean, dry patches. Lastly, I run a patch with Barricade on it through my bore to protect it. To keep my stock looking good, I put a light coat of Renissance Wax (or paste floor wax) on it, let it dry and give it a good buffing. Except for wear from use, my guns stay looking new (spotlessly clean and rust free) no matter how long they may sit in my gun safe. Other folks may have other ideas but this is what has proven to work for me for years.

 

[bpd303]

Just remember Powder-Patch-Ball...in that order...mix it up and you have problems. :grin:

 

[dewnmoutain]

Because the air being pushed down the barrel by the patch/ball combo needs somewhere to go. On half-cock, the air escapes from the nipple-hole.

Well that makes total sense... rather surprised that i didn't realize that, LOL.

 

[dewnmoutain]

Extra questions: a) ive read in some places that you use lubed patches. Why or why not?
Pre lubed patches can be handy if they are new. If they have been sitting on a store shelf for a year or more they can be blown apart when they are fired. The oil breaks down the fiber over time.

Ok, im confused on this one. I thought that when the weapon is shot, it consumes the patch, creating the fouling... I take it that this part i am wrong as well...

 

[MacRob46]

Nope. Fouling is the byproduct of the powder charge. The patch exits the barrel with the bullet and falls off shortly afterward.

 

[dewnmoutain]

interesting...very interesting.

 

[GeekEGuy]

I was taught to always leave the hammer down when loading. Half-cocking the hammer may allow oxygen into the barrel and could feed an ember from the previous shot.

I'm not saying you're wrong to load with the hammer half cocked. I think this may also be one of those things that have many different opinions.

 

[dewnmoutain]

ok. another question.

why is there a compartment on the side of my buttstock? What is its purpose?

 

[gearheart]

It is called a patch box. Pre-cut patches can be stored in there.

 

[GeekEGuy]

It's called a patch box. Put little doo-dads in there that may be helpful. A few balls, patches, spare nipple, some peppermint candy, your tabackee!

 

[cynthialee]

by having the hammer at half cock it also will blow some powder in to the fire chanel and helps with ignition

 

[MacRob46]

I have always loaded my percussion rifle with the hammer down on the spent cap. Never had a misfire for that reason but, of course, I have had misfires and anyone who says he/she hasn't is not being truthful. I never heard that powder would be forced into the flash channel by doing that and I do not think it is a factor. The misfires I have had came from a clogged nipple when there was plenty of powder in the channel.

 

[Zonie]

All I can say about having the hammer at half cock and the nipple clear of caps/debris is most of the modern factory guns have a rather small hole connecting the nipple with the breech.

If the powder charge doesn't enter and fill this hole a noticeable delay in ignition may be occur.

With the nipple partially plugged with fouling or a cap sitting on it or the hammer down on it the air that is trapped under the ball will exit rather slowly carrying little powder along with it.

If the nipple is clear the high velocity of the air under the ball while it is being rammed will easily blow the new powder to the base of the nipple.

As for glowing embers being fanned, that is going to happen (to a lesser degree) unless the nipple is totally plugged.
We all know how a totally plugged nipple works. :hmm:

Of course if glowing embers are a great concern, wiping the bore with a moist (notice I did not say wet) patch will not only remove the fouling but it would fan the glowing ember and cause it to burn out, assuming one ever was in the bore after the gun fired.