New to Patch and Ball-- need some First Hand Advise

[McLernon]

What is your procedure for loading, firing wiping the barrel between shots and final end of day clean-up for your percussion cap ML. I have a 54 cal percussion cap Pedersoli and I am new to patch and ball. I will be using Goex FFg, though I might try T7.

Thanks

McLernon

[quickdtoo]

Pretty simple Mc, wipe the bore with a cleaning patch on a jag and rod a couple stokes to remove any excess lube, pop a couple caps to clear the fire channel, pour powder from a measuring device, lay lubed patch on muzzle centered over bore, place ball in center of the patch, use a short starter or the ramrod(depending on how tight the PRB is) to start the ball into the bore, push the ball down bore with short strokes keeping your hand close to the muzzle and seat it on top of the powder with some force, the same way each time you load. For lube, I use BoreButter for hunting, and Moosemilk for trailwalks and practice, I've also used spit.

For cleaning, put a cap on the nipple or use a small piece of leather to seal the nipple under the hammer, pour some hot water in the bore, brush the bore a few strokes, you'll have to twist the brush clockwise in the breech area to reverse the brush, do it before it reaches the bottom or it will be real hard to pull it back out, dump water, rinse, uncork the nipple, pour more water, use a patched jag on the rod to push water thru the bore and out the nipple, repeat a few times until the patch is clean, hot water again, the hotter it is the faster the bore will dry, wipe, lube, preferably with a non-petroleum product, I like BoreButter myself. Clean the fouling from the lock and breech area, remove the nipple, clean fire channel with pipe cleaners, clean the nipple and reinstall. If I intend to hunt with it, I'll apply some beeswax/neatsfoot oil mix to the threads of the nipple to seal it from the weather. 

Tim

[kevthebassman]

If you're shooting a tight patch-ball combo, you'll likely want to spit-patch between shots.  Just suck on a cleaning patch until it's wet (not dripping, mind you) and push it down your barrel on a cleaning jag and you will be able to load your next shot much, much easier and your gun will shoot more consistently from shot to shot.  Using this method I can shoot all day without having to stop to do a full cleaning.

Other people patch with bore butter, but personally I hate the stuff and feel that it does more harm than good.  YMMV

[McLernon]

This is an new adventure for me


Thanks

Mc

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

if you are using Patched round ball dont use triple 7. Use either real black powder or pyrodex.

For cleaning i like to get a bucket of hot soapy water and remove barrel from stock, put "Breech plug end of barrel into the bucket and then use my cleaning jag with a cloth patch and pump the water through it until my patches come out clean. Dry off outside of barrel with towel, spray 3 to 4 pumps worth of windex down the bore and let that sit in the breech area of the barrel for a few minutes. After that i will run 4 or 5 windex sprayed patches down the bore, followed up by 5-6 dry patches. I like to make sure its good and dry.

Also a good idea to remove your nipple and clean the fouling out of the treads. I use a couple q-tips and some windex. Works perfect for me and never any rust or corrosion issues.

[Graybeard]

if you are using Patched round ball dont use triple 7. Use either real black powder or pyrodex.

Pyrodex is the ONLY thing I've ever used in my muzzle loaders but why the caution about 777? I doubt I'll ever try it but just wondering why the caution.

[flintlock]

Triple 7 burns hotter than real bp or Pyrodex and it will usually burn through patches which effects accuracy...

[AtlLaw]

Triple 7 burns hotter than real bp or Pyrodex and it will usually burn through patches which effects accuracy...

Hummm, I never noticed that but then I've not checked any patches since I switched to T7.  Thanks for the heads up, just outa curiosity I'll look the next time I take it out.  I'm about to switch back to BP anyway.

[Dillohide]

I'm not sure anything is wrong with using triple 7 in a cap-lock. I see people at the range using it all the time. I tried a little and for me it didn't ignite like BP or Pyrodex. Also it does not compare per volume like Black Powder and Pyrodex. Unless I'm mistaken, eighty grains of triple 7 is something like 100 grains of Pyrodex. It's getting harder to get black powder so I try to use Pyrodex RS which is as close as you can get to real black powder. Even the RS is hard to find at times so in a pinch I use Pyrodex Select but find I get more lag time ignitions with it. There is no reason to try and make magnums out of these rifles.

[kevthebassman]

There is no reason to try and make magnums out of these rifles.

Darn right.

They are what they are.  You can stretch their lethal range out if you shoot conicals, which I do.  Those big 370 grain conicals are slow but boy do they ever hit hard.

[brpc]

All:  Been using T7 exclusively for PRB loads in 50 and 58 cal for several years with no problem.  Check out Walmart around this time of year (end of hunting season) for price reductions.  jim

[S.S.]

never had a problem with 777 either? I use heavy muslin material for my patches though.
Stuff is almost indestructable. Bore Butter is something I will never use again though.
It put a hard black glaze inside the bore of a fine Pennsylvania rifle for me and completely
ruined the accuracy. I use Crisco shortening as lube or the aforementioned spit.
As for choice of projectiles, rifling twist dictates this. anything over a 1/48 twist,
I use a roundball. My favorite is a 1/66 twist.

[shootercochran]

Spit is the classic cleaning agent between shots.  The old timers even lubed there patches with spit.  I don't see a problem with it my self.

[lrrice]

If I'm in the field, I use a greased patch.  If I'm shooting shot after shot like at the range or a rendezvous, I patch the round balls with spit patches.  Just keep your patches separate, nothing like getting a mouthful of bore butter.  For cleaning, I remove the barrel and vent then put it in a bowl of hot soapy water and pump a cleaning rod.  Then I dry the bore with patches and suck air through from the muzzle end to completely dry out the breech area.  Learned the hard that you often cant get the breech dry enough.  If you reload soon after cleaning (like in hunting camp) the moisture in the breach will keep it from going off just when you really want it to.  Even popping caps doesn't always work to dry the bore (especially on a flint lock) ;-P .  If I'm putting it up for long term storage I use gun oil (gasp) to keep it from rusting.  If I'm going to shoot again soon, I use natural lube of some sort, usually tallow. I learned the hard way (again) that the natural lubes I have used, may not be the best rust preventatives.  Welcome and good luck just be warned, this is a very addictive hobby.