Most rounds are made with a large amount of lead and a small percentage of other alloys. If you decide to make your own round ball or Minie balls, be sure to follow proper safety concerns regarding lead. The average person that purchases pre made lead bullets will suffer no ill effects as long as you don’t chew on the bullets or use one to stir your morning coffee.

Never use smokeless powder in a muzzle loader unless it specifically states that weapon is safe to use with smokeless powder. Smokeless powder is what modern cartridges use. Black powder has a different burn rate, generally does not create the same pressures as modern smokeless powder and does not burn as clean. Do not confuse the two types of powder when using a muzzle loader.

Using a muzzleloader is a very hands on endeavor. As the shooter, you have to pour the proper black powder change, lubricate the patch if one is used, ram the charge and bullet down the barrel and prime the pan. All this work to get one shot at your game. When I use a muzzle loader to hunt, I feel closer to the experience and have a better appreciation of the sport. There is a lot of information available online and in print regarding muzzle loading. I am going to condense all this information down and give you a general overview of what is entailed in using a muzzle loader to hunt game. I enjoy hunting game with a muzzle loader; it is for me a far more challenging experience and a great source of satisfaction when I harvest my game animal.