Rookie Mistake

[alrod013]

Took my Thompson/Center .54 Hawken out to the range for the first time. After firing 8 shots, got distracted talking while reloading and forgot to put in the powder!! Ball and wad are nicely jammed in the bore. Tried the ball puller and CO2 with no luck. Took it to the gunshop where I bought it. Guy there tried for an hour and could not get it. He is giving it to a gunsmith in town to hopefully remedy the situation. I know this happens at some point to everyone. I sure have learned my lesson.

 

[pa woods roamer]

Well, after many many Dry-Balls, I`m still learning My lesson!!! I usually dribble a little Powder behind the ball and bloop it out. Welcome to the Club!

 

[alrod013]

Thought about doing the powder behind the ball thing, but unsure of myself and did not want to make things worse.

 

[petew]

Powder thru the nipple hole will work . If it does not push the ball all the way out , take the rod and seat the ball back down all the way and do it again. Don't do a second attempt without re setting the ball all the way.

 

[bubba.50]

a 1/4 by 28 grease fittin' snugged up in the nipple hole & a grease gun will get'em right out. a little messy but ya don't hafta worry 'bout anything rustin' on ya. luck & have a good'en friend, bubba.

 

[cynthialee]

next time try the powder in the fire chanel trick

pull the nipple and slowly work a few grains into it, replace the nipple and it should fire right out
If you do it with a flintlock and you have a vent liner just pull the vent liner and put some powder in it. If your flinter doesn't have a vent liner you can still work some 4F into the vent, It just will take a little longer.

 

[smokymountainmike]

Screw out the nipple and fill the drum full of powder. When you try to shoot it out aim at the target to make sure the ball came out. If it didn't ram it back down with some more powder in the drum. Should come out that way. Everyone has done it welcome to the club.

 

[George T.]

Thru diligent practice I have become very good with the CO2 un loader. If the ball is not seated all of the way down they will not work well. I use mine when required but I also have a good nipple wrench along as well. When your at home and not rushed work on your un loaders fit on the nipple of your rifle. Geo. T.

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

In my opinion, your rookie mistake was not reading up on unloading a dry ball before you got one. I know because I made the same rookie mistake yesterday. And I’m not a rookie. I just got a new rifle and was shooting it for the first time. I was so excited that I didn’t follow my loading routine. And I rammed that ball so good that I could not get the ball out with a CO2 unloader.

Came back home did a search on this forum and found many threads on dry balling and how to fix it. I followed the instructions and got the ball out without any trouble. What I should have done was read all those threads before I dry balled it so bad. I could have fixed it at the range in 10 minutes.

 

[alrod013]

I did read up on how to get a stuck ball out. Ball puller did not work, nor the CO2. Should have tried the powder in the nipple hole, but was not too comfortable about doing it. Read on another forum about using a grease gun with a zerk fitting...messy but they said it works. Thought it would be best to let a pro deal with it. As time goes on, I will figure it out for myself.

 

[David Spahr]

Welcome to the club. Don't feel bad. One time trapper and mountain man James Clyman did the
same thing. The only trouble was, he was up in a tree and a grizzly was trying to join and get him.

 

[Leatherbark]

Ball pullers will work, but sometimes not with a regular ramrod. We all dryball at times. Usually takes a good steel cleaning rod to really screw that screw through the ball. Percussions shoot the dryballs out very well with a few grains of powder in the firing chamber. FYI flintlocks that do not have the patent type breech do not. There is no room to get powder behind the ball as the ball is right next to the touchhole. These must be pulled.
You'll get her out for sure

Bob

 

[Rifleman1776]

End result you will learn something. Unfortunate you went to the range alone for your first ml venture. An experienced ml shooter could have helped. And, when playing with stuff that can go 'bang' you should have someone else standing by. Later with experience this might not be such an important issue.

 

[alrod013]

There was another shooter there with a ml rifle. I went over to him and explained what had happened. He suggested what I tried, but pretty much had a "Oh well" attitude. Was hoping he would at least take a look and see if he could help. But he was busy with his own shooting, so I left him alone.

 

[alrod013]

Don't know anyone else in my area that does black powder. There is no place around here to shoot ml guns. I drive about 50 miles to the range I use. I have friends that shoot, but all are into regular cartridge guns. So, I have no choice but to go it alone. No BP clubs within 100 miles either. Given time, I will learn the ins' and outs'.

 

[joe4702]

I've dry-balled twice and powder under the nipple worked both times, with two different rifles - a GPR and a TC.

I also got a GP bullet stuck in the bore by using the wrong tip on a short starter. It smeared out the soft nose of the bullet, which subsequently jammed it in the bore. My buddy had to get up on the bed of his pickup truck to get enough leverage to hammer it down using my range rod and a gunsmith hammer I had with me.

Live and learn.

 

[gearheart]

Next time you're at the doctor's and he / she looks in your ear with that funny flashlight with the funnel on it, ask for the funnel. They throw 'em away. Dandy tool for directing the powder down the nipple hole in the snail. About a funnel full is all you need. BTDT You're not the first by a long shot.

 

[meanmike8665]

Hi,
Sorry to hear of your trouble. I am in Sacramento and willing to answer questions anytime. We will have to figure out how to meet. My club shoots 2nd Sunday at Sac. Valley shooting Center might be worth a trip or two to meet others with experience,ooops... I mean who have made those same mistakes.
Michael

 

[alrod013]

I go to the range in Lincoln, run by the Lincoln Gun Club. Have never been to the Sac Valley range. Would be quite a trek for me, even more so in the next month or so because we are moving about 25 miles further north. That would be about a 100 mile trip for me each way.

 

[Billnpatti]

You may not have any friends near you who shoot black powder guns but you have plenty of friends on this forum who are more than glad to help you in any way we can. Bring us any muzzleloading problems that you encounter and let us help you solve them. We are here, so just ask. Also, we may need help from you in solving a problem that you have encountered and solved. You are here on the forum so be a member and not just an observer. :hatsoff: