What to do with brand new gun?

[bobznew]

My Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken arrived today. It looks really good, and I can't wait to shoot it.

Is there anything I should do before shooting it? (I've never owned a ML before this one)

 

[RJR]

Clean it thoroughly. Read your booklet that came with it. And as you have already done here, ask any questions that come to mind.

Rick

 

[Dave K]

Yes. Before you do anything, get a range rod and a muzzle protector. Plus, all the cleaning supplies you will need. Don't forget patch jag, ball puller and possibly a worm to retrieve lost patches in the bore. You may want to ask us what else you may need as we do not know what you have. But, do not rely on the rod that came with the gun. It is for huning use and not for practice and general shooting, for it will surely break. Then you have a dirty gun and no way to clean it. Get these items now.

 

[Tom Compton]

DITTO the cleaning - especially the range rod. I have several rods and Very very seldom use a wood rod as believe they get grit on them and act like a file.

For the shorter barrels, used a piece of 3/8" X 36" braze rod. Drilled and glued a pool ball (also cross pinned it). Muzzle guide is brass but a plastic one is on the 44" SS rod. I do not like wood, fiberglass, flex, or plastic coated. Just my opinion.

Have seen the piece left from cutting 2" off a muzzle that was loaded too many times with a wood rod. Egg shaped for sure.

TC

 

[gunner437]

Yes....... send it to me & I'll check it out for you.... at NO CHARGE to you!!!! I should be able to get it back to you in 'bout a year. You wouldn't get to use it for hunting till then, but you'd have the piece of mind of knowing the gun is safe to shoot!!!! Email me your zip & I'll let you how much you'll have to pay for shipping. You don't have to thank me....yet. My addy is : Ima Crook
cell# 707
San Quinton,Ca. 12345

 

[gjkershul]

After cleaning a new gun, I lap the barrel a little with 200 strokes of fine steel wool on my cleaning jag.

 

[adrian]

Clean it, shoot it. Then shoot it some more, every chance you get!!! :thumbsup:

 

[Little Wattsy]

Take yer pen-knife out and carve yer name in the stock; Nice and deep so no one can get it offa there :wink:

Have fun, A new gun trumps a new gal :thumbsup:

 

[Robert58]

Pictures, we want pictures.

Enjoy your new rifle.

Robert

 

[musketman]

My Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken arrived today. It looks really good, and I can't wait to shoot it.

Is there anything I should do before shooting it? (I've never owned a ML before this one)

Clean and oil the gun as suggested by others, I usually lay my guns flat until they are completely dry after cleaning and oiling because if you stand them upright, any oil in the barrel could run down into the chamber and concentrate in the flash channel of the nipple and plug it.

Also, be sure to wipe any excess oil out of the bore before you shoot it otherwise you may experience a few misfires.

 

[doulos]

Just clean that barrel good of all packing grease. I changed the nipple before firing a shot. I didnt have one nipple wrench that fit the Pedersoli nipple. I replaced it with a T/C hot shot 1/4-28. That barrel wont take much breaking in. My Pedersoli hawken is stacking the shots on top of each other at 50 yards already and i only have about 69 shots through it. You'll like this gun.
By the way this load shoots lights out in mine--
80grns KIK ffg,.018 pillow ticking.(the redstripe pattern from Wal mart).530 Hornady roundball,Ballistol or moose juice for patch lube.

 

[bobznew]

Excellent information here, I really appreciate everyone's contribution. This is indeed the most friendly and helpful message board I have ever posted in.

I certainly am ready to shoot the gun. After thoroughly cleaning it, as suggested, I plan to take it out to the farm on Saturday and see if it'll shoot.

Oh, BTW, thanks much for the load info Doulos. I will try that one out Saturday.

Thanks again everyone. If anyone else has any more advice to give a complete newbie, I would certainly appreciate any and all bits of wisdom and knowledge that you would care to offer.

 

[musketman]

If anyone else has any more advice to give a complete newbie, I would certainly appreciate any and all bits of wisdom and knowledge that you would care to offer.

Never pour powder directly from the can into your muzzleloader, always use a separate measurer.

Always deprime your gun (uncap or remove pan powder) to check if the ball is seated against the powder with the ramrod.

Once the powder and patched ball is seated in the barrel, a reference mark can be made on the ramrod at the point where it extends from the muzzle, this can be with a marker, pen or even tape. This a quick glance point of reference to let you know if you indeed loaded the gun. If the ramrod goes beyond that point, the gun is either unloaded or something is missing (powder or ball)...

 

[artkodiak]

Welcome to our disreputable lot! :wink: The advice given is sound. Pay special heed to the safety advice given.  -  If using it for hunting, you may consider one of those 'unbreakable' rods at first. It may not meet with tradition, but imagine needing a follow up (groan!) and breaking a rod in excitement (double groan!). - I shot about 100 (200, a lb of powder :grin: ) of half loads (50gr) seasoning the barrel of my Pedersoli.  After the barrel 'settles', have fun playing with different charge, lube, patch, ball, conical combinations to see what shoots well.  Keep good shot records so you know what works. If it impacts low (consistantly) despite the variance in charge, consider filing (very conservatively!) the front sight to bring it up.  By then, you should have the fever and will be looking for your next rifle. It's a lot of fun you're entering into! When you shoot first meat with cast projectile, post a pic! :hatsoff:
Stay Safe,
ArtKodiak

 

[smokehouseman]

Hamkiller, I found this to be an interesting technique. Does this serve to knock the rifling down? Also wonder if others on this forum use this technique? Seems to me it sure could speed up the process towards working up good loads.

 

[dlpowell]

Scribe a line or mark a line on your ramrod when you know you have a good seating load. That way you always know if you've seated the ball. For the range get the largest diameter ramrod that'll fit your bore. On a .54 I use a 1/2" rod. Ball seats fast.

 

[doulos]

If you've never shot black powder before here are a couple of reminders to head off potential problems.
Everybody has told you a list of the things you'll need to get started and some good advice. Heres a few more things to remember.

1. after gathering and familiarize yourself with all your accessories.

2. After getting the oil out of your barrel with a patch with alcohol ALWAYS snap at few caps to blow or burn any oil out of the nipple. I usually snap at least 5 caps before loading.

3. concentrate when loading---most dry ball loadings happen when people are distracted by one thing or another.

4. try to be consistent--- with your powder measure technique and the force in which you seat the ball.

5. when running a patch down the barrel always use short strokes instead of one long stroke. failure to do this in a dirty barrel will almost certainly result in a stuck ramrod.

6. be careful with the Pedersoli set trigger. Once the set trigger is set the pressure needed to fire the gun on the front trigger is much lighter than you'll anticipate.

good luck and have fun

 

[bobznew]

Dan, do you remember where you got your 1/2" range rod? I'm looking for one right now. Can't seem to find one on DGW.

 

[arcticap]

A 1/2" thick wooden dowel can be found at the nearest hardware store or Walmart in the craft dept.
I use nearly the largest size dowels that will fit in the bore and they've never broke. Just add a handle.

 

[paulvallandigham]

You don't " season " steel barrels, no matter what else you have been told. Only Cast Iron season. Always clean the barrel down to bare metal, then oil for storing to prevent rust.

If you have stored the gun standing on its buttplate, Upright, then oil is going to get back into that darn powder chamber, and through the Too-Small hole there into the very narrow flash channel. If the gun sits too long, the oil will congeal, and even firing several caps is NOT going to get it out. You need to use alcohol to soak the barrel, and the powder chamber, and that flash channel, to dissolve the grease and oils there. Most of us learn to remove both the nipple, and the clean out screw to run a pipe cleaner into the flash channel with alcohol on it, to really get the oil out. An undersized bore brush or scraper is often needed to clean those powder chambers, although a good, LONG, soaking with alcohol usually will clean them out fairly well. Just plug the nipple with a toothpick, or remove the nipple and plug the hole in the bolster with a whittled down stick, or small cork, before pouring the alcohol into the barrel. If the alcohol pours out looking like old urine, don't hesitate to flush the barrel a second and third time, or more, until the alcohol comes out clear.

If you decided to use an oil for any patch lube, DON'T use a petroleum based oil. Those oils don't mix well with black powder, and only burn partially. What is left behind is thick tars, that only get thicker, and really clog up the grooves and your barrel, not to even think what they do back in those powder chambers, and flash channels! Use a vegetable oil. The use of Olive Oil is a good choice( referred to back in the days as " sweet oil".) Ballistol works, which is based on mineral oil, a highly processed derivative of oil, that does not produce the tars that standard oils do. Jojoba oil, and any vegetable oil you have for cooking also work fine as patch lubes. However, IF YOU USE any oil as a patch lube, you should consider using a dry patch between the LUBED patch and your powder to keep the powder from being fouled by the oil. If you thin the oils down with water, to make them easier to spread on fabric, but dry out so that you have a " dry lube", as advocated by Dutch Schoultz,
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

you can used the oil lubed patching on the range without experiencing most problems with powder being fouled by the oil. However, if you are loading that gun in the morning and hunting with it all day long, You will be better served by using a barrier between the powder and that PRB to keep the powder dry of the oil.