Stuff to get started

[Higgy15jh]

Last year for Christmas I got a CVA muzzleloader. It is about time for season and I need to get the right supplies.Im not real familiar with muzzleloaders, although I have shot my friends a few times. I know how to load onejust need to know what to get. If you can give me list I will purchase it of Cabelas or Bass Pro. It is a .45 Cal. but has a .50 cal. barrel also. Do you reccomend changing barrelsor is the .45 sufficent for whitetail. Thaks for any input

[Pittsburghunter]

OK, sounds like you have a good rifle but have not shot it yet. I hope you have some range time between now and your season, you will need it.

Right off the top of my head you need the following.

Bullets, (most likely a saboted one or a Powerbelt)

Powder, (check your manual for load data)

Primer, (what ever your ignition is buy the right primers)

Now you also need some cleaning stuff including a Superjag in your caliber soft cotton cloth to make patches out of. A fluid like Hoppies #9 Elite BP is a good cleaner.

You need a bunch more stuff but did I mention you need range time?

[cayugad]

Black powder rifle supplies (I'm sure I forgot something)

DECIDE ON THE KIND OF POWDER[/b]


Pyrodex
Triple Se7en
Goex
Black Mag3
American Pioneer Powder
- loose or pellet[/ul]


[/b]
TOOLS NEEDED[/b]
[/b]

See through powder measure
Cleaning jag
Bore guide (not essential)
Cleaning mop
Patch worm
Bore brush
Short starter
Capper/de-capper
Loading jag for the projectile
Nipple pick
Breech plug removal tool "“ socket set with long extensions works also (inlines)[/ul]


CLEANING SUPPLIES[/b]

Isopropyl alcohol 91%
Car windshield washer fluid
Bore butter or lube for conical bullets
Gun Oil "“ Birchwood Casey Sheath, REM OIL, Breakfree CLP
Q-tip safety swabs
Cleaning Patches
Bore Solvents[/ul]

Birchwood Casey Bore Scrubber
Butch"™s Bore Shine
M.A.P. "“ Murphy"™s oil soap, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide[/ol]

[/b]
[/b]
PROJECTILES[/b]
[/b]

Sabots for the caliber of rifle
Bullets to match sabots according to the diameter of the bullet
Conicals
Roundball and patch
Breech plug grease "“ CVA Slick Breech Plug and Nipple Grease[/ul]

[Sharp Shooter]

Go shopping with your friend and go to the range with him. He will make sure you get all of the stuff and help you out at the range.

[BOWHUNTER818]

cayuqad was right if i was recomending a powder shockey's gold or americnan pioneer considering that shockey's gold is made be american pioneer. Me personally i like the 50.cal but 45. cal is known to shot farther. but take a freind and explore and ask questions it's all in what u personally like. EXPLORE.

[Triple Se7en]

45s have never really caught-on. Reason-being is their too darn fussy. Shooting the farthest is only ideal if it gets to the location you shot at. Very few 45 inline MLs do that! Stay with the 50s. Stores carry a better variety of componenets/accessories for the 50 - plus the 50 shoots any sabot/bullet the 45 does - by purchasing aftermarket MMP sabots in either .40/50 or .357/50 diameters.


Keep Your Powder Dry Folks . . . . . . . Joe [/i]

[frontier gander]

i wouldnt say 45's shoot farther, i belive the correct term is that they can shoot flatter at longer ranges instead ofthe rainbow shots the 50s and so on take. It all depends on the bullet and charge. Personally i prefer a 50 because of the huge selection of bullets. And many small towns will only carry the 50 and 54 bullets. 45's are hard to find in my area. its hard to say what you'll need. But heres a basic list of stuff you will need.

Powder flask " to hold your powder"
Primer holder
Powder measure
Ball remover/patch remover
Bore brush
Cleaning jag" most are attatched to the ramrod from the factory"
Anti seize for your breech plug " dont over tighten it, once you feel it stop, STOP! no more pressure is needed! After a couple of shots, CVA advises to pull your bolt and loosen the breechplug up a little so it does not seize up.
Hope this helps out a bit. I just saw all the other lists and figured i could break it down to a smaller list so you know what you'll need for sure to go out shoot and come back to clean. But over time your list will grow quite a bit. If you want to save yourself some time and not carry a whole bunch of powder, get some speedloaders and have everything ready and take them and your cleaning tools out to the range.

Jon
Thats just a small list of what you should have and what you'll need to go out to the range, shoot and then clean. Once you start shooting, youre knowledge will grow and then you'll start picking up on other things and know what else you'll need.

[Gotbuck]

First off read the manual over and over until your comfortable with the operation of the gun. I know when I started it took a while before I was comfortable shooting and now there's no turning back. You may want to invest in a CVA kit in which it has everything you need to start except the powder. If you shoot with you friends maybe give them a few bucks and try their powders to see what works in order to acheive your shooting range that you plan on hunting with. Safety is the most important thing to remember and listen to your friends.