What do I need to begin?

[pepperbelly]

I have a .50 caliber T/C Hawken that I just bought. It came with a wooden ramrod and one jag.
As of right now that is all I have. I need a list of what I need to start shooting this rifle.
I have a local shop that sells powder and accessories. I figure to buy Hornady .490 round balls, 1 pound FFG, powder measure/flask/horn, patches, percussion caps, cleaning patches and jags, ball puller, ball starter, and a ramrod to replace the wooden rod that came on the rifle.
Does that cover what I need to begin? I have read posts that mention a capper. What is a capper?
I have read posts here that mention trimming patches. Whut?
After deciding on a starting load, 80gr FFG?, do I just pour it down the barrel, tamp with the rod, and place the patch over the muzzle then ram the ball down onto the powder? How do I center the patch, or is that important?
How tightly to I pack the powder, and how hard do I pack the ball down onto it?
Do I need to buy lubed patches? What does it mean when someone says they just use spit?
What am I overlooking?
I have shot rifles, pistols and shotguns for about 35 years now but never blackpowder before. I am looking forward to shooting this rifle. I already have the bug for a couple more rifles. I have been collecting C&R rifles for a couple of years now. I have started thinking about which I can sell to buy a flintlock Kentucky or Pennsylvanmia longrifle. How many Mausers do I really need?
Thanks,
Jim

 

[Ravenx]

Are you the Pepperbelly from the Parallax C&R Forum? Welcome! I can tell you how I started. I got a Lyman GPR in .54 caliber. A friend made me a powder horn and short starter. I bought an adjustable powder measure, ball screw, capper, shooting bag, patches, powder, caps, nipple pick and wrench, and got other stuff later. A friend cast me a bunch of balls. You don't need to tamp the powder. You pour in measured charge, put lubed patch on barrel, put ball on center, start with short starter, then ram ball home and tamp firmly over powder, but you don't need to jackhammer it. Cap, aim, fire, repeat. You'll need to swab the bore out after a few shots. I suggest a copy of Sam Fadala's Blackpowder Handbook to start with. Cleaning, think milsurp ammo except no windex. Use boiling hot water and a funnel to pour water down barrel. There are threads here about that. You have to clean right after you get home from shooting. You can get pre-cut patches, check to see what thickness folks suggest for your ball size. I center mine by the roundness on the crown of the barrel. Lay a patch there and you'll see what I mean. Pre-cut patches are round. You can use lubes like Lehigh lube or you can use Crisco, or tallow or other natural lubes. Spit patches are ok, but using a lube is usually better for most uses. Once the patch is lubed, the ball you can press into the crown of the muzzle a bit with your thumb. Check out Fadala's book. It has pictures. Most local libraries have this book on the shelf and most Barnes & Nobles bookstores carry it. Good luck!

 

[shmrck1]

pepperbelly,
i wholeheartedly agree with raven on getting sam fadala's handbook it is an outstanding book for beginners or old time b/p shooters. i have two copies, if you can't find it PM me and i will send you my extra copy.
another suggestion i would give is to find a B/P shooting club and just show up at a shoot. you will be amazed at how willing these people at these clubs are willing to help you out. :imo:
snake-eyes :m2c: eace: :thumbsup:

 

[Keith]

"I have read posts here that mention trimming patches. Whut?"
Some guys cut their patches at the muzzle from a strip of cloth. If you already bought precut patches don't worry about it. It is just another way to do things.
"Does that cover what I need to begin? I have read posts that mention a capper. What is a capper?"
A capper holds the caps. You use the capper to place the caps on the nipple. Darn buggers are small and hard to hold. :winking:
"Do I need to buy lubed patches? What does it mean when someone says they just use spit?"
Always lube the patches. It reduces fouling and makes it easier to load. BTW, Never fire the gun if the projectile is not seated on the charge. If you buy dry patches you'll need some kind of lube. There all kinds available to buy or make, including spit. Personally I don't spit patches. Kinda like chewing cotton balls, yuck. :results:Other find it works well.
Good Luck. :thumbsup:

 

[musketman]

I have a .50 caliber T/C Hawken that I just bought. It came with a wooden ramrod and one jag.

Did it come with an owner's manual?

If not, contact T/C Arms and they will send you a free one...

Thompson/Center Arms Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 5002
Rochester, NH 03866
603-332-2333,

 

[Stumpkiller]

Looks like you've been given the meat. Here's some minor thoughts.

How do I center the patch, or is that important?

It's not tremendously critical, but the devil is in the details. If you're using a precut round patch and a Hornady (swaged) ball, like Raven said, you rub some lube onto it with your fingers (if not pre-lubed) and lay the patch approximately centered on the muzzle, then press the ball into the muzzle as far as you can with thumb pressure. I use a flattened spot on my short starters to give the initial "whomp" with my hand to just set the ball flush and press it into the rifling (if you were using a strip patch this is where you would cut-it flush). If you use the rod section of the short starter to begin with there is a danger of splitting the dowel and poking it into your hand (did that - ouch!) The metal tipped ones could also gouge you or your muzzle. Once the ball is started, it's easier to set it in farther with the short starter. For years, I've used stub-starters with 1" tips, just enough to get the ball out of a ball block (something you might consider later - a block of wood with a number of pre-lubed and patched balls).

Run a dry patch down the barrel before loading to verify the barrel is clear and clean. I then flip it over and pre-lube (I like Lehigh Valley Lube for this) to lightly coat the barrel. To my way of thinking, this step is like greasing a pan before cooking.

Shoot off one or two caps while pointing the muzzle at the ground before pouring in the first powder. This clears any old oil from the nipple or cobwebs, etc. I aim at a leaf or grass that will move to show me the channel is clear.

Sometimes it is necessary to pinch the first few caps slightly to keep them on the nipple.

After you shoot, set the hammer to half-cock and remove the old nipple. If you don't do this you can trap air where powder needs be near the nipple, and crud in the nipple when loading the next round.

Wipe between shots with a damp patch until you get to know the gun. Some can go many rounds between wiping. Some can't. A stuck ball will spoil your whole day. If the jag jambs while wiping, pour some solvent or water down on top of it and let it sit for a minute, then try moving it again. I carrt a 1" x 10" strip of leather to wrap around the exposed ramrod for better grip when this happens. Makes a big difference.

Don't talk to people when reloading. Sure as shootin you'll set the ball with no powder. :curse:

Put a pencil mark on your ramrod to show where it should be when set on top of powder & ball. That way you'll have a visual to know when it is tamped all the way down. NEVER shoot a gun that has airspace between the ball and the powder. That's a pipe bomb.

Enjoy yourself!

 

[pepperbelly]

Thanks for all the help.
Raven, I am registered on Parallax's forum, and I always use the same user name. I haven't been on his board for a while. You may be thinking of the C&R firearms forum, C&R fprum . I am a moderator there, and the people here are as friendly and helpful as we are there. Both forums seem to keep the bs down. We had talked about a bp fprum on our board but decided against it. After finding this board I am glad we passed. This feels like a group of new old friends.
Jim

 

[jim gray]

I agree with musketman. There's no substitute for the owner's manual for info specific to your rifle.

A note on stumpkiller's post though: the manual for my Lyman Trade Rifle says to leave the spent cap in place while reloading to restrict airflow and help extinguish any powder that may be smoldering in there. This shouldn't be a problem if you: 1) Swab the barrel after shooting, or
2) wait a short time after firing to reload.
I apologize if I am wrong on this as manufacturers must be very conscious of liability when they print an owner's manual and IMO can sometimes be overly cautious, but my particular trade rifle uses a pinch of FFFFg instead of a cap, so I am only quoting (or paraphrasing actually) the owner's manual and am not speaking from personal experience.

BTW I think replacing the wooden ramrod is an excellent idea.


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