Bullet types

So i am very new to muzzleloaders but not new to shooting or reloading. I was just wondering what can i use in my .50 cal side lock muzzleloader? It is a morse navy arms .50 cal. I cannot seem to find any round ball ammo nor molds so was thinking of running sabot or conicals, is that ok to use in my rifle? And if they are what is the procedure to loading them? I know how to load round ball. Sorry in advance for such a noob question but in my opinion theres no such thing as a stupid question especially when it comes to firearms. Thanks for any and all advice.

Stick with round balls, or Minnie balls. Track of the wolf sells both in bullet and mold form.

You'll need to know your twist rate. You'll need faster than 1:30 for sabots.

Lots of sabot barrels are in the 1:20ish range.

If it's 1:48, a sabot won't work well. If it's 1:66, a sabot won't work at all.

Midway USA has .490 balls in stock. 21 cent each.


P.S. And what's up with everyone using the term Running now? Has the forum gone Mall Ninja all of a sudden?

Jf71 said:

So i am very new to muzzleloaders but not new to shooting or reloading. I was just wondering what can i use in my .50 cal side lock muzzleloader? It is a morse navy arms .50 cal. I cannot seem to find any round ball ammo nor molds so was thinking of running sabot or conicals, is that ok to use in my rifle? And if they are what is the procedure to loading them? I know how to load round ball. Sorry in advance for such a noob question but in my opinion theres no such thing as a stupid question especially when it comes to firearms. Thanks for any and all advice.

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Track of the Wolf or Dixie Gun Works sells round ball. Search Lee molds for an inexpensive .490 and .495 mold if you’re inclined to make them yourself. For $5, buy yourself a Dixie Gun Works catalog. Tons of stuff for sale and lots of basic information about black powder guns. You can buy patch material at either site, or go to Walmart and buy some red and blue pillow ticking, wash and dry before using. Find some 2 or 3F black powder or compatible synthetic, but do not use smokeless powder under any circumstance. Then find some #11 percussion caps. See if you can find a BP club near you and join them. That’s where you’ll learn the most. I’d remove the scope and shoot with open sites. Good luck, it’s a great hobby to get involved in.

Awesome thanks for the replies im in canada so i will see if any of those companies mentioned will ship stuff here. Ya i am part of a club so will be getting some hands on help at some point. Going to check out cabelas tonight they have “limited stock” for hornady .490 balls and some patches .015. And tripple 7 powder.