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Posted: 12/12/2024 3:09:46 PM EDT
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What's a good place to start with powder types, bullet weight, etc.? I'm really uneducated in this; trying to help some newbies at the LGS. |
| Buy a reloading manual and read it. Honestly if you have no reloading experience you will not be able to give helpful advise. You don’t even mention what caliber so perhaps you should start there. It’s one of those things like gasoline and matches the wrong choice can be a big problem. |
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If we're talking traditional style muzzleloaders then... .50 cal is usually a good starting point. Probably the most common muzzle loader cal around so it simplifies finding balls or conicals As much as i prefer shooting flintlock, i'd recommend starting with a caplock as you can use substitute powders like pyrodex in them. Flintlocks tend not to ignite well with anything but actual black powder. If hunting the muzzleloader season is what they are looking to do then check your local regs to verify that .50 will meet the requirements. For the modern "in line" muzzleloaders, someone else will have to chime in as i dont have any experience with them. |
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Originally Posted By Urimaginaryfrnd: Buy a reloading manual and read it. Honestly if you have no reloading experience you will not be able to give helpful advise. You don’t even mention what caliber so perhaps you should start there. It’s one of those things like gasoline and matches the wrong choice can be a big problem. I'm guessing this guy missed that this is the blackpowder/muzzle loader forum. While there are some things to be aware of, muzzleloaders and blackpowder in general is very idiot proof. If you want to buy a book, the Lyman blackpowder handbook and loading manual is a good one. There's lots of into in there on various bullets, calibers, load data with velocity etc. in there to get you a general start. If for target shooting, the sky is the limit. For hunting big game, be aware of your state's laws, as they can vary a lot. As a very general guideline, most states will allow 45 caliber and larger rifles for some big game. When talking the biggest game such as elk and moose, most require a 50 caliber or larger. One I know of requires a 54 caliber or larger. Handguns is another subset, and most states are going to require a larger caliber than they do for rifles. Muzzleloading calibers aren't quite like choosing a cartridge. It isn't like one caliber is super common and cheap at every gun store. 50 caliber was for a brief period quite common, but with the rise in popularity of other calibers, especially 45 and 40 calibers, it's not so distinct anymore. Many gun stores do not carry muzzleoading projectiles beyond a few blister packs of powerbelts or sabots anyway, so it isn't worth worrying about. It is very easy to find 40, 45, 50, 54, conical bullets. It is not hard to find options for other calibers like 32, 36, 58, 62 etc. either. For round balls, you can buy them in any size you could ever imagine. Generally the easiest starting point for any muzzleloader is a patched round ball. Powder charge varies by caliber, but in that 45 to 54 caliber range, 70 grains of powder gives you a good middle ground. I find the most significant gains you can make in accuracy are by varying the ball size and patch thickness. Is there more specific info that you are looking for? |
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A little. I have one shop guy hounding me for stuff for the .50 T/C Hawken rifle we sold him. Another customer is requesting blackpowder for last-minute hunting purposes. None of us know what will cut it for basic supplies. I see the market is filled with niche bullets/powder for very demanding customers; mine know as little as I do, and I'm not looking to go down the blackpowder rabbithole. Just stuff like: What's a good powder to start with? Is there a "basic" cast bullet to start with? Weight? |
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Originally Posted By Compnsatyr: A little. I have one shop guy hounding me for stuff for the .50 T/C Hawken rifle we sold him. Another customer is requesting blackpowder for last-minute hunting purposes. None of us know what will cut it for basic supplies. I see the market is filled with niche bullets/powder for very demanding customers; mine know as little as I do, and I'm not looking to go down the blackpowder rabbithole. Just stuff like: What's a good powder to start with? Is there a "basic" cast bullet to start with? Weight? I can copy and paste a list I made up for beginners to get started in traditional muzzleloaders, you can decide what you want to stock, I have no idea what sells well or not. Black powder requires special licensing to sell, so you will have to look into that. Substitutes such as Pyrodex and 777 do not require the same things, so that's why you see them in a lot of stores. If you stock real black powder, and advertise it, I am sure people will come from around to buy it. You can have blackpowder shipped to your door like any other powder, but the best deals are usually in bulk, so being able to buy 1 or 2 pounds at a time is very attractive for many people. I use round balls mostly, a .490" is the standard in a 50 caliber, and you can use different thickness patches until you find one that works. If you just want a go-to, almost never fails option or a TC, get the 370 grain Maxi-ball, they still sell them. Track of the wolf has them too, hand cast. It is easy to find molds for them too. 80-120 gr volume of powder, FFg, Pyrodex, or 777 should all work, an 1/8" felt wad under the bullet, a Maxiball lubed. That combo should shoot good in any TC or inline rifle, and that's what you would want for a last minute option with no time to practice. You can even skip the felt wad if you wish, often they shoot fine without them. |
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This is a copy and paste from another thread, a list I made as a really good set of gear for someone getting into a percussion 50 caliber. All the numbers are for Track of the Wolf, but there's plenty of other brands out there. You can buy all this stuff from Tack of the Wolf, which is where I buy most of my stuff. I'll list part numbers An adjustable powder measure with spout. MAS-120 Rifleman's powder horn. HORN-D I personally do not like the brass flasks, but they work. Small funnel for filling the powder horn. FUNNEL_SB You don't need to buy this, you can find alternatives at home. Even a piece of paper rolled up can work. Short Starter ST-7 Some load without these, but I would still have one around. Round balls. I would for sure get .490" and 495". I wouldn't discount .480" either. Get hand cast if you can. Load sprue facing up. Later start casting your own. BALL-490-X, BALL-495-X Range ramrod. 44" RAMROD-C-44-10 These are expensive, but they are phenomenal. Technically optional though. Don't buy too short, you will probably buy more rifles in the future. 36" would be ok too, you can always buy a second one later if you get a 38"+ barrel rifle. T handle for ramrod, 10-32" thread. RAMROD-T-10 Loading and cleaning jag, 3/8" rod, 10-32" thread, 50 cal. JS-50-6-10 It's a good idea to have two of these. Ball puller with brass collar, 10-32 thread. BP-50-10 Depends on your ramrod thread, but all mine are 10-32. The brass collar ones are WAY better. Lastly, I always make my own ramrod. I've tried all kinds of materials, and nothing has beat hickory. I both epoxy and rivet the ends on. JB weld works great. I can go into more detail if you wish. Technically this is optional, but you either need the range rod, or a good ramrod with threads. You will need the following. Hickory 3/8" dowel, 48". RAMROD-6H 3/8" Brass ramrod tip, 10/32" thread, quantity 2. RT-6-10-B If shooting a percussion you will also for sure want a nipple wrench or two. NW-120 Just looking through that list, as a gun store I would go for the Hornady swaged round balls. A .440", .457", .490", and .530" covers a really wide range of blackpowder guns. If you can stock horns, great, but the brass flasks do work well enough. Short starters, lots of stores stock those crappy plastic garbage ones. Maybe they are better for sales, but the wood or metal ones are so much better. Range rods and ramrods, you can probably do ok without stocking in your store. T handles or balls for ramrods are a really handy thing to have, but may sit on the shelf for long periods of time. Jags is an area I think a good selection helps. Get a selection of brass combo loading and cleaning jags for a few calibers, at least 45, 50, and 54 caliber. A few 45 and 50 caliber special jags for pointed bullets may be useful too. Some brass brushes with the correct thread, generally 10-32, for muzzleloader ramrods can be good. Ball pullers, always good to have. Those brass collar ones are way nicer than without. I find a 50 caliber brass collar works just as good in a 54 caliber and even larger guns, so I wouldn't stock a ton. Maybe just 45 caliber and 50 caliber ones. Percussion caps is one of the big things you will want. They come in #10 and #11 size. CCI #11's are very common, but I consider the CCI #11 magnum even better. Remington #10 caps are highly sought after. RWS 1075 is another cap many like. Nipple wrenches are a great thing to stock. As Thompson Center gets back into business I'm sure they will start selling some of their little gadgets again too. A lot of stores carry TC bore butter, however, if you were to carry a patch/bore lube, I would stock something like Track of the Wolf Mink oil. It is simply a better product. In the time being, if anyone asks, regular old Crisco from the grocery store works better than you think it would. It works better than TC bore butter in my opinion. |
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