New to BP shooting.

[jmad_81]

So I drew a four month long cow elk tag this year. I have to use a muzzle loader and hunt within a mile of ag lands in the county. My wife bought me a muzzle loader a year ago cause I was talking about trying it. I didn't (still don't) know much about it, but I learned the hard way that you have to clean them very often! I had over 35 shots of different rounds down the tube with 777. I went to clean it and couldn't get the breach plug out. I ended up bending the tool that TC gave me with it. So I soaked it in soapy water overnight then took it down to our shop (I was going to get the darned thing out one way or the other :evil: ). I ended up cutting a foot long piece of 1" hydrolic hose and slipping it over the barrel, I them proceeded to clamp it down in the vice and took a pipe wrench to the end of the breach plug tool. I had to squirt some PB blaster (wd-40 on roids) down the barrel and up the action. After about a half hour of fittling with it I finally got it loose! Took it back home got it all cleaned up, and am ready to go again.

Does anybody have any other pointers that I should know before making a bigger mess of this black powder hunting thing?

 

[IdahoCTD]

I'm actually surprised you were able to load bullets with that many rounds down the barrel without cleaning. I'm not sure what the rules are there but here you can't use 209 primers and sometimes triple seven wont light reliably with percussion caps. Usually 15 rounds is pushing it hard between cleanings and I try to clean before 10 rounds. I put either teflon tape or anti seize on the threads of the breech plug to make it easier to get out. Either one you use, I prefer anti seize, apply a lot of it.

 

[jmad_81]

We can't (are not supposed to anyways) use 209s either. I was using some cci mag 11 caps and about 1 out of twelve went off. But i think the caps were bad, I wasn't even getting the caps to go off. Also learned today that I should use ffg 777 instead of fffg. I think I need to drill out my pilot hole out a bit bigger as well.

 

[JD338]

Jake

I have owned 3 muzzle loading rifles and have always used T/C Bore Butter to season the bore and clean it. I have never had a problem. I always run a wet patch with 2 dry patches between shots, unless I am hunting and need a quick load for a follow up.
Make sure you use a anti seize lubricant on the breach plug and nipple, makes life easy.

I have been using 777 loose powder since it came out. Remember that the 150 gr loads are for pellets. Loose powder max load is 120 grs by volume.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

JD338

 

[IdahoCTD]

What are the bullet rules for Oregon?

 

[jmad_81]

Thanks Jim, we are required to use loose powder. The pellets are not allowed. We also can't use 209 primers and have to use open sights. Odfw is trying to keep the mz hunts very traditional. I must say it adds a degree of difficulty, but still makes it a lot of fun.

We have to use lead balls or lead bullets that don't exceed twice the bore diameter in length. No sabots, jacketed bullets, or power belt type bullets.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Basically the same rules as here but we can use lead powerbelts. I have 2 Remington 700ML's I use most of the time and have shot Elk out to 208yds. I would recommend better sights then most factory guns offer. They front bead is typically too big to shoot well at extended ranges. I use a hooded front sight with different inserts that is a standard dovetail and will slide in most sight bases if they are 2 piece like the Remingtons.

 

[JD338]

MI is pretty liberal on their regulations. I use a T/C Omega topped off with a Vari X III 2.5-8x36mm scope. 120 grs 777 and a Nosler .458 300 gr BST. Last year, I took this busted 8 pt at 18 yds, dropping him in his tracks.

JD338

 

[tddeangelo]

Touched on above, but I want to highlight it....

You need to grease those breech plug threads. I have borrowed inlines to hunt in the past, and always used white lithium grease with good results.

Don't grease a breech plug and...well...you've seen about what you'd get. :shock:

Not much use for an inline here in PA. Our ML seasons are one in October that is doe-only (and I'm usually hunting bucks with a bow at that time) where an inline can be used; then a flintlock-ignition only season after Christmas. We used to be restricted to patched round balls at one point, too, but that's been relaxed to any single projectile.

If you guys think no scopes and granulated powder is a somewhat traditional, take up a flinter sometime and give it a go!

 

[jmad_81]

Thanks for the input! I havn't shot it in a while, I need to go play with it some more so that when my brother comes home in Dec. we can go smoke a cow and have some brother time!

 

[RogueRiver]

Hi-Also in OR so I now what your taking about- I like the Shockeys gold powder and #11 mag cap. I use the TC grease so it doesnt seize up the plug or nipple. Anyway I hope this helps a little. I clean my rifle usually after each time I take it to the range or after I shoot it in the field. I also use borebutter and the tc bore cleaner.

 

[martineta]

These days, I shoot an encore. I started out in 1974 with a Thompson Hawken and Black Powder. I thought I had died and gone to heaven when Pyrodex came out. Now i shoot Blackhorn 209. Its nice and smokey like blackpowder but is non corrosive. Clean up is easy with Hoppes #9 as opposed to warm soapy water with BP or 777 or pyrodex. A+++++ for special high temp grease on the threads of the breech plug. makes removal easy.