Any words of wisdom for a black powder newbie?

[brokedownbiker]

Just picked up a Lyman Great Plains .54 caliber muzzle-loader and am going out next weekend with some friends to learn the ropes but, knowing my buddies, it will be a prank-filled education.

Soooo, anybody got any pointers, advice, warnings? I've got plenty of experience with modern firearms but as far as muzzle-loaders go I'm a blank slate, so don't be afraid to start with the basics. Anything that will help me keep SOME of my dignity LOL.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

aside from pranks
Measure carefully, mark your rod before and after the first time you load and pack the ball that way you can always check the marking to see if it's loaded, unloaded or God forbid double loaded. Make sure that all powder has burned out of the barrel before pouring in the next load as that can be exciting and take your time with hang fires and keep ot pointed safely.
Black powder is alot of fun and I get to deer hunt every year with them as well. It adds an element of "i wonder if everything will work" to the hunt because nothing is for sure.
Man have fun, not sure what they will pull on ya but enjoy!

[jimmycthemd]

One other thing to remember is to make extra sure you keep your black powder gun clean. Black powder is much more corrosive than the newer smokeless powder.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Here is my rod that shows the loaded line.



Unless you are just trying to stay traditional i also shy away from wood rods as they can splinter and leave nasty things in your hand. I stay with aluminum but do own a few fiberglass but really dont like them.
Like jimmycthemd said that stuff is very corrosive and it's not uncommon for me to come back a month later and find a spot i missed.

[brokedownbiker]

Great stuff, thanks. Marking the rod is exactly the kind of info I was looking for! anybody got more?

The cleaning thing is one of the things I'm most concerned about, I've gotten so much conflicting advice I'm thoroughly confused. I guess it will come down to picking one person's method and seeing how it works.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

The cleaning thing is one of the things I'm most concerned about, I've gotten so much conflicting advice I'm thoroughly confused. I guess it will come down to picking one person's method and seeing how it works.

Cleaning is never easy with these just try different things and lots of attention. Check them regularly because like i said you will quickly find anything missed. Before loading the first time bust some caps through it so it burns out the oil because if you load it with oil sitting in the breech it will kill the powder and give you a misfire or a partial burn