If I was starting into muzzleloading right now, first thing I would do is buy or build a 54 caliber mountain rifle. Traditional. Sidelock. Percussion or flint. I would put a very good front and rear sight on the gun and get myself a powder horn.
That is how I did start into muzzleloading back in the 1980s, except I got a 50 caliber gun. My current self would tell my younger self – trust me, you want a fifty-four. Or bigger.
Here’s what I would not do. I would not buy everything piecemeal. I would get a kit like the awesome kits from Muzzle-loaders dot com. I just ordered the flintlock ultimate muzzleloader starter kit. Here’s the link:
Spoiler alert! I am going to show you what is in the box. Stop reading now if you like surprises. You have been warned.
The box just showed up and I sliced it open carefully and what to my wondering eyes did appear but a new range bag. But it’s not just a range bag. It has interior mesh pockets, a bottle pouch, external hangers for hanging gear on the outside and expanding exterior pockets. The bag has a shoulder strap which makes this a legit possibles bag.
Next out was a powder horn. I love powder horns and I got lucky with this one. It has wooden stoppers on both ends and a cool offset twist.
And then came the flints. Flints are pretty cool. You get two with this kit.
Look at this little piece of technology. Shaped like a square or a rectangle with an edge.
Flints were made in large quantities for various sizes of hammers that fit muskets, shotguns, pistols and rifles also fire starters. In France, in Great Britain, in Spain, in Nepal, in Denmark and in America, particularly at Fort Frederica, flint knappers crafted small rectangles of sparking rock. Working from dawn to dusk, a good knapper could turn out 1,000 to 3,000 flints a day. Whether they wanted to or not.
Call it the prison industrial complex’s original idea.
A 300-year-old flint is a link to the past. Another man made that flint, probably a prisoner of war or a political prisoner that gave up his or her freedom and in so doing, made it possible for you to celebrate your freedom.
Next out of the box was something I wish I had known about back in the ’80s. October Country’s dry daisy shooting patch. They fold on top, not the side of the ball. Trushhhh me. Big deal.
One of the most important things in a muzzleloader kit is a bullet starter. Muzzle-loader dot com’s bullet starter is as good as they get.
Next out of the box was a bottle of Thor cleaning solvent. This is a must-have for black powder shooters. A bottle of cleaning solvent will be the first thing you use after a range session.
Here is another thing I like. Pre-lubed cleaning patches from Thor. A very nice innovation that I KNOW Daniel Boone would have loved.
In the same vein, Thor’s rust prevent packages. Blackpowder is messy and corrosive and these are the products that keep your gun in good shooting condition.
Next out of the box was a package of ramrod accessories: brass tip, copper brush, soft cleaning brush, screw ball puller and patch grabber. No kidding! A patch grabber! In almost 40 years of muzzleloader shooting, I have never had one. But I have needed one of these half a dozen times.
Next out came a bullet loading jag. Always useful to have an extra.
And then I reached in the box and pulled out a flintlock tool kit. Daniel Boone is standing up in his grave cheering right now. A fire channel and bore brush, jaw rod and screwdriver tool, a pan brush and cleaning pick. Once you have these things you can’t not have them. If you shoot flint.
Next out of the box came two packages of speed loaders. That is count them six (6) speed loaders. Speed loaders save your hunts. Speed loaders save your season. You gotta have a half dozen in your possibles bag.
Okay Daniel, lie back down, you’re scaring me.
Next out was a powder measure, all brass, funnel swivels to level off the powder. Holds up to 120 grains of black powder. All brass construction does not cause spark.
Now what is this? A brass pan primer. This would have helped me on my last flinter turkey hunt. Very nice little item I wish I’d had. Got it now.
Reached in again. What! Two more English flints.
Reached in again. Flint jaw pads. Just what you need. Before you need them. Saves trimming off the tongue of your boot. Betcha that was a thing back in the day!
Every muzzleloader needs patches and the last thing I took out of the box was a pack of 100 two-inch diameter 100 percent cotton cleaning patches.
Okay, again, here is what comes in the kit:
Range Bag
Wooden Ball Starter
Magnum Speed Loaders – 2 Pack
Ramrod Accessories Pack
Cleaning Patches
Shooting Patches
Flints
Leather Flintlock Jaw Pads
Powder Horn
Rust Prevent Patches
Pre-Saturated Cleaning Patches
Bore Solvent
Flintlock Tool Kit
Brass Pan Primer
Brass Powder Measure
And here is the link for the Muzzle-loaders.com Flintlock Ultimate Muzzleloader Starter Kit.
Gary Lewis is host of the TV show Frontier Unlimited and the podcast Gary Lewis Outdoorsman. Visit garylewisoutdoors.com
KEY WORDS:
muzzleloader, blackpowder, sidelock, muzzleloader kit, flintlock, Traditions, Kentucky rifle, trade rifle, shotgun, scattergun, blunderbuss