Developing a Load Article

[John Morris]

Good day folks, I am new at this, completely new, so anything I find you all have probably seen it. But just in case there are some green folks here like me, I found this article to be a great instructional manual on developing a load. Or not? I would not know a bad article on developing a load if it bit me in the face at this point, but using my common sense, this writing seems to be pretty helpful.

See at: http://traditionalmuzzleloader.com/index.php/developing-an-accurate-load-for-a-black-powder-muzzleloading-rifle by Steve Sells.
Also, is there a relevant article here on ALR that addresses the same challenge of developing a load? I may have missed it. I am not trying to send folks off of ALR, specially if there is an article here already.
Thanks

[Daryl]

John please, before you even start to work up a load, do a search on muzzle crowning. There should be some threads here and pictures on this.

[John Morris]

John please, before you even start to work up a load, do a search on muzzle crowning. There should be some threads here and pictures on this.

Thanks a million Daryl, I do have that at the top of my list, one of the gents in my Got My Gun topic showed me a nice little "how to" on that with photos! Thanks for the reminder! Here it is https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=60658.msg607667#msg607667

[Daryl]

Interesting article, thanks for posting the link, John.
I am not sure about the ballistol/water/drying patch lube for hunting.
That would have to be tested. I did not see if he was able to shoot without
having to wipe the bore. Must have missed that.

[Marcruger]

Daryl's wet patching method works. 

I was shooting today, and followed Daryl's recommendation for firing a reduced load for the last shot, wet-lubed as usual.  After the last shot, I ran a breechface scraper down.  It came back with nothing.  As Daryl said, the wet patching pushes the fowling down on TOP of the powder charge, and all of that goes out the muzzle on firing. 

You are only cleaning out the fouling from the last shot, not building up a fouling pile at the breech to get built up with each shot and hardened.  The reduced charge last shot simply makes the cleaning easier. 

For a load that'll be in a bore all day, like hunting, I'd go for something like mink oil to not foul the charge over time. 

Best wishes,   Marc

[longcruise]

The Sells article has some good information.   I don't do things entirely his way but most of it.  I only strongly disagree with one thing he says and that is this:

"It is very important that you wipe the bore of the barrel between shots with a dry or slightly damp cleaning patch during all this test shooting."

I disagree with wiping with a dry patch.  It will push fouling to the bottom of the breech area and leave it there.  It's Especially problematic with a patent breech where it can interfere with the flash channel.

[Daryl]

Good points guys.