The first time you load it and seat the bullet in the clean barrel, use a thin tip marker and scribe a line on the ramrod at the end of the muzzle. Then on subsequent loads, you will use this "witness mark" to verify that you have seated the bullet to the correct depth. You must maintain the same powder load and projectile choice for that mark, of course. Swabbing the bore after every third shot should suffice with powerbelts, as they just about fall down the barrel, at least in my gun. Pay particular attention to the breech area when swabbing. Turn your ramrod clockwise when fully inserted, in order to clean any "crud ring" that may develop where the charge sits. You should seat the bullet rather firmly that first load, as this will determine your mark location. If using pellets or sticks, do not seat so hard that you crush the pellets or sticks. That is not good!