Description
Instructions
Created specifically with the needs of hunters in mind, our 50 cal kit is a revolution in how you think about reloads. Because if you think about it, a second shot reload for a hunting muzzleloader is usually going to be adrenaline fueled. You must either hit your prey and need a follow-up shot, or you missed your prey and are trying to get another shot off.
Fumbling with snap containers of power, or even pellets is rarely quick. Combine that with a rather heavy bullet and a little cap, and you might as well forget it. You envisioned it to be quick, but it just isn't.
With our paper cartridges, the whole process can take 10 to 15 seconds.
You pull a cartridge out of your shirt pocket, drop it in the bore, smack it in with your starter or even a tree, and jam it down with your ramrod using the tree or the ground. Reach back into your pocket for a cap, and there you are.
We also make a two round single hand wallet that holds both the cartridge and the cap, which will both dump into your hand at the same time. Our Deluxe kit includes the wallet instead of a loading block as it would with the pistol kits.
Designing a paper cartridge for the ubiquitous .50 cal inline muzzleloader presented some novel problems. It has to be really quick, so we made the barrel of the cartridge drastically sloped, which makes it long and skinny. Forming them is a little tougher than with our other kits, but they drop right in with no effort whatsoever.
Most people shoot saboted slugs in these guns, and that plastic sabot is already tight in the bore. An additional layer of paper makes it tighter, so when you sight in your gun before deer season, make sure to do so with paper cartridges. It isn't hard to get them in. It is just worth mentioning.
Lead bullets and balls should not require a wad. The paper sides prevent gas cutting, and there is plenty of room for a second layer of paper if you see the black streaks on the side of the bullet when you pull it out of the berm. We do however suggest that you still lube your conicals. The power is inside the paper with the bullet, so the ancillary benefits to the lube are still in play. We test exclusively with black powder substitutes, primarily Triple Se7en, but all powders foul to some degree, and keeping that residue soft is always good.
If you are a bullet caster or are open to moving from sabots to lead, we now have a pan lubing kit that takes all the pain out.
Sidelocks are problematic with any paper cartridge. The sparks are too cold by the time they reach the paper to burn through. You have to remember to prick the bottom and allow at least some powder to fall through to the breech. Once ignited, you don't have to worry about the rest. Test and practice your steps before you take your cartridges into the field.
Roundballs also work with paper cartridges. The swaged .490 roundball sold by Hornady and others should not need a wad. Shooting in a 1:66 sidelock or flintlock, the paper should give you a more secure and even spin compared to cloth, which should be more accurate, but we haven't tried it. The important thing is to try it in your gun. A second wrap of paper may work better if you see gas cutting. Or even a third.
Revolutionary is not an exaggeration. Second shots are sometimes crucial, and now they are a reality. Our kits are not inexpensive, we know. But in light of all the resources that it took to arrive at the moment where you are staring an animal in the face, holding a single shot firearm that is now empty, there is no better investment than a paper cartridge system from Cartridge Kits.