All of this misinformation is really getting old

[bubba.50]

How did Reagen say it? ‘It’s not that they don’t know anything. It’s just that so much of what they know just isn’t so’. Or something like that.

 

[PathfinderNC]

At least he didn't tell you to store your gun flints in a jar of water

 

[Stumpkiller]

Oh well. Folks like to repeat the "old wives tales" so they appear to be carrying on that rich tradition. 200,000 years ago there was probably some cave-potato telling his buddies "You have to wrap squirrel gut around spear point in figure-eight or mastodon will taste gamey."

"Silk shoots an extra 40 yards" is a great one (I didn't check to see if J.F. Cooper actually wrote that or it was a Hollywoodism).

I like the .54. Works as far as I can stretch my eyes anymore with iron sights on a deer - maybe 100 yards, tops. I only recall one deer I've killed that was even near that far with a muzzleloader. And I keep my feet on the ground and my nose to the wind.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Yep, wive’s tales are rampant.
it never ceases to amaze me, that people who have built a Traditions kit, think they are gun builders, and will give advise on building from a plank, and if your patches are burning up, put a felt wad over the powder charge, soak your ramrod in kerosene,and on, and on, and on.

 

[pooch156]

Offer to meet them at the range so they can demonstrate their knowledge and you can learn. Usually that will shut them up.

I wouldn't get anywhere that guy with a gun in his hand!

 

[springfield art]

All my barrels come pre-seasoned..........

Bet there was some nice bourbon in those!

 

[SDSmlf]

I wouldn't get anywhere that guy with a gun in his hand!

I didn’t say to go to the range with them, I said offer to meet them at the range so they can demonstrate their knowledge. These grandmasters typically will not take you up your offer. It is usually obvious that they sadly have no real hands on experience, and hopefully either stand down and ask for help or shut up and go away once called out.

 

[pooch156]

I didn’t say to go to the range with them, I said offer to meet them at the range so they can demonstrate their knowledge. These grandmasters typically will not take you up your offer. It is usually obvious that they sadly have no real hands on experience, and hopefully either stand down and ask for help or shut up and go away once called out.

I know. Guys like that just scare me.

 

[Jakeytoo]

On a wood walk a couple of years ago, I haven’t shot much in the last twenty years, so this guy thinks I’m new and proceeds to tell me I’m using too much powder in my smoothbore. “Nope“ said I. “I’ve always used 60 grains in my .62”. Then he said with a dumb founded look on his face, “That’s a fair amount”.

Then he proceeded to tell me I dropped my gun too quickly after firing. Been doing this long enough to know when I’ve missed when the gun goes off and I don’t need to hold longer.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I was at the gun store recently, when I overheard a man ask the clerk if they had 4f priming powder. I then heard something to the effect of " oh that won't work in my gun". At that point, I had to jump in the conversation. I asked this guy what caliber his gun was. He said .36. The clerk had mentioned that he could simply use the 3fg powder he was using as his main charge also as priming powder as well. You couldn't change this guy's mind. He bought the 4fg. These guys at this particular store know their poop about guns. Somewhere down the line this customer must've been told to only use 4fg as priming powder. Oh well, as they say " never give advice. A wise man doesn't need it, and the fool won't take it".

 

[Jakeytoo]

The clerk had mentioned that he could simply use the 3fg powder he was using as his main charge also as priming powder as well. You couldn't change this guy's mind. He bought the 4fg. These guys at this particular store know their poop about guns.

Indeed you can, and I have. My personal preference is 4f for priming.

 

[Pete G]

It's really difficult to educate a closed mind. It's easier to not try.

....but if you keep an open mind just anything can come along and light in there

 

[Sidney Smith]

Indeed you can, and I have. My personal preference is 4f for priming.

Mine was too, however when I started shooting my .32 caliber using 3fg in the pan, my eyes were opened. Goes off lightning quick, and no misfires.

 

[Jakeytoo]

Mine was too, however when I started shooting my .32 caliber using 3fg in the pan, my eyes were opened. Goes off lightning quick, and no misfires.

I found 4f faster, but that’s me.

 

[Rendezvous Valley Trading]

I own/ operate a muzzleloader shop outside of Pinedale Wyoming. I spend a ton of time hearing about the “proper way of things”, believe me! It sometimes makes for a very long day

 

[ML48]

Speaking with one of my customers the other day about black powder hunting and told him I just picked up a .54 Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken. He starts in with "why a 54? You only need a 45!" and then goes into "make sure you season the bore, you can't use any oils in the bore, use boiling hot water to clean it, that gun will kick like a mule", on and on. Every time I tried to explain why that is all myths and old wives tales, he gets very defensive and tells me he has been shooting black powder over 20 years. I told him I have been shooting BP since I was 16, I'm 54 now and have learned very much about it. He seemed to calm down. Then he tells me "your best load will be to put the ball in your palm and cover it with powder. Whatever that weight of powder is, just keep shooting that weight". I almost laughed in his face. I asked him if he ever heard of working up a load for a gun. He says "Oh yah, I do it all the time!". I said "OK, I need to go to lunch now." I've never seen so much misunderstanding in any topic. Yes, it's probably inexperienced shooters but the sayings get passed around so much they become convoluted. It's hard to take when they want to argue the point because they believe it so much.

I agree 110% with you. I've found that soooo often. Some of those folks have never even held a rifle, yet they know everything about them. I just have to end the conversation.

 

[ML48]

I own/ operate a muzzleloader shop outside of Pinedale Wyoming. I spend a ton of time hearing about the “proper way of things”, believe me! It sometimes makes for a very long day

You know, some of those know it all folks, just talk to hear themselves talk. I guess the more they talk, the more intelligent you'll think they are.

 

[bud in pa]

There's a ton of people out there like that for sure.
The main one believed as gospel around here is that 3f should never be used in something over .50 cal.
I get some very earnest and concerned replies from people when I tell them that I use a 3f load for PRB in my .54.

I use in my 20 gauge with satisfactory results.

 

[ML48]

Of all the relatively debatable statements, this is one of the least totally bogus. While not necessarily the most optimum load, the powder over the ball in your palm will be a usable load.

It is also interesting in that most of those statements do not address the conditions and purpose for which the rifle is to be used.

Boiling hot water will clean the black powder fouling, but so will tepid tap water with a squirt of dish washing detergent.

"Seasoning" the bore is totally useless.

Avoiding petroleum based oils is another myth. We use WD40, Rem oil, Ballistol, Barricade, EEZOX, RIG and a host of other oils. I get the same crusty ring with Ballistol and water for a patch lube as I get with bee's wax and olive oil.

How much powder one loads with and ball or conical will determine how hard the rifle kicks.

Hearing tales such as your customer is spouting can be quite humorous and falls into the out of context thread.

How much powder one loads with a ball, or conical will not only determine how hard the rifle kicks, it also determines POI!

 

[Rendezvous Valley Trading]

You know, some of those know it all folks, just talk to hear themselves talk. I guess the more they talk, the more intelligent you'll think they are.

No joke! At the end of the day today I had a guy bring in a .45 cappy with a whole tube sock and a .22 cal aluminum cleaning rod with some huge bronze brush broken off down the barrel! Said that’s how he always cleaned it! I almost ran out into traffic but there wasn’t any!!