How do u load a muzzle loader?

Question

im kinda wanting to get into muzzle loading but i havnt a clue how to load them how do u measure the powder? and ive heard of speed loaders for muzzle loaders how do they work? where can i find them? and whats a good buget muzzle loader? im thinking a used cva or thompson center but does anyone make a afordable wood stocked muzzle loader?

Answer 1

Go to Thomson Centers website ( best muzzle loaders IMHO)

They have a great video section that shows how to load and clean a muzzle loader.

really good stuff for the beginner.

Thomson center triumph Easiest cleaning ML out there. very acurate and .

I can clean mine in 5 minutes

http://www.tcarms.com/videoLibrary/

The video clips here are awesome for a beginner.

I had no experience and felt very comfortable with what i learned the first time out

I have added this.

My assumption is that you want to shoot an inline ML with blackpowder pellets and sabot bullets. Please disregard the above if you are interested in traditional muzzle loaders.

Answer 2

To me, it is much easier to load several T/C Quick Loaders than to fool around with loose powder and ball out in the field or on the range.

Use a powder measure to measure our you load, which will vary depending on caliber, and projectile.  Pour it into the powder chamber of the Quick Loader.  Close th lid after inserting a cap into the cap holder.

If you use conical bullets, insert one nose first into the bullet seater end of the Quick Loader.  If you are using patched round ball, remove the bullet holder, and place a lubricated patch over the mouth of the tube.  Place a round ball over the mouth of the tube, over the patch, push it down with thumb pressure.  Return the tube to it's place on the Quick Loader.

To load your rifle, for the first time, place a cap on the nipple, pull the hammer to full c-o-c-k and pull the trigger.  Do this a couple of times as it ensures the flash channel is clear.  Make sure that no cap parts remain on the nipple, leave the hammer at quarter-, or half-c-o-c-k.

Take your Quick Loader and flip open the cap of the powder chamber and dump the powder down the gunbarrel, close the cap.  Reverse the Quick Loader and place the bullet seater end over the muzzle.  Slap the powder chamber cap sharply.  This will push the plunger down and seat the bullet a bit below the muzzle.  Pocket your Quick Loader.

Draw the ram rod from it's place under the barrel, and using an end, ram the bullet down the barrel.  Be certain that the bullet is seated directly on the powder.  Failure to properly seat the bullet can lead to serious damage to gun and possibly the shooter.

After the bullet has been properly seated, place the cap on the nipple.  When you are ready to fire, pull the hammer to full c-o-c-k, aim and fire.

IN my opinion, Thompson Center makes the best production muzzle-loaders available, but CVA makes some servicable rifles and shotguns as well.  Like CIH and some of the others, I use only blackpowder.  I do not find it to be bothersome to clean, and some of the substitutes are even more corrosive than blackpowder.  Additionally, I love the smell of blackpowder!  In addition to muzzle-loading, I often load blackpowder cartridges.

One more thing, a few words on caliber choice.  Bigger is better, to a degree.  You can't do much about blackpowder velocity, around 1400-1500 fps is going to be about the maximum velocity you can obtain.  The only way to increase killing power is to increase velocity.  Many states have a .40 caliber minimum for deer hunting, that is a pretty light bullet and a pretty small hole to let out blood.  .45 and .50 caliber rifles offer better knock down power and good velocity.  .58 or .577 caliber rifles and rifle-muskets offer tremendous bullet weight and knockdown power, but velocities drop to under 900 fps.  IMO, the best compromise between bullet weight and higher velocities are the .54 calibers.  With round ball weighing 235 gr, it is still possible to reach 1400 fps, and with heavier conicals, 1200 fps is easily obtainable.  The .54 caliber round ball is heavy enough for good penetration without the added expense of conicals or even saboted bullets.

My favorite front-loading rifle is my T/C Renegade in .54 caliber.  It is not as pretty as a Hawken, but it gets the job done.

I suggest that you visit a few gun shows and pawn shops to keep an eye out for a bargain in slightly used muzzle-loaders.  Before you go, reread CIH's wise words about picking a used front-stuffer.

Doc

Answer 3

To put it in a simplified nutshell

1. pour the powder from the container into a powder messurer so A. It's safe and the whole pound doesn't blow up in your face & B. you know how much powder you have in the gun for velocity, powder, and consistancy.

2. pour the powder down the barrel

3. Put the bullet into the barrel and use a bullet starter to shove it down 4-6"

4. Take the ramrod and shove the bullet all the way to the bottom

5. Prime the gun and it's ready to go

Quick loads work the same way and can be bought at walmart, bass pro, cabelas, etc but you have to buy the right caliber.

Basically instead of grabbing the powder, bullet, and cap from 3 different containers you have a "quick load" available right in your hand.

You basically load it the same way.

Be carefull buying used as the prevouis owner may not have cleaned the rifle properly and the gun could be ruined.

Cheap synthetic stocks inlines can be bought pretty cheap under 200 and it will shoot the same groups as other expensive rifles. I'd find a breakopen design like a single shot shotgun with a shotgun primer if you're looking for a inline. Something like a traditions persuit or cva optima (beware of cheap guns as they have poor quality control. just look it over before you buy)

Traditional guns from lyman, traditions, and cabelas are still available. Traditions brand is still very reasonable but again there are quality control issues. It's best to buy from a store rather than a catalog.

Answer 4

dude you need to go and get someone to show you

this is not something to explain to a greenhorn in words

Answer 5

Well muzzle loaders are very fun at least to me. You can get powder measure holders for quick and sufficient loading or you can get that powder pellets and just count them. Here are the steps you pour the powder down the barrel to the amount you want. Pellets or grain I usually use grain because to me its better because, pellets can mess up the angle the bullet lays. Use about 30 grains for target practice and 100-120 for hunting deer. Then you but the bullet down the barrel then you use the hammer to push it down. Then you put the primer cap on and shoot. Speed loaders work OK but I like to use a my measure. At hunting shops like bass pro or cabala's. You can also buy the gun there can ask for a demonstration of using it. A good budget I think is 200-400 I have a CVA myself and it has great accuracy with a nice sleek look to it to. Wood stock I am not sure but it doesn't hurt to look around and ask.

                                

                                                    Happy shooting and stay safe.

Answer 6

I have been shooting and building muzzleloaders for over 35 years and am quite fond of shooting them as well as building them.  My preference is actual black powder rather than  any of the substitutes.  Actually, most of the substitutes work rather poorly in a traditional cap lock rifle and will almost not work at all in a flint lock.  It all has to do with ignition temperature.  Black powder is just easier to ignite.  If you are shooting an inline, the pellets work just fine but perform poorly in a traditional style muzzleloader and will not work in a flintlock.

If I were you, I would look for just the two guns that you mentioned.  Both are good guns but look closely at them and carefully examine the bore to be sure that they were taken care of by the previous owner.  if they have not been properly cleaned, they will have corrosion on the metal parts and pitting in the bore.  Do not buy a gun that has not been taken care of.

Once you have your gun, you will have to determine whether it is designed to shoot bullets or round balls.  Thompson Center has attempted to make a barrel that will shoot both.  It won't shoot a sabotted bullet worth a d**n so don't waste your money on sabotted bullets if you have a Thomson Center.  I am not sure about the CVA but I don't think it will shoot them well either.  they are best suited for use in an inline muzzleloader.  I have had my best accuracy with patched round balls.  If you intend to use your muzzle loader for deer, do not get anything smaller than a .50 caliber.  In fact, a .50 caliber is probably the best caliber for deer.  The .54 is also aan excellent caliber but it does not shoot as flat as a .50 does.

Determining the best load for your rifle is going to be part of the fun of having a muzzle loader.  You will be spending a l;ot of time at the range determine which load your particular rifle likes.  Muzzle loaders seem to have a personality almost like some living thing.  It will have one load that it likes and that is what you have to determine.  It is almost like having a baby and finding out what baby food it likes.  The load for a muzzleloader consists of the ball, the patch, the powder and the lubricant.  For any given caliber, ther are several different ball diameters you can use.  You gun will only like one and you have to find out what ball that is.  There are also many different thicknesses of patch material ranging from around .010 inches thick to over .025 inches thick.  Your gun will have a perference for a particular patch thickness, too.  You'll have to find out that that is , too.  As for lube to go on your patch, there are an unlimited number of lubes.  These range from actual spit to exotic concoctions of bear fat, tallow, etc.  In addition, there are a world of commercial concoctions to choose from.  I use one called Bore Butter marketed by Thompson Center.  Many of the guys I shoot with just carry a patch in their mouth until they need it.  They swear by spit as a good lube.  The downside of spit and any water based lube is that it can contaminate your powder if you leave it loaded all day long.  If you leave it loaded over night, you can get rust in your bore.  However, many tests have been run where spit gave a bit more accuracy than any other lubes.  You just have to find out what your gun likes.  Last, but certainly not least, is the powder charge.  A good starting point for a .50 caliber rifle is about 80 grains of ffG (2F) powder.  Again, you will have to determine through experimentation what your gun likes.  I have fond that my .50 caliber cap lock Thompson Center rifle llikes 80 grains of ffg Goex balck powder.  there are many different manufacturers of gun powder and your gun will like one better than any other.  There is another experiment for you.

So, for the loading procedure, you will need a powder measure that will hold the exact load that you r gun likes.  I made mine from some heavy copper wire soldered to a cut off modern rifle shell.  I kept measuring, weighing and cutting until I had the measure so that it measured the exact amount that I wanted to load.  Only load using a powder measure.  Never load directly fromn your can or a powder horn.  If there is a spark left in the bore from a previous shot, teh can or powder horn could blow up in your hand.  Seldom does anyone survive that experience.  Wipe out your bore to be sure it is clean, dry and oil free.  Place a cap on the nipple, point the muzzle of the gun at the ground and fire the cap.  Watch a blade of grass at the muzzle of your gun to see if it moves.  If it does, your nipple and bore are clear and you are ready to start loading.  Measure out a charge for your gun and dump it down the bore.  Use the heel of your hand to rap the barrel to settle the powder in ther breach of the gun.  Place a patch over the muzzle of teh gun and carefully center it on the  bore so that it wraps evenly around the ball.  Place the ball on the patch and press it into the bore with your finger.  Take your short starter and force the patched ball into the bore as far as you can.  Use your ram rod to push the ball down onto the powder charge.  Use plenty of force to be sure that it is seated.  Do not bang on the ball to get it to go into place, use good steady pressure to seat it.  Once you are sure it is properly seated, use something to mark your ram rod right at the muzzle so that on future loads, you will be able to tell if the ball is properly seated.  Your gun is now loaded.  Do not place a cap on it until you are at the firing line and the muzzle is pointed down range.  With teh muzzle safely pointed down range, put the hammer in the half **** position and press a number 11 cap onto the nipple.  You are now ready to aim and fire.

This is a rather brief explanation of how to load and fire a cap lock muzzleloader.  For the proper in depth coverage that you will need, pick up a copy of a book entitled The Gun Digest "Black Powder Loading Manual".  You will also want other books on black powder shooting.  One of the absolutely best things you can do is to locate the nearest muzzle loader club and go to some of their shoots.  You will learn volumes in a brief time and may possibly find that you want to join the club and take part in their shoots.  If you do that, you may soon find yourself going to Friendship, Indiana to the National Headquarters of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association for one of the National Matches.  Darn near more fun than kissin' girls.  Go once and take part in some of the matches and you are hooked for life.