Taking the Plunge. Info Needed.

[dsgrntldPW]

I'm getting burnt out on handguns these days and I'm seriously considering getting into muzzleloading. Okay, in-line M/L. I do not hunt anymore so this will be a fun/range gun toy, probably scoped. Currently looking at the T/C Omega and Encore series. Encore M/L is more versatile (benefit of available centerfire metallic caliber barrel options) but the Omega looks to be easier to clean/maintain/use as a M/L. My problem is....I DO NOT know the first thing about M/L's.

.45 or .50 cal.? Pyrodex or FFF? Sabots? (thought that was the day God took a rest.) Patches? We don't need no stinkin' patches! Nipples? Got four, mine and hers. Shoot a .45 cal. projectile out of a .50 or visa versa? My brain (small as it is) is already overloading, and I haven't even started yet!

Are there any recomended books or websites available for someone who is totally new to these types of firearms? My primary interest is in the more modern inline M/L's at this time (maybe go to the side hammer style later) so this area is what I want to brush up on. So, where do I go for the Muzzleloading 101 class?

Thanks for your replies.

 

[Perfesser]

Muzzleloaders

I have a lot of fun with a T/C Hawken .45 I got at a gun show. I think this is an uncommon caliber in the old style. The only thing I've shot so far is the trash pit. This is the traditional style caplock and I dreaded cleaning it but it really wasn't so bad - lots of hot water is all it really takes.
I use Pyrodex (got a can with the gun) and I found that .451 cast bullets for .45ACP reloading are good loads, a lot better accuracy than round balls but I shoot the patched ball for fun. I like the authentic style, and the whole procedure is cool...pour the powder, ram the ball, cap the nipple,crank that big hammer back and BOOM...lots of white smoke and a big hole in the target. Only problem is that I'd really rather have a .50 or .54 caliber to make bigger holes!
Lyman's black powder shooting guide is a gold mine of information...it'll answer any question you can think of.
Sabots put a smaller modern HP in the barrel....38 or .40 in a 45, .40 or .45 in a 50, etc, for hunting purposes. Around here they get real cheap at WalMart when hunting season ends...that would by MY tip for the thread: hit the clearance wall after hunting season: tin of musket caps for $2, pack of sabots for $3, even the powder is half price or less!

Everybody will say this so I'll get it first - don't even THINK about using smokeless powder in any ML.

 

[mcneill]

Try the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association web site
www.nmlra.org
They have some tutorials there.

I have not shot in-lines so can't answer specific questions. I shoot T/C Hawkens in both cap and flint lock. They are .50 cal which use a .490 inch patched ball and FFg black powder. Have not used any of these new-fangled substitutes.

By all means, jump in but be warned - the smell of that white smoke gets in your blood stream and becomes addictive.

Jim

 

[Stickjockey]

Just be careful, it can creep up on you. You start out with an inline, but then it starts:

"You know, this inline just feels too, well- modern."

After a while-

"Caplock is fun, but the flinters just have that certain jenny-say kwah."

And before you know it, your gun room is full of muskets, flint, gunpowder, and all sorts of foofraw that makes people wonder just what you're up to.

Welcome to Blackpowder!

 

[Mark whiz]

The others are correct....................black powder shooting IS addictive!

Starting with a in-line rifle is a good choice..............simple creatures that are easy to breakdown and are very forgiving beasts.

The encores are good units................especially if you're thinking about branching out and adding more barrels later on. If you just want a dedicated muzzleloader though, the Omega would be a better choice. Personally, I like Knight's products - their top end stuff is pretty pricey but even the lower level stuff are quality items, 2nd to none. I've been shooting their baseline USAK model for 3 years when I started in muzzleloading and that little toy just drives tacks everytime I pull the trigger.

As far as which caliber to choose..................... go with the .50cal no question about it. There are a TON more bullet and accessory choices for them and the .50's are much more forgiving. I can almost guarantee you'll find an accurate load for a .50 cal 5 to 10X faster than with a .45cal rifle.

I use the Triple Seven loose powder.............and I love it. It's more powerful than anything use and cleans up more easily than Pyro or Black powder. And I do prefer loose powder to pellets, it allows you to adjust control your loads better.

And sabot bullets will shoot the best out of in-lines............that's what they're designed to shoot. Personally I stay with 300 to 350gr bullets as they are more accurate in my Knight and have always performed well on game for me. The Hornady 300gr XTP Mags and SSTs bullets both shoot well and make good choices. The BEST bullets I've come across are those made by Pr Bullets . Their QT ballistic tips are absolutely "killer".

 

[bp_cowboy]

If you want to start out cheap

you can get one of the CVA's BPS usually puts on special for like 69 bucks. They have a synthetic stock and are very accurate. While they only have a buckhorn sight, you can drift it out and put a good adjustable one on. I prefer traditional, using BP, and patched roundballs.

 

[dsgrntldPW]

Thanks for the info, and keep it coming. With an inline M/L using saboted projectiles do you still use a lube and patch, especially when using pelleted powder? Is this patch what holds the projectile in the barrel, or does it fit between the powder and the projectile? What do you use the lube for? (See, I TOLD you I knew nothing!)

BTW, I told a friend today about my new-found interest in M/L and he told me that Savage now makes an inline M/L, and I should check it out. Any comments?

Thanks in advance.

 

[redneck]

First- patches go with balls, not conicals. Conicals will either be sabots in which case the plastic sleeve is a tight enough fit to form the seal, or cast/lead which you use the lube to form a seal and make cleaning/loading easier.

For a patch and ball, you pour your powder in, center a patch over the muzzle and then push a ball down over it and ram it home.
Sabots pretty much just get rammed home on top of the powder (as far as I know, haven't used them personally) and others will depend on whether they are pre-lubed how they fit etc.

As far as the savage, I'm sure its a nice gun, savage is a good company. But I think the main reason people are talking about it over other inlines is that it is designed to handle the pressure of smokeless powder. I don't know if they recommend using it, or whether it is just capable of using it, but that is what all the buzz is about.
Personally I like to use real FFg black powder (Goex) I've heard good things about some of the substitutes, but I got started with powder, it works (big boom, lotsa smoke, and that signature smell that people love to hate ), and I don't feel the need to try anything else. If your wanting to smack stuff at the range, there's no need for anything more than black powder its got a lot more horsepower than some people want to believe. The only advantage I can see for the savage is for someone that normally rifle hunts and wants to get in on the extra season but still shoot long range shots.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

If you want an (shudder)inline the TC seems to be well thought of.Savage came out with something that they touted as being able to use smokeless powder in.I understand that at least one has blown up.I'd stay away from them.But heck,I'm a old fashioned buckskinner sidelock guy myself...

 

[4v50 Gary]

My personal preference is flintlocks but if you want range, consider a replica minie gun of that great American Unpleasantry of the 19th Century (my new, improved politically correct term for the American Civil War or the War of the Rebellion as it doesn't raise an inference of war). That'll easily reach out to 500 yards and you don't have to patch it like you would a round ball.

I strongly suggest you go to a Rendezvous (black powder shoot) before you buy. Get a feel for what period strikes your fancy. If you have any relative who served in that great American Unpleasantry of the 19th Century, you may want to research him and base your persona on him. Or if you like the idea of beating back foreign invaders, you may like the Inter-governmental dispute of 1812. Longest rifle shot (600 yards) was made at Fort Maumee (in Ohio) before that period of discord was resovled. Fur trade is fun too. Regardless, go to a shoot and then decide what type of gun you want afterwards.