Author Topic: need help with info ...  (Read 663 times)

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Offline opatriot

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need help with info ...
« on: April 01, 2007, 06:29:52 PM »
  Gday friends ...I just purchased my first BP gun ...CVA Kentucky 50 cal. rifle ...where would one go on the net IE. web sites to find loading instructions ,care ,and load recipies etc. ........ for this type of rifle ?? ..... I purchased used and need an education on BP basics .............  thanx ..davey
............................. DAVEY  (OPATRIOT)  ....................................................................       WHAT IS POPULAR IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT, WHAT IS RIGHT IS NOT ALWAYS POPULAR ...

Offline sharps4590

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Re: need help with info ...
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2007, 12:23:27 AM »
A search thru this forum should give you good advice.  muzzleloadingforum.com is always a good site for info other than just shooting your "new to you" rifle.  Americannlongrifle.com is good too as is the Muzzle Loader magazine site.  Then there is Coalition of Historical trekkers,  historicaltrekking.com has a website.  Contemporary American Longrifles also has a site.  A google search will turn up hundreds more I am sure.

A good place to start is; a .490 round ball, .015 cotton or linen patch lubed with Crisco or almost any over the counter black powder lube and 50 grs. of Fffg.  If you're shooting rather quickly as at a match, spit works about as good as anything.  Start with the 50 gr. load and work up from there in 5 or 10 grain increments., shooting no less than three rounds per charge, and see which one offers the best accuracy.  Back when I used 50 caliber rifles I shot 50 grs. for target, match shooting and 90 grs. for hunting.  Those two loads worked well enough in all the 50's I had over the years.

For cleaning I use hot water.  Some use tap water and others use various cleaning compounds, both homemade and store bought.  One seems to work as well as the other.  Use plenty of patches, dry and lube your barrel, inside and out.  There are as many lube recipes as there are cleaning solutions and methods.  Wonder lube works pretty good and I still use it for a preservative but not a bullet lube.  A 50/50 mixture of beeswax and almost any non-petroleum based oil, (mineral oil, castor oil, olive oil),  tallow, suet or unsalted lard works as good as anything else.  It also doubles as a good bullet lube.

Welcome to the wonderful world of traditional muzzleloading.  It's a hobby you can participate in as long as you live.

Vic
NRA Patron, 2006
NRA Endowment, 1996
NRA Life, 1988
NAHC Life, 1985
There is no right way to do a wrong thing

Offline sundowner

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Re: need help with info ...
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2007, 02:13:43 AM »
You could go to the Lyman web site and download their manual for any of the ML's and this should give all the information that you are looking for .
  Charlie

Offline mykeal

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Re: need help with info ...
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2007, 02:21:08 AM »
sharps4590 gives excellent advice. There are many products available over the counter and on the internet for cleaning, lubricating, polishing, shooting, etc. I personally use 777 powder and T/C's Bore Butter as a between-outings preservative, but there are many options just as good or better, including some homemade recipes. About the only real "avoid at all costs" is to stay away from petroleum-based lubricants, cleaners or preservatives. They do not mix with black powder - not a safety issue but a mess to clean up.

Also, I've not had good luck with .015 patches in either of my .50 cal long guns. Slightly thinner, .010, works better for me in terms of accuracy. Not a big difference, but noticeable. However, in all three of my .50 cal pistols .015 works just fine and .010 results in low energy and poor accuracy. One of the fun things about these guns is that each gun is a little different, and discovering what works best is a great excuse for making smoke and noise. Anyway, .010 patches are just an option. Start with .015 as that is usually the best choice in the end.

Finally, should you decide to try the synthetic bp substitutes, be aware that 777 should be reduced about 10 to 15% from the real bp charge for your gun. In other words, shooting with 50 gr of Swiss or Goex bp is equivalent to about 42-45 gr of 777.

Go make some smoke.

Offline opatriot

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Re: need help with info ...
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2007, 07:14:34 PM »
  THANKYOU ALL ... Are very helpful and friendly , cant wait to make some fire and smoke .. I do some BP cannon fire but this is my first with a rifle .......thanx again .........davey
............................. DAVEY  (OPATRIOT)  ....................................................................       WHAT IS POPULAR IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT, WHAT IS RIGHT IS NOT ALWAYS POPULAR ...

Offline jgalar

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Re: need help with info ...
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2007, 03:31:44 AM »
I believe if you go to the Cabelas web sight they have videos on loading and cleaning. I think they were on the same page as the muzzleloading guns.

Offline Ironwood

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Re: need help with info ...
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2007, 05:13:55 AM »
GO GREEN--RECYCLE CONGRESS

Born in the Pineywoods of East Texas a long long time ago.