An important reminder if you’re using powder in pellet form: You don’t want to crush the pellets with too much force as this will result in uneven ignition and marginal accuracy. I like to give the rod a smart tap when I get to the bottom of the stroke, regardless of whether I’m using loose powder or pellets. Heavy-duty one-piece range rods are longer than the rod supplied with your gun, and they have a comfortable handle that makes pushing and pulling easier.Īlways exert the same amount of pressure when seating the bullet on the propellant charge. If you shoot a lot, consider buying a range rod for swabbing the barrel and seating bullets. I also make my own moist patches by placing a bunch of them into a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, then pouring T/C’s Number 13 solvent over the patches and letting them sit for a while so the solvent is fully absorbed. Having the patches just moist to the touch is best. I use T/C pre-lubed patches for the damp patch with one warning: To ensure the patches stay moist, T/C places a surplus amount of solvent in each container, and I suggest you remove five or six patches and squeeze the juice out of them before use. T/C and Knight offer round patches that work great, and I’ve also used 2-inch-square patches with fine results. I haven’t found any significant advantages between patch material, size or shape as long as the patch fits snugly in the bore. Many shooters prefer to cut their own, using cheap flannel or similar material. I prefer commercial patches because they’re cut for the bore-size of your muzzleloader. I’ve found that one slightly moistened patch followed by a dry patch results in excellent ease of loading and accuracy. Next, you can swab a second time with a moist patch or simply run a dry patch down the bore. These short jabs prevent the ramrod from getting stuck in the barrel.Īlways discard the first moistened patch after removing it from the bore. Instead, push the barely moist-to-the-touch patch down the bore in 4- to 5-inch jabs. Doing so piles up residue on the patch, and as this accumulation increases the patch gets tighter in the barrel, to the point the ramrod is almost impossible to pull back out. Don’t push the rod to the bottom of the barrel in one stroke. Swabbing is a simple job, but I regularly see shooters doing it wrong. I believe the tiny amount of moisture left in the bore after swabbing also makes it easier to seat the bullet. Swabbing the barrel with a damp patch removes ignition residue and prevents build-up in the bore that results in difficult bullet loading and poor accuracy. Swabbing can be done with pre-soaked patches from the factory or “spit patches,” whereby you chew on a patch until it soaks with saliva. Basics For Better Groupsįor the best accuracy, you should swab the barrel after each shot when sighting-in at the range. I then proceeded to teach him the basics of how to get the most out of a muzzleloader. 209 shotshell primers, some moistened and dry patches, my trusty range rod and a box of 250-grain T/C ShockWave saboted bullets. I placed a box of Hodgdon’s Triple Seven pellets on the shooting bench, as well as a box of Winchester No. Because my friend has a 100-yard shooting range in his backyard, we grabbed my muzzleloader supplies and headed for the door. How about helping me sight-in this new Encore?” A friend had just opened a big cardboard box from Thompson/ Center and handed me his shiny new muzzleloader. If your muzzleloader isn’t as accurate as you’d like, the problem might be “operator error.”
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