Last Minute Instructions for Green horn

[stevinator]

Ok my stuff should all be here for the 50 cal percussion this week.After all the good help I should be ready to sight in weather permitting at the end of the week.I have hornady 490 round balls and traditions lubed 015 patches and cci #11 caps.The powder is pyrodex rs ffg equivalent due to current availability in my area.I read the manual fully and read alot on here,so I am hoping to not have any big surprises.The powder and caps I can always change but things are kind of low stocked here right now and the powder was recommended in the manual if real ffg wasn't handy,  pyrodex select was mentioned in there too.Manual says .015 patch 490 ball and 50-75 grns powder starting, with 110  max.So that's easy enough to follow I just want to make sure I clean between shots and do what you guys do for easier ball starting and cleaning.

[skarke]

For me, as an occasional ML shooter, I clean my barrel between shots for two reasons.  First, it does make it a lot easier to load subsequent rounds, but.............................., it also snuffs out any smoldering embers.  Maybe it's not really necessary, but I just don't think that I can write as well with a rod through the middle of my hand.

[necchi]

The idea for accuracy is consistancy, each loading procedure needs to be the same.

Each time BP (or sups) is shot, the burning powder leaves a residue in the barrel stuck along the sides of the bore.
aka; fouling.
 If nothing is done, this material will buildup every shot causing a constricked bore and change the pressure. It's not so much as to make the gun unsafe to shoot, but it will get tougher to load and the slightly different pressure affecting your projectile will change it's flight and point of impact, believe it or not a fouled bore will lower the group.
 You can't eliminate fouling but, there are plenty of way's to eliviate fouling build up, I'll not argue the ways, I'll just tell ya what I do.
 I'm a swabber, that means I swab the bore after each shot, every shot. I count on taking a preliminary "fouling shot" before I begin in any compitition. Hunting is different, but I still do hunt with a bore that IS NOT fully clean.
 All of my guns have a perminant cleaning jag attached the the carry ramrod, I use it for seating and cleaning and don't have to worry about finding one to screw in,,it's there. I use 100% cotton .22 cal cleaning patches, there cheap for the bag count, and they are all cut the same size and thickness. Make a shot, take one 22 patch, pop it in my mouth and saturate it with spit, press it out a bit with tounge and roof of mouth, take that damp (not wet) patch and push it once all the way down and all the way back,,no scrubbing motion, just down and back. Toss it, load, shoot, repeat.

others milage may very.

[JBlk]

If you just purchased a new rifle make sure to scrub the bore with a good solvent such as brake cleaner to remove any preserative that the manfacture coated the bore with.Shoot your rifle enough to be comfortable with the sights and make sure that its hitting where you aim.Don't use to much powder to begin with, around seventy to seventy five grains by volume under the .490 round ball is a good place to start.I personally don't swab between shots when hunting and have never experienced any problems.I assume that you will be hunting whitetail deer with your new rifle and if so you have a pretty good size kill zone.Practice, practice, practice until it comes togather and you will be harvesting your game just like a modern weapon.

[DennyRoark]

Once you get a good feel for loading steps, do EVERYTHING exactly the same way each time.  Including measuring powder (just pour in measure loosely, don't tap it), and ball seating pressure.  Slight variations in these 2 steps affect accuracy alot.  Once you get a good load worked up that you are going to use for a while, mark your ramrod.  Then go out and get yerself a biggun'!  Oh, and when you get home, clean it immediately, thoroughly.  Pyro is real corrosive and will pit your barrel quickly.

[spooked]

Only thing i want to add is figure out what your going to do in case of a hangfire!
Happened to me on my first muzzle loader purchased new...When you think you have the grease cleaned out of it..clean it again..snap some caps to make sure the fire channel is open...
I was setting on the tailgate of my pickup with the barrel pointed at a mudpuddle, trying to figure out my next move after several minutes the gun went KABOOMMM muddy water flew everywhere . Got my adrenaline up just thinking about what could have happened if i had gotten impatient and pointed the gun carelessly ..And this was with pistol or 3f pyrodex...

[Trapper-Jack]

Everyone so far has given you some good advice, but loading your rifle is kind of a personal thing.  Everybody has their own way - not wrong, just their own personal way.  Now to add to the confusion, here's my way.

Clean out the barrel and flash channel, usually with an alcohol soaked patch followed with a dry one.  Alcohol will clean, cut the oil and evaporate quickly. 

Then I'll snap three or four caps to blow out the flash channel.  Hold the muzzle close to a blade of grass or something light and if it moves when the cap goes off, the channel is clear.

Measure out the powder into a volume measure and pour it down the muzzle.  It won't hurt to tap the side of the barrel with the heal of your hand a couple of times to settle the powder.  For target work I use about 50 - 60 grains.  For hunting I'll load it up to about 85.  That will take a round ball clear through a mule deer from side to side if he's within 100 yards.

Place your patch over the muzzle and start a .490 ball into the barrel.  Use whatever patch thickness works best for you.  You want a pronounced cross hatch imprint where the riflings are and a faint cross hatch inprint where the groves are.  I use the striped cotton pillow ticking from Wal-Mart.  It measures about .018.  I cut my own patches and lube them with olive oil.  With olive oil lubed patches I can shoot my Lyman GPR at least 50 times back to back without losing accuracy or fowling buildup in the barrel.  The breach and flash channel will build up after a while though and need cleaned. 

You have got the ball started in the barrel so now tap it down the length of your short starter.  Then use the ram rod to seat the ball down onto the powder, that's important.  I use short strokes to run the ball down, not big long strokes.  I've seen ramrods broken that way, 

Now cap, take aim and let fly! 

Have fun.

[flintlock]

Don't forget to look at your patches after you shoot...For some reason few do this and if you are cutting patches or burning them you will not have good accuracy...

You mentioned you had prelubed patches, I prefer to make my own because over time that lube can break down the cotton in the patch and they will burn through easier...We have no way to tell how long that patch has been in inventory...Go to WalMart and buy a yard of cotton pillow ticking, it will be white with red or blue stripes...Then buy some SnoSeal, it's for waterproofing boots, it has bees wax and a mineral oil in it to help soften it...Then when you are ready to go shoot, cut or tear an inch and a half strip by 24 inches long, take a putty knife and smear SnoSeal on both sides, roll it up and microwave on a paper plate about 20 seconds...

Now when you are ready to shoot, center the ball over the pillow ticking, start the ball down the barrel so it's just below the muzzle and cut the ticking with a sharp knife...Later you can cut square patches or simply load up a loading block and cut with sissors...

Now, the reason I do this...After 15 years of using the same rifle my groups went to heck...My patches were burning through, they were store bought...By going to my own patches I eliminated one variable...

[stevinator]

Great info everyone thank you I appreciate it ,sure does save you alot of trouble and fills in the blanks like actually doing it.

[Glanceblamm]

Once you get a good load worked up that you are going to use for a while, mark your ramrod.

Good Post's and I knew that I would find this in one of them.

For easy loading, see if you can find some of the Hoppe's #13 black powder solvent. I can get by with shooting about 12 spit patches before swabbing but the #13 can extend this to around 20.

[smokeeater3302]

make sure that you take the ram rod out before you shoot
for those that have done this it is not a great thing i know