Help Please

[HarryAreola]

I was given a BPI "Hunter" .50 cal Black Powder with an octagon barrel. It did not have a manual so I don't know what powder, how much powder, what kind of bullets, or how to clean it. I am new to the muzzleloader/black powder scene so any help would be great. Still trying to get some help from BPI but nothing yet. It is not a breech loader. Thanks for your time. The last 2 of the serial numbers are 02 if that helps.

[rollingb]

Welcome to our TMA forum Harry.  

[Bigsmoke]

Hello Harry,
Welcome to the TMA Forum.
One thing that rollingb did not mention was you should pay particular attention to your ramrod.  It should have 2 brass ends on it, one is flared and the other is tapered.  Look closely at them and see if they are pinned onto the ends of the rod.  If they are, you're good to go.  If not, you should drill holes completely through them (dimple each place you are going to drill) and insert either a piece of brass round stock or a metal roll pin.  3/32" works fine.  It should be 3/8" long.
Also thoroughly wet the cleaning patch before you run it down the barrel, else it will hang up in the barrel and you will be writing another letter to us wondering how to get that out.
Items you will need to load the rifle are an adjustable powder measure 0-120 grains, a short starter of the appropriate size and an appropriate size pour lid for your powder container.  Horns, flasks and other things can come later, the pour lid works fine.
For the ramrod, you will need a correct size cleaning jag and ball puller.
There are dozens of other goodies that you can get later, for now this will get you shooting.  They can all be found on line at Track of the Wolf, Dixie Gun Works, October Country, The Gun Works, etc.  All good places to do business with.
You should also get a spare nipple, I think the right size for you will be 6 x .75 mm
Best of success with the new rifle, hope you really like it and join our happy little group.
John

[HarryAreola]

Here are a few pics if that helps. Its a BPI-Connecticut Valley Arms Black powder "Hunter"
Thanks

[Uncle Russ]

I can see from the picture it is a sidelock / caplock, and I can see it has a jag on the end of the ram rod.....that is the end you place a small thin wet patch, you want that patch to be just a little bit tight. but not too tight! or you may not be able to withdraw the rod. then gently push it down the bore. push it all the way down, as far as it will go, you want to make sure there is not a powder charge and a patched ball that has been left from the previous owner, and insure you are at the "bottom" of the barre......also look for some marks on the end near where you will be holding in your hand / fingers......those marks are put there by many people to mark the seating depth of a preferred load, myself included.

The caliber of the rifle should be marked on the top or side of the barrel.

If you have any problems be sure to post it here so our qualified members can help you with getting started.

Uncle Russ...

[rollingb]

Near the top of this forum's index page you will see,... About Traditional Muzzleloaders,.... it is a link with lots of information regarding the basic nature of traditional style muzzleloaders (which your's is), click on the link for more information.

One thing I overlooked in my earlier post is,... [size=200]NEVER[/size] [size=150]USE SMOKELESS POWDER IN YOUR MUZZLELOADER!!!!![/size][/color]

[HarryAreola]

Thank you for all your help guys. I stopped by Cabelas today and bought 295 grain aero tip Powerbelts today and #11 caps. I found a manual and it looks like the minimum is 50 grains and the max is 100.  I ran into a worker there who knew a ton about the gun and what to shoot. I plan on shooting it this weekend and maybe harvest a deer with it when season opens.

[Hanshi]

Those are actually pretty good rifles for target and hunting; I owned one for over 20 years.  Mine accounted for quite a few deer.  

After cleaning the bore, always make sure it's dry.  I've used an old hair dryer/alcohol/WD40, at one time or another, to make sure there was no moisture left in the bore.  Mop the bore with Barricade to protect against rust.  If you use a gun oil, that has to be removed completely before shooting.  If you use a substitute powder instead of real black powder, clean the bore carefully and never leave it loaded and unfired; subs are quite corrosive.  Black isn't corrosive but the fouling from black is; always clean on the same day you shoot.  After you clean the gun make sure to check it daily for the first week then once each week after that.  Make good smoke.

[rollingb]

Thank you for all your help guys. I stopped by Cabelas today and bought 295 grain aero tip Powerbelts today and #11 caps. I found a manual and it looks like the minimum is 50 grains and the max is 100.  I ran into a worker there who knew a ton about the gun and what to shoot. I plan on shooting it this weekend and maybe harvest a deer with it when season opens.

FWIW,.... I've been shooting muzzleloaders since 1968, and I have yet to shoot my first "suppository-type" bullet out of any of'em,.... way too expensive for my tastes, especially when I can cast over 100 round balls for a measly $6.00, and I've taken numerous deer, caribou, elk, antelope, coyotes, and black bears over the years with my muzzleloaders.
Plus,.... when shooting "competition" only round balls are allowed.  

[HarryAreola]

That's good to know as i would like to shoot some round balls. I just went on the suggestion of the Cabelas Black Powder guy.  Thanks

[Bigsmoke]

Harry,
I am not so sure that the "black powder guys" at sporting goods stores are always the people to be believed.
Case in point:  Maybe 35 years ago, I went into a Big 5 store in Spokane, WA.  Just for grins, I decided to play dumb (easy for me) and asked to see a T/C Renegade.  I asked him a couple of questions about this and that, and finally pointed to the set trigger and asked him what the second trigger was about.  That, he proclaimed, is your built in spare trigger.  If the front one should happen to break, you always have the second one to rely upon.
True story.
I knew I couldn't hold on to my laughter too long, so I thanked him and walked quickly out of the store.

[TallTexan]

Thank you for all your help guys. I stopped by Cabelas today and bought 295 grain aero tip Powerbelts today and #11 caps. I found a manual and it looks like the minimum is 50 grains and the max is 100.  I ran into a worker there who knew a ton about the gun and what to shoot. I plan on shooting it this weekend and maybe harvest a deer with it when season opens.

For what it's worth, unless your new rifle has a fast rate of twist and rifling specifically for conical bullets, your grouping using anything but a patched round ball (PRB) is going to be dismal. Does your barrel have the twist rate stamped on it?

[rollingb]

Harry,
I am not so sure that the "black powder guys" at sporting goods stores are always the people to be believed.
Case in point:  Maybe 35 years ago, I went into a Big 5 store in Spokane, WA.  Just for grins, I decided to play dumb (easy for me) and asked to see a T/C Renegade.  I asked him a couple of questions about this and that, and finally pointed to the set trigger and asked him what the second trigger was about.  That, he proclaimed, is your built in spare trigger.  If the front one should happen to break, you always have the second one to rely upon.
True story.
I knew I couldn't hold on to my laughter too long, so I thanked him and walked quickly out of the store.

:rotf

[HarryAreola]

Twist rate is 1:48

[Bigsmoke]

Well, now, rollingb, that just makes perfectly good sense to me.  Hey, .44 =.44, does it not?
I think I will start a new thread about gun store experts say the silliest things and see what we get.
John