Blowing down the barrel

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not to mention pulling a stuck ball! not only loaded, but barrel obstructed as well, and you screw in a ball puller, and yank with all your might to get the ball out. how much of your body is exposed at that point.
At our range, no part of the body is in front of the muzzle. First step is the CO2 tank to blow the ball out. If we have to use a ball puller, we have a sturdy hook, positioned so the muzzle is pointing down range.
 
I went to a Quigley, (SS BP cartridge competition), shoot in Forsyth, Montana and several shooters blow through their just fired bores from the breech, keeping fouling soft I assume.
Have you ever known anyone to shoot the Quigley or the mini Quigley with a muzzleloader?
 

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Folks get upset about blowing down the barrel of a just fired muzzleloader. I imagine their hair would be on fire if they saw someone with a fowler or double, spit down the barrel after loading powder and shot, just prior to an over shot card. I found this old article by V.M. Starr, where he describes the technique which he says lessens fouling and you can shoot all day. I might try it, of course mine will be laced and infused with a little Copenhagen. Hey if my Paw Paw kept a plug of Bull of the Woods in the glove box for cleaning the bugs off his windshield, there might just be something to it.

The Muzzle Loading Shotgun its Care and Use by V.M. Starr

"Now reach into that right hand coat pocket and get four of the cardboard wads that are supposed to be there and put two of them in each barrel and push them down to the powder then hit them just one good sharp rap with the ramrod to be sure they are seated firmly, but don't pound, pounding powder is a hang over from the days when Grandpa stole the old gun from the chimney corner and wadded her with hornet's nest or anything else that came to hand. Sure she shot but no one including Grandpa himself knew how well. Now grab that shot pouch and measure out a charge of shot and pour one down each barrel and be sure that there is one in each barrel or you will get one awful surprise when you touch off the one with the double load in it. You don't have to tell me I KNOW. Now do what I tell you and no fooling_pucker up and spit down each barrel after the shot charge before you put in the wads the spit will soften up the fouling from the former charge and the wad will act like a squeege and clean the barrel each time you load and you can shoot all day without fouling troubles as long as you spit each time".
 
Have you ever known anyone to shoot the Quigley or the mini Quigley with a muzzleloader?
The only Quigley match I ever attended was in 2000, as an observer. I knew the host, Al Lee. From 1981 to 1984 I shot in a weekly muzzleloader league on Al's ranch at the same location the match was held in 2000. Al also used to come to Colstrip where he shot in our clubs monthly match. Several of the men I shot with in the 1980s were in attendance at the 2000 match. The ones who's names I recall were Joe Corely and Bob Whitehead, I'm embarrassed to say I can't recall the others off the top of my head. There were 3 or 4 others, all were great guys. I still own a couple of very fine Hawken guns Joe Corley built for me. By the way, when I shot with Al Lee he was one heck of a fine shot with a flintlock.

I was in Ted Fellowes shop one day when he showed me a flyer he'd been sent about the year 2000 blackpowder cartridge match. I suggested we go watch, he found a dog sitter and I ponied up a couple of airline tickets. We flew into Billings where I rented a car and bought a couple lawn chairs. I took Ted to Custer Battlefield, the Jimtown Bar just outside of Lame Deer, then to Forsyth where we stayed for three day watching the match and visiting with old friends. On the way back to Billings we stopped at Pompey's Pillar. It was a memorable trip.
 
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I'm beginning to think there is probably a bunch of guys here that don't drive, you're 5' from death or injury every time you meet another vehicle. It's way more dangerous than blown down the barrel of a just fired rifle.
 
Okay, just how many times do we need to go over this and STILL now mutual agreement - I say we all go ask the Wise Fact Checkers, they will tell us if we should blow down the barrel or not.
And while we are their we can also ask if 'shooting' a stuck ball out is best or using 'grease' to push it out and which Lube is best.

They ain't called 'Fact Checkers' fer nuthin ya know, and besides, they know better then ANY of us.
 
At our range, no part of the body is in front of the muzzle. First step is the CO2 tank to blow the ball out. If we have to use a ball puller, we have a sturdy hook, positioned so the muzzle is pointing down range.
last time I was out hunting, I didn't have a CO2 tank, or fancy hook, just a ball puller in my bag that screws into my ramrod. sometimes we just have to make do with what's at hand. also had to pee down the barrel to clean it because there was nothing else available out in the woods. and I am not driving back to civilization just to fix a minor inconvenience.
 
Can't find caps or powder, don't know if I'm using the correct patch or lube, not to mention the diameter of my balls. I think I'll give up blowing down my barrel, turn it into a hookah and start sucking smoke through the thing. That should resolve all this.
 
Can't find caps or powder, don't know if I'm using the correct patch or lube, not to mention the diameter of my balls. I think I'll give up blowing down my barrel, turn it into a hookah and start sucking smoke through the thing. That should resolve all this.
You forgot the ball you stuck and can't pull.
 
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