Loading The Rifle

Bill Roberts

Part 1
Part 2

Since consistency and uniformity are the basis for accurate shooting, it is best to layout your loading equipment and material on the loading bench the same way each time you shoot. This avoids unnecessary motions and lost time searching for misplaced items.

The first step is to attach the sights to the rifle. After the sights are in place and set for the intended range, the shooter should step up to the firing line, and snap a couple of caps on the nipple while pointing the muzzle down range. The object of doing this is to blow oil and grease from the unfired rifle breech passage into the bore. The bore should then be wiped with a dry patch. Step up to the firing line and snap a cap to help assure that material pushed to the breech is blown out. Place the hammer in the half-cock position.

Next, the brass drop tube is inserted into the bore, a weighed or measured powder charge is poured into the funnel, and the drop tube raised an inch or so and rapped against the muzzle to assure no powder sticks to the inside of the tube. The drop tube is removed, and a wad (if used) is placed in the muzzle and run home with the loading rod. A wad also can be placed in the muzzle and run home with the bullet if this method works better for a particular rifle. The bullet is placed in the muzzle and pressed down flush with the muzzle using the fingers. The loading rod is then used to seat the bullet. A uniform pressure, shot to shot, must be used to seat the bullet. Variation in seating pressure causes vertical stringing of the bullet impact points.

The shooter moves to the firing line and gets into position. When the muzzle is down range and preferably in a nearly horizontal plane (not highly elevated), the shooter caps the rifle, full-cocks the hammer, and is ready to shoot.

All the aforementioned process is fine, BUT the bullet will not strike in the same location as those subsequently fired. The first or second shot from a greased/oiled clean bore will strike either high or low. In the old matches, the first one or two shots were fired into the pit. Ball shooters call these fouling shots.

Returning to the loading bench, the shooter then runs a very slightly moistened cleaning patch down the bore. The object is to remove the large deposit of residue left immediately in front of the powder charge. A dry patch is then run down and out. Then the shooter steps to the firing line and snaps a cap, with the muzzle pointed down range and towards the ground, to help blow residue from the breech plug passage. He is then ready to load as previously, starting with insertion of the drop tube. With this next shot, the shooter is ready to begin some serious target work.

The preceding loading procedure is required, in most cases, when using paper-patch bullets. Bore cleaning between shots prevents damage to the paper patch from abrasion by powder residue in the bore, or worse, stripping the paper from the bullet. With some rifles, however, components (possibly the use of a grease groove bullet) and the shooter's procedure permit shooting without performing the cleaning steps.