Frontier .50 Nov 27th, pre-1840...

[RanchRoper]

Well I seem to be working a program of my own design. Off to the range for my 2nd trip with the BP rifle. Windy, but that's normal here. 45F today.

My program is to make as many mistakes as possible in as few range trips as I can. Seems to be working.

Set up all my gear, these rifles are sure not like the 45 Colts. A box of cartridges and a Henry and I'm good to go for hours of fun. I can see how BP guns were early technology and designed to take down game, even real big game. But they are certainly different to operate and require lots of "stuff". I don't mind that part, cuz I like all the gear and accoutrements. Same with my cowboy stuff.

100 yards...powder, patch, ball...down on 1 knee....get comfortable...shoulder the rifle....cock it, set the rear trigger....aim and KABOOM. Binoculars....wow this rifle is a serious shooter.

Nov 27 2020.jpeg (34.83 KiB) Viewed 1939 times

Here's where the day went pear-shaped. Because I am still mystified about what to swab/clean/lube and when, I was going to just load up another charge and shoot again. Then I got to overthinking it again. Nope, I should swab before shooting again because I am freaked out about fouling and gunk. Read waaaaay too much stuff on the internet about cleaning muzzleloaders over the past few months. There seems to be a million opinions on what to do and when and how. Like someone said on this forum, BP rifles in battle or hunting in the old days did not get cleaned every time they were fired. But, like an idiot I swabbed. then dried with patches. Or thought I did.

Powder charge in, patch, ball....cap on nipple....ready to fire....and PHFFFT. Nothing. Maybe bad cap....try again and PHFFFT...nothing. Caps are firing but nothing else. Suddenly a light bulb goes off over my head like Elmer Fudd in an old cartoon...damp in there. Wet powder.

So back home, got to pull my first lead ball...fish the patch out with the little wormy wire thing and clean all the crap out. Ready to go again. Maybe tomorrow. BUT....no more anything between shots until I get at least 4 or 5 stupid balls down the range!!

Shoot safe, and more than once...RR

[CT_Shooter]

I'm really enjoying your reports as you blaze through the forest of information about how to make this antique technology perform. Great shooting, by the way.

I have been a bit luckier than you when shooting my 156 year old civil war BP rifle. I've burned through 30 minie balls and only "cleaned" the barrel after every three or four shots with a light Ballistol coated patch and a follow-up dry patch.

My shooting accuracy, however, is much more in line with your disappointing "swab/clean/lube " experiences.

I'm looking forward to learning along with you. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[RanchRoper]

Well, I can tell you I am leaning toward treating this thing like a regular rifle soon...clean & lube like all my others. Triple 7 is much like smokeless powder only a bit more smoke. I cleaned a burned patch of it on steel with Hoppes. Looked clean to me. Might have to apply some cowboy logic, settle down and just shoot.

[JEBar]

100 yards...powder, patch, ball...down on 1 knee....get comfortable...shoulder the rifle....cock it, set the rear trigger....aim and KABOOM. Binoculars....wow this rifle is a serious shooter.

that it is and so is the cowboy pulling the trigger ..

Then I got to overthinking it again.

I'm having flash backs to the time when you getting into reloading .. .. my prediction is, the results will be the same .... that being you will settle into a routine that in retrospect you will find is much simpler than you anticipated

Powder charge in, patch, ball....cap on nipple....ready to fire....and PHFFFT. Nothing. Maybe bad cap....try again and PHFFFT...nothing. Caps are firing but nothing else. Suddenly a light bulb goes off over my head like Elmer Fudd in an old cartoon...damp in there. Wet powder.

if you don't have one already, purchase one of the "nipple wrenches" that allows you to easily remove the nipple .... should you have another time where you have such a misfire, clear out the area and dry it as best you can (at times a pipe cleaner can come in handy) .... pour in as much dry powder as possible and reinstall the nipple .... install a new cap and see if she will fire .... I did that once and it worked .... I was warned if it goes off and sounds odd, make sure a ball comes out of the barrel ..... if no ball comes out of the barrel, lay the rifle down with the muzzle in a safe direction and leave it alone for a while to make sure there is not a delayed explosion

Shoot safe, and more than once...RR

that'll happen, sooner rather than later

[RanchRoper]

I will buy a nipple wrench. I took the nipple off today at home with a little set of pliers and used a plastic syringe (always have those around with horses) to shoot some cleaner in there until it ran out the end of the barrel. Then dried with alcohol and fired a cap. All good.

[RanchRoper]

After supper the whole rifle is getting cleaned inside and out with Ballistol.

[Ernie]

Thanks for sharing. That was a great shot, now you just have to repeat. I know you can figure this out, sounds like some good advice from Jim.

[BigAl52]

Since you will be buying a flint gun anyway buy a flint pan charger fill it with 4fg if you can buy any up there. Do what Jim suggest pull the nipple punch one charge from the charger replace nipple and you will here a boom again. Wish I was closer Id be happy to give you a hand.

[RanchRoper]

Thanks will get it figured out. Don't know any BP shooters at our range so trial and error right now. But I think I will stop the bore butter and TC #13 and clean/lube with Ballistol and see how it goes. I need to get it simple.

[BigAl52]

I was going to suggest that and I think I did at one time. But I see you are getting alot of info thrown at you. I keep a rag with me in my box so if I accidentally over lube a patch I blot it in that rag. But you will be fine with ballistol both ways. Keep the alcohol with you. If you swab out between shots or every 10 shots use that as it evaporates.

[RanchRoper]

I just got back to the house from cleaning and lubing.

Ok. I scrubbed with Ballistol soaked bore mop. Got stuff out of the barrel. Black stuff. So the TC #13 is useless. Waste of money.

I use a little copper brush to clean the patent breech. It had some black gunk on it from earlier today. Stuff was crusty. Dried. Just for curiosity I put it in soak with Hoppes. 10 minutes later it was clean. The little cup of Hoppes was dirty. It dissolved the residue.

So I cleaned the barrel again with Hoppes. Like a normal rifle. Lots more lead and powder residue came out. The patent breech too. Once patches coming out were dry and clean I run a Ballistol patch down it to lube. Then light spray of REM oil over the whole rifle and a wipe down. Same routine as my others. Will shoot tomorrow and see how it goes. Maybe bore butter is good on toast. It’s not going in my rifle again. And the TC 13 is done too.

[BigAl52]

Ive never used bore butter or that TC 13 because of what you have experienced. Others have had the same issues. But sometimes one can feed another shooter to much info and the frustration factor becomes more than one can digest. Makes a guy down right aggravated guy might even drop a four letter bomb.

[RanchRoper]

For sure.

I have to do what I think is right and what feels right. Right now I feel like the rifle is actually clean. Did not feel like that earlier. Too much info is not always good. Speaking of that, have not watched or listened to any news for a couple of weeks now and feel great. Try it.

Ps. I guess lots wonder why I don’t clean with water. 2 reasons. I don’t want water in my rifle and I clean in a shed near the barn. Small heater but at 30 below I don’t want to be messing around with water.

[RanchRoper]

Just looked down barrel with high power light. It is shiny and clean all the way down into the patent breech.

[BigAl52]

For sure.

I have to do what I think is right and what feels right. Right now I feel like the rifle is actually clean. Did not feel like that earlier. Too much info is not always good. Speaking of that, have not watched or listened to any news for a couple of weeks now and feel great. Try it.

Ps. I guess lots wonder why I don’t clean with water. 2 reasons. I don’t want water in my rifle and I clean in a shed near the barn. Small heater but at 30 below I don’t want to be messing around with water.

Like you said you need to do what you are comfortable with. I understand the water issue and the cold environment. Cleaning it in the house would probably get you a room with Badger on a permanent basis. Just make sure you get it good and clean under the nipple and in that patent breech area like it sounds you have. Once in a while I get carried away with the oil or protectant and use a little to much. It will run down into that nipple area and make me pull that nipple and stuff some powder under it. But that works every time. Even 3f will work. But that plunger in the flint pan charger makes that nice.

[fortyshooter]

Watching your progress with the BP shooting RR. I like to tune into Hickok45 when I want to learn a few things about a particular firearm.
Here's is a good one on preparing to shoot a cleaned BP rifle. There are several others on shooting these too.
https://youtu.be/hxKteQFGcFc

[RanchRoper]

Very helpful, thanks! Back to the range later today....stay tuned.

[JEBar]

Very helpful, thanks! Back to the range later today....stay tuned.

don't forget to take along supplies for more than one shot ..

[RanchRoper]

I have a chain I can hook to the truck to pull a ramrod out if necessary.

[fortyshooter]

I have a chain I can hook to the truck to pull a ramrod out if necessary.

Yep that will work too!