First Time Shooting a Muzzleloader

[MikeTF]

Remember that it takes a full 3 seconds before the ball travels out the end of the barrel, so you have to hold it on target for an eternity.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Do you have patch material? Knife? Powder measure? Short starter? Lube?

Take a cleaning rod, jag, and patches. Give the bore a quick swab between shots, and a decent cleaning right there before you leave the range. It's easier to clean a muzzleloader outdoors because the ceiling is so much higher than at home. You can give it a decent cleaning in just a few minutes, then hit it again the next day. I used to get good results with Hoppe's Black Powder Solvent, but there are many out there.




Here is a secret: from his point of view, that was just about summer-before-last.

You'll see.

True That!

 

[Blacksmith101]

You will have a blast,but then you will want more BP to shoot. Which will leadto your first cap and ball revolver and that will lead to more. Then you will want to try a Rock Lock and more guns. Then you'll get a Track of the Wolf catalog and be bitten by the build bug. From there the direction is cannons so you can make even more smoke.

 

[Bertfish]

You will have a blast,but then you will want more BP to shoot. Which will leadto your first cap and ball revolver and that will lead to more. Then you will want to try a Rock Lock and more guns. Then you'll get a Track of the Wolf catalog and be bitten by the build bug. From there the direction is cannons so you can make even more smoke.

A cannon would be fun. Not to mention a nice display piece for the house. Have to talk my mother in to that...

 

[epps1919]

Remember that it takes a full 3 seconds before the ball travels out the end of the barrel, so you have to hold it on target for an eternity.

You must mean a full 3 /1000 of a seconds?

 

[MikeTF]

You must mean a full 3 /1000 of a seconds?

Yes, I was being facetious!

 

[Bertfish]

Well I'm back. And it was a blast. Gun shot great, much more accurate than I would've expected. We were hitting clay pigeons (on the ground of course) with ease at about 75 yards. I think I see a black powder rifle in my future...

 

[MikeTF]

Well I'm back. And it was a blast. Gun shot great, much more accurate than I would've expected. We were hitting clay pigeons (on the ground of course) with ease at about 75 yards. I think I see a black powder rifle in my future...

I've shot many deer with mine!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Bertfish]

I could see myself hunting deer with that Hawken. I feel like if I'm going to hunt black powder I really want to hunt black powder. Plus it'd save me from buying an inline rifle

 

[Uncle Duke]

Well I'm back. And it was a blast. Gun shot great, much more accurate than I would've expected. We were hitting clay pigeons (on the ground of course) with ease at about 75 yards. I think I see a black powder rifle in my future...

Fun, huh?

Make sure you've cleaned that rifle really well! Pull that nipple and clean those threads too. You'll be hating life later if you don't.

 

[Threeband]

Try a Two Band Musket, like an Enfield or Zouave.

Minie Balls give you rapid fire with no futzing around with patches and short starters.

 

[Bertfish]

Fun, huh?

Make sure you've cleaned that rifle really well! Pull that nipple and clean those threads too. You'll be hating life later if you don't.

First shot of the day almost didn't happen due to dirt. Someone didn't clean the nipple out well after the last time it was shot. Probably sometime the 1970s. Fortunately we were able to salvage the situation and do quite a bit of shooting