Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Real black powder

Had some 777 that went bad, so I figured it would be a good time to finally try real black. It's kind of a drive to get it, but it was time. I don't like it, other than ease of ignition and long shelf life. Only good for 3 shots in the .50 hawken, before I HAD to clean the bore so I could load. Stinks like heck. I saw no real advantage accuracy wise. Does not seem to be as much smoke as 777. Interesting. My scope on one of the hawkens took a dump too. Apparently, my loads were pretty hard on it. Gave me a few anxious days before I figured everything out. The 777 was probably 5 years old, was getting hard to light, and accuracy went south.

If I ever get another rifle that won't work with BH209, BP is all I'll use. Supply here isn't an issue with all the skirmishers around, and with proper lube, you can certainly do all the shooting needed for hunting without a lot of bother. Ballistol, straight and diluted, makes BP a lot easier to use.

Good advice. I had forgotten about the lube. Just haven't needed it with the 777. I do like the idea of real black, and the stability. It does easily shoot as accurately as the substitutes. I have a couple of barrels that are better finished in the bore, than others. They shoot cleaner. Cleaning 5 rifles kinda gets to you. Range days with all of them are fun, but sheesh..

I generally shoot more than 25 rounds when I shoot my flintlock. I damp swab between each load, and I never have issues. I run a couple wet patches when I am done, and it is very easy to clean at home. My swab/cleaning juice is car windshild was with a squirt of dawn dish washing liquid. It does not freeze and it is cheap. I also only shoot BP in my encore ML. Again no issues.

That's what I ended up doing. Not really a big deal. I had 5 rifles. Kinda got to be labor intensive. ..

Shucks, I regularly get a couple dozen shots with my .45 before needing to clean- .440 ball, .015 pillow ticking patch soaked with human sourced lube (spit). In effect cleaning with each shot. Really cheap, and it plain works.

I only use a "greased" patch when I load up for hunting. Don't want a spit soaked patch sitting on the powder charge for very long.

Scope? Scope? On a Hawken?

Take up reenacting. You get to shoot a lot but you don't have to worry about accuracy.

Ha! Yeah, a scope in Traditions Performance Firearms offset mounts. I simply cannot see my sights in low light, and I like to eat deer....anyways, it took a dump. Not sure how long it was on there, around 5 years. I had recently changed my load to a 300 gr. XTP (IN A SABOT!) and I think the recoil toasted the scope. I have a cheap 2.5x Tasco on my .54 Hawken, and it has not changed zero in 18 years. Still shoots pretty much one holers at 50 yards.

Shucks, I regularly get a couple dozen shots with my .45 before needing to clean- .440 ball, .015 pillow ticking patch soaked with human sourced lube (spit). In effect cleaning with each shot. Really cheap, and it plain works.



Glad you clarified the "source". Other possible options were disturbing.😳

Back when I regularly shot competition (mostly offhand, with .50 and .45 traditional sidelocks) I would shoot the whole match without stopping to clean the gun, and accuracy was as good at the end as at the beginning. And it wasn't just me- all the guys were doing that. Of course, no one, including myself, was shooting rompin' stompin' loads that generate lots of fouling. Moderate loads of black powder and a properly fitting patch/ball combo = long shooting sessions.

(Hint: I use those moderate loads for hunting, too, with no noticeable loss in killing efficiency. It's all in your mind.)

Once you start stacking copious quantities of powder in a barrel, you're going to get copious quantities of fouling too. Add to that conicals/minies all slathered up with grease (and please tell me you aren't using petroleum based lube) and the bore quickly becomes a quagmire, necessitating cleaning after every couple shots or even after every shot. Such is the trap often (but not always) stepped into by guys who try to make 200 year old technology work in a modern world to modern performance expectations.

As for scopes, well, my eyes are as rotten as any 63 year old's eyes are expected to be and yet I still regularly shoot with iron sights. There are tricks to employ and if one is determined to stay in the game, one can. You don't have to surrender to the use of optics if you don't want to.

Ah, that is why muzzle loader hunting is called a primitive season. At the range,I swab after every shot.No problem. Hunting, I have never had the opportunity to shoot more than twice at an elk or deer. i guess it depends on what your state of mind is when using a muzzle loader and why.

Also depends on where you are, as well. Shot 6 deer in a row, one evening. Only needed 6 shots, but the rifle got kinda dirty. Every time I went to gut a deer, another one showed up. Busy evening.

I carry a brush, and give it a quick one shot pass.

The ramrod-end bullet starter jag is all you need for swabbing the bore. No need to brush, unless shooting many hours at the bench... (or) a thorough cleaning of the barrel at home.

My brush of choice is a black nylon bore brush and my jag is normally the spin Super Rat. A hollow-tip jag may be preferred when using ballistic tip projectiles.

I can shoot my T/C Hawkens 12 to 15 times before it needs a spit patch. I use nothing but Goex FF Powder and it does stink .

Ken

I still shoot 1964 DuPont at times here....

I have OLD 777 and its never had an issue, yet, by old I mean I can't recall but most likely at least form 2003 by guessing....

After a session at the range on Wednesday, I'm going to give BP a try in my inline, something I thought I'd never do. Ordered a Western ignition setup for my Knight, along with a spare 209 breechplug. I still have hundreds of number 11 caps and a good many RWS musket caps as well, and most of a can of Goex FFG. Not far from here is a large dealer in BP, and I hope to score some Olde Eynesford, which is reported to be really fine stuff; clean burning and powerful. I've got a REAL mold too.

Not likely I'll make the switch for the VA season opening next weekend on this side of the Blue Ridge, but should be in business in time for the WV season.

Also thinking about a fowler or maybe a single-barrel shotgun to play with. The NAML guy has been playing with roundballs and buckshot in a Pedersoli with interesting results.

I look forward to learning BP. I acquired a .50 inline muzzleloader last season, and have yet to fire it.
I have close to 300lbs of lead, perhaps 50lbs of that in ingots, Burner is built. Inhot molds made, wax and sawdust but no mold or handles yet. I'm almost ready.

My house gets really humid. Might have something to do with my problem.

Betcha Jeff's does, too.