What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

beardedhorse said:

Needing more rattlesnake, copperhead skins for bows. Working round clock to get ready for Trappers Day rondy in Ft. Lupton. Knapping up some flints for rock lock. Long Cruise - Bring that rest to range for try out. Wish some one would haul bench and rest to elk woods. Happy safe Labor Day.

Click to expand...

I might could get you a few water moccasins… Pond is full of them this year. Can’t even jump in to cool off.
I leave the copperheads be. Have a “pet” that lives in the greenhouse.

longcruise said:

Well, hold the barrel muzzle near grass blades or a leaf and pop the cap if it moves the leaf it's clear.

Click to expand...

Barrel is some kind of funky inside. Can’t find the rod the .54 brush fits on. The .50 is now clean as a new whistle. Next step, grip enhancement.

FedEx dropped off my .575 round ball mold. As soon as it’s cool enough outside to work in the blacksmith shop, I’m gonna pour me up some round balls for the Fusil de Chasse.

Moleman said:

Inlayed and mount the butt plate on my NW trade gun. I then assembled everything to check fit and function before sanding.
Still have to brown the barrel and some parts as well.

Click to expand...

Alls it needs is a front sight and blue or rust the steel parts and then the wood ,am interested to see the finished product .keep us in the know there Moleman I like it gonna be a sweat little bush gun ,have you weighed it?

I got my buddys pistol all slicked up and ready. The loading lever needed a cheater bar to use it so I fixed that and touched up the bluing. Polished the internals, packed it with grease, shimmed the hammer and cleaned it up for him.

did some work on the walnut Kentucky. about finished with the carving on the butt stock. need to sand it and smooth out the lines.
won't win any prizes but i think its not bad for the first ever carving. might get really wild and crazy and do some wire inlay.

I got a Traditions Crocket .32 in the mail yesterday on a trade and today I went into Duluth and picked up a pound of Pyrodex P looked for some percussion caps but no luck!

I made a pistol loader for my newly acquired Thompson center patriot. Should make things a little easier.

Thunder Bay said:

I got a Traditions Crocket .32 in the mail yesterday on a trade and today I went into Duluth and picked up a pound of Pyrodex P looked for some percussion caps but no luck!

Click to expand...

I have two cva squirrel rifles in 32 caliber lots of fun.

I got my barrel back from Bob Hoyt today. The first (to my knowledge at least) Kibler colonial .62/20 gauge

ThompsonNC said:

I got my barrel back from Bob Hoyt today. The first (to my knowledge at least) Kibler colonial .62/20 gauge View attachment 345567View attachment 345568View attachment 345566

Click to expand...

That’s swell!! Keep us posted on load developments!!

Upgraded my .50 caliber Cabela's Hawken with a new .54 caliber barrel from muzzle-loaders.com. I have a sling swivel stud set on the way from Midway so I can mount a stud on the lower ramrod pipe. I'm hoping that the bigger ball will give better odds of complete penetration of the big deer I hunt in northern PA. Even if it doesn't drop them immediately (which is unlikely) I'm hoping for a better blood trail.

The bigger bore also makes the gun a little lighter, which will be appreciated in the woods.




(Yeah, my home office is a mess.)

Spent a relaxing rainy day out in the barn.

I stripped the finish off my early USA CVA mountain rifle and applied 2 coats of aqua fortis to it. Here are before and after pics

what kind of wood is that?

atvguns said:

what kind of wood is that?

Click to expand...

The stock is maple and it's sitting on mesquite. Mesquite can range from a light pink to a deep reddish brown depending on maturity and exposure to the elements.

Someone post a picture of a mesquite-stocked longrifle!

yellowhammer said:

Someone post a picture of a mesquite-stocked longrifle!

Click to expand...

I have seen a few CF rifle stocks made from it. Mesquite is a hard wood that doesn't grow all that straight. While it can have beautiful figure it's often full of stress cracks, voids , inclusions, beetle holes and ants. With that said it's a species that is very stable and doesn't shrink, twist, warp, cup, bow etc. as it dries. It can actually be used green if you desire. The down side is that it doesn't make good rifle stocks in my opinion. Crotch wood often exhibits curl/ chatoyance. It machines well green but can get very hard as it dries. I mill a lot of it into lumber and slabs and it can be amazing stuff.

@LonestarShootR , Have you counted the rings on that mesquite table in your photo? Looks ancient.

PS looks like it took a lightning strike at the bottom right

Dave Markowitz said:

(Yeah, my home office is a mess.)

Click to expand...

Looks clean to me, Dave. Mine looks like a homeless encampment by comparison.