Building Your Own Muzzleloader

[chucker34]

I saw this feature piece on assembling your own muzzleloader in Field and Stream this month. You basically buy a kit that give you all the pieces, which you have to finish and assemble - i.e., blueing the barrel and "white" metal parts, polishing the brass, sanding, finishing, and sealing the stock, and even filing some of the metal parts to smooth custom fit. Looks like a lot of fun actually, but anyone have any experience with this or have any pros/cons of "traditional" muzzleloaders they'd like to share.

I'm completely new to muzzleloading but if I were to order one of these kits, I'd get percussion one instead of a flintlock. And I'd probably do everything myself except for the blueing. I might take that to the gunsmith in town to avoid all the swearing and frustration on my end. LOL.

[mwal]

I built a side lock .54cal kit from T/C it was the New Englander model. I also got the 12ga barrel for it. I have taken several deer with it. It was very satisfying to take a deer with a gun you assemble yourself. My kit had the barrel blued already. The wood to metal fitting took some time but is managable if you go slowly. I rubbed chalk on the metal parts then pressed against wood to leave chalk marks then slowly carved with wood chisel or sand paper depending on how much wood needed to be removed. Then you chalk and try fitting again until your part fit perfectly. I then used tung oil and hande oiled a beautifull finish on the stock. That process took the longest as I wanted a glossy durable finish. I love shooting this rifle and have not wanted to use a inline muzzeloader yet. I also shoot a .50 flintlock but it was not a kit. It has also taken a couple deer. Good luck building the kit. Take your time and it should turn out to be good shooting rifle.

MWal

[HC Eye Hunter]

You are in for a good time! A traditional side lock can have amazing accuracy depending on the projectile and twist rate of the barrel.

The twist rate will dictate what projectile will work best in your gun. If you want to shoot a round ball or maxi ball go with a slow twist like a 1 in 48 or a 1 in 66. If you want to shoot a modern day sabot go with a 1 in 24 twist for stabilization.

I built one years ago with a 1 in 48 and I still use it for for hunting purposes. If I were you and you are capable I would complete the whole job yourself. It's not that tough to cold blue a barrel as long as you follow the directions. My gun is about 20 years old and the cold blue is still holding in there.

Good Luck and have fun!

[chucker34]

Thanks guys. I think it will be a blast and am not above it taking time or encountering difficulties to get the satasfaction of doing a custom job. I was looking at the 50 caliber percussion Hawken model from Cabelas or Dixie Gun Works. This is the one that was in F&S and I've read other good reviews of it on the web.

It has a 1 in 48 twist. Again, I'm new to this, but I've been reading articles. I'd want to use a round ball in that then and not a modern sabot? What are the legal loads for muzzleloading in Minnesota? I can't find a specific enough description in the regs. I've read a round ball would be good for deer at fairly close ranges but want to make sure that whatever I get allows me to use it for deer.

Also, what about browning the barrel instead of blueing it. Any experience doing this? Which look do you prefer?

[mwal]

My .54 is a 1/48 twist so it shoots patched balls or t/c maxi balls. It will not shoot sabots very well. I have taken all my deer with a patched round ball. My new Englander is blued and the Flinlock is browned. The bluing seems to be more durable as I can see wear in the browning but not in the bluing . My flintlock is a 1/66 twist so it only shoots patched balls. As for loads I started shooting at 50 grains of FF black powder and slowly increased them until i noticed unburnt powder on the snow in front of me or when accuracy started to suffer. I ended up shooting in the 89 to 105 grain area in both rifles. All of my kills have been pass thrus with shots in the lungs. All deer barely reacted and ran a few yards before dropping. Remember shooting the with a ball is similar to an arrow you are killing by loss of blood. Not tissue damage and shock like a hi powered rifle. Maxi balls may have a little more omph as they weigh more. I limit my shots to 75 yards or less due to iron sights.

Mwal

[chucker34]

Thanks Mwal. Good info to know. Up until now, I have been strictly archery. Went shotgun hunting a few times but didn't get anything. I'm thinking this will be a lot of fun regardless of hunting with it! Most of my hunting shots would be 50 yards or less as I hunt in woods and near farms, etc. Not willing or worthwhile to take much of a longer shot.

So with a traditional ML, how often do you have to clean the barrell? I mean, I would assume its best practice to do so when you are done shooting each day. But do you need to clean after each shot and/or how many shots can you go before accuracy usually starts being impacted?

[HC Eye Hunter]

Yes, you will want to use a round ball. I use a .490 round ball with a patch in my 50 cal. TC precussion and I have also used prelubed maxi balls and prelubed deer slayers with great success. My 1 in 48 twist gun will not shoot a sabot.

It will take some experimenting for you to find the right load but that's half the fun. Also keep in mind that a muzzleloader works more on shot placement rather than using shock power for killing the animal. So, find the load that best fits the gun.

[HC Eye Hunter]

When you are dealing with black powder or pyrodex you will have to clean your barrel. Both powders are very corrosive and it is imparative to keep the gun clean.

I run a patch after every other shot but you will want to experiment.

After you are done shooting you will want to clean your gun. Cleaning can be done with the several good biodegradable cleaners on the market or you can remove the barrel and submerge in hot soapy water, patch your ramrod, put in the barrel and swav the barrel. The hot water will be pulled through the nipple and into the barrel cleaning everything. You may also want to get some pipe cleaners to clean the chamber between the nipple and the barrel.

[chucker34]

Thanks guys. HC Eye Hunter, that doesn't sound that bad. So you don't normally use a brush on the ramrod? I'd imagine if you're good about cleaning it regularly, a patch with cleaner will do the trick. I'm used to shooting clay pigeons with my shotgun a few days a row and then cleaning it. That usually requires a good cleaning with a brush with several patches wrapped around and then several patches by themselves before I finish with a patch with just oil on it.

Are there any sorts of ramrod materials that are better than others? I guess I'm asking do you think it matters if its wood or metal or what have you? Does one or the other pose less chance of scratching the barrel and rifling, therefore impacting accuracy, etc. in your opinion.

[HC Eye Hunter]

No, cleaning isn't as bad as some say, all you need is a cleaning jag for your ramrod and a patch. If your kit comes with a wood ramrod as mine did you may want to upgrade to a fiberglass ramrod. Just make sure it fits the gun.

As you know a muzzleloader is completly different than a rifle or a shotgun and in turn requires different care. Keep everything clean and oiled when it is put away and you will be fine. One trick I use when I put the gun away for the season is to saturate a patch with Break free or a good oil and swav the barrel. When I am done doing that I take that same patch and put it over the nipple and close the hammer on it. Doing this seems to prevent any potential problems of rust building in that area.