Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Returning to the Fold

I haven't done anything with a muzzle loader in 15 or 20 years, did a lot in the 80's, 90's and into to 00's. Time to return. I dug my TC Renegade .50 out this morning and started going through my gear, looks like I am pretty complete, but I have a few questions.

First off, I have some real Black but also some Goex Clear Shot and APP CleanShot. Question: Do those last two load 1 to 1 by volume as Black? IOW, if I set my measure to, say, 90gr Black, will it throw the Goex and APP to a safe and more or less equivalent charge?

If I hate the substitutes, is there any reason I shouldn't load them in .44 Special or Magnum cases and play with them in one of my handguns? I've done that with Black long ago, worked just like it should; lots of smoke, lots of stink, lots of boom, it was lovely.

I broke the original ramrod back in the Jurassic and replaced it with an unbreakable synthetic which has a tip on the bullet end but no ferrule on the other end. I'd like to use it with a T-handle or ball at the range, do any of you know where to find a ferrule?

Besides Track of the Wolf, where are my best online sources?

Thanks in advance.

Do you have a good supply of #11 percussion caps? They are next to impossible to find and if you do they are rediculously expensive.

The substitute powders are designed to match 1:1 with Holy Black by volume, so yes, set your volume measure to your desired charge and shoot. They do NOT match 1:1 by weight though. The subs are generally lighter by weight, but take up the same volume.

Per your ramrod ferule. ToW is usually my go-to for any parts, but there's also MuzzleLoader Builders Supply, Log Cabin Shop, Dixie Gun Works, and a host of others that show up in a Google search. They're all good supply houses.

Did you consider drilling a shallow 3/8" hole in the ball of your short starter to place over the end of your ramrod to seat bullets easier? I do that anyway regardless if the rod is bare end or not. Makes it stupid easy on the hand to get the right seating pressure and I don't have anything like a T handle to keep track of.

If I need to do any cleaning or pulling at the range I have a long brass range rod that will withstand any abuse I can dish out, where a normal ramrod is best left to just load with.

Thanks, men,

Yes, I understand it's measured by volume not weight, just wanted to confirm my memory for safety's sake. I'll take a look at the starter, I did some DIY stuff back in the day.

Sadly, I don't have a lot No. 11's.

On the caps.....

Look up "sharpshooter 22 LR reloader".

He has a cap maker kit on that site. We bought one and fiddled with it some. We tried the hammer route with it, but I think using it with a vise or arbor press would work a lot better. Heck, maybe i could even rig up something with my Rock Chucker press.

Make your own caps. Form the cup out of heavy beer can aluminum, then stick a dab of priming compound in it. Pretty rave reviews across the muzzleloader specific forums on the thing. Someday I'll mess with ours a little more. I'm more prone to shooting a flintlock than needing caps though.

those subs being this old, may just go phzzzzz. both deteriorate with time. really, I would use them to fertilize the roses.

Most replacement ramrods I have bought and used, all cane one length. A ferrule was supplied for the one end that you cut. Sometimes ther were sold separately. Be sure not to get a fiberglass one.

The Mountain Man store in Manitou Springs,CO has them.