They're simple, you won't have any trouble. Order some Cerrosafe from Brownells for the chamber cast and follow the directions. A little tin can with a spout bent into the edge is a great help. I wear a heavy pair of winter gloves to hold the can and make the pour. Wax has been used as has sulphur but cerrosafe works best.
To slug the bore, you mentioned muzzleloaders. If you have a 45 you have the perfect ball to do it with, a 40 is too small. Set the RB on the muzzle and drive it through! Obviously clean the bore first and a LIGHT coat of oil never hurts. I set the RB on the muzzle, start it in with a little ball peen hammer then once it's about flush some kind of stout rod to get it in the rest of the way. You will peel off a ring of lead, not unlike a percussion revolver, then just about any solid rod will drive it on through. Have a folded towel beneath the breech to catch the slug when it comes through. Some will drive the slug in a bit from the muzzle, say a few inches, then drive it out and repeat on the breech end. I never have and I expect one way is as good as the other
On that short of a case a smokeless load should be readily available but I can't offer one, I've never worked with the case. PMC has been around quite a while but again, I haven't fired any factory ammo in so long I'm of no help there either.
If elk is on the list I would definitely be looking for a heavier bullet, at least 370 gr. and for me that would mean cast with about a 30 cal. meplat. If you would want to reach out and touch something the heavier bullet would be better also. For just playing around a duplication of the 260 gr. factory load would be a lot of fun. In my 40-70 I shoot a Lyman 410 gr. bullet over 62 grs. of Ffg Scheutzen. Clean up takes 3 wet patches then two to dry and one to lube and it's done. Wipe off the muzzle and the rest of the rifle and put it in the safe. Every other outing I will take it down and wipe off the internals. Oh, I'm shooting a Shiloh Sharps #1 Sporter.
Be careful....the blamed things are addictive.
Last edited by sharps4590; 03/10/13 04:22 PM.
