First Time Muzzleloader Questions

[bigamehunter]

Hi everyone, I've been wanting to try BP for a while now and just took a 50 Cal. Knight T-Bolt on a trade and would like to learn as much as I can about the rifle, what I need to get started {just got the gun nothing else} and the sport in general.
Thanks,
Mitch

[DD4lifeusmc]

personally I never heard of this rifle
So I googled and got this info.
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufact...BOLT-36920.htm
and a couple other forum sites.
I am presuming from the looks you open the bolt and breech load this?
it appears you load the bullet of proper size, then powder pellets instead of bulk.
you may have to find the manual on it to confirm bullet size.
Most .50 cal take a .50 diameter bullet.
One source is showing 50 cal powerbelts.
One cource is showing 3 30 gr pyrodex pellets.
One source shows using musket percussion caps.
other sources say a 209 primer can be used. they make conversion kits.
It appears it is an inline, so a regular cleaning rifle cleaning kit should work
This is definitely not a traditional side lock.
I would use a bore lite to thoroughly check the bore and breech for cleanliness and corrosion. And you may need to get a ram rod for it. Original was probably brass or fiber glass. There are a lot of aftermarket fibreglass ramrods available, find one that works.
Good luck with it. I prefer the traditional side locks.

[TB9]

well that looks like a traditional plunger or striker fired inline muzzleloader your gonna need the take down tool to remove the nipple and breech plug . check around on the different sites ,gunbroker and the like or maybe the cva tool looks like it will fit . those are nice guns all you need is the take down tool some powder and the caps and a projectile of your choice and your good to go . got a cleaning kit for a shotgun take out the breech plug and clean like a center fire . except ya know the black powder but that's easy . HTH

[PetahW]

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Welcome to TFL !

I bought a Knight .50 T-Bolt, new, in the day - and found it shot very well, but I later sent it down the road after the "simpler-to-operate" (IMO) & clean T/C Omega was introduced.

I don't really remember a whole lot about it, except that IMO the workmanship was excellent.

The Knight Rifle forum might have info on it: http://forums.knightrifles.com/

Muzzleloader hunting & shooting can be a lot of fun, and inlines with removable breechplugs are the easiest to clean/maintain.

AFAIK, Knight still supplies their own "special" oil & bore cleaner, w/video - that I use on many frontstuffers.

The inlines generally do their best with one of the sabot rounds - usually a .45 or .44 jacketed pistol bullet encased in a bore-sized plastic shoe (sabot).

They do well with one of the black powder substitites, like Pyrodex, etc - but some of the subs (like 777/Triple-7) will leave a hard-to-clean ring of crud in the bore, just ahead of the chamber area.

Besides the Knight T-Bolt tool, you'll need a BP measure, a short bullet starter,and most likely some speedloaders to carry ready-to-load charges.


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[Pahoo]

Not too much to add to what PetahW, has listed except that the breech plug tool or rod, is pretty much standard to these Knights. Because this is new to you, cross you fingers and get down to removing that plug. The logic is to remove the nipple and then the plug. Plugs on In-lines, have a reputation for getting stuck. Strangely in my case, the nipple was stuck, "fast" in the plug. The plug came right out but my nipple is still stuck ..

Welcome aboard and;
Be Safe !!!

[bigamehunter]

OK Thanks. Any recommendations for full bore bullets/balls? I live in Oregon so no sabots for hunting.

[Pahoo]

Any recommendations for full bore bullets/balls?

I still run these so not up on what finished projectiles, are out there. My recommendations and not necessarily in order, are;

Hornady Great Plaines.
Maxi-Balls
Maxi-Hunters
Buffalo Bore.

You can still shoot RB but if you are hunting, I'd go with a conical. Go to Sportsman's Warehouse or Cabelas and see what those boys recommend. ....

Be Safe !!!

[PetahW]

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FWIW, if/when you get the breechplug "out" (unscrewed), be sure to have a tube of commercial inline muzzleloader breechplug anti-sieze compound on hand (WallyWorld), to apply to the threads prior to re-installing it (to make the next time a snap).

Fahgettabout T/C MaxiBalls - in my direct (bad) experience, they "pencil through" deer, w/o expanding, making for a tracking PITA, if not a game loss (run off/unfound).

The T/C Maxi-Hunter's, OTOH, do a good job, as does the Hornady Great Plains (the only other I have experience with).


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[bigamehunter]

Thanks guys! That is a big help.

The breach was already out when I got it, will get some of that stuff so don't have trouble down the road.
Thanks,
Mitch

[TB9]

the great plains is an excellent bullet for a traditional round . I used them in my deer hunter carbine with great results . ive not tried them in my inline yet as I use pb's in that.

[Pahoo]

Fahgettabout T/C MaxiBalls

Won't argue with that but back, during The SideLock Renaissance, it was the first conical that I ran and shot. My current Hunter, is the Hornady Great Plaines. Now, I have gotten some very nice groups with the Buffalo Bores but for some of the big-boys you are likely to run into, in Oregon, These might be too light. I know that the Great Plaines, are pricy but I also run these and that keeps my cost down. ....

Be Safe !!!

[enyaw]

I read a suggestion bout using fiberglass ramrods. No no. They are very very abrasive and screw up the rifles muzzle area screwing up the accuracy.
Then beginning of the rifling lands at the muzzle can attain no wear from a ramrod without accuracy decline.
When shooting remember first off to remove all oil from the bore and especially the flash channel in the breech plug. Don't want to have only a snap of a cap instead of the boom of the powder when aiming at a big buck.
Pure lead bullets sized at .002 in. over land diameter go in straight(most imperative to accuracy) and expand the other .002 in. when the powder obsturates the bullet. Pure lead is a good hunting bullet. Test for the powder charge that is hot enough for hunting that has accuracy.
The flatter the front end of the bullet the better for a nice "wack" hitting game that you want to go right down.
Great Plains bullets have that sharp first driving band that is a good thing.
Never use a round nose bullet. They stretch the hole open that closes up too much behind the bullet.
Bullet weight from 400gr. upwards is a good rule to follow with non-saboted bullets of lead(if sabots aren't allowed). Funny rule.....since lighter bullets travel faster and pack a good womp like when a 250 grainer travels 2,000fps. at modest muzzle loading rifle ranges.
Putting a thin lube pill/grease cookie of smokeless powder lube under the bullet may stop the "hard ring" of fouling behind the bullet with 777 powder.
One powder to try besides the good ole Holy Black(I'd recommend) is that Alliant Black MZ. Seems like a good consistant powder to me.
Get the powder measure and look at a reliable source for load data.
Get the short starter to load the bullets.
Get a ramrod to seat the bullets. A ramrod with the coated non abrasive,non dirt imbedding, protection for the crown of the muzzle. Fixing the crown properly when it wears in an inline with the reamed area that sets back the crown(the area the bullet sits in at the muzzle to stabilize it straight to load straight) isn't real easy. It takes a piloted reamer to do by hand. Brownells sells the pilot at 50cal. and the reamer(smaller diameter one that can get to the beginning of the lands) that will put a 45 degree(concentric with the bore centerline) to the beginning of the lands at the muzzle to set a worn crown right again so the gun shoots right again.
Huntin out in the woods....take little things like pipe cleaners(clean the flash channel)and breech plug wrench tool and screw driver and pliars ect.ect.for any thing that pops up with the rifle maintainance.
Naturally a good comfortable possibles bag of leather with a top flap that's rain/wet snow proof is a good idea.
Speedloader for the quick load after the game is shot(always reload immediately after the first shot is taken at game whether or not you hit).
Water proof powder flask or a water proof place to keep it. A powder flask with an adjustable charge to it is a good thing and can eliminate the powder measure when hunting. Like the copper flasks with the removable spouts of different powder charges by volume.
Just go over the sequence of loading and that tellsya what to get to load.
Wipe out bore and flash channel,pour in the right amount of powder,start the bullet,push the bullet down on the powder(bullet always down on the powder),cap the nipple and then fire.
Ramrod,pipe cleaner,powder measure/adjustableflask, short starter,ramrod,capper(if needed) and caps, possibles bag(or nice big pockets) to carry stuff while hunting.
Always carry a "quick load" to reload fast after shooting game(might need the "coupe de grais" to end the thing faster on downed game.
Never shoot at game past your 100% bulls-eye capability. Aim small miss small.
I'd recommend getting a trade to end up with a top of the line side lock Hawken Rifle. Sorry....had to add that.
One with the shallow grooved fast twist rifling for conical bullets but.....the lead round ball is one lethal projectile within it's range(hundred yards with a 50cal). Inlines have too fast of a rifling twist for the round ball other than reduced plinking small game loads. Patched balls strip thru the fast rifling when loaded up hot. Balls like the slow twist.
Pedersoli makes a real nice fast twist rifling side lock Hawken. It would look nicer hangin on the wall of a huntin cabin. Just jokin round.
I'm a traditional rifle shooter. Of course I have a 45/70 barrel on my Hawken. A bullet swag to make the bullets loadable in the muzzle. Not really too well known though is......Hawken Brothers shop records show that they made one conical bullet shootin Hawken for a hunter that hunted the Great Plains.
Just one conical bullet shooter(they called it a "pointed bullet") out of all the rifles they made. That is a testament to the respect for the lead ball the shooters of old had.