A Question for the Weasel
 

Hey Borecleaningweasel, please slink out of your hole and give me the kind of advice only a muzzleloading master of your vast knowledge and accomplishments can impart.

What load of Blackhorn 209 should I use in my recently acquired .32 caliber Pedersoli Frontier rifle for our smallish whitetails? I don't plan to shoot farther than 250 yards or so. Also, should I use a roundball, a conical, or just leave the ramrod in the barrel? Do you know of a source for a sabot that will allow me to use .223 varmint bullets in the .32, and would that be better for deer?


As you guys can see, I'm bored. :wink:

Semi

Oh! i can not wait for this answer...

Hi
You have come to the right place for advice. I'm not a philanthropist , so I don't normally give free advice but I will make an exception in this case as your question shows you have very little knowledge and limited experience in the area of Blackpowder. The Pedersoli frontier rifle is a 1:47 twist. I read in a previous post that you said 1:48 so you evidently don't even know much about the gun you have . Let me begin with basics. The gun is a fantastic shooting gun for both roundball conicals and ramrods. As mentioned it is a 1:47 and the recommended load is 40 gr. I suggest 10 gr of goex 3f or 777 3 f and 25 gr blackhorn 209. ( remember never take someones advice if it is different than manufacturer suggested loads) The barrel is 39 " For round ball use a .0315 ball and .010 or .012 patch lubed with a 7:1 water and ballistol mix. Let patch dry for 72 hours. You will find this a very accurate load for rabbits and squirrel. For deer , I assume you meant 225 feet instead of 225 yards. Many people confuse feet with yards, that's why we have so many deer taken at 250 or 300 yards with a muzzleloader. It's really 250 or 300 feet. So don't feel bad about that error. Anyway for deer I recommend the same powder charge but you need a carbon fiber ramrod cut to 37 1/2 inches . Drill one end and use a standard ribbed insert like they use for arrows. ,Fletch the back of the ramrod with 3 -2" blazer vanes at a 2 degree helical offset approximately 3 inches from the end. Paper patch the first inch to .0325. I have found that the best way to do this is to use Zig Zag paper patching. Two sheets of the 1 1/4 should be perfect. One for the shaft and ,well I'm sure you know what to do with the other one.Because you need to be either semisane or semi high to ask these questions. Once you have the ramrod prepared you can then load the rifle. Insert the ramrod by holding the vanes flat against the shaft. Seat to approximately 25 pounds. After the ramrod is seated screw a Muzzy MX3 broadhead into the insert . It should be no more than 1 inch past the barrel. This is important for accuracy. IF it is more or less than 1" you will not have the sub 1" group needed for hunting deer with this gun.
If it is 1" then you are ready to go. Remember to limit your shots at deer to 250 feet for ethical hunting reasons. If I can be of further assistance feel free to contact me at borecleaningweasel@ gmail.com
Sincerely
borecleaningweasel : "Undeniably the best **** expert in muzzleloading"

P.S. I have been testing a product to use in making sabots. I will be finished with that project today so I will get back to you on the remaing questions

My testing is complete and I can now recommend a product called Plasti-dip. Use the dip not the spray . Any color is ok but the red seems to have a better flex during loading. Take the .223 varmit bullet and dip and let dry. do this twice and you should have the proper diameter to load. If it is a little hard ,don't worry the plasti-dip will compress to fill the grooves and you should be able to seat the bullet with less than 30 pounds of pressure. Don't use over 40gr powder as the plasti-dip seems to disintegrate under higher velocities. This should allow you to use those varmit bullets for up to coyote sized animals at 150 feet or less. Good luck on your hunt and when you buy the plast-dip make sure you tell them I sent you:wink: for obvious financial reasons of course.
Sincerely : borecleaningweasel

That's the thing about not having any answers ;all you can do is wait for answers.:D

Thank you very much Mr. Weasel. I think I understood most of it.

I have a large supply of Zig Zag paper on hand, so that should be no problem. Also, I just e-mailed Al Gore to see about purchasing offsets for those carbon fibers for the ramrod.

I'm still confused about a few things. Regarding the Blazer vanes - my neighbor has an old Blazer he doesn't use much anymore. So I snuck into his garage last night with plans to swipe the vanes to use on the carbon shaft, but could not locate them. Where are they, exactly?

Also, on the feet vs. yards thing. I went out into my back yard and walked across it heel-to-toe. It seems there are 69 feet to the yard. Is that right? (I checked it several times, and that's an average.)

Your knowledge of all things muzzleloading is amazing. I am originating a petition to President Obamanation asking him to appoint you to the position of Muzzleloading Czar, and expect all right thinking members of this forum to support it.

Sorry Mr. Weasel, but once again I am confused.

I went to Winn-Dixie and found Garlic Dip, Onion Dip, and several kinds of Cheese Dips, but could not locate any Plasti Dip. There was a Pimento Cheese Dip that was kind of red. Will that do, or should I try another market for the Plasti Dip?

Also, if the varmint bullets are good for coyote size animals up to 150 feet, wouldnt they be equally good for deer that are three times the size of coyotes at up to three times that distance?

Mr Weasel, As long as you are in such a generous mood today I have a question for you as well. Can I change the twist of my barrel by using a couple padded pipe wrenches and turning it one way or the other?
Also, I after reading your comments here I am excited about getting your book and or dvd. Where do I send the money and does the $18.95 include shipping?

You've stretched my benevolence to it's end, . I will say that i recommend you obtain blazer vanes in a legal manner. I don't abdicate unethical means no matter how much you desire to get your gun accurate. I do thank you for your support of a cabinet czar position but respectfully decline as I'm much to busy with important research and testing. As far as feet to yardage conversion you cannot just step it off.you are absolutely correct about the 69 feet to a yard but There is a mathematical formulas that must be used to get an accurate range. The formula is yards = feet /23. example 2yards = 138 feet divided by 23
If you don't screw up on the math 138 divided by 23 = 6 therefore applying the correct formula 2 yards = 6 feet. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?????

I have always said there is no such thing as a dumb question. I now change my mind. Of course not unless you can get the pipe wrenches down the barrel. Rifling twist must be done on the inside. Your only other option is to turn the barrel inside out. I don't recommend that as it weakens the metal properties tremendously. Pm me for the address and You can get the money in the mail right away. Shipping is included as long as you pay for it.It's not part of the $18.95 though
sincerely borecleaningweasel