I shoot competition in the N-SSA. We do not use any kinds of patches around our bullets, so I will be talking about loading "naked" bullets in muzzle loaders.
- how to load one properly.
First, you want to verify that the firearm is unloaded. There are two ways to do this.
First, take the ramrod and let it drop the last few inches to hit the breech face. It should make a sharp metallic ping and the ramrod may bounce. If it makes a dull "clunk" sound, and if more of the ramrod is sticking out of the barrel than it normally does, the arm is probably loaded.
Secondly, before loading you should "snap caps". This means putting a percussion cap on the nipple and firing it off. This blows any residual oils out of the nipple and fire channel into the bore. If you do this while pointing the muzzle at the ground at some leaves or grass, the discharge of the cap should move the leaves/grass when it goes off. This will also tell you that the bore is free of obstructions.
Snapping caps is important when first shooting or after cleaning because otherwise you run a very real risk of fouling the powder and the arm won't shoot. Then you've got a hassle to clear.
- how to develop a load for a given projectile.
You should ask around on forums like this to find out what other people are shooting, and find out what the maximum load for your arm is. Then you can bracket this on the low and high side to find your optimal load.
For example, last week I did load workups for the RCBS 500m, Moose Wilkinson, and RCBS Hodgdon bullet in my new Pedersoli P53. You can read about it and see the target results here:
http://www.n-ssa.org/vbforum/showth...th-RCBS-500M-Moose-Wilkinson-and-RCBS-Hodgdon
I started at around 35 grains of 3F powder, which I knew would be on the low side, and worked up to around 60 grains, which I knew would be on the high side. I make up 10 shots for each charge, and increase the charge by 5 grains for each set of 10. You can get away with 5 shots, but I like 10 for more data.
I shoot these off of a bench rest, cleaning the barrel in between each set of 10 shots. Some people choose to clean in between each shot. It depends on the kind of shooting you do. In N-SSA shooting, we always shoot at least 5 shots, and perhaps as many as 15 in any course of fire without cleaning.
You will find that the amount of powder makes a very large difference in group tightness for any given bullet and firearm.
- how to choose propellant.
In N-SSA competition, only real black powder is allowed. There are a few brands to choose from: Sheutzen, Goex, Swiss, KIK, and perhaps some others. I am familiar with Sheutzen and Goex. I will not use Sheutzen again as I find it a very dirty powder compared to Goex. Swiss is said to be the Cadillac but it is considerably more expensive. I've never gotten up the nerve to order it in bulk. Goex is my usual powder.
The general rule of thumb is 2F for long arms and 3F for pistols. I, however, like many shooters, use 3F in long arms. Being of finer granulation, it burns faster and generally gives a bigger "kick" for the same amount of powder as 2F. Since 2F and 3F powder costs the same, you can use less 3F and get the same performance and save money.
- types of projectile for my gun.
I can't tell you anything about Hawkens - you'll have to see what other people are shooting in it. I shoot expanding balls (Minie balls) in my .58 caliber rifled guns with 1:48 twist and 1:72 twist.
- how to choose said projectiles.
I find it best to find out what other people are shooting and try that first. For optimal accuracy with expanding ball cartridges, you will want a sizer that will size the bullet to .001"-.002" under bore size. I use a Lyman Lubrisizer that can size and lubricate in one go.
You might try a variety of bullets, working up loads for each, until you find what gives you the best groups.
- how to match a projectile to my gun.
You work up a load that gives you the tightest group.
Hot soapy water. Many people do not bother to unship the barrel from the arm during cleaning. If you are careful and don't get water on the wood, and if you have waterproofed the barrel channel, you can do that. I usually unship the barrel as it's easier to just tote the barrel over to my utility sink for cleaning.
I use a toothbrush with dish soap to scrub deposits away from the nipple area. I remove the nipple and clean it separately, and use Q-tips to clean out the threaded hole for the nipple. I use my cleaning rod/jag with patches to clean the barrel until it comes clean, then I brush with a brass brush, and then clean with patches again. I then use a bore scraper to clean the breech face and clean with a patch one more time to flush everything out.
With the breech end submerged in the hot soapy water of my utility sink (You can use a 5-gallon bucket, too) when you work the cleaning jag up and down with a patch it acts like a pump and sucks water in and out of the threaded hole for the nipple, cleaning it.
I also use pipe cleaners to clean the fire channel from the nipple hole into the bore.
I then use patches with Ballistol to clean the rest of the gun, including the wood. Every other cleaning or so I will remove the lock to fully clean and lubricate it also.
Steve
