New to black powder...

[Rattlin_Ram]

Can someone point me to a few good FAQ's or something on how to load and fire a black powder rifle?

Brother in law found a good deal on a Thompson Center Omega, thumbhole camo stock, stainless barrel, and Nikkon scope for $350. It looks brand new...Not a scratch or nick on it.

He bought it now we are just trying to figure the damn thing out... lol Neither of us have ever fired black powder before...

 

[nmmiles]

what cal is it?

 

[Rattlin_Ram]

.50 cal

It's this one... http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/firearmDetails.php?ID=8993

 

[nmmiles]

first your going to want to clean the bore and make sure nothing was left in their. You may also want to fire just a cap through it to make sure your breach is clean also. Then after that you need to get some pyrodex powder. Drop 2 tablets of powder in their to start with, try not to touch it with your hands as oils off your hands cause improper burring patterns. Put your bullet inside the sabot and then seat the bullet/sabot all the way down to the powder. You may want to make a mark on your ramrod so you know when the bullet has been fully seated. After that put the cap in it, pull the hammer and you are good to shoot. Have fun

 

[nmmiles]

2 tablets =100 grains. And the caps you are going to be using are 209 shotgun primers. You can increase your grains until you have it where you want it. 100 grains is just a good starting point.

http://www.hodgdon.com/pyrodex-pellets.html

http://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=W209

 

[nmmiles]

Here is a link to the best round you can shoot out of the T/C. I have an Encore and love the shockwaves.

https://secure.tcarms.com/store/ind.../prevaction/category/previd/33/prevstart/108/

 

[xrated]

I'm board so......

black powder should NOT have a scope, among other things.

 

[nmmiles]

I'm board so......

black powder should NOT have a scope, among other things.

Ok here we go.....

Tell me how you feel...


Andy why do you feel that way?...

lol

 

[Rattlin_Ram]

I'm board so......

black powder should NOT have a scope, among other things.

ummm why?

We can't use rifles here to hunt deer, cept in the very south part of the state. So muzzle loader is about as close as you can get.

I don't party hunt my deer like most guys around here. So a little more distance than slugs is nice!

 

[xrated]

OK why can't you use a crossbow for archery?

I say it bacause I feel that it gives unfair advantage....use a shotgun if you want. But if your gonna go and use a muzzle loader and black powder, then keep it primitave.

That's just the way I view them. Muzzle Loaders=black powder=nipple percussion or flint=balls=primative. Not sabots and scopes and having the range of a slug gun or rifle.

But that's just me.

 

[nmmiles]

Im neutral on the whole thing. I bow hunt religiously and love it more than any rifle hunt. Being secretive and quiet is more enjoyable than any other way of hunting. And I agree agree, it really bothers me when people go hunting and "snipe" out an elk from 1000 some yards and call it hunting. To me, hunting is being right in the back yard of an animal without it having a clue you are there.
But to put a scope on a muzzleloader is fine as long as you are not using it for those long shots. People like Jim Shokey, who is a great hunter and I have nothing against the way he hunts, sometimes gets carried away with his 250 yard shots. Yes the black powder industry is squeezing more and more accuracy and distance out of the muzzleloader, but I still feel that they should not be used for distance.

Could I shoot a deer with a muzzleloader from under 100 yards with no scope? Yes, I feel 100% confident. Do I have a scope on mine for reassurance, yes. The furthest I will ever hunted with a muzzleloader is 100 yards and shorter. My SCOPE is set for 50 yards.

Just my .02,
Nolan

BTW...Rattlin_Ram, did you figure out how to use a muzzleloader yet?

 

[Rattlin_Ram]

BTW...Rattlin_Ram, did you figure out how to use a muzzleloader yet?

Yup thanks! Talked with a couple guys here at work and got a dealer that said he has a bunch of open boxes of bullets, powder, etc that we can use to figure out which combo fires the best in the rifle...

95% of where I hunt the shots will be less than 100yds. But last year I missed out on a nice buck because I wasn't comfortable taking the 125yd shot with my old Remington shotgun with just a bead site I use to shoot slugs. Rather than spending the money on a slug gun that you can only use a week outta the year. We are going to get muzzle loaders and have a longer season, which is nice for ppl like me that struggle to get away from work...

Most guys around here shotgun hunt with about 20+ other guys. They flush the woods and blast anything that comes out... I don't find that kind of hunting much fun so I'm lookin to do the muzzle loader. I'd do archery if I had more time, but I don't feel I have the time to devote to it.

 

[luvtoride]

Being in an area where all three modes of hunting are successful, and can all be utilized (rifle, bow, muzzel loader), I believe the ML season is perfect. No scopes. If you want to hunt with a scoped weapon, there is a rifle season for that, and during that season, you can hunt with a muzzel loader if you want.


But for the muzzel loader season, I think it should be as close to traditional as you possibly can be. I hunt with a vintage percussion cap Hawkin and its a lot of fun. Modern in-line muzzle loaders, to me, are just single shot rifles. I have a .50 TCO and I love shooting it, but the only hunting I would do with it would be during rifle season.