Old Jukar .45 Caliber Rifle and overthinking BP newbie questions

[John from MD]

Here is a new one if you want it. From the number sold, the seller must be making them. CVA rifles had V springs initially and later they were changed to U springs. This may or may not fit your lock.

CVA Pistol, Rifle, Flintlock & Percussion (Later Style) Sear Spring "U" Shaped | eBay

It has a "U" shape.These were used on everything from percussion to flintlocks to shotguns, rifles and pistols. You might not receive the item pictured, although yours will be identical. NOTE: This part goes on a muzzleloader, blackpowder gun.

www.ebay.com

 

[guzma393]

Stopped by bass pro and picked up the last box of .440" lead balls they had and some pyrodex p powder. I was able to scrounge up everything I needed to shoot today.

I took some offhand shots (top target) at 25y and I was happy it's hitting paper on the first shot. I am also very happy that I am running this on small pistol primers with the anvils removed without any hangfires or failure to fires. There's a few "light cap strikes" but the second strike set them off every time, which is good enough for range use. I'll eventually acquire some no. 11 caps and spare nipples if I ever decide to hunt with it.

I started with 35 grains of powder but I bumped it up to 40 grains. The shots were consistently to the right and low (elevation was on me, still getting used to the holdover). I then attempted bench sight it, drifting the rear sight with a mallet. I made some progress, but it's still a bit off to the right (last 2 shots were the two touching and closest to the bullseye on the bottom target). I ran out of of caps before I was able to fully sight it in.

I also retrieved the patches fired down range (see pictures). How do they look? This is 100% cotton ticking from Walmart, washed and line dried, and measures at .015" compressed. It's a snug fit when ramming it down the barrel, but it was not too bad, considering that I used an improvised ball starter (a shotgun cleaning rod with a handle, and using a mallet to tap it in) and a ram rod the gun came with. As for patch lube, I did not have anything really suitable at hand except for vegetable oil. The gun now smells like french fries, but seemed to do the job.

 

[willtill]

Very nice! You’ll be addicted to your smokepole. It’s such a nice feeling to discover a fine looking bore in a ”new to you” muzzleloader. Mine was a bit pitted at the last inch or so, but it shoots well (slow rate of twist) for round ball.

Your patches look great. Mine get shredded pretty well but they don’t burn through…. Been told that’s important.

 

[guzma393]

Very nice! You’ll be addicted to your smokepole. It’s such a nice feeling to discover a fine looking bore in a ”new to you” muzzleloader. Mine was a bit pitted at the last inch or so, but it shoots well (slow rate of twist) for round ball.

Your patches look great. Mine get shredded pretty well but they don’t burn through…. Been told that’s important.

I like how everything is pretty simple with everything considered, as in, I can improvise alot of things to get it working. Now that I know it shoots great, I'm going to start investing in a round ball mold and stocking up on components. Since this ml is rifled, could conicals, sabots, or minieballs be shot out of it?

 

[John from MD]

Patches are fine. Group is pretty good considering how you are loading. You probably are not getting consistent pressure on the ball loading it as you are.

Using the ramrod that comes with the gun doesn't allow for setting the ball the same every time unless you have a ball that fits over the end that you can push on. Track of the Wolf has all the stuff you need if you want to make loading a little easier.

TOTW sells Maxi Balls for all calibers. They work good in my CVA rifles. Crisco works well for a lubricant.

 

[willtill]

I’ve bought A LOT of stuff for my Hawken; from Track of the Wolf in the recent past. Good company. And they have quality stuff. Fast shipping too.

 

[guzma393]

Patches are fine. Group is pretty good considering how you are loading. You probably are not getting consistent pressure on the ball loading it as you are.

Using the ramrod that comes with the gun doesn't allow for setting the ball the same every time unless you have a ball that fits over the end that you can push on. Track of the Wolf has all the stuff you need if you want to make loading a little easier.

TOTW sells Maxi Balls for all calibers. They work good in my CVA rifles. Crisco works well for a lubricant.

I got some ml equipment on the way, and i just ordered a .440" round ball mold. I figured I was losing accuracy from they way I was starting and ramming the ball, as the makeshift starter jag I made was also deforming it. I was using the ramrod it came with to drive and compress the ball against the powder as much as I can to make absolutely sure that the ball is compressed against the powder.

I bought a 45 cal ramrod jag from ebay that has a 5/16" thread pitch to screw into an aluminum shotgun cleaning rod that is beefy abd long enough to serve as a range rod. I also got a ball starter on the way as well.

Good to know that crisco works, I'll need to get some next time I'm on a grocery run. I'll probably try olive oil as that was tried and true as well.

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[John from MD]

I got some ml equipment on the way, and i just ordered a .440" round ball mold. I figured I was losing accuracy from they way I was starting and ramming the ball, as the makeshift starter jag I made was also deforming it. I was using the ramrod it came with to drive and compress the ball against the powder as much as I can to make absolutely sure that the ball is compressed against the powder.

I bought a 45 cal ramrod jag from ebay that has a 5/16" thread pitch to screw into an aluminum shotgun cleaning rod that is beefy abd long enough to serve as a range rod. I also got a ball starter on the way as well.

Good to know that crisco works, I'll need to get some next time I'm on a grocery run. I'll probably try olive oil as that was tried and true as well.

Sent from my SM-A136U1 using Tapatalk

I have found that the patch lube affects accuracy more than you would think. In my testing, I tried just about everything in use at the time from greases to windex. The formula that worked the best and I still use it today, is an 8 to 1 mixture of cutting oil and water. Ballistol is expensive but works well. However, this stuff from NAPA works just as well and it is cheap and readily available.

NAPA Cutting & Grinding Oil - 1 Pint

NAPA Cutting & Grinding Oil - 1 Pint Are you looking for the ultimate gearhead oil? One that can handle serious cutting and grinding without breaking a sweat? Look no further than NAPA Cutting & Grinding Oil; this powerful water-soluble oil will revolutionize the way you work. Its special...

www.agscompany.com

 

[guzma393]

I have found that the patch lube affects accuracy more than you would think. In my testing, I tried just about everything in use at the time from greases to windex. The formula that worked the best and I still use it today, is an 8 to 1 mixture of cutting oil and water. Ballistol is expensive but works well. However, this stuff from NAPA works just as well and it is cheap and readily available.

NAPA Cutting & Grinding Oil - 1 Pint

NAPA Cutting & Grinding Oil - 1 Pint Are you looking for the ultimate gearhead oil? One that can handle serious cutting and grinding without breaking a sweat? Look no further than NAPA Cutting & Grinding Oil; this powerful water-soluble oil will revolutionize the way you work. Its special...

www.agscompany.com

I heard ballistol made good patch lube. I may experiment with different types. Past patched ball shooting, I am also looking into the lee REAL 45 cal, 200 grain bullet molds, dip lubed, and internet source says it shoots well at 75 grains of fffg out of the jukar

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[John from MD]

I heard ballistol made good patch lube. I may experiment with different types. Past patched ball shooting, I am also looking into the lee REAL 45 cal, 200 grain bullet molds, dip lubed, and internet source says it shoots well at 75 grains of fffg out of the jukar

Sent from my SM-A136U1 using Tapatalk

When PA allowed .45 cal for primitive hunting, I used either the REAL or the Maxi Ball in my CVA Kentucky rifle depending where I was shooting. I used 85 grains of 3 F with the Real and 80 with the MAXI bullet. The MAXI was more accurate but had more drop. Make sure you use really pure lead with the REAL bullet as it needs to bump up in the bore.

 

[guzma393]

When PA allowed .45 cal for primitive hunting, I used either the REAL or the Maxi Ball in my CVA Kentucky rifle depending where I was shooting. I used 85 grains of 3 F with the Real and 80 with the MAXI bullet. The MAXI was more accurate but had more drop. Make sure you use really pure lead with the REAL bullet as it needs to bump up in the bore.

What did you use for bullet lube for the real bullets?

 

[willtill]

As for patch lube, I did not have anything really suitable at hand except for vegetable oil. The gun now smells like french fries, but seemed to do the job.

French fries Love it! Next time one can use bacon grease for patch lubricant. One then may enjoy the smell of breakfast after an early morning deer harvest.

 

[John from MD]

What did you use for bullet lube for the real bullets?

My own concoction of bees wax, olive oil and bear or deer tallow. I don't remember the exact mix but I do remember that I made different batches for cold and warm weather. The only difference was the amount of bees wax, less for winter, more for summer.

 

[guzma393]

French fries 2: Love it! Next time one can use bacon grease for patch lubricant. One then may enjoy the smell of breakfast after an early morning deer harvest.

I'll save the lard the next time my wife renders it out of pig fat trimmings. It looked like it would make good patch lube. Would probably smell great when fired too

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[guzma393]

My own concoction of bees wax, olive oil and bear or deer tallow. I don't remember the exact mix but I do remember that I made different batches for cold and warm weather. The only difference was the amount of bees wax, less for winter, more for summer.

I heard that 50/50 mix of beeswax and olive oil is a good starting point. What does the deer/bear tallow do to the mix? Looks like I got more of a reason to hunt again.

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[Archeryrob]

Most lubes were just rendered fat and beeswax. Oil makes them more runny like bore butter or can just thin the wax alone. Deer fat is the hardest fat I have ever rendered and IMO, it is F'in useless to eat unless you're starving. So candles and bullets is all I have found it good for so far. Pig lard is much softer so is beef, but every beef tallow I have tried to save mildewed and went rancid. Which fat you use will affect consistency. Deer fat and BW makes bullet lube for 45 LC for me 3:1 Fat:BW and I would say it may lube patches and wads, but way too thick to be like core butter.

The good news for deer fat is it is shelf stable once strained. I pour through paper towels and pour into muffin tins. I have three year old fat in a ziploc on the basement fridge. Apparently even the mold doesn't like to eat it.

 

[John from MD]

I heard that 50/50 mix of beeswax and olive oil is a good starting point. What does the deer/bear tallow do to the mix? Looks like I got more of a reason to hunt again.

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50% bees wax will make it pretty thick. What the tallow give the mix I don't know from a chemical standpoint. All I know is it works.

 

[Melnic]

Guzma
Don’t forget (I keep forgetting) I have a bunch of stuff to give and loan you including a ball starter
Remind me to bring in this week.
I have different patch material too I can cut some off for you


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