Zdeerslayer

Let me start off by introducing myself. Name's Bobby and I enjoy all sorts of hunting and fishing. I'm 19 and am currently a college student. I'm just starting to get the itch to get into black powder, so I thought I'd ask you more experienced guys a few questions.

Well my dad has had a .50 cal Hawkins rifles in his gun safe for as long as I can remember. He's always talked about getting all the materials needed to hunt with it, but has never had the time to do so.

If you guys could just give me a list of the supplies that could get me started it would be greatly appreciated. I'm interested in using round balls, and that's about all I know . Also what kind of measurements powder wise and what grain balls I could shoot would be helpful as well (for both hunting and just target shooting).

I know you guys probably get a lot of these types of questions, and I thank you sincerely for any input you may have.

-Bobby

gleason.chapman

If it is Flintlock you need some pan powder, 4F. If percussion you need #11 caps.
Goex 3F
I shot 70g of Goex with my TC Flintlock
Some 2.5" patches for cleaning
Some round patches prelubed with bore butter, .015.
Some .490 round balls, 100 count, Hornady or Speer
Need a volume measure
Need some speed loaders
I would shoot 70g for target also
Need a cleaning jag
need a cleaning rod longer than your ram rod

Cayugad can give you his list which is very comprehensive.
Chap

Zdeerslayer

Thanks, it is a percussion, so I'm guessing that doesn't change any of the items in your list?

cayugad

Black powder rifle supplies

DECIDE ON THE KIND OF POWDER[/b]


Pyrodex
Triple Se7en
Goex
#11 caps . CCI Magnum or Remington
.018 pre lubed patches or some 100% cotton pillow tick material[/ul]


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

See through powder measure
Cleaning jag
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
tube of bore butter[/ul]


CLEANING SUPPLIES[/b]

Isopropyl alcohol 91%
Car windshield washer fluidBore 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]

PROJECTILES[/b]
[/b]

Conicals
Roundball and patch[/ul]

cayugad

that list will get you shooting, cleaning, and storing the rifle properly. The items in red are ones I suggest for you starting out. The others are just needed items.

Zdeerslayer

Thanks a lot guys. IF someone could also just give me the steps on cleaning the gun that would be greatly appreciated. Is there a quicker way to clean the gun when your just target shooting and then a way to really clean it out when your done?

UncleNorby

If you choose to shoot Black Horn 209 powder, the typical water cleaning method may not be required. But, most guys use thehot soapy water method.

Remove the barrel from the stock, insert it breech end first into a bucket with a few inches of HOT water with a drop or two of dish detergent. With a cleaning rod and jag run a few patches through it using short jerky motions. The patch will make a seal, and water will be drawn into the barrel, then flushed through the nipple. I do that a few times, then remove the nipple and continue. Scub the entire length of the bore. Once you believe you have thebarrel clean, dump the water. Put the barrel back in, and now dump BOILING water down the barrel, keep it full while it drains out for say 10 seconds or so. Now that barrel is HOT. Drain it, remove frombucket,and run a few patches to dry the bore. If you use bore butter as I used to, I'd run a patch down while still very hot. If you plan to use oil you can set aside to cool.

The rest of the gun (lock)can be wiped with a solvent (like Hoppes #9) soaked patch. Every year I do take the lock off, clean and lightly oil. Wipe the barrel with an oiled rag and re-assemble the gun. The you can put whatever you wnat down the bore as a rust preventer. Be sure to remove it prior to shooting with rubbing alcohol.

sproulman

MANY WAYS TO DO IT TODAY,.

target shooting between shots, a patch with bore butterwith 45 cal brush which is smaller.

i swab between shots ,some do not with bore butter, some go every 3 shots.

at home, in toilet with hot water with dish detergent,then clean BOILING water then use alcohal patchs to dry, then dry patchs,i do another step, i use patch with HOPPES BP on it ,then dry patch,then breakfree clp or sheaths or wd-40 on and on.

USE FUNNEL OR A TEA POT TO POUR HOT WATER INTO BORE, DONT BURN YOURSELF AND USE A GLOVE TO HOLD THE BARREL AS IT WILL GET HOT.

others could give you PICTURES of how they do it and may be different way than me,but this is how i do it.

DONT STORE YOUR GUN WITH BORE BUTTER INSIDE IT EVEN THO YOU CAN.USE OIL TO STORE IT.

cayugad

When I clean a traditional rifle it is almost always done in steps so I will list it that way...

Traditional rifles[/b]


Insure that the rifle you are about to clean is UNLOADED!! I can not stress the importance of this. I had an incident where a friend claimed he could not get his rifle clean. When I checked it, it was loaded. So if you did not hear that rifle go off and know 100% that the rifle is unloaded, check it. Put the ramrod in the barrel. The ramrod will all but disappear in an unloaded rifle.
Cock the hammer to the half cock position. Now knock the wedge pin(s) out of the stock to release the barrel. And remove the barrel from the rifle. This is a good time to wipe all the fowling off the outside of the barrel with Windex or some other kind of cleaner, and a cloth in the nipple/bolster breech area of the barrel. It is not necessary to remove the nipple from the rifle just yet.
Have your water source ready. I use a plastic coffee can as they do not rust. I fill that ¾ of the way to the top with VERY HOT (to even boiling if necessary and you can wear gloves to do this) water and then give it a squirt of your favorite dish soap, or cleaning product that will be water soluble. Now immerse the breech end of the rifle barrel under that water level so the nipple is covered. Dip a cloth patch of appropriate size into the water to saturate it. And with a tight fitting cleaning jag, work that wet patch down the bore of the rifle in short strokes. Working to the bottom or breech of the barrel. Bring the patch back up and out of the barrel. You will hear the water being forced through the nipple and see ripples in the water. Also be careful if you really pump water through as sometimes the water will come back up out of the barrel. When this happens just start lifting the ramrod/patch out of the barrel. The water will flow out and over the top of the barrel and the patch will come up. This way it will not squirt you.
Let the water run out the nipple of the barrel, and if you can remove the bolster clean out screw do so. You have actually cleaned the fowling now out of the nipple since you left it in for the first of the water patches.
Repeat this step #3 with a second and third patch. NO MATTER HOW CLEAN THEY LOOK. You should also note that with the removal of the nipple and in some cases the bolster clean out screw, an increased of volume water is moving out the openings and you pump those other patches through. This is cleaning out the bolster for you. Now pour some hot clean soap free water through the rifle to drain out the soap water.
Now pull the barrel and make sure all the water has drained out of the barrel as possible. I now like to dip a fussy pipe cleaner in solvent and push that into and past the nipple port threads as deep as I can get it to go into the breech. Then work that back and fourth to insure that there is no fowling in that area of the rifle. If the bolster clean out screw is out, so the same thing with the pipe cleaner in that area. You should be able to force that pipe cleaner all the way into the breech. Simple check the depth you have moved that pipe cleaner into the breech and then hold that against the outside of the barrel. It might surprise you how deep you have moved into that area.
With a strong solvent patch, I now like to swab the bore of the rifle. Pay special attention to the breech area. Turn the tight fitting patch in a clockwise direction once, being careful not to unscrew the jag head. Some rifles have a cone shaped breech design. It may be necessary to put a breech/cone scraper attachment on the ramrod and reach in there and physically scrape that cone clean. Often times this can be done with a 30 caliber cleaning brush on your favorite rifle ramrod. All you want to do is clean that cone. Normally it is clean.
Another strong solvent swab is now worked down the barrel. Pay attention to any signs of fowling on that swab. If there is any, then another patch with solvent is put down. If the patch comes out clean (as normally they do) put some isopropyl alcohol on a patch and swab the bore. Be advised sometimes strong gun solvents will react to the brass cleaning jag and make gray streaks on the patch. But that will go away with enough patches.
If you have access to a air compressor, I like to blow forced air through the nipple port and bolster clean out screw area.
Now start to dry patch the bore of the rifle. Do not stop until you can check that patch and note there is no moisture on it. Also the patch should show no signs of fowling.
Swab the bore of your rifle now with a patch saturated with your favorite gun oil. You want a good coat on that. Set the barrel off to the side, to cool. As it cools it will draw the oils into the pores of the metal.
Now is when I clean the lock. Check the nose of the hammer for old caps. Remove any stuck cap pieces from the nose of the hammer. Fill that with solvent and let it sit a few seconds. Now with Q-tips wipe/scrub its nose. Keep cleaning until the nose of the thing is clean.
Solvent a patch and slide that behind the hammer and clean all the lock area you can get to. Pay special attention to the inside of the bolster where the nipple goes back to. Make sure that is nice and clean. If you suspect any powder fowling made it behind the lock, you have to remove that and clean that area as well. I normally check it every third time I shoot.
Wipe out the stock of the rifle. I use furniture polish for this. It takes out the fowling and penetrates the bore.
Wipe down the outside of the rifle with the oil patch you used to swab the bore. Pay special attention to the bottom of the barrel. People often forget this area only to find rust at a later time.
Replace the nipple and bolster clean out screw. Wipe your rifle prints off the barrel and replace it in your stock. Now while gripping only the stock put the rifle away. Your rifle is clean.[/ol]

bronko22000

Bobby welcome - I am not going to add what the other guys have already said. They gave it to you straight. Keep checking and asking questions in here. We will all help you. We're one big happy family.
Merry Christmas