I will try to help you guys out, would be a lot better if we were face to face tho.
First thing to do is contact Knight and get them to send you a manual. It is nice to know little idiosyncracies of the ML you have, like max charge... :shock:
Since I don't know details of your guns here is a safe way to begin shooting. First, run a couple patches down the bore and make sure it is clean. If it is oily when you put in a charge the powder can foul. So you have run several patches down the bore and they come out clean. Next up put a cap on the nipple, cock the hammer, place the muzzle next next to a blade of grass and pull the trigger. You should see the grass move or a small puff of dust. This ensures you have a clear path for the sparks go from the nipple into the chamber. This is a good thing....
Next up you will need a powder measure and powder horn - DO NOT pour powder directly from the horn down the muzzle. Start off with a 50 gr charge since you have a .50 cal ML. Fill your measure to 50 grs, then pour the powder down the barrel. Next up is your projectile, if you are shooting roundballs you will need to center a lubricated patch - I use spit on mine - over the muzzle, then put a ball and using the ball starter press it into the muzzle. If you are using sabots or belted bullets skip the patch and press the bullet down the muzzle with the starter, it is the little short part on the starter. Then use the short rod on the ball starter to press the projectile a little farther down the barrel. Most of these are about 4 or 5"'s in length, depends on the type you have. Once you have the projectile a couple inches down the barrel you take your ramrod and push the bullet the rest of the way down and seat it on the charge. You don't have to hammer it down like you are churning butter, but it needs to be fully seated. If you have an air pocket between the powder & bullet you can get pressure spikes and bulge the barrel or worse, and you really don't want worse. And if you hammer it you could deform the projectile if it is made out of lead which is not good for your accuracy.
Okay, we made sure we had a clear chamber, next we loaded the chamber with powder and bullet, next up we make it go BANG. Pull your hammer to half-cock, put a cap on the nipple, turn and face your target, pull the hammer back to full cock, aim and squeeze the trigger. After the boom you may have to take a step or 3 to the side and look around the cloud of smoke to see if you hit the target....
That is about all there is to it guys. Depending on the type of powder you use, black, Pyrodex, etc. you can get about 3 to 6 shots before you have to swab out the barrel to clean the fowling. I have read good things about American Clean Shot, a new BP substitue but haven't used it. Supposed to get a lot more shots between swabbing the barrel and not as corrosive as the rest. One thing that is an absolute must is a good, thorough cleaning after use because BP & Pyrodex are very corrosive.
To Clean I pull my barrel off, put the chamber end in a 1 gal milk jug with the top cut off that is half-full of hot, soapy water and start scrubbing with patches and bore brushes. I start off with a couple patches and get the big chunks loose, then put on the bore brush and break the small things loose, then go back to patches. Once things are all broke loose finish up with some clean hot water and oil the heck out of things, then dry it good and put a light coat of oil. And this is a case where you may want to store the gun with the muzzle down. Muzzle up and the oil runs down into the chamber and out the nipple and sets you up for hang-fires or mis-fires next time out.
I suggest you pick up a CO2 discharger for your gear. This uses the CO2 cartridges and blows the bullet out the end of the barrel when you have a mis-fire. It is a much safer way and faster way to clear a mis-fire. The alternative is to pull the barrel, pull the nipple, soak the chamber end in water to render the charge inert, then put the ball puller on your ramrod, push it down the barrel and screw it into the projectile and pull the bullet out, then clean out the powder, dry things off and put them back together and start again.
I started you off with a 50 gr charge. From here you will increase your charge by 5 grs and slowly work up towards max load. Your groups will tell you what charge your gun likes the best. I know most of the inlines are designed for pellets, but yours may actually like loose powder better. That is something you have to figure out on your own. I shoot loose, but my ML's are cap & flint locks and I use roundballs for the most part.
Have fun! I tell people in my classes that black powder is as addictive as cocaine. And you can take out a lb of powder and box of balls and shoot all day long.
