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Posted: 6/25/2024 12:43:35 PM EDT
| Had a guy show up with his 1858 Enfields at the range. Talk mildly with him. He shoots and lives BP. He shoots in a group called Palmetto Red Shirts. I believe. Anyhow I asked for me to start out , fun shooting only , not hunting or anything what am I looking for. I want traditional somewhat. Percussion. He told me for a beginner, no matter what I wind up with , go 50 cal. Just said I can find more stuff for it. Or something done that line. I been lightly internet looking. Hawkins looking type is maybe what I’m looking for. I see there are several manufacturers. Lyman, traditions , and intravestarms, ect. Is there anything I need to avoid. Any vendor preferred . I been looking on muzzle loaders.com . Hey any advise you can give would be appreciated. Newbie all the way. Wardawg. |
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Looking at anything like this. Am I wrong to not want a long barrel ? Educated me ole wise hive. Attached File |
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That should be a find little gun. They're a hoot!! Don't over think the cleaning. I like the barrel keys, because you can take it off easily after shooting, drop the back end in a bucket of hot soapy water, and use a patch and the rod like a piston and make quick work of the cleaning. Does make you slow down and appreciate the sport instead of just blasting 300 rds. Doc |
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This is what I just ordered. I know this is a beginners rifle. I just want to have fun with it. Steel plates and range fun. It’s a .50 with a 28”barrel . Got buckhorn rear sights. Both front and rear are dovetailed . I’ll have alot more question coming in the near future. Basic gear and such. Powder questions ect……. lol. Wardawg Attached File |
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You already got the rifle, so hopefully this doesn't make you unsure. That rifle should do you fine. My advice for anyone new to muzzleloaders, and wanting a rifle is to go with a Thompon Center Hawken. Yes they have not been made in a little over a decade now, but they are plentiful, they are not hard to find. No, they are not perfect replicas, nothing under $1000 is unless it's a wall hanger. I also suggest you get a percussion first, it's just less to learn. If you were willing to spend $1200, to me that is the baseline for good shooting flintlocks. The TC percussion guns though are as solid and reliable as anything I have ever seen, they are accurate, and can be had for under $500. As for caliber, it is way less of a concern than you imagine. "Getting stuff for it" really only means the ball. Patches are a non-issue. Even if talking about conicals like a TC Maxiball or Hornady Great plains, it isn't like you find those at many gun stores in any caliber. At BEST you find a box of Hornady round balls, and you are just as likely to find them in .457" as .490" (.457" for many cap and ball), and .440" and .530" are not hard to find at all. If you are buying online, and you most certainly will be, than ball size is no concern. You can find them in any size, it's simply not a problem. Same thing for jags, 45 caliber jags are just as common as 50 caliber right now, and 54 caliber jags are not had to find. You only need one, they don't really wear out. None of it even compares to finding powder and caps. So my advice on caliber is don't worry about it too much. If you are mainly going to shoot targets or hunt small game, consider 45 caliber. It's a little less recoil, a little cheaper/less lead per ball. Still works fine for deer at open sight distances. If mainly looking to hunt, consider a 54 caliber. It can be loaded down for target too. It's legal for any big game in all 50 states. 50 caliber is the happy medium. It's legal for big game in most states, a couple require conicals or a 54 caliber for things like elk. There's nothing wrong with bigger calibers like 58 or 62 either, but there aren't a lot of cheaper rifles in those calibers. Smooth bores is a different discussion. I recently did a write up on gear to get to get started. I'll see if I can find it and I'll copy and paste it. |
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Ok, I found it. I wrote this for someone with a 50 caliber as you do. I wrote this for a flintlock, but it doesn't change much, you just wont need flints. Instead you may benefit from another nipple or two. There's two criteria to look for. The first is you want the flat of the hammer to be parallels to the nipple. You can change this with different length nipple cones. The other thing is the fit of the cap on the nipple, which I why I like to buy mine from TOTW. The fit a little snug, and I fit my nipples to my caps using a stone or sandpaper. Speaking of which, powder and caps will be your biggest challenge right now. Maybe listen to your new group on this, they will know what is around locally. I only shoot blackpowder, but that doesn't mean Pyrodex can not work, so can 777. They are a little harder igniting, but for target shooting, you should be fine. If you intend to hunt ever, I would definitely seek out magnum caps such as CCI #11 magnum, or RWS 1075 Plus. I think Winchester makes a magnum #11, but I've never seen one. I use nothing but CCI #11 magnum, even with blackpowder. If you can get blackpowder, get it. It's just better powder. Easier to ignite, easier to clean, smells better. It's like Paul Harrel puts it. Substitutes are like dating a blow up doll. Blackpowder might not be perfect, it might not be easy to find, but it's the real thing. Regular Goex works fine, it's not the best, but it works. Things are so crazy right now, I can't even to begin to guess on prices, plus the Goex brand sale, but in the past regular Goex could be had for half the price of the premium blackpowder, so a lot of people shot it. In my opinon two blackpowders are tied for top spot. That is Goex Olde Enysnford and Swiss. Both are as good as you can buy. For granulation, it doesn't matter nearly as much as you think. Many people shoot 2Fg, many shoot 3Fg. Both work just fine. I shoot a lot of 1Fg, it too works just fine. Don't worry about those fine details yet, you will get there in time. You can buy all this stuff from Tack of the Wolf, which is where I buy most of my stuff. I'll list part numbers An adjustable powder measure with spout. MAS-120 Rifleman's powder horn. HORN-D I personally do not like the brass flasks, but they work. Small funnel for filling the powder horn. FUNNEL_SB You don't need to buy this, you can find alternatives at home. Even a piece of paper rolled up can work. Short Starter ST-7 Some load without these, but I would still have one around. Round balls. I would for sure get .490" and 495". I wouldn't discount .480" either. Get hand cast if you can. Load sprue facing up. Later start casting your own. BALL-490-X, BALL-495-X Range ramrod. 44" RAMROD-C-44-10 These are expensive, but they are phenomenal. Technically optional though. Don't buy too short, you will probably buy more rifles in the future. 36" would be ok too, you can always buy a second one later if you get a 38"+ barrel rifle. T handle for ramrod, 10-32" thread. RAMROD-T-10 Loading and cleaning jag, 3/8" rod, 10-32" thread, 50 cal. JS-50-6-10 It's a good idea to have two of these. Ball puller with brass collar, 10-32 thread. BP-50-10 Depends on your ramrod thread, but all mine are 10-32. The brass collar ones are WAY better. Lastly, I always make my own ramrod. I've tried all kinds of materials, and nothing has beat hickory. I both epoxy and rivet the ends on. JB weld works great. I can go into more detail if you wish. Technically this is optional, but you either need the range rod, or a good ramrod with threads. You will need the following. Hickory 3/8" dowel, 48". RAMROD-6H 3/8" Brass ramrod tip, 10/32" thread, quantity 2. RT-6-10-B Edit: If shooting a percussion you will also for sure want a nipple wrench or two. NW-120 |
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Originally Posted By Chukar: Same here, but rifles are fun also. Just a personal preference is a set trigger on them, only single trigger that is great is on my TC scout and omega. That's a big reason I suggest the TC Hawken. Those set triggers are simply amazing. I wish centerfire rifles came with them. The trigger without setting it is still a perfectly usable trigger too. Of the non-set triggers, I have a TC scout pistol, I used to have a TC New Englander, and still have a TC Impact. All three are just ok, maybe 4-5 pounds, just good usable trigger. The best I have is actually my Knight TK2000 shotgun, that has the Timney trigger, it's probably a 2 pound, super crisp trigger. Still not as great as setting the trigger on a TC Hawken though. I actually have a Renegade with set triggers, but the Hawken is a better choice for a couple reasons. |
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Originally Posted By cviss: Nothing wrong with an investment weapon. They are heavy, very well made, and be very accurate. I preferred 2fg over 3fg seemed to group better with round ball.. 80-90grs is more than enough if its a 50cal. The recommended load is 70ffg with .490 ball / .015 patch. I’m learning this stuff. Trying to learn it slowly. I didn’t realize how easy a metallic cartridge guys have it. I bought most of the stuff fgshooter recommended for a starter kit. Getting my feet wet. Thanks for the advise and comments. Wardawg Attached File |
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The 1/48 you can use maxi balls also.. do not exceed the load in the manual. The Maxi / Minnie balls will kick more. I used t/c bullet butter on the those maxi/minnie 70grs is a good start point for round balls Try different patch thickness this can improve accuracy also. The maxi/minnie will be a lot easier to load also. Clean it as soon as possible to keep rusting down. |
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