Muzzle reloading so to speak

[IAM Rand]

I am looking into getting a bullet mold for my father's black powder rifle. It is a TC 50 cal. I already cast for other pistol calibers and use powder coating instead of lube. I am a little rusty on muzzle loaders but, would like to try powder coating the projectiles for the rifle.

It would be a 50 cal Maxi bullet about 325 gr. Not sure if there is a down side that I can see. Am I missing something? I can't recall if you need a patch with a maxi bullet or not and would that negate the need for powder coating? If I recall, the maxi balls only need lube.

 

[diyj98]

You're correct, you just need lube, no patch.

 

[OKFC05]

You need to know the rifling twist on your father's TC 50 cal rifle.
If it has the traditional slow twist rifling, the proper load is a patched ball.
Maxi balls are intended for "modern" fast twist barrels.
I have both types of muzzleloaders, and you must use the correct load to match the rifling twist for accuracy and safety.

 

[Heinz]

Powder coating a ball you were going to load with a patch would not seem to offer any benefit. Powder coating a maxiball sized to shoot without a patch is an interesting concept. Remember yo want the maxiball to fit tightly enough it does not drift up away from the powder charge when handling.
If you need to increase the bullet or ball diameter slightly you can do so by putting a screw into the bullet through the charging hole and coating a ball, or bullet, as cast with valve lapping compound (toothpaste works in a piinch) and spinning the ball with a hand drill

 

[IAM Rand]

Looking through what he was using previously, he had some TC Maxiballs, 370 grains. He would lube them up then wrap them with saran wrap and put them in a quick load tube. He was using pyrodex, FFG equivalent, I wouldn't swear to it but I think 100gr.

 

[Fishinfool]

I don't know if I would use an unlubricated bullet in a black powder firearm. Bullet and Patch lubrication help keep powder fouling soft and allow for easier reloading.

Larry

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

No patch with a Maxi ball. I lubed mine with bore butter or a soft lube made from beeswax and either crisco or bore butter. If you plan on casting your own, use pure lead. A maxi ball needs to bump up into the rifling groves when fired so the harder lead alloys won't be as accurate. This is true with hollow based Minnie balls too. They won't obturate into the rifling as well as soft lead. I'm wondering here too if powder coating would interfere with that as well but have no experience on that.

John

 

[IAM Rand]

That was my whole idea, use powder coating so I wouldn't have to lube the bullet or worry about leading/fowling the barrel. My question would be if the powder might react with the coating and what other problems might arise.

 

[Class III]

As stated earlier, you need to know the twist rate of the barrel.

I've got two TC White Mountain Carbines. Both are scoped and setup to use musket caps. Other than the twist rate, they are identical.

My slow twist is 1:38 and it LOVES a patched ball and 85 gr of FFG Pyrodex. It is used exclusively when I'm hunting in timber where no shot will be longer than about 50 yards.

My other TCWMC has a fast twist barrell, 1:21. It absolutely will not shoot a patched ball or Maxiball/Buffalo Bullet with any type of accuracy over any load. It's favorite load is a 240 gr Hornady XPT .429 SJHP in a plastic sabot over 10gr Goex FFG and two 50gr Pyrodex Pellets. This loading has consistently produced three shot 3" groups @ 100 yard and is responsible for my longest muzzle loader kill on a WT deer, 196 yards, lazer verified.

It's easy to determine your barrels twist rate. Simply use a cleaning rod with a free spinning handle with cleaning brush attached. Push the rod all the way into the barrel. Mark the cleaning rod at 12:00, TDC, aligned with the front sight, whatever you want to call it. Pull the rod out of the barrel until the mark you made on the cleaning rod is again in the same position as when you marked the rod when fully inserted in the barrel. Viola, now you know your barrels twist rate and can start testing your loads.

Class III

 

[Chubbs103]

I have never had a problem with leading in a muzzle loader. Powder coating will not help with powder fouling. I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze here.

 

[IAM Rand]

I have a TC Hawken clone I think. I will check with the cleaning rod but, from what I am seeing on line it could be 1-44 or 1-66. I recall both maxi ball and the conical hollow base being shout out of it. I am looking at getting some bullet molds to play around with. I powder coat other bullets. Just thought I might help with a muzzle loader. This is going to be more of an experiment. Not sure I am ready to go elk or deer hunting with it unless I get some fantastic results.

Not sure of the logic of this but, it the twist is slower, would it stabilize the bullet by increasing the powder to push it faster?

 

[rkrcpa]

Standard TC Hawken twist rate is 1:48 which will stabilize both round ball and conical. There was also a round ball barrel that had a twist rate of 1:66 but I believe that barrel would be marked as such.

I think that even if you powdercoat you would still want to lube the bullet because of the fouling from the black powder.

 

[Uraldriver]

I don't think the BP will react with the Powder coat but not using lube would be a mistake with BP. BP fouling needs a lube to stay soft.

 

[clang444]

I've got a .50 cal Lyman Deerstalker with 1:48" rifling. It is very accurate with a .490 patched round ball over 75 gr of Pyrodex out to at least 100 yards.

 

[IAM Rand]

I am using Pyrodex, I know that it still needs to be cleaned but, is it cleaner that true black powder? I also got some Triple 7 ffg.

 

[twodog max]

In the past I have shot lots of Maxi balls I cast in a TC muzzle loader. Even if using Pyrodex or any black powder substitute you have to lube. The lube is as much to keep fouling manageable as to prevent leading. DO NOT powder coat. The maxi balls are made to fit closely in the bore and to obturate upon firing to engage the rifling. Powder coating will make the bullet oversize so that it will be difficult or impossible to seat and may prevent it performing correctly upon firing.
If I remember correctly all TC ML are 1in 48 twist as a compromise so that both round balls and maxi balls will shoot. At least all the several I have owned were and did.
Pyrodex is somewhat cleaner than black powder but the rifle has to be promptly and correctly cleaned soon after use. Triple 7 gives a little more time but still requires proper cleaning.
Do a search for ML cleaning and there are thousands of video on the subject. Just remember shortcuts provide poor results and rust.
ML firearms are simple if you stick to basics.

 

[IAM Rand]

I have cleaned muzzle loaders before. I am confident in that regard. As to the size of the bullet after powder coating, I would use a sizer. I under stand your concerns. My belief is that the sized maxi would still receive the same benefits an an unsized un powder coated bullet. I have a little Keith curiosity in me and will take all precautions when shooting my test bullets.

 

[twodog max]

The powder coating makes the surface hard. I believe it will make it very difficult for the rifling to engrave even slightly even if sized when seating the bullet.
I cannot see any reason to go to the bother to powder coat when pure lead Maxi balls work very well with minimal problems.
I once tried alloyed lead for maxi balls. After fighting the first one down the bore I learned my lesson and went back to pure lead. I think powder coated will give the same effect of seating difficulty.

 

[sheppard]

Regarding pyrodex, it will leave less fouling than black powder, but at the end of the day you must clean the bore thoroughly because it is more corrosive than black powder.

 

[Heinz]

If you really want to experiment with maximizing accuracy look into using an oiled paper patch wrapped around the bullet.
Ned Roberts "The Muzzle Loading Caplock Rifle" has a wealth of information on this technique. You can get your library to borrow a copy for you if they do not have one. Of course you may have one yourself.

I have been shooting black powder guns since 1964. Experimenting with new things is good. Powder coating might be the cats whiskers if you wipe the bore between shots. There is only one way to find out