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Thread: Where to start

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Half Dog's Avatar
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    Where to start

    I was recently gifted a TC in 50 cal. Where do I start in order to get this guy to the range? I need opinions on molds, powder, how to clean, etc...
    Any info will be greatly appreciated.
    The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    A 50 should shoot a 490 or 495 ball with a pillow ticking patch. I use a spit lubed patch for the targets but use a grease based lube for hunting. I'd start out with about 50 to 60 grains of 2f black powder or equivalent substitute powder. Work up until it groups well. The rifle will tell you how much it likes. I can't tell you anything on conical boolets, I've never used them. For cleanup I use a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and Murphy's Oil Soap. Wet up a cleaning patch and swab the bore until it comes clean. You can oil the bore afterwards. I use automatic transmission oil. Always make sure you put powder in and your ball is all the way down on the powder.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I am glad to see that you got a TC.
    I restore them and they have always shot well.
    You can order things that you might need like Powder Flasks , cleaning stuff and we'll as patches and balls from Track of the Wolf.
    Local sporting goods stores like Sportsman's Warehouse should have things like powder subs and primers as well as other things you might need.
    Good luck shooting your rifle.
    And welcome to the sport.
    As far as molds,
    Try Midway or Titan Reloading and look at the Lee Molds.
    I do have one of the Lee Combo molds that is a .490 ball and a REAL bullet mold all in one.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy FrankJD's Avatar
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    Lotsa both good and not-so-good ways to learn to shoot and maintain trad muzzleloaders. To each their own as long as it satisfies with good consistent results.

    What Trapper-Jack posted, with these personal start-up exceptions when charging with real BLACK POWDER ... .490" balls only (I find Lee molds are best), .015" patching for balls and for bbl swabbing, black powder in 3F or 2F (50 to 70 grains), lots of good patch lubes from spit to tallow but I prefer Gato Feo #1 home brew melted into the patch cloth with a heat gun. I address fouling control as need be - some guns allow multiple shots before homing a patched ball becomes difficult, some require fouling control for every shot fired. I suggest to initially wipe between shots with one patch wet with spit, water, or "moose milk" (1:6 of Ballistol:water), and then a dry patch or two. I don't use or particularly like cap guns, but all locks require being kept clean and unobstructed and with percussion locks that mainly means keeping the nipple clear with a pick.

    After the last shot of the day it is Imperative to swab the bore and lock - failure to do so will allow the black powder residue to harden and then when yer back at the ranch house, cleaning will be a real chore. I use straight Ballistol on a patch, and leave the patched jag/rod down the bbl.

    Since you've kept the BP residue soft, cleaning is a breeze and the main ingredient is plain tepid tap water. Nothing else required, not ever. Hawkens and other half-stocks typically have hooked breech plugs, so tap out the bbl key(s), lift out the bbl, stick the chamber/nipple end in a pail of plain tepid tap water, put a dry patch on yer rod's jag and push it down and out the bbl. Hydraulic action will fill the bbl with water and then push it out the nipple. Push/pump the water 3 or 4 times, take the bbl out of the pail, run a few water wet patches down and out the bbl - they will not be perfectly clean, there will be some manner of darkish stain as the graphite of the BP gets into the molecules of the bbl steel, yer done with cleaning. Run down a few dry patches. A spritz of any kinda oil on a patch and run it down the bore and leave the patched jag/rod in the bbl. Done. Before shooting it again, run some dry patches down the bore to clean out the protective oil.

    As always, YMMV.
    The .45-70 is the only government I trust.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Half Dog's Avatar
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    Thanks for the information. It seems I have much to understand before I head to the range.
    The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy

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    Find a local Muzzleloading club. Lots of folks to help a new guy get started.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    Check on YouTube, there are several good videos on loading and cleaning.

    Cleaning a Hawken style rifle is fairly easy. I remove the barrel and the lock. Get a bucket of hot soapy water. Put the nipple end of the barrel in the water and start running a patch in and out until I bring the water to the top. The water neutralizes the bad things in the residue. Run dry patches down the barrel until dry and oil with whatever you chose. Take the lock and scrub with a toothbrush with the soapy water and dry with compressed air. Again, oil when done.

    When at the range make sure you clean the oil out of the barrel and fire a couple of caps through an unloaded rifle. Aim in safe direction at something that will move to make sure flash hole is clear. I also fire a fouling shot without a ball to make sure I get ignition.

    Also, I find a good brass T-rod is a must for when, not if, you dry ball the gun and have to bull the bullet.
    A vote for anyone other then the conservative candidates is a vote for the liberal candidates.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    For my BP rifles ,
    I make the T handles from old lawnmower pull handles with either a 10/32 or 8/32 screw set in them to screw onto the ends of the cleaning rods.
    I also made a couple for friends out of Elk Antlers and a screw.
    Trust me.
    The T handle is very useful.

  9. #9
    Boolit Man
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    I have two T/C .50cal Hawken`s both, actually all but one of my .50 cal traditional muzzleloader, like a .495 Lee cast round ball, Ticking patch lubed with olive oil, sent down range with 90 Grains of homemade or 2F Black powder. Thats my hunting load and range load as I like to practice with what I hunt with.
    If you cannot find percussion caps the plastic ring toy cap gun caps work perfectly in a T/C Hawken with Black Powder. Carry a pin to remove the little plug that can get stuck in the nipple.

    If you dry ball a T/C Hawken, No big issue. Remove the nipple, dribble 4-5 grains of black powder into the flash channel. replace the nipple and give the rifle a couple of slaps with lock down to ensure powder is close to the nipple. Install percussion cap and fire off. You will be surprised how little powder it requires to remove a ball & Patch. I think we have all dry balled a rifle at some time.

    Make sure you clean the gun with hot water within a couple of days of using.
    Last edited by Tasbay; 10-01-2022 at 06:24 PM.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Half Dog's Avatar
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    Wow!! This will use more powder per shot than I’m used to. How does one know what size ball is needed?
    The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    .50 cal uses either a .490 or .495 ball with a patch.
    The patch can be between .010 to .020 thick.
    I usually use a .015 patch with either sized ball.
    Now as far as powder.
    I start out with 50 gr of either 2F or 3F
    Then I increase the load by 10 gr to dial in the rifles best accuracy for that sized ball patch and Lube combination.
    For lube , I generally use Bore Butter.
    Not because it is something great , but it is available and consistant.
    But if I am out of Bore butter , I have just used Crisco.
    Hay it works , but doesn't keep the bore as clean as some of the lube combinations other use , like Mink Oil and other stuff.
    My suggestion is to start out Basic.
    Then you will truly know if other things you try really are better.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Half Dog View Post
    Wow!! This will use more powder per shot than I’m used to. How does one know what size ball is needed?
    Remember.Black Powder is used by VOLUME not weight. So a 50gr by volume load is not very heavy. I use a 100 gr by volume in my 54 TC Hawk and 35 gr by volume in my ROA 45 cal pistol.

    Sorry for yelling but 50gr by weight may be dangerous!
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
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  13. #13
    Boolit Master hc18flyer's Avatar
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    I use 70 grains 2f and a .490 roundball. I have used the Lee REAL conicals. Really like the 'ball-et' for hunting whitetail. Track of the Wolf should have supplies. We really like our black powder caplocks! Enjoy!

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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  15. #15
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tasbay View Post
    I think we have all dry balled a rifle at some time.
    If anyone says they have never dry balled a gun they are either very new to muzzle loading or a world class fibber.
    A vote for anyone other then the conservative candidates is a vote for the liberal candidates.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Unless the gun came with accesories you need to pick up a few things.

    1. Nipple wrench
    2. Jags, bore brush and a patch puller (make sure you get them with a thread size that matches your rods)
    3. An unbreakable ramrod (again thred size to match)
    4. A longer unbreakable ramrod to use on the range and when cleaning
    5. A capper, either straight line or magazine type.
    6. A bullet mold (I use a Lee .490 DC)
    7. Patches, either precut and lubed or make your own from 100% cotton pillow ticking
    8. Patch lube for practice shooting (prefer moose milk as it can also be used with your jag to wipe the bore when fouling builds up)
    9. Patch lube for hunting or buy pre-lubed patches
    10. An adjustable powder measure for the range, and a fixed measure (once you work up your load) for hunting.
    11. A way to carry powder while in the field (flask, powder horn)
    There are a number of modern black powder subsitutes as well as the original BP. While they all work I prefer the original in 3f . Good luck finding caps, they are at least as scarce as primers.

    Lyman used to publish a BP Handbook, not sure if they still do. An excellent reference with load data. If you PM me your postal info will copy the pages for 50 cal with 28" barrel and mail them to you.

    Good luck and have fun.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Sasquatch 1
    I guess I am A world class Fibber.
    I have Never Dry Balled any of my rifles.
    Mainly because I have seen so many people do that , and them come to me to fix their problem.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Half Dog's Avatar
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    Wow. Now I understand that I’ll need a mentor to train this old goat.
    The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    I did not see anyone mention to him that if he casts, use pure soft lead. I have been shooting and casting for flintlocks since Pa started their flintlock season for deer. never had a dry load, but did once manage to shoot the ramrod once. kicked pretty good. but its not rocket science, you have read a lot of good advice here already. when I started in this, I asked the plumber on the job I was on for some lead. he says yes, after work back your truck up to my trailer. I ended up- with a life time supply that day.
    Barry

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    For lead,
    I use to get it from the Roofers on my jobs.
    But after I retired , I would cruse my neighborhood and watch to see if anyone was having their roof replaced in old houses.
    They gave me the lead roof jacket and some lead sheet flashings.
    They don't reuse them , so a 12 pack of beer buys you tons of lead.
    I bet there is a million tons of lead from reroofing that will me thrown away this year in Florida
    Last edited by LAGS; 10-02-2022 at 08:59 PM.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check