Muzzleloading Tips--Add Yours

R

ryalred

New member
I should have done this before deer season was upon us, but I didn't get around to doing it, although I thought about it several weeks ago. Here are some of my tips, but I'm sure you have some better ones to add.


  • Wifes old purse may make a good possibles bag.
  • A wooden dowel from the crafts section of store makes a good ramrod. Use the largest size you can that will easily fit in your barrel.
  • Attach safety pins to possibles bag as emergency nipple pick.
  • Make your own pre-soaked swabbing patches: Use a short stubby glass or plastic bottle--place the appropriate size patches in the bottle and cover with your favorite cleaning fluid.
  • 1.5 to 2 oz plastic container (like foot powder comes in) makes good powder cask for your possibles bag.
  • Make a starter rod with a golf ball and short section of wooden dowel. Drill a hole in the golf ball (not all the way through) and glue in the dowel. Use a countersink or drill bit to make a bullet guide on one end of the rod.
  • Make your own targets using your computer and desktop publishing program. You can make your own 1/2" or 1" grid to aid in sighting in. Using your imagination you can come up with targets you like better than commercial one. Print on your printer.
 
Not mine, borrowed from a friend.

Fire standing, supported.
Kneel immediately so you can see how well you did below the smoke cloud.
 
1/2" hex nuts, or similar with cotton stuffed inside, once you get to your stand you can throw or slingshot scent attractants without walking around your stand. (Shhhh don't tell anyone, it works great:D)
 
Fifty cent felt hats from the thrift store can be cut out and used as pistol wads. :D
Use a dremel to cut the sides out of the appropriate sized nut driver into the best nipple wrench money can buy.
Pipe cleaners can really clean out the insides of nipples.

Buy black powder in case quantities- saves big $$$!
 
wogpotter said:
Not mine, borrowed from a friend.

Fire standing, supported.
Kneel immediately so you can see how well you did below the smoke cloud.
Click to expand...
That sounds similar to the method of shooting a BP shotgun at a pair of clay targets. But, you don't have time to kneel. Stand tall for the first target, then you do a fast crouch while reversing direction for the second target.
 
Nipple Picks and Bore light

Y'all know those plastic flowers that your wife has you cut to length. Well, inside the stem is a very nice tempered wire that can be made into a nipple pick. It's tempered but you can still put a bend into it. Make a loop for a handle or twist it. I then glue a bone beed or hair pipe as a hand holder. You can also insert the handle end into antler tip or horn tip and make them as pretty as you like. I have one in Blood-horn tip that is also carved. Sharpen and taper the other end, like a needle to be able to fit in the vent of the nipple.

Use a bobber light as a bore light. They are small enough to fit any bore you are shooting. Cost is less than four bucks and they really illumen any bore. One word of caution is to make sure the bore is clean enough so the light doesn't get stuck.

More to come and;


Be Safe !!!
 
Last edited:
Wifes old purse may make a good possibles bag.
Click to expand...

Been there, done that

bag1.jpg



A wooden dowel from the crafts section of store makes a good ramrod.
Click to expand...

Not nearly as strong as a good piece of hickory but will do. Make sure it has no grain runout or you may be picking a big splinter out of your hand. Keep your hand as close to the muzzle as possible to help prevent it from breaking.


Use one that accepts smokeless powder, not black powder or it's substitutes.
Click to expand...

Black and it's subs cleans up easier.
 
Hawg Haggen said:
Black and it's subs cleans up easier.
Click to expand...


Even if that were true (personally I'd have trouble saying it with a straight face) but even if it were true, Would you rather clean something "easier" every time that you pull the trigger or clean something "harder" every, oh, 25 shots.

Plus, smokeless powder performs better in modern muzzleloaders that were designed to take that form of propellant, doesn't cloud your vision, meters better, gives you literally dozens of choices.... etc, etc....

There's a reason that modern powder took over the industry practically over night..... it' not because BP is better.

(ETA by 4v50 Gary. While I concede that black powder has been obsolete for over a century, the modern muzzle loaders were designed with the hunters who would otherwise eschew muzzleloading firearms. By modernizing muzzleloading, it allowed them to legally extend their hunting season).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
When ml hunting, carry tape, small balloon or (my fav.) fingers cut out of latex gloves for putting over end of bbl in case of rain.
 
When loading a double barrel shotgun, put an overpowder card in the muzzle but don't ram it down right after pouring in the powder charge. That way it is obvious which barrel you have already charged and you won't double charge one barrel. Then ram down both overpowder wads. Do the same thing for the shot and overshot card.
 
Popping a Cap. ..

Most of us are aware of the benefits of clearing your nipple vent, but popping a cap, into an unloaded M/L long-gun. Then what ??
Well we all have our own favorite ways.. .... ;)

1) Point the muzzle at the ground and watch the blade of grass or leaf, move.

2) Tear off a small piece of paper, place it in the muzzle and watch it blow out.

3) A less obvious way, is to listen to the hollow echo sound that comes out a clear barrel.

4) Another way is to pump your rod and just listen to the vent "hiss".

I'm sure there are others but my favorite way, is to put my ramrod with clean white patch, down a clean barrel. Push it all the way till it stops. Pop your cap and retract the rod. Check you patch and if it's still clean, you have a plugged vent. Most of the time, it will be dirty with whatever was in there. If it's muddy, you may have to repeat this process a few more times.

Advantages:
You capture most of the dirt or mud, in the patch rather than sending it down a clean barrel.
You will get some blowback that will help to clear the inlet of the vent.
You won't kill the grass or waste paper. !! ........ :rolleyes:

More to come and:
Be Safe !!!
 
If telling people to put smokless powder in your muzzy was intended as a joke it wasnt a very good one since doign this is very dagerous, since your gun will blow up. And there is allways someone stupid enough out there to try it after seeing someone on the internet mention it.
 
spclPG

Savage now makes a muzzleloader that shoots smokeless powder. Although, I don't think the tip was in the true spirit of this thread, the post is correct.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top