I am new to black powder and recently bought a White Ultramag in 50 cal. After shooting about 30 rounds through it, it would not fire properly. I took it apart and noticed I could not look through the nipple. I ended up using a safety pin and oil to get all the crud out. How often should I clean the nipple out and is there an easier way? I cannot use 209 primers and have to use #11 primers in Oregon.

I use pipe cleaners.

Just run that safety pin thru it every 10 shots or-so.... depending on how wet you make those swabbing patches & how often you swab. Also depends on the powder brand, what liquid you are using for swabbing,how much powder you use per shot & fouling accumulation forms from various designs of breechplugs and/or nipples -- making them all different in retrospect. Some nipples are hotters than others - that makes a difference also.

With so many variables to consider, the safety pin use every 10 shots seems like the best remedy -- less liquid on those swabbing patches seems like the 2nd best remedy.

silverstreak -

I would never use oil to remove fowling from the nipple. In my opinion you are asking for misfires, additional crud build up, and hang fires because of the oil. Use some isopropyl alcohol or windex.

Are you using a #11 hammer or the 209 hammer that came with the rifle? I got a #11 hammer and it now splatters the cap better and stops that pounding the #11 cap into the nipple. Also watch for fragments of cap getting between the hammer/striker and the side of the breech.

I take a Q-tip, dip that in isopropyl alcohol 91% and wipe the outsides of the nipple off when it gets too fowled. This will also help the caps set deeper on the nipple and you do not get so much of that cap pounding that way. Also I have a couple pieces of old guitar string. I took some tape and wrapped one end of the string so I have something to handle and can spot the darn thing. I just take that steel wire string and push that through the nipple every 10 shots or so. So far, so good.

What kind of results are you getting out of the White? Mine is an excellent shooter.

silverstreak

Double ditto everything cayugad said... the only difference for me is that I use windex as the cleaning agent. Windex dissolves Triple seven, even the hardest clumps of it.

Thanks for all the good tips.
Cayugad, I just finished firing mine for the second time just this a.m. I used 100 grains of APP triple f and 350 grain Maxi Hunters. I have gotten so I can hit the target at 100 yards but no consistent groups, since my shooting bench is not the greatestand now must do some fine tuning on my bench. I just got Lyman #57 peep sight installed and so I had a lot of adjusting to do in order to sight it in, just too many issues to expect to shoot a decent group.I was about 2 inches high at 25 yards and about 1 inch high at 100 yards, does that sound right? I will keep you updated as I get things fine tuned.

Not meaning to influence your choice of projectiles, but if someone gave me a box of maxi hunters, I'd personallymelt them down and cast roundball out of them. I've yet to find a rifle that will group them well. Now maxiball on the other hand, is a different story. I am sure there are people out there that shoot the maxi hunter well, so I should not be so critical of them. It's just my personal experience.

I would personally get some large conicals like 460 grain No Excuse Conicals, 495 grain No Excuse Conicals, 460 grain BullShop Conicals, 500 grain BullShop NEI conicals, 560 grain BullShop Conicals and the simple R.E.A.L. conicals will shoot pretty good so far. I load them 70 grains of Triple Se7en 3f or Goex 3f a fiber wad, (or the other day 10 grains of corn meal) and then the projectile.

Also some of the conicals are slip fit, meaning they fall down the barrel almost. Especially the No Excuse because they are a .503 diameter. They shoot great but might give you trouble hunting if you were walking around with the barrel pointed at the ground. They can slip off the powder charge. The Bullshop conicals can be ordered to custom size. I order the .504 diameter, others have been getting the .5045 diameter. Once the barrel is fowled, there is no problem with them and the conicals shoot better on the fowled White then the clean White.

Also do not be worried, that White will really shoot sabots. I have yet to shoot APP out of the White. Also I never liked APP when shooting conicals. I like a faster burning powder like the Triple Se7en or the Goex, Swiss, or Pyrodex P when shooting conicals.

Keep shooting, and keep posting. It sounds like you have a great grip on the whole process and the rifle is going to be a great shooter.

ive only done this short term as i am new to this. but i remove my nipple, hold it with a small pair a needlenose pliars and direct a tubed sray of break cleaner thru it (just a quick shot)
i also got alcohol, pipe cleaners, paper clips, sewing neddles and a nipple pic. (guess im covered)

early

One of the easiest ways to clean the flash hole in gun nipples is with an acetylene torch tip cleaner.They come in a set with different sizes that folds for easy carrying.They are available for little cost at any welding supply store.They are designed to remove the hard carbon residue that accumulates on torch tips.You just press them straight in and pull straight out and the thing is clean.

if you have one of those odd lot stores they sell a paint sprayer tip cleaner on a ring tool. there are many different brush sizes on the ring and there like 4$