cannonball
Very Active Member
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After one half of a century of using a muzzleloader this topic should be divided into two segments, the inline and the traditional. It is interesting to hear all of the advise from the forum. Just when you think you know it all someone has a different slant and some think they are all wrong. Mind you this is my slant on things. As far as hunting goes I think inlines are nothing more than a single shot high power rifle and yes I do have a couple. Those shoot 300 yards and further. Most have a 1 in 18 to to a 1 in 32 inch twist with an elongated bullet where the traditional (the 1800's replicas) most have a much slower twist 1 in 60 and slower. In my estimation when hunting with those traditional guns a hunter shouldn't be shooting much over 150 yards at an animal. There are so many combinations of loading techniques, powder, bullets, patches, etc., the combinations are endless. I have had and sold so many traditional muzzleloaders I can't count them all. The one thing I do know they are as different as people the way they act and perform. At one target shoot I would bounce the ramrod on a patched ball to make sure the ball was seeded tight on the powder to be told by an old buck-skinner that you don't do that to get accurate shooting. That is phooey. Depends on the gun. I always tell my grandkids, who are shooting patched balls, to do it that way until they are sure they know their gun and are not held up by a "crud ring", especially if they are not to the point of the exact powder to mark the ramrod. Air between the powder and bullet could mean a blown up kid and gun. With the "traditionals" I have found with most of them the "real black powder" out performs the "substitutes" with the changing of the weather and temperature elements. You might get a good grouping with triple seven all day long at 70 degrees then go out hunting at zero to find out you're not shooting where you were. Now to qualify that, each gun is different. Still taking about "traditionals" I had one gun that was a tack driver with Goex Black powder and shoot all over the place with Triple 7 and my son-in-law's gun, with the same manufactures barrel, shot equally well with both powders. It didn't matter who was loading them. Same everything on the same day. Figure it?
A few years ago I took up target shooting with English Sporting Rifles, paper patched 540 grain bullets, real black powder, 45 caliber, 1 in 18" twist barrel. I soon found that duplicating, to the finest detail, every thing you do to load, including resize the lead bullet just before you go to the range. What did I learn from this? I am just a beginner and needed a lot of help. And I have gotten a lot of help, but then again I also found there are many out there that think they know a lot more than they do.
What do I say about in-lines. Not much except don't put them with the traditional guns on the muzzleloader deer hunts. The bullet your choice, but only use BH 209 for powder.
Finally, for my young grandkids who think I sound like a cracked record. Clean your guns and clean them well right after using them - - every time. Black powder is not like the modern powders and will eat your barrel really fast. Had a family member who told me he hadn't cleaned him ML for three years, but he had only shot it once with Triple 7 so it should be ok. I worked on it and may have saved it. Don't think he has shot it yet, but the barrel was not shinny even after working on it.
I tell my kids and grandkids who love the sport as much as I, don't listen to just one person. Get a lot of input from different people and use your logic to sift thru the BS. Everyone young knows computers so read everything you can before hitting the field knowing you have to sort thru the fact from BS. Remember you are not going out with a bullet that is factory primed and loaded, you are going out with the components that you are going to put down the barrel while it is pointing up. If your not careful it will be pointed at your head while loading. I've seen ramrod shot down field, double balls loaded, even a loaded powder, ball, powder, and ball again. Good thing the person realized it got the ball puller out. The shooting range is easy, but chasing a large buck or bull is not. I've seen many bucks get away because the ball went down before the powder. The Art of Muzzleloading begins with a lot of self-taught teaching and practice.
Please don't take a gun to the field until you have done your home work.
.
A few years ago I took up target shooting with English Sporting Rifles, paper patched 540 grain bullets, real black powder, 45 caliber, 1 in 18" twist barrel. I soon found that duplicating, to the finest detail, every thing you do to load, including resize the lead bullet just before you go to the range. What did I learn from this? I am just a beginner and needed a lot of help. And I have gotten a lot of help, but then again I also found there are many out there that think they know a lot more than they do.
What do I say about in-lines. Not much except don't put them with the traditional guns on the muzzleloader deer hunts. The bullet your choice, but only use BH 209 for powder.
Finally, for my young grandkids who think I sound like a cracked record. Clean your guns and clean them well right after using them - - every time. Black powder is not like the modern powders and will eat your barrel really fast. Had a family member who told me he hadn't cleaned him ML for three years, but he had only shot it once with Triple 7 so it should be ok. I worked on it and may have saved it. Don't think he has shot it yet, but the barrel was not shinny even after working on it.
I tell my kids and grandkids who love the sport as much as I, don't listen to just one person. Get a lot of input from different people and use your logic to sift thru the BS. Everyone young knows computers so read everything you can before hitting the field knowing you have to sort thru the fact from BS. Remember you are not going out with a bullet that is factory primed and loaded, you are going out with the components that you are going to put down the barrel while it is pointing up. If your not careful it will be pointed at your head while loading. I've seen ramrod shot down field, double balls loaded, even a loaded powder, ball, powder, and ball again. Good thing the person realized it got the ball puller out. The shooting range is easy, but chasing a large buck or bull is not. I've seen many bucks get away because the ball went down before the powder. The Art of Muzzleloading begins with a lot of self-taught teaching and practice.
Please don't take a gun to the field until you have done your home work.
.
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