Greetings!  

I'm new to the world of muzzleloading, but I picked up 2 at an auction yesterday, $110 total for a kit gun that needs to be finished (a project for me) and a CVA Frontier Carbine in .50 caliber.  Right now I just want to shoot the CVA while I work on the other gun, so can anyone recommend what I need to get started and some good brands.  I have done some reading and my list is as follows:

Bullets - either round ball or minie ball
Primers - It looks like this one uses No. 11.  What brands are good and what should I avoid?
Propellant - I think I'd like to go with Pyrodex RS since it's supposedly easier to clean up and more forgiving.  Thoughts?
Patches - lubricated patches to patch the round balls if I go with those
Powder flask
Powder measuring tool
Bullet seating tool

That's about the extend of my knowledge, but I think I'm also going to need some cleaning supplies, just not sure what.   Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

With what is on your list, it looks like you are off to a good start. You will find that round balls are easier to load than mini balls. I have a Thompson Center .50 caliber Hawken rifle and I use #11 caps made by Remington. No particular reason other other than that's what my local gun shop carries. I use Pyrodex RS too and it works just fine. I buy the lubricated patches (#10's) for using with .490 round balls.

I have a small plastic funnel for loading the powder into the bore. I also carry a nipple pick for cleaning out the flash hole. A cap holder is a real nice for carrying the percussion caps. Mine is the straight line model and I think it holds around 15 caps. The powder flask I use it one of those brass tube styles.

For cleaning, you will need a nipple wrench to remove and re-install the nipple. As for cleaning supplies, I use hot water and dish soap to clean the bore with a combination of brass brushes and clothe patches. When I am all done cleaning, I use a patch with "Bore Butter" down the bore and then I wipe the down all the metal with it.

Here are a couple of stores that sell muzzle loading gear:

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/index.aspx

http://www.possibleshop.com/index.html

http://www.octobercountry.com/index.php

PS:

BP shooting does get addicting:

Thank you for the info mic.  Your guns look gorgeous.  

I have to admit I have virtually no idea what I'm doing... I mean I have been shooting for probably 18 years now in various disciplines but have no experience with it, so I'm really flying blind here.  I started reloading earlier this year and between that and some of my antique cartridge rifles, I somehow got the idea that I should try muzzleloading.  

I'm going to start ordering stuff this week and hopefully in a week or so I will be ready to take it out for my first attempt.

When I first got into BP shooting, I went to a range that had a BP club. They helped me out a lot when I first started. I got out of it for a while, but have since retired and moved. Where I live now there is a BP group that runs monthly matches. They are always ready and willing to help out the new guys:)!

Check out these two BP forums for great info:

http://blackpowdertimes.com/index.php

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/index.php?

Thank you again!

By the way, I figured I should share a picture of my treasures.  The kit gun nobody at the auction wanted to touch and I ended up getting it for $10.  I figured if nothing else I can clean it up a bit and stain the stock and make a cool wall hanger out of it.  My parents are big antique collectors and such, and they are remodeling their basement in the early American colonial style, so I may end up putting it over the mantle down there if it doesn't work (or maybe even if it does).  



Here's the CVA.  I think it's a Frontier (I actually have it in the safe at my parents house at the moment so I don't have hands on it).  The only thing bugging me is most of the frontiers I've seen have either double triggers, or a basic notch style rear sight instead of the box style adjustable sight.  Maybe it was an owner customization, who knows?

wow, that is a nice looking pair of rifles. I think that the top one is a "Kentucky Rifle". Your Frontier rifle looks great too. It has a rear sight that is very similar to my TC Hawken.

The rifle in my second photo is a CVA "Mountain Rifle" in .45 caliber. The finish is brown and it has a 32" barrel stamped "Made in the USA". From what I have been able to learn, this is an early model. It is similar to a Hawken, but has the double cross pins to hold the action to the stock. My dad got this rifle many years ago at a gun show and I believe it was built from a kit....

Black powder is fun and I think you will enjoy building your rifle. Now for the tips. Get yourself a range rod, that is, a rod that will be used to load and to clean the gun. I don't mean the one that comes with it, you can use it but it's much better to use a separate rod and then mark the rod with the bore empty. Just insert the rod down the barrel with no powder or ball and make a mark on the rod near the muzzle, this lets you know where the empty line is. Now when you find a good load, say 75 to 90 grains of powder and ball, mark your rod again and you have a good reference as when the gun is loaded and when it's not. You will also need some tools, a capper will be handy as well as tips for your rod, bullet puller (a tip with a screw sticking out the front) a worm (tip with prongs for pulling patches and cleaning/swabbing), a good nipple wrench, extra nipples, bore mops, bore butter (this is for seasoning the barrel) don't use conventional oil or solvents it ruins the seasoning. Clean with hot water and brushes. Please don't be tempted to ever use any kind of smokeless powder ever, there is no safe equivalent. A slim pick is useful to clean out the nipple when necessary, paper clip will do. You are going to get the rod stuck in the barrel, everyone does at first and this is another reason for a range rod because it's longer and sturdier than the rod that comes with the gun, make sure the gun is de-primed and if you can pull it out good, if not you may have to use a co2 discharger to dislodge it, or (at your own risk and if there is no powder or ball in it) shoot it out. Make sure everyone is clear away from you when you do that, by removing the nipple and working a few grains of powder down the nipple hole and replace the nipple, cap it and shoot it out. Almost forgot one of the most important things, when you load your rifle make sure the patched ball or mini ball is fully seated on the powder. You don't want any gaps at all or you have a pipe bomb, so seat the ball down on the powder firmly. You will get the hang of it after a few times. Hope this helps and have fun, BOOM.

Use real Black Powder, not pyrodex.  BP cleans easily with hot water and some dish soap. Watch Jeremiah Johnson several times , subscribe to Muzzeloader magazine.  I have a .54 Hawken.  I use it for the history/romance/adventure.  If I just want to kill something, I use a modern rifle (1892 Winchester .45 LC).

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