What do I need to Get into muzzleloading?

I am looking to pick up my first ML this week and I am curious of what accessories are needed to get me started. Just looking for the basics.

Best cleaning materials?
Do I need a bullet starter?

I am thinking of full bore rather than sabot, and an stuck between pellets and powder, but will most likely go pellets this year and spend some time in the summer testing both to see what me and the gun like best.

Is there a good place to look for a used ML?

Cheers and thanks for the advice!


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I see you're in the Ottawa area, I'd be happy to set up a play date on my range and walk you thru the basics...

PM me...

Depends on what you want to accomplish.
I drilled the awesome dude who works at gretch in mount forest about how it all works this fall.

I picked up a buckstalker online. Its a nice entry level gun.

Then he gave me some sabots and pellets and primers. That hurt when you are used to just buying a box of slugs...

To clean he said hot windex down the barrel and for the breech plug

I then oil it up after cleaning and good to go.

Something to remember with loading is order. Charge, bullet and then when in the field primer... in that order

When sighting in i mucked up by not putting the plastic on the sabots. I wasted a good 3 shots that were right and low. After figuring that out it was consistent.

In terms of shooting clean the barrel with a bore brush after 2 shots. Im told you can always clear the breech of fouling by firing a primer without a charge but i never bother as i hopefully only shoot once while hunting.

All in all i have owned rifles from the 20s, shotguns from the 50s and i enjoy the inline ML the most while hunting now.

Enjoy it! Its alot of fun!

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Originally Posted by Ali88

What I want done is, there is a nosing that goes on the end of the bolt that holds the primer, cuts down on the blowback, I was talking to Derfhunter a couple years ago and he said he would do it for me, I've lost his contact info and am just wondering if anybody had it.

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I think you wanted to post that on another thread : https://www.oodmag.com/community/sho...ing-To-Contact

Yes, sorry and thanks!!!

Not sure what your budget is but knowing what I know now after years of shooting smoke poles I would look for a used Savage 10ML ii. It eliminates all the hassles that come with using modern in-line black powder guns. I can shoot my savage hundreds of times with-out cleaning it with amazing accuracy. When my week of ML was done a few weeks ago I removed the bolt & looked down the barrel. It was clean as a whistle!! :)

There was a great deal on one in the OOD classifieds for a few weeks & looks like it's gone now. Canadian gun nutz usually has some for sale occasionally.

Cheers!

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

Mike, I will give you a PM, if you don’t mind helping out an old Royal!

As for cleaning, I have been hearing of tricks like soapy water, just water, or windex after each/2nd shot. Seems out of the box, but I suppose it works well and saves on the oil/barrel butter until after the shoot or after a bunch of rounds!

Do you guys just run a patch “up and down”, or do you take out the breach plug after each shot?

Thanks again!!


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chewy836

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

Mike, I will give you a PM, if you don’t mind helping out an old Royal!

As for cleaning, I have been hearing of tricks like soapy water, just water, or windex after each/2nd shot. Seems out of the box, but I suppose it works well and saves on the oil/barrel butter until after the shoot or after a bunch of rounds!

Do you guys just run a patch “up and down”, or do you take out the breach plug after each shot?

Thanks again!!


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With my CAV Wolf, I usually take 3 shots before cleaning but I usually crack open the breach plug (then tighten it back up) after every shot though....

The cleaning is basically (at least the way I do it).............
Spit on a patch, run it through a couple of times, then run a dry patch through then I am good for another 3 shots but always cracking open the breach after every shot just to make sure it does not get gummed up....
When I am done for the day,
I run Hoppes #9 through the barrel, then a dry patch or 2 until it comes out clean..... Then an oil patch through it so it doesn't rust until the next time I take it out.....But when I do take it out to be shot, I make sure to run a dry patch through it removing the oil from the barrel...

Fratri, thanks for the advice! When bench shooting, do you see any effect on grouping? IE, does it start to rise or fall?
Also, for the wolf, what do you use for powder and amount?
What’s your max effective range?
I am interested in the wolf, and I would love to know what kind of stand-off I can get. Is it possible for a 150m shot?


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chewy836

Fratri, thanks for the advice! When bench shooting, do you see any effect on grouping? IE, does it start to rise or fall?
Also, for the wolf, what do you use for powder and amount?
What’s your max effective range?
I am interested in the wolf, and I would love to know what kind of stand-off I can get. Is it possible for a 150m shot?


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If you look at this thread I started a few years ago, it contains most of what you ask...... I really like it, I have since changed the scope on it making for an even nicer setup.... If I can learn how to do it (muzzleloading) anyone can :)

https://www.oodmag.com/community/sho...th-my-CVA-Wolf

2 weeks later

https://www.oodmag.com/community/sho...-Wolf-shooting

On a side note.... I can't believe it's been 4 years.... Life is going by too fast

That it does, Fratri! Thanks for the links, I will take a look!


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i think trial and error will be your best teacher chewy.
all the best as you get into this. its a ton of fun and if you live in a more southern wmu it opens up some options for you for sure.
there's nothing more satisfying than hearing the hammer drop, watching the smoke clear and then seeing the buck you've been after hit the dirt.

Punkrock, I hope that’s the case this year! Haha. Thanks for the reply!


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the CVA WOLF that frank mentioned I shoot as well and he is bang on about the cleaning. I was told by an advanced muzzleloader hunter to keep the gun in your car or outside when not in the field. If brought inside the change in temperature can cause rusting, seizing etc...at the end of the hunt of course just pull the primer from it but at the end of the hunt week when you are planning on leaving then just fire it, clean it and oil it up for storage. As for its range capabilities, I have it dead on at 100 yards. It definitely can go out there further if need be but 100 yards for my area is more then enough.

That brings up an interesting point. I am nervous leaving a charge and projectile in the barrel..... does that happen with a lot of hunters? There is the obvious safety thoughts, and after that, if that powder gets wet, you’re walking around all week with a misfire and don’t even know it!


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Two good points....

Removing the primer makes an ML safe for transport.

If you're hunting in inclement weather get yourself some finger condoms to cover the barrel. However, with the in-lines, loaded with a sabot/bullet combo, water will not normally trickle past the sabot as it seals into the lands and groves while loading and water is not likely to reach the powder. When it in doubt...always discharge safely and reload.

Finger condom is a good idea. I usually put masking tape over the barrels of my other guns. I should try some range time with the finger condoms.

As for tpt’ing with a load in the ML, it makes me feel awkward, and I have 4 kids so the more steps away from a loaded gun, the better I feel.

Have you ever tried opening the breech and pushing the pellets and bullet out? Potentially the breech-grease will affect the pellets?


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chewy836

Finger condom is a good idea. I usually put masking tape over the barrels of my other guns. I should try some range time with the finger condoms.

As for tpt’ing with a load in the ML, it makes me feel awkward, and I have 4 kids so the more steps away from a loaded gun, the better I feel.

Have you ever tried opening the breech and pushing the pellets and bullet out? Potentially the breech-grease will affect the pellets?


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I pull the breech plug and push the pellets and bullet out of the barrel when I'm finished with the ML for a while. It's easier to clean it that way than after shooting it. I don't re-use the pellets or the bullet for hunting.

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Pellets not so bad...I did that ONCE with T7 loose powder...horrendous mess to clean up threads etc.... Better to just discharge it into a stump before you climb down from the stand :)

Me too......I use pellets so when not using it for a while I just unscrew the breech plug, remove the powder pellets and sabot bullet.... I normally just keep them aside and use them for target shooting always putting fresh pellets and bullet when I go back hunting....