2nd full day at the range

[carolina cowboy]

Shot agout 50 shots to get what I wanted, some were to try to get over blinking when the paN GOES FLASH(anyone else do that?)but the results were a lot better than last trip to the range http://s1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/danialboone/?action=view&current=dannyblackpowder.jpg

the target
http://s1189.photobucket.com/album...ialboone/?action=view&current=finaltarget.jpg

 

[majg1234]

good shooting DB,I've found that if I concentrate only on the target and shot picture I never see the panflash........good luck

 

[jtmattison]

good shooting DB,I've found that if I concentrate only on the target and shot picture I never see the panflash........good luck

Exactly!

You're letting it mess with your head. Focus on the target and you'll never know the flash is happening.

:thumbsup:

HD

 

[wattlebuster]

Just keep shootin an before too long you will say WHAT FLASH? by the looks of the target it aint affecting you too much anyway. Good shootin :thumbsup:

 

[ericb]

I always tell myself "I WANT to see the Muzzle Flash", and concentrate on that while sighting and pulling trigger. Seems to work for me anyway.

I also have found over the years that the slower the Lock Time, the more likely I am to blink - but maybe that's just me....

E

 

[carolina cowboy]

Thanks Guys
I was trying to look the shot to the target, and caught myself blinking every time, but will be back this weekend and try it again...but it was a blast, 50 shots was a bit rough on my shoulder :haha: , but it felt good to finally get those shots into the 3 inch target at 50 yards, it had me doubting myself for awhile there :surrender: ......I knew it was not the rifle, but I was getting a little frustrated until the shots started closing in......I found out the rifle was made by one of my follow club members back in 1982 http://s1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/danialboone/?action=view&current=myrifle-1.jpg , it was his first attempt at a left handed flintlock....it has a Douglas barrel, he was not sure of which type of lock http://s1189.photobucket.com/album...8/danialboone/?action=view&current=mylock.jpg , but it has worked flawlessly so far.....one of my fellow cowboy shooters said this muzzle loading seemed to be a lot of work to him, I told him, look ,no reloading when I get home, no brass to pick up, and I only have to clean one gun when I am done :blah: ........making him think now :rotf:

 

[paulvallandigham]

FWIW, I found that by opening up that rear sight, I am less inclined to look at the rear sight, and rather LOOK THROUGH and OVER IT, while focusing on the front sight. Mentally, I want to keep my eyes open until I can see that front sight against the target while I also see the muzzle flash in front of the front sight, before the muzzle rises, and obscures the view.

Everyone blinks. Its a question of When, Not IF! :shocked2: :blah:

By looking for that muzzle flash in front and at the sides of that front sight( usually a blade on my guns) I give my "eye" something to think about rather than "blink". It is "mind over matter", as the eye has its own autonomous nervous system program to protect it from Perceived Danger. It doesn't program itself to ignore that flash in the pan so close to the eye, simply because you are wearing glasses. It therefore doesn't differentiate between Perceived and Real Dangers. You have to consciously train your brain to re-program eye movement. That is going to take a lot of effort, and some time.

The Good News: You will find that your " Follow-through" shooting guns that are NOT flintlocks will be Extraordinary, compared to what it was before you began shooting flintlocks. The smaller groups you will shoot with modern rifles will surprise you. Honest! :shocked2: :hmm: :grin: :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

FWIW, I found that widening the notch in the rear sight allowed me to look THROUGH and OVER that sight, to focus on the front sight, rather than stealing glimpses of the rear sight, and wearing my eye muscles out! You might consider opening that rear sight notch.

I like to see the muzzle flash in front of and on the sides of that front sight when my gun fires. If I focus on that front sight, and don't blink( flinch) I see the front sight positioned on my target, so that I can call the shot- tell myself if the shot is going to hit the 10 ring, or be off in some direction. Eventually I learn how much off center my shot will be, in addition to which direction. A Called shot is as good as a perfect shot, because you know what you did wrong. Eventually, practice will get you shooting smaller and smaller errors, and eventually you will be shooting "X's".

Yes, everyone blinks. Its a question of When, not IF. If you blink uncontrollably, its a "flinch". You eye has its own autonomous nervous system program to protect it from Perceived Dangers. It doesn't not reprogram that system automatically to take into account you are wearing protective lenses. YOU have to consciously teach it the difference between Perceived and Real Dangers. That takes concentration, effort( practice) and time.

For instance. My brother took a full year, shooting once a week, and doing dry fire practices at home, before he began to shoot small groups with his flintlock on the order that he shot groups with his cap and ball guns.

There is an UP side( GOOD NEWS) to this story, however. Once you learn to focus on that front sight and call your shots, seeing the muzzle flash and smoke before the barrel rises in recoil, ( AND ignoring that flash in the pan), you will find that your "Follow-through" with every other rifle you shoot will be vastly improved. The Smaller groups you will shoot, even with modern rifles, will amaze you. Honest. :shocked2: :blah: :grin: :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[carolina cowboy]

And I almost forgot guys, NO DRY BALLS :hatsoff: , I did lose a cleaning patch, and could not get it out of the barrel no matter how hard I tried, so I just loaded up a load, put the patch and ball in, primed that bad boy, and let it go 'BANG" the cleaning patch came out with what I would call 'Lots Of Authority" :rotf:

 

[paulvallandigham]

There is a patch pulling jag you need to have in your kit, or range box, for pulling errant patches. It happens. There are two types: A One-wired jag that resembles a cork screw; and a Two-wire jag that has two wires, again resembling a cork screw, but finer wires, intended to catch and snag those errant patches. Check with any of the suppliers, such as Dixie Gun Works, Track of the Wolf, Cains, October Country, Midway USA, MidSouth Shooter supply-- and others that may be closer to you, that you can find on the index to this forum up towards the top, under " Member Resources", then down to where you see the words, Articles Charts and Links. The Links will take you to a list of suppliers, all of which have an on-line catalog to browse.

A patch puller jag tends to be one of those once in an lifetime purchase, unless you manage to lose it someplace. I still have the first one I bought, to fit a .45 caliber rifle. That gun is long gone, but it works perfectly in my .50.

You did the right thing, when you didn't have that jag. You poured a charge of powder down the barrel that went past the Patch you could not get out; then you ran a PRB down the barrel, pushing the lost patch in front of you, so that it sat on the powder charge. When the gun fired, both the PRB and the errant patch exited as intended. Nice to see that you are Thinking and problem solving. :hmm: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :hatsoff: :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[carolina cowboy]

Hi Paul
I had a patch puller(one of those cork screw type) but it just would not snag the patch for some reason, I tried like 10 to 12 times, and then said heck with it, it was interfering with my shooting time :haha: .....will have to get myself one of the other types :thumbsup: ...even had to knapp the flint a couple of times(another first for me), that was the first one I had used, and it had about a 100 shots on it when I replaced it, but happy with it, was one of the French ones, if they all last 100 shots I'll be happy :hatsoff: ...this is FUN, I did not want to leave the range when it came time to go ....and I can't wait to get back out there

 

[Skylinewatcher]

"for pulling errant patches."

Paul, is that what you call them? I have many names for patches that will not toe the line...none of them is as elegant as yours. :haha:

 

[paulvallandigham]

I too have dozens of Expletives ( deleted) that I use for stuck patches, and other items, but I try to give this forum a bit of class, with my choice of language used here. Some people may have to grab their dictionary to check out a word I use from time to time, but that's okay, too. :grin: :wink: :bow: