26 Jun Yes, Your Possibles Bag Definitely Needs a Muzzleloader Bullet Starter
Going from shooting a breech-loader to a muzzleloader is like having a bucketful of ice water dumped over you while you’re enjoying a pleasant dream: it’s a rude awakening.
And the scariest part is, shooting a modern in-line muzzleloader is almost as different from shooting a sidelock as the in-line is from a breech-loader.
Taking that into account, to become a proficient smoke-pole shooter, there are some special tools you’ll need to get used to that you’d never even recognize otherwise.
Two of these are the muzzleloader ramrod and another specialized tool known as a muzzleloader bullet starter.
The latter is as important as the former.
It is a specialized tool that helps you seat the ball or bullet on the muzzle and “start” it on its journey down the bore before the ramrod can finish the job of seating it on the charge.
And no, you don’t want to just use the ramrod that came with your rifle. Here’s why.
Why You Shouldn’t Just Use a Ramrod
Your rifle came with a ramrod. You need it to seat the ball or bullet firmly on top of the charge, and with the right jag, you can also use it to pull a ball, bullet, or patch that got stuck in the bore.
But your muzzleloader ramrod doesn’t work as great as a muzzleloader bullet starter.
The thing is, it’s very difficult to seat a ball or bullet in the muzzle and then hold the whole ramrod over it while trying to get it started down the barrel.
In fact, trying to do that is a recipe for torquing the nose of the bullet away from the axial centerline of the bore.
This is bad news. If you don’t drive a pointed bullet straight down the bore of the barrel, it will be far less accurate when you fire it.
The other thing you need to keep in mind is that if you are using a fiberglass (or worse, a wooden) muzzleloader ramrod, stressing it can cause it to crack or break outright.
So save the ramrod for driving the ball or bullet home after you’ve started it with a ball or bullet starter.
(Another note: if you’ve had problems with wood or fiberglass ramrods in the past, we have the solution. It’s a three-piece, all-aluminum muzzleloader ramrod that will not break and which you can down apart and stash easily in your pack or possibles bag. It’s even good as a spare. You know, two is one and one is none.)
Why a Synthetic Muzzleloader Bullet Starter Is Better
So now you know that you need a muzzleloader bullet starter in your possibles bag or pack in addition to a ramrod.
But there are all different sorts of muzzleloader bullet starters out there. Some of them are made of wood. These are the options that traditionalists prefer.
Now, the wooden ball starter will go just fine with your powder horn, antler shot measure, and buckskin vest.
But, wooden ball starters are also prone to the same problems as wooden ramrods, and then some.
For starters, if you force one, it’ll break. Then you’ll have to extract not only a bullet from the bore, but the bits of the ball starter.
Secondly, wooden ball starters can crack, splinter, and rot if not properly cared for.
While we can’t say much about its aesthetics, our synthetic nylon muzzleloader bullet starter has just about every other jump over wooden ball starters.
Our muzzleloader bullet starter is made of high-strength nylon that is soft, too, so it won’t mar your gun’s finish. Being made of nylon, it’s also impervious to rot and corrosion that plague wood and metal.
Also, it’s extremely strong. Unlike wood ball starters, they won’t break, even if you force them. If you do break one, write to us about it because we want to know how it happened.
They’re also compatible with muzzle brakes. Say no more to struggling with a ramrod, eliminate the risk of ramrod breakage, and get one of these. They’re affordable and will last a lifetime, too.
But Wait – You Need Special Loading Jags, Too
One more note before you stuff these two extras in your possibles bag. Make sure you get some appropriate loading jags with them.
Our muzzleloader bullet starter comes with a few different options. We have a universal projectile fit, a Powerbelt ELR Projectile tip, and a Thor Projectile tip that is specifically designed for Thor bullets.
It is imperative to load your bullets with a tip that is designed for them, especially if you are shooting pointed bullets and not just patched round balls.
This is because it takes no small amount of force to get a muzzleloader bullet started down the bore. If you use the wrong loading jag on a pointed bullet, you can skew the bullet off-center, or worse, deform the bullet nose.
Doing so will result in botched accuracy, no matter how fastidious you were along every other step in the loading sequence.
Some bullets aren’t fussy, and patched round balls aren’t either. Just make sure you have an appropriate loading jag for whatever it is you’re shooting and you should be fine.
And it doesn’t hurt to have some patch and ball pullers or a silent CO2 discharger just in case you ever load a dud or forget the powder charge (those things happen).
Stock Your Possibles Bag with Muzzleloader Accessories from Anarchy Outdoors
Gearing up for fall season? You’d better dial in your loads now. One grain one way or the other can throw a massive wrench in accuracy. Load consistently, shoot the same bullets, and get in the habit of following a rigid loading routine.
Part of that pattern starts with the consistency in the gear you use. If you need to restock on muzzleloader accessories and essentials like break-down ramrods or ball starters or even muzzleloader speed loaders, we have what you need.
Check them out via the previous collection, don’t miss a chance to check out our video on common muzzleloader problems and our recent blog on accurizing a muzzleloader, and get in touch with us at 833-980-0333 if you have any questions.
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