randyh

Finally picked up accessories, bullets/sabots, Pyrodex pellets, etc., etc., so hopefully this weekend I can start to get acquainted with the Traditions Pursuit LT I received from my sons. Now that I have at least what I need to get started, I'm sure there will be a slew of questions, some of which may make longtime BP shooters roll their eyes. I ask their patience. Here are a couple that just came to mine.
1) My owner's manual talks about marking/re-marking the ramrod each time you change powder loads and/or bullets. What do you use?
2) Also the Pursuit ramrod comes witha reversible cleaning/loading tip. The loading tip is to help with hollowpoints, polymer tips, etc. When you reverse the tip to use the loading surface, the ramrod when repaced on the gun now extends about 3 inches beyond themuzzle. Would you leave it like that after loading for hunting, or reverse the tip after loading?
3) What do you use to store your pellets and primers when in the field?
4) When loading the bullet, I know you should not have space between it and the pellets - is this sort of a matter of feel or ?

Thanks to those who take the time to respond. Probably will send in some more especially re cleaning - seems like pellets, bullets,primers, all had some sort of cleaning instruction, and all were somewhat different.

cayugad

The easy way to mark your ramrod without doing damage to it is after you put the pellets or powder in the barrel and you seat the projectile on top of the powder, rest the ramrod with the loading jag on top of the projectile. Then take a piece of masking tape, even colored scotch tapeand level to the top of the muzzle, wrap that around the ramrod. You can mark it with the amount of powder for instance.. 100 telling you how much powder level is in there. The reason I use masking tape is because it is easy to remove at the end of the day.

There is no danger leaving a loading jag on the ramrod even if it extends out past the muzzle as long as it does not block any part of the muzzle when you shoot. I have a T loading handle that folds up and it stays on my ramrod and still extends past the end of the muzzle.

For the primers, I store 10 of the 209 primers in a DOG BONE primer loader. They are marketed by Thompson Center and are the easy way to get a 209 onto the breech unless you are one of them that has to use a small plastic adapter, then I would keep them in the plastic box with the pellets and a couple spares in a pocket that I could get to in a hurry should a misfire happen. I use loose powder and store it in plastic film containers. They make speed loaders that you can put your pellets and projectile in and carry like you would a shotgun shell.

Yes the loading pressure you will use is a matter of feel, but also when you load, check your witness mark.. the masking tape on the ramrod. It it is level to the muzzle that should tell you that the projectile is seated properly.

MLKeith

Cayugad pretty much covered things, I also use masking tape to mark my ramrod for the same reasons. This needs to be done the first time you load the rifle to be sure that everything is clean and bottoms out well. After a shot or two there will be fouling in the bore which may cause the bullet to stop short of bottoming out on the powder which is a very bad thing. If there is an air gap between the powder (or pellets) and the bullet the pressures generated can be dangerous up to and including rupture of the barrel. I have a Pursuit LT also and I do not leave the ramrod extended just because the powder and muzzleflash will attack the material on the rod which is forward of the barrel causing some discoloration. I would recommend that you run a damp patch between shots for the first few times you shoot the rifle followed by a dry patch just to be sure that you are not having fouling change your loading mark. Once you are more familiar with the rifle you may find the swab and bore drying patch may not be required each shot. A lot of this depends on what powder you are using. Pyrodex is one of the powders that will leave more fouling in the barrel than some of the others. It is a good powder to start with however as long as you deal with the fouling and remove it between shots. Personally I do not like pellets and only shoot loose powder but since you have the pellets you might as well use them up. I would stay below 100gr. of pellets as the LT is a fairly light rifle and the recoil will be fairly heavy with 100gr. pellets and a bullet near 300gr. weight..

Pittsburghunter

One of the reasons I switched to loose powder in my magnum rifles is if you push too hard on the pellets you crush them and that ain't no good. It also isn't good not making sure your bullet is seated all the way down. Loose allows me to make sure the bullet is seated if I am worried about it without hurting the powder charge.

I do not like anything hanging out beyond the muzzle. I feel it can mess up your shots by deflecting the pressure gasses escaping the barrel. I have only the experience of ported barrels to say that. I notice they port evenly around the barrel to keep the gasses flowing evenly.

Sounds like you are good to go. Take my advice with a grain of salt or two.