Cleaning
 

Trying the pellets in my Traditions 50 caliber. I have been told it is much easier to clean with the pellets. Would someone clue me in on what is a good process and/or cleaning products to use. Thanks

First off, pellets are no easier to clean then loose powder. Pellets are used by people that want to avoid measuring their charge. But other then that all things have to be done the same such as swabbing the bore and cleaning the rifle.

Since you mention pellets I am guessing your shooting Pyrodex or Triple Seven. Both of them can be cleaned out of the rifle with soap and water for the most part.

what model of traditions?

Simple fact, pellets and loose powder all clean up the same way when using the correct cleaning and materials. Neither are cleaner over the other, loose is best for best accuracy since you can fine tune with loose powder.

It's only easier to remove non-fired bullets and pellet-powder. Once the round is fired, then both pellets and loose powder make a mess inside your bore.

We can better isolate what cleaners to purchase, once you arrive at what kind of bullet you will be shooting. Will it be a conical or a sabot/bullet? Perhaps roundball and patch? Is your Traditions a sidehammer or an inline?.

We need to know more about your rifle and what you want to shoot?

My guess would be inline since he is shooting pellets

Mine too. I kinda heard through the old grapevine that sidehammers and pellets didn't make boom boom to awful well :s2::s2:

"It's only easier to remove non-fired bullets and pellet-powder"

That is so funny to have people think so. My brother tried pellets (Prodex) in his black diamond and they were crushed when he seated the maxi hunter bullet he used.
My T7 comes out as a compact wad from my Remington 700 and falls apart when it hits the can.

Soap and water works well with both and even in a inline.

:D Al

It's obvious to all the vets here on the board. But it's not obvious to pellet-newbies learning this area of the sport. That's why I questioned it, prior to the member trying it. Thousands and thousands of newbies to pellets have tried shooting them in their sidehammers.

Some of us think ahead and try to avoid the newbie's first-ever ML frustration at the range....... before it happens.

On 2nd thought, I probably should have placed an asterisk at the end of my sentence there.

* But not when using grease on your breechplug.

--------------------

On a side note, I have never even touched a ML powder-pellet in my life. If you ever were beside me at the range and witnessed how much I lean/press the ramrod into seating my bullets and loose powder, you would instantly agree that pellets and me are something that never-ever should occur in my future.

If it weren't for the proper bullet-seating jags I use, bullet deformity would take place. I'm a little more careful when using Cecil's lead bullets, than any others I currently possess.

Wrong.



https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/p...ardwoods-Blued

Thanks for the OE tip Pete. Waiting on the FF to come in stock.

I recall the first time my hunting partner found out pellets was a bad idea in his sidehammer Traditions Deerhunter. So he got the bullet puller in action - then kept banging the side of the bore to release the two Pyrodex pellets.

They were stuck in there. When he first started ML'ing, he painted Bore Butter all over his bore wall. I ended-up priming his nipple with my loose FFF 777 to get those pellets out of that bore.

Pete, pellets are designed with an accelerant through the holes in the middle. That is why they are NOT consistent from sidehammer ignition. They are made for inlines. I'd be willing to bet that Traditions sidelock you linked to would experience the exact same inconsistency every other sidelock has with pellets. I personally don't use the things myself. Never found them to be anywhere near the consistency of loose.

T/C also made a sidelock called a Firestorm which had pellet load data. Both the T/C and the Traditions "pellet pushers" have removable breach plugs. It looks like the fire from the pan powder hits the pellet at its base.

I certainly would not recommend using pellets but.....

I know that, but the one I posted does work with pellets, and it's even a flintlock.

re-directed flame channel systems still encounter misfire with pellets. They may ADVERTISE that they work but that doesn't mean they are consistent. I wouldn't put my trust in one on a buck of a lifetime. I wouldn't even put my trust in pellets period. Some may get good results from them and I'm sure many do. I just like to take as many possible factors off the table as I can. Click, poof, no boom with a 170 inch buck in my sights just isn't something I want to see.

Nobody is trying to sell you the gun. I have a friend who has one, and it's never failed to fire.

I have a T/C Firestorm flintlock and it has never had a pellet shoved down the bore since I've owned it. A friend of mine's Dad has the same rifle and and has tried pellets, but went back to loose powder because he found them to be unreliable, especially in our late (Dec/Jan) flintlock only season. Another friend bought one of the Traditions "PA Pellet" model flintlocks and found out the same thing. They both use loose Black powder now.

The pellets may work better in the sidelock percussion rifles, but I wouldn't waste the time and $$$ using them in a flintlock.

BPS

A lot of guys have problems with flintlocks using any powder.

..... plus many PA Pellet rifle owners blame their hang/misfires on the gun, when in-fact the blame belongs to how & where they store their pellet-powder.

It's no secret that pellet powder more easily attracts moisture... for a host/number of reasons.... mainly storage and the insistence to reuse the same two pellets that spent three days hunting in the woods last year. Notice how the Redi-Pack that comes with the new purchase, does NOT include pellets? Why?..... because Traditions does not want responsibility for mis/hangfires.

Redi-Pak includes .50-cal. brass jag, round plastic ball starter, 25 cotton cleaning patches, 15 Hornady XTP bullets with plastic sabots, 2 universal fast loaders, a 209 plastic capper, brass in-line nipple pick, 1-oz. Bullet Lube, 4-oz. EZ Clean Solvent, double-ended nylon bristle cleaning brush, and a "how to" DVD.

I've always thought pellets was the worse idea ever for muzzleloaders. Right up there with smokeless powder.

If someone is so lazy they can't measure out the powder. They should stick to shooting CF guns, and factory ammo.

I always measure my smokeless powder and likely more carefully than the vast majority using subs. ;)

To this day, sub pressure data is sparse but i can tell you what kind of pressure my SMLs are creating with a good degree of accuracy.

I am glad not to be born and raised in Pennsylvania, having to deal with the flintlock regulations they have there. Here in Michigan, I see a flintlock in the woods once every 7-8 years...... that's it. They are the rarest of rifles here.

I have never owned a Flintlock, or a package of pellets. Sold all my sidelocks except one. These days, I am so-married to inlines, plastic sabots, removeable breechplugs and Blackhorn 209 sub powder.

nothing wrong with a flinter. Plenty of good ones out there today, custom or production. All about good powder and care in the field.

I shot a flinter for a number of years. I just got to where I hated the "flash" from the flash pan. It was creating a bit of a flinch. Tried out a couple of different kinds of pellets and didn't see the consistency of them verses loose. Haven't went the smokeless route YET but I'm thinking really hard about one of them there new fangled fancy dancy Swinglock custom jobs. It would solve the not having a .45cal issue and they are smokeless capable if I wanted to give smokeless a swing. Not to mention they are a dang thing of beauty. Absolutely gorgeous rifles. Gonna have to do some serious heavy pettin and smooth talkin for the boss (wife) to approve that one though. Dem suckers are a bit on the salty side for a front stuffer! :s2:

Swinglocks are super sweet but i can show you how to put together a very sweet 45cal SML for much much less. You can use either a Rem, RemML or Savage/Stevens action.

Don't like bolt action ML'ers GM. My fat sausage fingers can't get the cap in or out of them :rant: but looking at those swinglocks I guess I'd have to use a tool as well. Kind of a flip of the coin there so to speak. Get the swinglock and it comes with a full bore sizing die cut from that barrel, since there's no bolt there it would be sort of balanced like my TC with the barrel mounted back so that's a plus and did I mention that they are purdy :s2: BTW I will throw you to the wolves when I start my smooth talkin to the wife since YOU are the one that turned me on to them GM :s2:

I hear you.

One of the conversions im talking about wont need a 209 primer. It uses LRMPs in a brass module.



Hankins also uses the same module for T/C Encore conversions. :p

He does Encores, Apexs and H&Rs using a 45/70 barrel.

275gr BE at 2300ish fps. Loads are typically kept on the milder side with the break action builds but it could safely use more with the right barrel.

Makes no sense to shoot a smokeless muzzy in this state. I could only use it in rifle seasons.

If i'm going to shoot a Rem 700 muzzy with smokeless powder. I might as well just use a 30-06.

My sympathy to you for living in Colorado. I thought you preferred hunting rifle season anyway. I thought you said the ML season was too hot? There is nothing preventing using a SML for fun shooting so yes it makes sense in any state.

I use mine all the time during firearms season with no regrets. Its more accurate than many center fires and i dont have to be concerned with case life.

It is too hot, and I don't hunt the ML season.

However, a muzzleloader doesn't use smokeless powder for me. If i'm going to shoot smokeless. I'll use a CF gun. Makes more sense for me.

I was careful how I worded this. So, don't turn it around.

So there is no problem legally speaking, its simply a choice. Just like using BH209 is a choice. It is after all more of a "legal" smokeless than it is a typical carbon based sub.

Why would you say that T7?

The only time we're subject to any restrictions or regulations concerning flintlocks is during our late season after Christmas which is considered "primitive weapons" only whereas we are only allowed the use of flintlock rifles .44 CALIBER or larger, flintlock pistols .50 CALIBER or larger, long, recurve, or compound bows, or crossbows.

Flintlocks must fire a single projectile (saboted projectiles are allowed), and must have open sights. Fiber optic style sights are permitted but no peeps or scopes allowed. Hunters may harvest a buck or doe with the appropriate tag(s).

The early ML season in October is just that, a muzzleloader season and anything goes as far as ignition style as long as the firearm is .44 CALIBER or larger for rifles and .50 CALIBER or larger for handguns. Scopes, peeps, etc. are allowed. The regs concerning muzzleloaders are the same during the regular firearms season after Thanksgiving as well.

The only PITA with the early ML season is that it's doe only, and it's right smack dab in the middle of archery season just as the rut is coming in so a lot of fellows I know just refuse to hunt it not wanting to put the deer on edge.

BPS

What's primitive about fiber optic sights, and sabots? I know these were added later, but why?

Because it's bred into many Pennsylvania shooters, from family generations prior to them. It's often instilled in the child to use a flintlock-only, instead of that new-fangled modern technology plastic thing that lacks hammers.

Not so bad. PA is deep in tradition, and a flintlock is the heart of muzzleloaders.

I wish Colorado would have had a primitive flintlock season. I would have been all over it.