First time black powder shooter. Need some tips and info!

[MakarovManiac]

Just got my first black powder rifle in .50 caliber. Always wanted one so I pulled the trigger (haha) and got one. Will post some pictures later. It has a little surface rust. Just looking for some info or tips on black powder shooting in general. Do's and dont's! Thanks yall!

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[Andy54Hawken]

What kind of rifle...?
Modern inline or traditional percussion / flintlock...?
Andy

 

[MakarovManiac]

What kind of rifle...?
Modern inline or traditional percussion / flintlock...?
Andy

I believe it is a traditional percussion. Has the hammer with the place to put a cap on the nipple. Ill post pictures later. Hopefully it will help.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I believe it is a traditional percussion. Has the hammer with the place to put a cap on the nipple.

Ahh...
Well then....

I try to shoot so that if I ran into Daniel Boone or Kit Carson...they wouldn't be looking at me or my kit with a What in the world are you doing look.

So...
My advice is often not what is commonly seen or heard from many so called experts or the like.
Many , many folks will disagree with me and how I shoot.
I do know that it works well for me.

Powder...black...not anything else
I have never had any luck with black powder substitutes.
I have found that they are far more corrosive than real black powder...and lead to more failure to fire than with black powder.

While a tight fitting patch and ball combination is good.....most folks use a too tight combo.
I don't even like to use a short starter...and I have won many a shooting match or brought home game with a "loose" loading.

As a general rule...your rifle will like a charge for about 20 -30 grains more than the caliber.
For example my .54 Hawken Rifle like a load of 80 grains of 2F.
I have used this load for both target work and hunting.

I like to clean with warm soapy water...then dry...then oil...easy.

You don't need a whole lot of extras to shoot...
A shooting bag to carry :
Patches...caps...a nipple wrench...a screwdriver for your lock bolt...
A horn or flask to carry your powder...
A powder measure if you are using a horn...
Perhaps a short starter...
And that's it.
Andy

 

[ditchtiger]

Sylvester loads Black Powder Rifle

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9s2ayNU204&t=5s

 

[P7M13]

Did you get any percussion caps with it?
Are you in Moscow, ID? If not, where are you located? You might discover that a source of holy black and caps can be hard to find.

Andy suggested #2F, and I second that. When I got my first 50 cal, I used #3F, and it burns significantly faster than #2F.
I believe the number corresponds to the sieve screen size, and thus the size of the powder grain, #4 being much finer than #3, and so on....

If you haven't seen them yet, there is outstanding info in the sticky threads at the top of the Black Powder Discussion forum.

 

[MakarovManiac]

Did you get any percussion caps with it?
Are you in Moscow, ID? If not, where are you located? You might discover that a source of holy black and caps can be hard to find.

Andy suggested #2F, and I second that. When I got my first 50 cal, I used #3F, and it burns significantly faster than #2F.
I believe the number corresponds to the sieve screen size, and thus the size of the powder grain, #4 being much finer than #3, and so on....

If you haven't seen them yet, there is outstanding info in the sticky threads at the top of the Black Powder Discussion forum.

I did a little looking, just figured it would be a good idea to ask. I didnt get any caps with it. Im in the Everett, WA area. I havent the slightest clue about black powder stuff so I figured id ask the professionals!

 

[MakarovManiac]

Ahh...
Well then....

I try to shoot so that if I ran into Daniel Boone or Kit Carson...they wouldn't be looking at me or my kit with a What in the world are you doing look.

So...
My advice is often not what is commonly seen or heard from many so called experts or the like.
Many , many folks will disagree with me and how I shoot.
I do know that it works well for me.

Powder...black...not anything else
I have never had any luck with black powder substitutes.
I have found that they are far more corrosive than real black powder...and lead to more failure to fire than with black powder.

While a tight fitting patch and ball combination is good.....most folks use a too tight combo.
I don't even like to use a short starter...and I have won many a shooting match or brought home game with a "loose" loading.

As a general rule...your rifle will like a charge for about 20 -30 grains more than the caliber.
For example my .54 Hawken Rifle like a load of 80 grains of 2F.
I have used this load for both target work and hunting.

I like to clean with warm soapy water...then dry...then oil...easy.

You don't need a whole lot of extras to shoot...
A shooting bag to carry :
Patches...caps...a nipple wrench...a screwdriver for your lock bolt...
A horn or flask to carry your powder...
A powder measure if you are using a horn...
Perhaps a short starter...
And that's it.
Andy

Thank you Andy I really appreciate you taking the time to explain that. This is all relativley new to me, ive got some family who are big into it so I will also ask them!

 

[Bobbygun]

caps can be hard to find

Amen.

In fact, I don't find myself shooting black powder very much because I don't want to use up my meager supply.

 

[MakarovManiac]

Amen.

In fact, I don't find myself shooting black powder very much because I don't want to use up my meager supply.

Wow, I didnt think it was that bad. Maybe it isnt a percussion cap. As I said this is all very alien to me. Ill post pictures of what ive got when I get home. Maybe that will give you all a better picture.

 

[Bobbygun]

Wow, I didnt think it was that bad. Maybe it isnt a percussion cap. As I said this is all very alien to me. Ill post pictures of what ive got when I get home. Maybe that will give you all a better picture.

It probably is a percussion cap. They used to be commonly available at Bi-Mart and Cabelas. I remember pulling them off the rack at Cabelas. At Bi-Mart they were behind the counter, but plentiful and no limit on purchases. This is the same affliction we reloaders have when it comes to buying primers for metallic cartridges.

 

[MakarovManiac]

It probably is a percussion cap. They used to be commonly available at Bi-Mart and Cabelas. I remember pulling them off the rack at Cabelas. At Bi-Mart they were behind the counter, but plentiful and no limit on purchases. This is the same affliction we reloaders have when it comes to buying primers for metallic cartridges.

Yeah I know about all the problems with getting reloading components nowadays. Better than it was during covid but nowhere near as it used to be pre-covid.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Thank you Andy I really appreciate you taking the time to explain that. This is all relativley new to me, ive got some family who are big into it so I will also ask them!

You are very welcome.
I will be happy to answer any question you have.

With that said...
Much of what I say or do...goes against "commonly done practices".
Just something to keep in mind.

There is a lot of loading , shooting and cleaning advice in some "Stickies" in this section...
Thank you to @P7M13 for pointing that out.
Andy

 

[MakarovManiac]

You are very welcome.
I will be happy to answer any question you have.

With that said...
Much of what I say or do...goes against "commonly done practices".
Just something to keep in mind.

There is a lot of loading , shooting and cleaning advice in some "Stickies" in this section...
Thank you to @P7M13 for pointing that out.
Andy

Very much appreciated, when I get home I may shoot you a PM with the details of my gun. Maybe you can point me in the right direction.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@MakarovManiac
Will be happy too...
Andy

 

[ditchtiger]

caps are plentiful and cheap if you go to the right place, the toy department. The red plastic caps that are in a circle of 10. sometimes straight strips.
I started using them years ago. As long as the gun is clean and oil free I could not tell the difference from brass caps.

 

[MakarovManiac]

Here is some pics of it. Lemme know what you think! Bore is a bit rusty inside too.

 

[clanhanson]

Convert it to a flintlock so you never have to worry about percussion cap availability

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Here is some pics of it. Lemme know what you think! Bore is a bit rusty inside too.

View attachment 1870039 View attachment 1870040 View attachment 1870041 View attachment 1870042 View attachment 1870043

You have a percussion rifle.
With that said...it is not a copy of any historic rifle , but it does look to be a fun shooter.

Some cap erosion around the drum , barrel and more than likely nipple and hammer face.
Some bronze wool and oil will be your friend here.
You may have to replace the nipple...depends on how it cleans up.

As for a rusty bore...
A .50 caliber bore brush ( bronze ) , oil , I like KROIL for this job...will be helpful.
After you get the bore clean and you keep on on doing so...KROIL / oil won't be needed for regular cleaning...
With that said...
After shooting...I clean the barrel with warm soapy water..then dry the bore...then run a lightly oiled patch down the bore.
Andy

 

[Bobbygun]

I clean the barrel with warm soapy water..then dry the bore...then run a lightly oiled patch down the bore.

When I first inherited my dad's TC Hawken rifle, I would clean it just like a regular rifle with Hoppes #9. It took FOREVER. A friend put me on to the hot soapy water in a bucket idea and it made cleaning the Hawken much quicker. It is a little messier, so I do it outside on the carport, but it's a lot easier. Then, as you said, a clean patch or two to dry and then one with light oil. The whole process hardly takes five minutes.