Loading/Firing Black Powder Rifle

[TopherBlairMusic]

I've always wanted a black powder rifle. Is there any real risk to firing one? I've been told they are dangerous but you know how that can be.

[mshea43]

@TopherBlairMusic Don't kid yourself, they are every bit as dangerous as a modern firearm. Perhaps a little more so since you are dealing with exposed powder, one spark lights it up. However, with common sense and a little research they are safe and very fun to shoot. Black powder is just a different world. Clouds of smoke, the smell, the residue all over you.... It's worth the mess.

[Epicwinstudios2]

@mshea43 when you click back the part that closes on top of the powder next to the flint that will spark it, does powder ever fall of if you run with the gun?

[nicksynnz]

I use 85 grains Goex for hunting but 50 grains for target shooting. I have noticed with hunting that the ball or bullet does not down the animal like a modern bullet in most cases. Still great movie; thank you.

[11202]

Gosh. This truly does bring extra focus to the development of the cartridge.

[CalebGuillery]

I am new to muzzleloading and if you dont use a lead ball and just a regular bullet do you have to use a patch

[mshea43]

@CalebGuillery  If you use a bullet than you do not need to use a patch. Bullets fit tight and usually have a hollow base. The hollow base expands on firing and fills the barrel so no need for a patch to seal it since it does that job itself.

[mshea43]

@maryospox Yes, I am. Never have denied it and calling me names serves no purpose. So, do you have any other incredibly enlightening comments or is that the extent of your brain power and juvenile vocabulary?

[heatblast226]

I have this same gun in 54 caliber

[xzqzq]

Good video... I like my CVA Bobcat .54 with synthetic stock, but it does kick with heavy loads....I just reduce the powder a bit...works well with musket caps & .54 REAL bullet...

[texascivic]

How hard does it kick compared to like a M1 Garand?

[mshea43]

@texascivic

I really couldn't compare it to an M1 Garand since I have never fired a Garand. I can tell you that on this particular rifle the recoil is light, kind of like a 12 gauge shotgun. This rifle is very heavy so that helps. I have a .54 CVA with a synthetic stock that is really light and it has a brutal recoil. To the point that I bruise my shoulder and cheek after about 15 shots.

[rramirez4judge]

thank you, that was useful!

[solider1986]

what type of gun do u have

[BlackSabbath1204]

How bad is the recoil on that?

[mshea43]

@BlackSabbath1204 The recoil is not bad at all. This rifle is pretty heavy and that helps a lot. It also depends on powder charge, but overall it's less or on par with your average shotgun.

[nyy8851]

hey i liked this video and ima bout to get a muzzleloader i just dont kno where i can buy the stuff i need to shoot it: bullets, black powder, ect... if u kno where to plz tell me thanks

[mshea43]

@nyy8851 It all depends on where you live. You can try locally, just find a local gun store and they may have what you need or my know of where you can get everything. Also, check online with Cabela's, Dixie Gun Works, and Grafs & Sons. I get all my powder from Grafs & Sons since they carry real black powder instead of only handling the substitutes like Pyrodex and such.

[Labyrnthdom]

@nyy8851

Look online at Dixiegunworks and also Cabelas

But if your going to do this you need to read and learn what you need to do in order to do it safely. You cannot just go and get a muzzle loader and shove powder down it or any lead ball. You got to use the recommended amount of powder and size ball and patch, maxi ball or sabot. It is actually fun to use a traditional muzzle loader and you learn allot more then just loading up a bullet into a modern firearm.

[Polybun]

@nyy8851 why don't you get some English classes before you worry about a gun? You can't even hold a conversation, why should we help you learn any survival skills?

[bennyvega100]

cool. I want a black powder rifle.

[mwillblade]

How many shots could you get out in a

minute ?

[mshea43]

@mwillblade I have never shot for speed, but at best I might be able to get off 2 rounds in a minute. I'm not training for reenactments, combat, or anything else so I have never had a reason to see how fast I can go.

[fixdeluxe1]

My newest muzzle loading rifle is .54 Calibre.

[KawaRider88]

Ok i'm thinking about getting an inline muzzleloader...what I am wondering is it expensive...I'm probably going to spend about 260 on a muzzle loader and it comes with a good scope and a starter kit...how much am i going to be spending on bullets and powder...well haha how much is a round?

[williepie]

the bullets are a shit load of money there like 20$ for 15 and the powder isnt expensive 1 pound is like 20$ which will last a while

[SimpleStuff31]

Get a flintlock

its harder but more old fashion and inline cant even be called muzzleloaders

[1hunterdale]

@KawaRider88 if you want to it to hit what your aiming at at 200yds get a good inline with a 28in barrel like a cva pro their like 300 bucks but if you dont care if you can hit any thang out to 80yds and dont mind if they dont go off get a side lock or a flintlock

[mshea43]

@1hunterdale Funny.... I can hit what I'm aiming at at 200 yards with the very rifle in this video and most of my target practice is done at 100 yards or more. I will agree that if you want a good distance muzzleloader you will have to pay for a quality piece, but you don't need an inline to do long shots. Oh, and if you actually know what you are doing then percussion and flintlock are both very reliable.

[mjtracy]

Nice quick video on the loading process. One suggestion, do not use the palm of your hand to drive the ramrod. Always hold the rod from the side, that way, if there is an accidental discharge, it will not drive the rod through your hand! Thanks.

[mshea43]

I can see your point, and holding the ramrod on the side works for round ball, but it won't work when using hollow based bullets or sabots. The reason... they fit so tight in the rifled barrel that you need the extra force to push them down. I load the way I do probably because I have shot bullets too many times and my loading process just stays the same.

[SherrieAllen]

Thank you very much for this video. I bought my 1st rifle this week - a Traditions Yukon .50 Cal.. I am nervous about loading the rifle but your video makes me feel a little better about it. Once I find out what I need to use the rifle and purchase those items, I think I will enjoy it. Right now, it's just kind of overwhelming. But, I will learn. Thanks again.

Sherrie

[mshea43]

The biggest piece of advice I can give you, Sherrie, is not to be nerved up about shooting that .50 Cal. Read through the manual and follow the instructions. In no time you will find yourself working on the powder charges and fine tuning it to it's full potential. Be sure to have lots of fun while your at it!

[guitarhero30]

very helpful video, thanks for posting, helped me out alot, but were do you buy ur supplies?

[mshea43]

I am lucky that I have a little mom and pop store locally that I can get all my supplies at. However, there are some other places I have purchased from. Check out Cabela's, Dixie Gun Works, and Graf & Sons. They are all good to deal with.

[sz42781]

Hi I need help loading, I will be loading .410 black powder shells by my uncles request, they are 3" shells and the slugs weigh 7.5 grams. How mutch powder should I put in for a good strong load?

[justrix29]

cool!i give you 5 stars ^_^

[HunterTom3006]

Really good informative video concerning BLACKPOWDER loading.  I've been shooting blackpowder pistols for years. I Watched it & other videos several times before I bought a 50 cal. Now I'm hooked on BLACKPOWDER rifles.

I like them!!!!!

[cichlidkeeper89]

tjthemadman, never, never, never, never never, use smokeless powder in a muzzleloader or attempt to convert a muzzleloader to use smokeless. you will turn your gun into a pipe bomb!

[tjthemadman]

Can you convert a muzzleloader to smokeless power by changing the barrel and a 209 adapted

[mshea43]

NEVER TRY TO USE SMOKELESS POWDER WITH A MUZZLELOADER!!!! Smokeless powder burns a hell of a lot faster than black powder and produces tremendously more pressure. You will blow up a muzzleloader if you try smokeless powder.

[tjthemadman]

I just got the exact same rifle and a CVA. And I'm wondering what is an accurate range for an adverage muzzleloader using powerbelt bullets or sabots ( thats what I buy)

[mshea43]

I don't use powerbelt bullets or sabots, I only use round ball. However, 100 yards is nothing for these rifles. You should actually be a little better off using the bullets. The biggest thing is to find the right powder charge. That will affect the accuracy greatly. Experiment and shoot the hell out of it to find what powder charges provide the best accuracy for you.

[m1shadow]

nice demo!

[geoatv]

Did you say not to seat the bullet to tight?

I have only fired black powder once with a friend, but he shoved the ball down untill the ram rod bounced. He said that if it wasn't down good it would create more pressure and that would not be good.

I ask because I am thinking about getting the Hawkins kit from cabelas.

[mshea43]

Yes, I did say not to seat the ball too tight. This isn't really an issue when using the black powder substitutes like Pyrodex. But, I use real black powder and if you seat the ball too tight you can actually crush the powder which results in pressure spikes from what I've read. As your friend noted, you will also get pressure spikes if there is a gap between the ball and the charge. You can feel when the ball gets to the charge, so it is easy to tell when to stop pushing.

[UJS8X]

if something were to happen to the charge and the powder failed to ignite after the ball had been rammed down, how would one un-jam the gun?

[mshea43]

That is one thing that isn't fun to deal with. The first thing to try is to remove the nipple and pour a little powder in the bolster, put the nipple back on and try it again. If it still doesn't go then you can either use a ball puller. That's a tool that you put on the ramrod and it screws into the ball. It's a pain but it will eventually come out. The other option is to get a tool that fits on the nipple and uses a CO2 cartridge to force the ball out the barrel. That is the best way to do it.

[UJS8X]

Oh good. I've been thinking about getting a trad muzzleloader and I didn't want to invest in something that could be permanently ruined by a bad powder charge. Thank you!

[lmyhoosier]

my muzzle loader is a break barrel and the entire breach end unscrews, easy cleaning and easy to remove a failed charge

[mshea43]

That is the one thing I will say about the inlines, they are easy to deal with when you have a failed charge. I don't care for them myself, I prefer the traditional muzzleloaders, but I would rather see people shoot the inlines so long as it keeps up interest in black powder shooting and hunting.

[lmyhoosier]

yea, i love em. never hunt with anything else

[mike16667778]

what's the difference between 1/2 cocked and fully cocked? what would happen if u pulled trigger at 1/2 cocked? GREAT VID!!!!

[mshea43]

The half-cock position is used as a safety. When the hammer is at half-cock and you pull the trigger nothing should happen. If the hammer falls from the half cock position, then something is broken in the lock.

[tjthemadman]

does it kick hard? didn't look like it. I heard they are accurate even at 300 yards

[mshea43]

No, this one doesn't kick too bad at all. The Thompson Renegades are heavy, so that helps out with the recoil. I do have a CVA Bobcat in .54 cal. with a synthetic stock. It's very light and will rattle your teeth out...lol

[nbusiness]

Cool, thanks!

[SBskater6969]

i just bought the newer version of the Renegade that came out in 1987 3 days ago..i love that gun.

[mattcherball]

Great job, I will have to redo my video,and put the cap on last.

[creatine64]

great job, nice rifle, I've got a .50 cal TC as well, I took 3rd in the Black Powder match this last Sunday with it. it was a lot of fun to shoot.

[Kkr3wK]

hey is that the renegade by thompson

[Thegreatkrok]

I love these rifles

[chazdeer]

...nipple..lolz

[winkerweezel]

nice!

[warboy616]

hehe, he said nipple

[stereonut001]

He sure did

[BabylonianSage]

Great video, man, thanks for posting it here! :D