So I was given a muzzleloader..

Have you used a light to see what the inside of the bore looks like?

What ramrod do you intend on using?

A wise investment would be to purchase a nice 'range-rod'. Someone had earlier posted of using a fiberglass rod. Don't think I'd use fiberglass as it's hard on the lands of the riflings. A regular range-rod for bp guns are coated as to not wear on the bore.

I would not use the original wooden rod to load any more then I had to and when I did use it, grip the rod close to the bbl.(barrel) outlet and push load in a little at a time. The old wooden rods are known to break and it's easy to run the wood through your hand, making for a less than enjoyable outing.:(

Also, at this point, you know there's no charge in the bore right!

Take your ramrod and put it in the bbl.(barrel). Mark the end of the ramrod right where it exits bore. I use a knife and score around the ramrod. For future use, you can always know if there's a charge or not by this mark.

You also need to purchase a nipple pick to clean out the hole in the nipple. I've found that torch tip cleaners you can buy at most Lowes, Menards store work well or you can get a regular nipple pick from your LGS.
 
Have you used a light to see what the inside of the bore looks like? Yes I have used a bore light and I dropped some of those walmart fishing bobber lights in to check it. It looks clean and the rod and cleaning pad pass through without issue now

What ramrod do you intend on using? I only have the original wood one but can definitely get another one.



Also, at this point, you know there's no charge in the bore right! Yes there is no charge, the rod drops all the way in (as specified in the owners manual, and ive put boiling water in the barrel, as well as soaked it with break free, as well as ran cleaning patches through until it came out clean.)

I am definitely going to mark the rod for both loaded and clean.

I will purchase a nipple pick. For now its been flushed with break free and I used a small pipe cleaner to get as much of the crap out as I could.
 
Don't think I'd use fiberglass as it's hard on the lands of the riflings.
Click to expand...

Fiberglass is harder than steel these days?:confused: I guess after 30 some odd years my Enfield is a smooth bore from using nothing but a STEEL ramrod.
 
Fiberglas® isn't harder than steel, but it is abrasive. It can damage the lands, especially since they're more flexible than steel and can rub against the bore more easily.
 
Very true mykeal ...

...and that's why decent fiberglass rods are polymer coated.

Raw fiberglass rods should only be used with a bore guide.
 
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Wood ramrods can embed dirt and grit and it works like a lapping compound wearing the bore right at the most critical point for accuracy, the muzzle.
That's why you see nearly all serious target shooters load their muzzleloaders with a stainless steel rod equipped with a bore guide to keep the ramrod from rubbing on the muzzle.

Lubed or dry patches, it's your choice. A lot of target shooters use dry patches, but they also clean the bore between shots instead of depending on a lubed patch to keep the bore clean.
Lube can be anything from bear grease to spit. It will take trial and error to find the most accurate load. Extremely tight ball/patch combos aren't always more accurate than the looser and easier to load combos, however, if you can start it with your thumb, it's probably too loose.

After shooting it, look for your used patches, usually about 15-20 ft in front of the gun, and study them, looking for holes burned in them or tears. I have a TC Patriot muzzle loading pistol that's very accurate but if I try to shoot .440 or .445 roundballs out of it, it burns holes in the patches. If I load super tight .451 balls, everything is okay. These balls are actually bigger than the bore and it takes a mallet and a short starter to get the ball and patch started, once started, I can easily ram the ball down to the powder with a short steel pistol cleaning rod. I think TC just cut really deep grooves in this gun's barrel and it needs a ball that tight in order to seal the bore. Blowby is what blows holes in patches.
 
Hey guys, I just wanted to take a second to thank all of you guys for your help. You turned a guy whos never even touched a muzzleloader into someone you was able to diagnose, fix, and bring a life back to a hawken that hasnt been shot or cleaned in who knows how long. After using elbow grease, multiple solvents and liquids that you guys suggested, having a few long nights, a bathroom that smells of breakfree, a wife that made me clean said bathroom, and some instilled confidence of knowing what parts to clean and what to look for (again, thanks to you guys), I felt as if it was time to hit the range. Using some supplies that my buddy had for his gun (which are the supplies I will be buying, thanks to shortwave for being kind enough to PM me a list!) and buying some powder (my gun shop only had 777), I set up at my gun club and began using the loading procedure that you guys taught me. I decided to start with a 50 grain load of 777 (which equates little more than 55g black powder), made sure to check my ramrod length before a charge and after a full charge, set my cci cap, and BOOM! She fired like a beauty! I even hit the target (granted it was only like 50 feet but hey!) I fired her about 5 more times moving up to an 80g charge. I can honestly say that was alot of fun and after I get done typing this post, I will be ordering some balls, a new rod, patches, etc! (I better get enough to give some to my buddy since I mooched his stuff!) I really wanted to give you guys an update on the status of this project but more importantly, take a second to thank all of you guys for your help. Its really amazing what i've learned in a few days. Whats even more amazing is that you guys, who are not paid or forced to help were willing to take time out of your busy lives to respond and help some guy youve never met, and probably never will meet. If any of you are ever in the high desert area of southern california, I owe you a beer! (After we hit the range, of course!)

Thanks a million,
Gary

p.s. Dont think you've gotten rid of me yet, i'll be on these forums now that you guys have gotten me addicted to muzzleloading! (I cant say my wife will like you though!)
 
Glad it worked out for you.

If you live reasonably close to Phoenix, AZ, you might want to schedule time to check out the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association's Western Nationals held on Feb 29 through March 5 this year.

You'll see a lot of stuff that you can't buy at Cabelas or Bass Pro in trader row.

http://www.nmlra.org/shootsDetails.asp?cat=NMLRA Sponsored&ID=188
 
I'm glad the ole rifle came back to life for ya!! The Muzzleloading bug has a MEAN sting don't it???? I've been shooting for as long as I can remember but now that I've got into this, I rarely shoot the cartridge guns, only to practice with my CCW pistol.
 
I hear ya, Garyson
I was given an inline and a Kentucky pistol recently, and wasn't quite sure if I could operate them or even wanted them. but these guys here on this forum gave me the best advice on how to use them, and I am now "ADDICTED" as Deerslayer put it.
 
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