Well, I kinda been outa pocket for a while on the ML shooting, but I got the .32 out and cleaned 'er up real good yesterday. I thought it was spotless when I sat it up in the closet a while back, but when I ran a patch down the barrel I saw a lot more rust than I wanted to see! :shocked2: I used a .38 brass brush and solvent and about three patches full of JB paste and finally got the bore back nice and slick. Kinda had me worried for a while!!
I got to shoot a few shots this evening, and I wanted to share the results and get some opinions from y'all.
I shot 2 3-shot (30 yard) groups from sandbags this evening. The first group was shot from the clean barrel with a 30 grain load of 3F, 4F in the pan, and a .315 ball with pillow ticking. 2 shots were pretty close, and the third shot dropped out about 1 inch low. I used a spit patch between shots and for loading. I shot the second group using Windex (it was handy) on a patch for cleaning and Bore Butter for the lube. That group wadded up in a nice little group I could cover completely with a quarter.
So, do y'all think the last group was better because the barrel was fouled up, or was it because of the cleaning and lube I used??
The ignition seemed just a little slow too. I had less than 1/2 of a panful of powder and knocked it over to the outside of the pan, but I still got just a little "whoosh" before it went off.
The flint in the lock is one of those that you wish you had a thousand just like it! The touchhole opening is whatever it was when I built the gun. It's a stainless screw-in insert. Is 1/16" the standard for a flashhole in a .32 caliber if I need to drill it out a little bigger?
I hope y'all can give me a little info and advice. I'm a long ways from a greenhorn, but I been out of the traditional shooting for a while, and old people forget stuff! :grin:
If I can get things lined out on the gun and load, I'm gonna go back to shooting from my hind legs like a feller is supposed to do!
Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for any info and advice! :hatsoff:
I got to shoot a few shots this evening, and I wanted to share the results and get some opinions from y'all.
I shot 2 3-shot (30 yard) groups from sandbags this evening. The first group was shot from the clean barrel with a 30 grain load of 3F, 4F in the pan, and a .315 ball with pillow ticking. 2 shots were pretty close, and the third shot dropped out about 1 inch low. I used a spit patch between shots and for loading. I shot the second group using Windex (it was handy) on a patch for cleaning and Bore Butter for the lube. That group wadded up in a nice little group I could cover completely with a quarter.
So, do y'all think the last group was better because the barrel was fouled up, or was it because of the cleaning and lube I used??
The ignition seemed just a little slow too. I had less than 1/2 of a panful of powder and knocked it over to the outside of the pan, but I still got just a little "whoosh" before it went off.
The flint in the lock is one of those that you wish you had a thousand just like it! The touchhole opening is whatever it was when I built the gun. It's a stainless screw-in insert. Is 1/16" the standard for a flashhole in a .32 caliber if I need to drill it out a little bigger?
I hope y'all can give me a little info and advice. I'm a long ways from a greenhorn, but I been out of the traditional shooting for a while, and old people forget stuff! :grin:
If I can get things lined out on the gun and load, I'm gonna go back to shooting from my hind legs like a feller is supposed to do!
Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for any info and advice! :hatsoff:
