it's a process but it's not complicated. First and foremost you have to pay attention to what you are doing. So.. here is how I do it, others my have a different opinion.. I prefer blackthorn 209 over black powder subs, I've had good luck tuning my loads with it and can get better velocities. You can measure your powder by weight or by volume. If you choose by volume then get yourself a good powder measure, I like a clear one. I usually start at 100 grains by volume and work up from there in 5 grain increments until I find the best group. Do not exceed the manufacture maximum load. After I find the best powder charge i like to measure by weight from there on just because I like knowing that my powder charge is the same every time. There are a lot of Bullet choices out there to choose from so you'll need to experiment with them to find what works best with your rifle. You'll also want to try different 209 primers. Some of my rifles like winchester and some like cci. I usually start out every season with fresh primers. You'll want your bullets to seat firmly against the powder charge. They need a tight fit but not so much that you'll give yourself a hernia trying to load your bullets. Always always use a witness mark on your ramrod! Once you get your rifle loaded mark your ramrod in a way that you'll know that you are not double loaded. I just wrap a piece of tape around the ramrod right where it comes out of the barrel. Muzzleloader barrels heat up pretty quick so i like to wait 4 or 5 minutes between shots when sighting in and I like to run a patch down the barrel after every shot just to clean out the powder residue. As far as cleaning your muzzleloader I just clean them like I do any other rifle. Run a few patches of hoppes down the bore then a few dry patches until they come out clean, then run a patch with your favorite gun oil down the bore. I do clean after every shooting session. All black powder and subs are corrosive, some more than others. Anyway, this was just my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps.
