Dumb Question
07-05-2014, 05:44 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 36
Dumb Question
I am new to muzzleloading and trying to figure out what is the best combination of powder/patch/ball or sabot to use in my lyman trade rifle. Do they sell pre-packaged loads of certain amount of blackpowder/bullet/patch that you can just drop down the barrel or do you need to purchase each component separately? Thanks.
07-05-2014, 05:58 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
You'll need to buy everything separately. You'll need to decide if you want to shoot sabots, conicals, or round balls. More than likely the sabots won't shoot that well in your gun. It has the wrong twist in rifling.
What game are you hunting, and what state will you hunt? The states have different laws on what you can shoot with muzzleloaders.
What game are you hunting, and what state will you hunt? The states have different laws on what you can shoot with muzzleloaders.
07-05-2014, 06:19 AM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 36
You'll need to buy everything separately. You'll need to decide if you want to shoot sabots, conicals, or round balls. More than likely the sabots won't shoot that well in your gun. It has the wrong twist in rifling.
What game are you hunting, and what state will you hunt? The states have different laws on what you can shoot with muzzleloaders.
What game are you hunting, and what state will you hunt? The states have different laws on what you can shoot with muzzleloaders.
I am hunting deer in PA. Its a .50 cal. Any suggestions on what would be some good patch/bullet/load combos to start with? Hoping to limit the cost of trying a bunch of different stuff. Thanks.
07-05-2014, 08:12 AM
#6
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
I have the exact same rifle. First off, since it is a flintlock, only black powder as your accelerator. Forget all the posts about sub powders working. While they might go bang time to time,.. they are not consistent. I use Schuetzen, Wano, or Goex black powder. I also use 2f not 3f. Many will tell you 3f black powder works fine. And it does. I just get better accuracy out of 2f. Although... if you use 3f, you can also primer your pan with it, and that makes one less powder you have to purchase or carry with you.
For Flints you can use the 5/8 size or 3/4 width size. Be careful with the 3/4 they take up the entire jaw. I use the 5/8th Thomas Fuller Black English Flints. But I can tell you that the Lyman Agate that come new with the rifle is an excellent flint. I got over 80 shots off one. They are also easier to get the jaw to accept. I use a leather band to hold my flint. Some take a roundball and smash it flat on an anvil and then wrap the flint in that for the jaws to grip. To each their own. I've had lead ball slip the jaws.
I cut my own patches. I go to Wal Mart or any fabric store and purchase a yard fo Blue Stripe or Red Stripe (does not matter) 100% cotton "pillow tick." Wash that in your washing machine, then line dry it. This takes the sizing out of the cloth and makes it easier to accept lube.
Lube.. I use moose milk. Olive oil works good. Spit works good. But stay away from hard lubes. When the barrel gets hot they tend to melt. Lightly spray the patch material for instant lube, or you can saturate the material (it tears easy into strips off the yard of cloth. 5 stripes makes a patch strip.) then lay it out of a laminate table, old window, or even an old window screen. Let it dry. Now the patch is dry, but full of the oil. You can cut your own or load off the bore. I load off the bore. These pillow tick measure .018 thick. And the material is good and solid.
The ball.. Lyman have a big bore. They can use the .490 or even the .495. The .495 will load hard. But they do load. Don't try a .495 in a T/C rifle or CVA as you will have a real problem.
Loads.. for plinking 50 grains works fine. But when I hunt with it, I shoot 90 grains of powder. That will drive that ball length wise through an adult deer, and break bones on the way through.
Your rifle will shoot sabots. If you want 85 grains of powder and a 240 grain XTP. And that will be a good load.
With open sights I consider this a 100 yard rifle. Mine has the buckhorn sights and all my shots are close. I did take a deer at 52 yards with my .54 Trade Rifle years back and it dropped where it stood. That was with a patch and ball. These are great rifles.
For Flints you can use the 5/8 size or 3/4 width size. Be careful with the 3/4 they take up the entire jaw. I use the 5/8th Thomas Fuller Black English Flints. But I can tell you that the Lyman Agate that come new with the rifle is an excellent flint. I got over 80 shots off one. They are also easier to get the jaw to accept. I use a leather band to hold my flint. Some take a roundball and smash it flat on an anvil and then wrap the flint in that for the jaws to grip. To each their own. I've had lead ball slip the jaws.
I cut my own patches. I go to Wal Mart or any fabric store and purchase a yard fo Blue Stripe or Red Stripe (does not matter) 100% cotton "pillow tick." Wash that in your washing machine, then line dry it. This takes the sizing out of the cloth and makes it easier to accept lube.
Lube.. I use moose milk. Olive oil works good. Spit works good. But stay away from hard lubes. When the barrel gets hot they tend to melt. Lightly spray the patch material for instant lube, or you can saturate the material (it tears easy into strips off the yard of cloth. 5 stripes makes a patch strip.) then lay it out of a laminate table, old window, or even an old window screen. Let it dry. Now the patch is dry, but full of the oil. You can cut your own or load off the bore. I load off the bore. These pillow tick measure .018 thick. And the material is good and solid.
The ball.. Lyman have a big bore. They can use the .490 or even the .495. The .495 will load hard. But they do load. Don't try a .495 in a T/C rifle or CVA as you will have a real problem.
Loads.. for plinking 50 grains works fine. But when I hunt with it, I shoot 90 grains of powder. That will drive that ball length wise through an adult deer, and break bones on the way through.
Your rifle will shoot sabots. If you want 85 grains of powder and a 240 grain XTP. And that will be a good load.
With open sights I consider this a 100 yard rifle. Mine has the buckhorn sights and all my shots are close. I did take a deer at 52 yards with my .54 Trade Rifle years back and it dropped where it stood. That was with a patch and ball. These are great rifles.
07-05-2014, 08:42 AM
#8
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
I went on the premise that since it was an open sight rifle, and limited in the most part to roundball, and some conical bullets.. that his range would be 100 yards and under. Also as for game, a roundball will do fine on most anything at those 100 yard and under ranges. Even in most circumstances. But it is always nice to know the exact shooting situations one might experience.
07-05-2014, 06:28 PM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,762
Joel where are you at in PA. If you're close enough I may be able to meet up with you and help get you started. As the other guys said there are a few other things we need to know such as a flintlock or percussion ignition.
But because you're from PA I am going to assume you got yourself a flintlock for the late season. With that in mind I would recommend you get yourself a can of FFFg black powder. That will suffice for both your charge and your flash pan. Then to further keep costs down I would buy a box of 370 gr Maxiballs and 320 gr Maxihunters. These will eliminate the need to use a patch. But if you want to use a round ball I would recommend a .490" ball then you would also need patches of varying thicknesses. (.010", .015", .020") I would start with the .015" first. You want a patch/ball combo that is snug enough that you have to start with your short starter and then be able to push down the bore smoothly but with a decent amount of resistance. Start out shooting groups with each bullet starting with 80 grains of powder (by volume), then 90 gr, and 100 grs to see what your rifle likes. Be sure to take a range rod with you and plenty of patches to swab the bore out between shots. You can use alcohol to dampen the patch or plain old spit.
Some other things you will need besides powder, patches, balls or bullets are a range rod, powder measure, pan primer (if flinter) or capper, a good ram rod. Those wood ones are nice looking but not so nice when the snap and you run the pointed end into your hand.
When you're done shooting you will need to know how to clean it. But that's another topic.
But because you're from PA I am going to assume you got yourself a flintlock for the late season. With that in mind I would recommend you get yourself a can of FFFg black powder. That will suffice for both your charge and your flash pan. Then to further keep costs down I would buy a box of 370 gr Maxiballs and 320 gr Maxihunters. These will eliminate the need to use a patch. But if you want to use a round ball I would recommend a .490" ball then you would also need patches of varying thicknesses. (.010", .015", .020") I would start with the .015" first. You want a patch/ball combo that is snug enough that you have to start with your short starter and then be able to push down the bore smoothly but with a decent amount of resistance. Start out shooting groups with each bullet starting with 80 grains of powder (by volume), then 90 gr, and 100 grs to see what your rifle likes. Be sure to take a range rod with you and plenty of patches to swab the bore out between shots. You can use alcohol to dampen the patch or plain old spit.
Some other things you will need besides powder, patches, balls or bullets are a range rod, powder measure, pan primer (if flinter) or capper, a good ram rod. Those wood ones are nice looking but not so nice when the snap and you run the pointed end into your hand.
When you're done shooting you will need to know how to clean it. But that's another topic.
07-06-2014, 05:41 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Penns Woods
Posts: 1,628
