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Posted: 12/29/2018 10:24:09 AM EDT
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 10:40:51 AM EDT
[#1]
National muzzle loading rifle association  see if one is in your area.  They hold shoots in my area from time to time.
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 10:43:40 AM EDT
[#2]
Most gun ranges have “clubs”, i got with the local BP club and had one of their guys teach a few of us the ins and outs of BP, the Do and Donts, maybe ask in hometown forums. The learning curve is pretty short, easy to figure out, the key is to get a good basic “formula” for shooting and learn proper cleaning techniques

Here is my hunting load for Thompson White Mountain Carbine

Attachment Attached File
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 10:44:26 AM EDT
[#3]
Quoted:
I got a couple of rifles from a guy at work, one percussion and one flintlock, along with a box of balls for the flintlock and a plastic jug thing of powder that I think is for the percussion one. The only problem is that the only thing I know about muzzleloaders is the order that you put the components down the barrel and that you have to clean them thoroughly after use(and, of course, that it isn't something to trial-and-error without at least knowing a little bit more). What's the best resource for me to fill in the rest of the information that I need?

I know that more information on the guns might help and I'll post more on that later today.
View Quote
Although, it can be confusing with tons of opinions, https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com
Has all the info you need
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 12:13:57 PM EDT
[#4]
I'll  say this , you will want to get a Range Rod , which is a heavy duty Ram Rod .
Not only does it make loading easier , but you can pull stuck balls out much more easily with the range rod with a big honking handle.

Make sure to get a Ball Screw with a centering collet ,and a patch screw , a cleaning jag .
I wouldnt start with 80 gr ,more like 60 .

Die Trying has probably worked up to the most accurate load in his rifle .

If you need any help let me know .

What is the other rifle ?
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 12:14:07 PM EDT
[#5]
Edited out because I dumb thumbed it twice .
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 12:25:48 PM EDT
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I'll  say this , you will want to get a Range Rod , which is a heavy duty Ram Rod .
Not only does it make loading easier , but you can pull stuck balls out much more easily with the range rod with a big honking handle.

Make sure to get a Ball Screw with a centering collet ,and a patch screw , a cleaning jag .
I wouldnt start with 80 gr ,more like 60 .

Die Trying has probably worked up to the most accurate load in his rifle .

If you need any help let me know .

What is the other rifle ?
View Quote
Yip, what he said, get you a nice tackle box and start adding to it, lol. Primers, powder, balls, patches, cleaning materials, spare parts , etc etc

Also, i agree with range rod, get a non wood one strictly for range, ive got probably a dozen rods and youll want to mark the rod where you know everything is seated properly (powder, patch and bullet)

Can see my mark on rod, if im seating ball, inknow its all the way bottomed out when mark reaches crown of barrel

Attachment Attached File


Yea load been worked up, when i let other ppl try it, i go down to 40-50gr

My long gun, fun to shoot but cant hit much, lol

Attachment Attached File
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 1:09:35 PM EDT
[#7]
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 1:30:51 PM EDT
[#8]
The red mark shows where the “wedge” goes, that is what holds barrel to stock

Attachment Attached File


Avoid dry firing as youll mushroom the nipple or get a rubber cap to put over nipple to absorb the impact when dry firing, i jus use heavy rubber caps.

Also those 2 stage triggers , the 2nd stage will literally be a hair trigger, like 1-2lb range

I cant help with flintlock, no nothing about them

Track of the wolf are great, leader in parts etc.
Link Posted: 12/30/2018 12:52:29 AM EDT
[#9]
OK...if you're on Facebook, join the NMLRA page, the North-South Skirmish Association Page, and possibly the MLAIC (international BP federation) pages.  The first two can provide you with a lot of help.  The N-SSA also has a very active bulletin board.  Yes, they are primarily focused on Civil War arms...but their expertise goes well beyond that.

Having said that, it helps enormously to find someone in your local area who can give you a hand.  Ask around the local shooting clubs.

One thing you will need is gunpowder.  Substitute powders are a poor second-best for real black powder.  Goex is good, Old Eynesford and Swiss are the best.  3Fg will do nicely.  If you can get Swiss, get a pound of Null B to prime with...it's about 7F, gives lightning-fast ignition.  Compared to that, 4F is pathetically slow.

Patched round ball guns will shoot, but usually need some fine-tuning of the load.  A good rule of thumb is that ball diameter + ONE thickness of patch should = bore diameter between lands.  Initial load about 1.5 times the caliber, but be ready to go lower.  Try a variety of patch thicknesses and powder charges to determine best accuracy.
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 11:01:37 AM EDT
[#10]
Duelist1954 on youtube has a lot of good videos with tips on loading and cleaning for blackpowder guns.
Link Posted: 1/2/2019 1:38:00 AM EDT
[#11]
Lot of good advice and links to learn from.

All I can add is the #1 rule with Black Powder weapoins:

If you see the white cloud off smoke from the shot, that means 'clean me soon'.  

Looks like you got some nice smoke poles.  That percussion rifle looks like a Thompson Renegade.  The flinter looks good, too.  Are the bores in good shape?  That is usually an issue in used guns.  A gun may look pristine on the outside, but a previous owner may have failed at the #1 Rule and let the bore get corroded.
Link Posted: 1/3/2019 9:00:50 PM EDT
[#12]
Link Posted: 1/4/2019 1:47:42 PM EDT
[#13]
I will second the suggestion for;

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com

Also I really like http://www.americanlongrifles.org/forum/Both are a wealth of information.  They can get off track a bit with Historically correct/Period correct stuff, but on the basics, they are a great source of knowledge from a bunch of guys who have been doing this stuff for a long time.

Doc
Link Posted: 1/18/2019 7:04:38 PM EDT
[#14]
FWIW the NRA puts out a good crayon level how to book on this

Link Posted: 1/19/2019 3:56:58 PM EDT
[#15]
It's amazing, but I don't know a single person who has any experience with black powder.  I just read a few internet articles, and watched some YouTube videos before I fired my revolver for the first time
Link Posted: 1/22/2019 9:51:10 AM EDT
[#16]
Need to figure out what the "plastic jug thing of powder" is (is it marked?)

It may be FFg or FFFg black powder, priming powder (FFFFg, which you don't want to put down the barrel of either rifle, only in the pan of the flintlock), or a BP substitute like Pyrodex (hopefully not).
Link Posted: 1/22/2019 10:15:22 AM EDT
[#17]
Link Posted: 1/23/2019 9:22:32 PM EDT
[#18]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Need to figure out what the "plastic jug thing of powder" is (is it marked?)

It may be FFg or FFFg black powder, priming powder (FFFFg, which you don't want to put down the barrel of either rifle, only in the pan of the flintlock), or a BP substitute like Pyrodex (hopefully not).
View Quote
If it's unknown it's probably a good idea to weigh it.  THe only difference between FFg and FFFg is granule size.  If it's FFFg a larger amount of powder will fit into the same volume designed for FFg.  But you can still use FFFg, and even FFFFg, you just need to weigh it, and not go by volume type measurements.
Link Posted: 1/25/2019 12:42:25 PM EDT
[#19]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Although, it can be confusing with tons of opinions, https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com
Has all the info you need
View Quote
This is also useful for me.  I am beginning to look into some of the lineage and possible use of my muzzle loader.  It was made in Lancaster in 1774 as a .32 cal. flint lock.  Some years later, it was converted to a cap lock.  There's a double set trigger.  The stock is classic tiger stripe maple.  There's no engraving or decoration.  It's strictly utilitarian.  It was last fired in 1957 and then detail cleaned and oiled.

It's been in my family since it was built.
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