Traditions Lightning Ebolt Buckhunter - Manual (Page 27)

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4. Using a ball starter, place the short shaft on top of the ball and drive
the ball downward until the starter hits the top of the muzzle. If
there is excess patch material after you seat the ball with the short
shaft you can cut it away with a sharp knife. This will be
unnecessary if you used a pre-cut patch.
5. Push the ball deeper into the barrel using the longer shaft of the ball
starter.
6. Screw the loading jag on the ramrod and grasp the rod no more than
6” above the muzzle. (Holding the ramrod any higher will increase
your chances of breaking your ramrod.)
7. Apply moderate pressure and push the ball firmly down on top of
the powder.
HOW TO CHECK IF THE BULLET IS FULLY
SEATED ON TOP OF THE POWDER.
1. Drop ramrod down the barrel until it
taps the projectile.
2. Mark the ramrod where it sticks out of
the end of the barrel.
3. Lay the ramrod along side of the outside
of the barrel lining up the marked spot at
the end of the barrel.
4. The jag should end at the top of your
measured charge. (Note: if you change
bullet weights or powder charges your
jag will line up differently each time.) If
the jag lines up anywhere but the top of
your charge, you must pull the charge or extract the bolt and
breech plug and then inspect and fix the problem.
Note: Be sure to seat the patched ball directly on top of the powder
charge, any gap between the powder and ball can result in excessive
pressure upon firing and injury to the rifle, shooter and bystanders.
CAPPING YOUR MUZZLELOADER:
There are four major ignition types in black powder shooting at this
time. They are the flint, the #11 percussion cap, the musket cap and
the 209 shotgun primer. The flint is used in flintlock sidelock
muzzleloaders only. The #11 percussion cap has been and is still used
today with many sidelock and in-line muzzleloaders. The musket cap
was mainly used in sidelock muzzleloaders and became popular with
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Fig. 24
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