Old school reloading....muzzleloader questions

[Sweet-Tooth]

Lots of good stuff here. I built a flint lock from darn near scratch several years ago. One safety caution I would add is to only pour powder from your measure into the barrel. Never pour directly from your powder horn. Keep the rifle clean, be safe, and you should have years of fun!

 

[CMV]

Shot it a good amount over the weekend. Lot of fun & something different. I was surprised at how accurate it was and how hard it hit. 70gr Pyrodex RS with a .490 Hornady ball worked well.

 

[brewer12345]

Shot it a good amount over the weekend. Lot of fun & something different. I was surprised at how accurate it was and how hard it hit. 70gr Pyrodex RS with a .490 Hornady ball worked well.

I think they are a ton of fun. You may find they multiply over time.

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

NO smokeless powder.

In any volume that is.

Of course,I strongly suggest one not try anything they are uncomfortable with.

Duplexing black with a small percentage of smokeless gives a much cleaner bore if your gun has a rough, unpolished interior.
This allows more shooting and less swabbing.
The practice is as old as the introduction of smokeless powder. Same for cartridge guns.

Muzzleloaders take a mixed (shaken) charge to keep reliable ignition,
cartridges are most easily loaded with the smokeless in the bottom of the case.

The unfair advantage it can give (all muzzleloaders are different, just like cartridge guns) is why it is
illegal in competitions, not because it is dangerous.
Very easy to spot a duplexed gun at a match. No shower of sparks dropping from the muzzle.

JT

 

[CraigC]

In any volume that is.

Of course,I strongly suggest one not try anything they are uncomfortable with.

Duplexing black with a small percentage of smokeless gives a much cleaner bore if your gun has a rough, unpolished interior.
This allows more shooting and less swabbing.
The practice is as old as the introduction of smokeless powder. Same for cartridge guns.

Muzzleloaders take a mixed (shaken) charge to keep reliable ignition,
cartridges are most easily loaded with the smokeless in the bottom of the case.

The unfair advantage it can give (all muzzleloaders are different, just like cartridge guns) is why it is
illegal in competitions, not because it is dangerous.
Very easy to spot a duplexed gun at a match. No shower of sparks dropping from the muzzle.

JT

Is this relevant or wise given the context of this discussion???

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

Is this relevant or wise given the context of this discussion???

I reckon, in retrospect, that duplexing (as a possible remedy for an inaccurate muzzleloader) is probably beyond the scope of enough folks,
so I'll agree with you.

JT

 

[doubleh]

I'm going to second buying Sam Fadala's book and reading it. I didn't read the posts in detail but I didn't notice anyone mentioning a patch knife and how to use it. I've been shooting blackpowder off and own for a lot of years and have never purchase a prelubed patch in my life or even a patch for that matter.