idiots guide to muzzleloading?
09-22-2005, 12:44 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: romulus ny USA
Posts: 108
idiots guide to muzzleloading?
I just made a deal on a new muzzleloader. Tomorrow morning I will be the proud owner of a new stainless/synthetic omega W/scope and all the extras needed to shoot it. I don't know what powder and bullets he's giving me with the whole dealbut I will find out tomorrow.
I have never owned and never fired or used a muzzleloader before but I have been reading this forum trying to learn in thehopes of trading for this gun. I still have a million questions and was wondering if anyone knows of a website or something that will walk me through the basics of loading, cleaning, shooting, bullets, powders, etc. I'm sure I will be asking questions here but I hate to have to ask all of them.
My goal for this gun is to be able tocleanly make 200 yard shots on whitetails. I live in a shotgun only area and have two stands that routinely give me shots in the 150-200 yard range that I can't take with a shotgun. I'm sick of letting these deer walk by out of shotgun range.
I have never owned and never fired or used a muzzleloader before but I have been reading this forum trying to learn in thehopes of trading for this gun. I still have a million questions and was wondering if anyone knows of a website or something that will walk me through the basics of loading, cleaning, shooting, bullets, powders, etc. I'm sure I will be asking questions here but I hate to have to ask all of them.
My goal for this gun is to be able tocleanly make 200 yard shots on whitetails. I live in a shotgun only area and have two stands that routinely give me shots in the 150-200 yard range that I can't take with a shotgun. I'm sick of letting these deer walk by out of shotgun range.
09-22-2005, 01:07 PM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: idiots guide to muzzleloading?
Congratulations on the rifle. It's a good one. As for the 200 yard shots, with practice and the right bullet powder combination, they are more then possible. Practice and I think you will be surprised at how accurate the rifle is.
09-22-2005, 01:12 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: romulus ny USA
Posts: 108
RE: idiots guide to muzzleloading?
I'm really looking forward to hunting with one,but, I'm a little nervous about loading one and pulling the trigger! He told me it comes with some paperwork and he quickly showed me how to load it. I'm hoping the paperwork shows a step by step process. One thing I noticed is there seems to be way too many bullet and powder choices and combinations. I'm used to picking from 3-4 types of 12 gauge sabots.
09-22-2005, 02:50 PM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: idiots guide to muzzleloading?
If I were in your shoes....
#1 unpack the rifle and look it over.
#2 read the manual cover to cover until you UNDERSTAND the contents of it
#3 clean the rifle including all parts
#4 use a quality breech plug grease and grease the threads of the breech plug then screw the breech plug back in to the rifle finger tight only... do not crank on that plug. In fact after I put them in finger tight, I then turn them back about an 1/8th of a turn.
You are now ready to prepare to shoot the rifle
#5 swab the barrel of the rifle with a patch with some alcohol on it.
#6 push a dry patch to the bottom of the barrel on a jag and fire a 209 primer into that patch. Then pull the patch and check it to make sure the fire from the primer is coming through the breech plug into the barrel
#7 shoot off three more 209 primers. This will make sure the breech plug is clean and also put a light fowling in the barrel for you.
You are now ready to load the rifle
#8 measure out and place 100 grains of powder in the rifle in pellet or loose form, pouring or dropping this down the barrel.
#9 put the correct size projectile in to the correct size sabot and place that sabot into the crown of the muzzle. This is where I take a wad of patch material, put it over the nose of the projectile and push the projectile under the crown of the muzzle with my thumb. The patch material is more for the benefit of my thumb and not the projectile.
#10 with the long end of your short starter push the projectile into the bore of the rifle
#11 with your correct loading jag attached to the end of your range rod or ramrod push the projectile in as smooth a downward fashion as possible until you feel the projectile hit the powder charge. Make sure the projectile is seated firmly on the powder charge.
#12 leaving your ramrod still in the barrel of the rifle resting on the projectile, take a piece of masking tape and wrap the tape even to the end of the muzzle around your ramrod. This is called the Witness Mark and every time you load the rifle with the same powder charge and projectile you should reach this mark where the tape will be level to the muzzle of the rifle. With the Witness mark now in place on the ramrod
#13 REMOVE THE RAMROD FROM THE BARREL OF THE RIFLE
#14 place a 209 shotgun primer on the breech plug of the rifle located at the breech end of the barrel.
#15 With a target at 25 or 50 yards fire your first shot of out of the rifle
#16 take a patch with a cleaning solution and using a bore brush or cleaning jag on the end of a second ramrod preferably which you will use for swabbing the barrel only, run a wet patch down the barrel. When swabbing the barrel run the patch in short strokes starting at the muzzle. I like to run about four inches at a time in a back and fourth motion, increasing the length of the stroke and patch until I am finally all the way to the breech end of the rifle.
#17 run one or two dry patches down the barrel again in short strokes running from the muzzle to the breech to dry all the moisture out of the barrel. This will also remove extra fowling
#18. It is a good idea to take your time here. I like to swab the barrel clean, and then walk to the target and check the target before I even load the next shot. This gives the barrel time to cool. It also gives you time to calm down, relax and consider what you might have done right or wrong.
#19 now load your rifle in the exactsame manner as you did the first time. Make sure you reach your witness mark. Aim for the same spot on the target as you did the first time. Do not adjust your point of aim because of where your first shot hit. Try and hold the rifle the same as you did the first time, with the same sight picture, and fire the second shot.
#20 After seven to ten shots on the range take your breech plug wrench and just twist the breech plug back and fourth. You do not have to remove it. All you are doing is making sure that the breech plug is not seizing in the breech. And wipe off any excess fowling on the breech plug or that area with isopropyl alcohol on a patch or Q-tip
#21 After you have fired a few shots check the size of the group you are getting. If you are satisfied with it, great. You can decide if you want to increase/decrease the powder charge at this point, adjust the sights or scope (which I do not recommend until you are really happy with the group you are shooting), or just keep shooting the same load having fun....
#22 If you are going to be a while before you have a chance to clean the rifle ... for what ever reason, take the breech plug out of the rifle, and put the breech plug and fowled parts into a zip lock bag. It will keep them from seizing up in the rifle.
Also if you want some safe loads, start your powder charges out at 100 grains of powder. Work your way up from there in 5 or 10 grain amounts until the group you are shooting falls apart. If shooting loose powder I would limit myself to 120 grain and 150 with pellets. This is my opinion of course. Also for easy loading start with some pre packaged Thompson Center projectile sabot combinations... they tend to load easier..
I wrote this list for another poster on the forum that was concerned about their first outing to the range. I hope it helped them and it helps you also. Good luck with the rifle and keep us posted....
#1 unpack the rifle and look it over.
#2 read the manual cover to cover until you UNDERSTAND the contents of it
#3 clean the rifle including all parts
#4 use a quality breech plug grease and grease the threads of the breech plug then screw the breech plug back in to the rifle finger tight only... do not crank on that plug. In fact after I put them in finger tight, I then turn them back about an 1/8th of a turn.
You are now ready to prepare to shoot the rifle
#5 swab the barrel of the rifle with a patch with some alcohol on it.
#6 push a dry patch to the bottom of the barrel on a jag and fire a 209 primer into that patch. Then pull the patch and check it to make sure the fire from the primer is coming through the breech plug into the barrel
#7 shoot off three more 209 primers. This will make sure the breech plug is clean and also put a light fowling in the barrel for you.
You are now ready to load the rifle
#8 measure out and place 100 grains of powder in the rifle in pellet or loose form, pouring or dropping this down the barrel.
#9 put the correct size projectile in to the correct size sabot and place that sabot into the crown of the muzzle. This is where I take a wad of patch material, put it over the nose of the projectile and push the projectile under the crown of the muzzle with my thumb. The patch material is more for the benefit of my thumb and not the projectile.
#10 with the long end of your short starter push the projectile into the bore of the rifle
#11 with your correct loading jag attached to the end of your range rod or ramrod push the projectile in as smooth a downward fashion as possible until you feel the projectile hit the powder charge. Make sure the projectile is seated firmly on the powder charge.
#12 leaving your ramrod still in the barrel of the rifle resting on the projectile, take a piece of masking tape and wrap the tape even to the end of the muzzle around your ramrod. This is called the Witness Mark and every time you load the rifle with the same powder charge and projectile you should reach this mark where the tape will be level to the muzzle of the rifle. With the Witness mark now in place on the ramrod
#13 REMOVE THE RAMROD FROM THE BARREL OF THE RIFLE
#14 place a 209 shotgun primer on the breech plug of the rifle located at the breech end of the barrel.
#15 With a target at 25 or 50 yards fire your first shot of out of the rifle
#16 take a patch with a cleaning solution and using a bore brush or cleaning jag on the end of a second ramrod preferably which you will use for swabbing the barrel only, run a wet patch down the barrel. When swabbing the barrel run the patch in short strokes starting at the muzzle. I like to run about four inches at a time in a back and fourth motion, increasing the length of the stroke and patch until I am finally all the way to the breech end of the rifle.
#17 run one or two dry patches down the barrel again in short strokes running from the muzzle to the breech to dry all the moisture out of the barrel. This will also remove extra fowling
#18. It is a good idea to take your time here. I like to swab the barrel clean, and then walk to the target and check the target before I even load the next shot. This gives the barrel time to cool. It also gives you time to calm down, relax and consider what you might have done right or wrong.
#19 now load your rifle in the exactsame manner as you did the first time. Make sure you reach your witness mark. Aim for the same spot on the target as you did the first time. Do not adjust your point of aim because of where your first shot hit. Try and hold the rifle the same as you did the first time, with the same sight picture, and fire the second shot.
#20 After seven to ten shots on the range take your breech plug wrench and just twist the breech plug back and fourth. You do not have to remove it. All you are doing is making sure that the breech plug is not seizing in the breech. And wipe off any excess fowling on the breech plug or that area with isopropyl alcohol on a patch or Q-tip
#21 After you have fired a few shots check the size of the group you are getting. If you are satisfied with it, great. You can decide if you want to increase/decrease the powder charge at this point, adjust the sights or scope (which I do not recommend until you are really happy with the group you are shooting), or just keep shooting the same load having fun....
#22 If you are going to be a while before you have a chance to clean the rifle ... for what ever reason, take the breech plug out of the rifle, and put the breech plug and fowled parts into a zip lock bag. It will keep them from seizing up in the rifle.
Also if you want some safe loads, start your powder charges out at 100 grains of powder. Work your way up from there in 5 or 10 grain amounts until the group you are shooting falls apart. If shooting loose powder I would limit myself to 120 grain and 150 with pellets. This is my opinion of course. Also for easy loading start with some pre packaged Thompson Center projectile sabot combinations... they tend to load easier..
I wrote this list for another poster on the forum that was concerned about their first outing to the range. I hope it helped them and it helps you also. Good luck with the rifle and keep us posted....
09-22-2005, 04:16 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Albany, IN
Posts: 191
RE: idiots guide to muzzleloading?
I agree with you rml127 on this issue. There are a lot of products out there to weed through. What we need is a list of the top 2 or 3 products in each category so we will know what to get. Good luck!!
Good choice in guns from what I've been reading. I'm leaning towards the Omega also.
Good choice in guns from what I've been reading. I'm leaning towards the Omega also.
09-22-2005, 06:06 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 427
RE: idiots guide to muzzleloading?
rml127,
I think Cayugad did a very good job giving you step by step instructions.I would like to add one thing though. Try and find someone in your area that shoots bpthat would be willing to go to the range with you, your 1st time out. If you stopped in orcalledyour local gun shop, I'm sure that they'd be able to give you a few names of the local blackpowder guru's in your area.
I think Cayugad did a very good job giving you step by step instructions.I would like to add one thing though. Try and find someone in your area that shoots bpthat would be willing to go to the range with you, your 1st time out. If you stopped in orcalledyour local gun shop, I'm sure that they'd be able to give you a few names of the local blackpowder guru's in your area.
09-22-2005, 06:13 PM
#8
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Colorado
Posts: 4,127
RE: idiots guide to muzzleloading?
OK - here's your top choices:
Rifle: T/C Omega
Bullet: T/C 250 Shockwave
Barnes 250 gr. Expander MZ with Harvester Crush Rib sabot
Powder: 100 to 110 gr of ffg Triple 7
100to 130 grain of Pyrodex pellets
You can use this gun with this load for just about all North American general purpose big game hunting. Follow Cayugad's advice on all the loading and cleaning procedures. Life should be good. Roskoe.
Rifle: T/C Omega
Bullet: T/C 250 Shockwave
Barnes 250 gr. Expander MZ with Harvester Crush Rib sabot
Powder: 100 to 110 gr of ffg Triple 7
100to 130 grain of Pyrodex pellets
You can use this gun with this load for just about all North American general purpose big game hunting. Follow Cayugad's advice on all the loading and cleaning procedures. Life should be good. Roskoe.