Bowfish - Pedersoli came!

[riarcher]

It came yesterday. I was VERY surprised! It's in better shape than anticipated that's for sure. I think someone probably spent some time on the lock (or are they naturally that smooth?). I was also surprised how light it felt being 9+#. The blemishes they spoke of are nothing. Browning looks good (to me) and is well done. The front sight has file marks on it like somebody tried sighting it in (?) - no rear sight (good). Biggest concern (not immense though) is the flash guard. Looks to be a real bugger to clean with it on and inplace!!! Having a new guard here, I'm wondering if slotting the screw hole in the guard would be a good idea? Then just back the screw off a turn, remove, clean, oil, replace.
Heading to the range tomorrow. Going to start with 80gr. 3Fg (got some) .715 (ish) and ticking. See what happens.
Ramrod is almost immovable on this. Feels like it's gummed up or something.
While bored, I made up a bullet bag for it. put a pocket on the front for cut patches and made a starter for the plug. nice compact unit.
Getting the ball down and some shot loads working I think I've a lot to do before October's hunting.
Something just feels so "right" about this gun. It fits me! :applause:
Wife watched me open it. All she said was "Holly Sh!#", after about 5 minutes she said "that's you!", then it took anouther 15 to pry it away from her. ::
First time in a long time she didn't say "what the he!! do you need anouther gun for?" instead it was, "So, what you getting rid of now?"
I'm a HAPPY boy! :thumbsup:
PS; Musketman, before the day is done tomorrow, I want to try your 120gr. load (if I come across some 2Fg.):hatsoff:

 

[big bore 75]

riarcher, enjoy your new toy,and start at 70 grains first,you'll love that and remember that for fast ignition use 4fg or grind down some powder, them load your powder charge and pillow ticking patch lubed with your favorite lube mine likes bore butter and cva's equivilent then either .715 or .735 depending on your bore diam., and get used to it before you utilize another powder charge. to be farily honest 100 grains of powder is a real awkener it will shake and rattle the trees and the flame is awsome. but have fun and by almeans enjoy your new toy. big bore 75

 

[bowfish]

Glad to here that you like it so much. I guess you wont need those ten days to decide to keep it. My Bess shoots best with .715 ball and .010 patch over 90 grains. My lock is smooth also, but I don't know if anyone worked on it. Will be cutting mine down soon and browning the barrell. Will install rear sight and half a sterling silver quarter for the front sight. Take the time to get used to what she likes, don't get discouraged by some of your first groups it will all come together in time. I learn something new about my Bess everytime I take her out. They may not be the youngest girl at the prom but they will still turn a head or two. Good Luck, keep us posted on how she is doing. :hatsoff:

 

[Rat]

Congrats!

Throw that darn flash guard away. All it will do is look dumb and get in the way. Ha ha well someone had to say it. But it's the truth. It serves no intelligent purpose unless you are a re-enactor.

Boy, even 110 grains is a HARD kicking load with a ball. Shooting that load last year at the range, off the bench for a dozen shots left me with a pretty black and blue shoulder for a week or so. It was Swiss powder so I suppose it was pretty equivelent to a 120 grain load of Goex. That's my hunting load, and if I just hunted deer I'd drop it down to 90-100, but I also hunt Elk, trying for a large black bear, and I hunt in Grizz country so I like a little extra ooooomph for "insurance purposes".

A Brown Bess does indeed feel good in the hand.

Well you will certainly enjoy the Bess, she's quite a gal. 80-90 grains will be powerful and fun. Again, you won't find the 120 grain load "fun"...!! But hey, we all have to try it at least once, just to say we been there!

Rat

 

[musketman]

Ramrod is almost immovable on this. Feels like it's gummed up or something.

Take it out and wipe it down with rubbing alcohol to remove any milling residue, the ramrod channel will loosen up with wear, you may have to not push it in as far for a few months and work the channel open (through use)...

It has a nice feel, eh?

I like the way my Bess snaps up into position, the gun is just right for my height...

 

[riarcher]

Rat,,,, You're right! Guard has got to go! (P.I.A.)
Musket,,, didn't have the (?) to try the 120 gr. charge. Maybe anouther time (and maybe not! :
Tried 70 & 80 gr. 3Fg W/ .715, ticking, and borebutter, swabbing between shots (habit) at 25 yds. (Didn't know what to expect.)
Anyways, 10 shots in about a 4" egg. However, they were all 7"low and 5" to the right (corner of a 100 yd target).
Tried as I did, I couldn't get them to move up and to the left! When I tried to change my sight picture(?) nothing printed. ( :hmm: ) took a break, thought about it, went back and tried some more,,,,, same thing. Either in the corner or nothing (gotta work on that!).
Stopped and got the ingredients for "Moose Snot" and will try that for a lube next (borebutter is good,, but messy).
I'm happy with the 4" egg, a bit perplexed about the moving it up though. I'm thinking that maybe when I moved the barrel up and over,,, I may have moved the eye (anchor-?) down and back??? No clue,, something to work on though.
All in all, I'm prety pleased with myself and the bess. :thumbsup:

 

[musketman]

a bit perplexed about the moving it up though. I'm thinking that maybe when I moved the barrel up and over,,, I may have moved the eye (anchor-?) down and back??? No clue,, something to work on though.

I would check the front sight first, make sure it's top dead center...

You can also make a temporary rear sight from a BB and super-glue until you get use to shooting the bess...

Aim it like a shotgun, not a rifle and see if that helps...

Last resort, the barrel can be bent slightly to move the point of impact...

 

[riarcher]

I would check the front sight first, make sure it's top dead center...

You can also make a temporary rear sight from a BB and super-glue until you get use to shooting the bess...

Aim it like a shotgun, not a rifle and see if that helps...

Last resort, the barrel can be bent slightly to move the point of impact... [/quote]

Hi Musket,
Front sight looks to be a tad bit to the left (my eye) and couldbe part of the problem I'm having.
I used a small splitshot on anouther homemade junker I picked up at a yardsale (guy just got a divorce and his wife sold all the stuff left behind for pennies :, as per a prior advice from you. It worked great. I was hoping to get by with the same / close "sight picture".
"Aim like shotgun"(?),,, You've not seen me miss sporting clays have you?
Barrel bending--- errr, not yet, later maybe.
Not really willing to change anything on the Bess at this point though. While yesterday it appeared to be grouping well (in the wrong area), I could be doing something wrong like pulling the shot, lighting, was windy, and who knows what else I could have been doing. After several more range sessions and if I keep hitting consistantly in the same area, then we'll think about sight moving, filing, and maybe bending.
Had fun cleaning last night :: (glad the wife wasn't home). Used one of them flash hole clamp-on tubing thingies from TOW,,,, gotta say, Didn't work too well . Had to wash the floor after. Gotta be a better way! ::
Gary
PS; Learned a lot since joining this site. Just want to say thanks to you and all the other moderators for keeping this site #1. :thanks:

 

[Rat]

There is a better way...(cleaning)

Hoppe's #9+, followed by Kroil, followed by 3-in-one or whatever oil. No wishy-washy, rubber-ducky, rub-a-dubby in the tubby. No drippy-drippy. No water between the stock and barrel, the breech plug threads, etc. Just a rod, a jag, and damp patches. Actually the button-head ram-rod works as a jag, but a real jag is better.

You guys are scaring me with the barrel-bending talk again!!

:nono: :: :shocking: :boohoo:

I would think some period correct long-rifle sights would be a better alternative to that. I think they look right at home on my little Bessie. I use a full buck-horn rear sight, which works great for birds. Just frame the bird in the horns, and as long as the front sight is "somewhere" in there the bird will be in the shot pattern. But poke a ball down the barrel, precisely line them up, and it's pinwheels at 25, 3" at 50.

But it sounds like you have a lot more shooting to do.

Rat

 

[riarcher]

Hi Rat,
Not trying to offend you or anything like that, but at this point I'm just not interested in a rear sight. If need be, maybe later, but, not now. Nothing against them or the folks that use them.
In Archery, I shot longbows "instinctively", no sights, wheels, releases, etc.
So far, I'm sorta like trying the same thing with a musket. I'm trying to shoot this gun "instinctively" by subconsiously using the front sight as a ref. (like the arrow's pile with the longbow). Thinking (just as in archery) consistant head (eye) positioning is crucial, and that's what I'm trying to work out at this time.
I'm sure one would think "But why bother?" Well besides the rear sight looking like a fuzz ball out to 3 ft. without glasses, I find sights to be a pain in the tail in low light conditions,, and for me, much slower to aim. I hunt the New England swamps and for me to get a shot at Bambi over 35 yds. is fairly rare. And more often than not, when she does present a good shot I don't have all that long before she closes the shot behind more brush and trees.
I'm sure that on the range you'd probably "best" the manure out of me with your sights, and that's ok. If I can get consistant groups of 7" at 40 yds. (9@50) I'll be satisfied.
However, Your sights on a Bess leads me to a guestion. Why didn't you just get a rifle? After all, I've already found out that Bess IS big,,,, on everything (baggage, powder, and $$). ::
As I said, not trying to offend any sight/musket shooters, just my personal pleasures. eace:
Gary
PS; I don't use petroleum products in the bores of any of my MLs either. :hatsoff:

 

[Rat]

Nope I don't dissagree, you make some good points. No it's just the barrel bending that I don't see as an alternative to using a rear sight...and it does not sound like you are real excited about doing something like that either!

:shake:

I'm sure you'll tune into the instinctive shooting, especially with that as your goal. I shoot Indian bow and Recurve, no sights of course, and heck I can miss the whole haystack when I'm not tuned in. But once tuned in...!! So I do understand the concept.

Well I did get a rifle, two years after Bess, but the Bess was my first flinter, (not counting a pistol I once had) so I kind of chose it with a dual-purpose in mind, both birds and beasts. Having shot a lot of ball and slugs out of modern smoothbores, I knew without knowing (!!!) that a smoothbore musket would be good out to further range than was generally stated, 50 yards being what you generally hear. I guess I was looking primarily at a Turkey gun, that I could also use for deer, elk and black bear within about 60-70 yards max, and just wanted a few more yards than 50. And THEN I started cooking up what kind of roundball, flint rifle I wanted.

For me putting rifle sights on Bess was a good solution, shots in my neck of the woods can be well out to 100 yards, so I did want to maximize my range. Now I did have a little .58" carbine that I used for 20 years or so, but it's a junker (with a certain "charm") and does not shoot ball well, (shoots minnie ball great) so I was more than willing to sacrifice some range to shoot ball, and own/use a flintlock. I really wanted to switch to round ball for 99% of my hunting. The other 1% is the nice 1861 Springfield I have now.

Last season I had to pass on a very nice, huge bear, because he was right at my maximum range, (70 yards) but I could not take a rest...won't shoot to 70 yards off hand. So in other words another ten yards range can make a difference!!

Now that I have the Jaeger, she's pretty much the grouse and Turkey gun, but I'm leaving the sights on 'cause I like them, and there could be days when I'm grouse hunting in the morning with it, but may want to pull the shot load, and poke a ball down the barrel, and hunt bear in the afternoon and evening, without hiking back to camp to switch guns. So being rifle sighted gives me that little edge, or option.

Petroleum products? Heck...I wish I had my own oil well!!

:blah:

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Rat

 

[leadball]

Is that the same Brown Bess i see advertised in Cabela's? I have been tossing getting that for me as I have been given permission to buy it from you know who. I dont see any local shops selling the balls for it though, or patches

 

[Rat]

Ha ha, no you won't find .75" balls at Wally World or K-Mart, or the gun-shops. It's a special order cast your own proposition. And it's not a bad thing, not every kid on the block has a Brown Bess.

Casting ball is easy, as is cutting patches.

Rat

 

[musketman]

Had fun cleaning last night (glad the wife wasn't home). Used one of them flash hole clamp-on tubing thingies from TOW,,,, gotta say, Didn't work too well . Had to wash the floor after. Gotta be a better way!

Use the bath tub when you are useing the flush hose, this way you can just wash the spillage down the drain when you are done, keeps your wife from selling all your stuff for pennies... :winking:

 

[big bore 75]

dixie gun works sold .715, .735 round balls mountain state sells them also but the balls are a preaty penny, the cheapest prices that I've found for round all moulds can be found at mid south shooters supply was on the web site this morning and ordered a couple of moulds bthe .715 lyman mold is 44.99 with out handles handles are 24.99 extra notcheap but a far cry from buying bullets and the shipping is rough too, I love my bess with bot front and rear sites .big bore 75

 

[riarcher]

Musket- Used the Tube on cap guns and found it real sweet. However, the "O" ring on this clamp thing was never designed to seal this way and the brass core hits the barrel hard (O-ring does squart to seal). Went to the hardware store, got a jam nut to backup behind where the o-ring goes and a chassis gormet to replace the o-ring ($0.50). Now the rubber extends past the brass and the nut will back it up for a better seal. Not tried it yet,, but should work. With 2 qt. hot water in a dedicated thermous, it could make for speedy range side cleanup before heading home (that's what I did with the cappers).
PS; your simple ramrod cure worked,, :thanks:

Sachem- cheapest I've found balls is $29/100 at Dixie. TOW sells mould for $49. Usually at $8-9/100 for swedged balls, I don't bother to pour my own much in the smaller cals. This 75 is a whole new story though. I understand .69 cal patches will work, but ticking, flannel, etc. cut at the muzzel is the way I always go. Treat strips first and roll, or at the range, don't matter much. I bought my first 100 from dixie (justify size) I'll be pouring from now on. Still, pouring big balls is gonna be slower going. (Lotta cooling time no doubt in comparison)

Rat- One gun for all! That's my intent too. :hatsoff: Fortunately I've still got about 4#s of bismouth left for Geese and Duck. That stuff is like gold! (high $$$$)I got lucky and picked it off a guy that didn't want it for cheap. :redthumb:

Big bore- TOW has "universal" handles for under $20 (no experience with them though). I've 2 sets of small Lymans, knowing that over 50 cal calls for lg. I'm wondering what the diff. really is and if I could "use what I got" with some small modifications? Any ideas? (getting costly,, trying to keep some cost down at this point)

 

[arilar]

Riarcher,
Last year I bought a .695 mould from Jeff Tanner for my original Swedish musket m.1826. Served me good :imoteam silver medal in Gustav Adolph at World Champs 2004 in Batesville, Indiana). Mould costed $35, shipping included.
ARILAR :: :thumbsup:

 

[big bore 75]

the universall handles are by lee I have a few they work but
are a little sloppy , the difference in handles are that small handles work for single cavity moulds and large handles are for 4 or larger cavity moulds the handles tow sell are ok, but for cheapness they work fine I'll get my digial camera some batteries and try to put some pictures together so show you what I mean, the nice thing about the moulds and the proper handles is that once you get a couple of moulds and one pair of handles is it is a bunch cheaper than buying lead balls the bess can break your pocket book. I sure hope this hepls soory if I seem to ramble I just got off, a doble overtime shift and worked stright through with out sleep for 20 hrs and real tired. bb75

 

[big bore 75]

Arilaar, oh man is he right I forgot about Jeff Tanner, my friend has one of his moulds and from what i've seen it's real quality and inexpensive,and if I remeber right he also has handles, but might be wrong, the only dis avantage with his moulds is that they don't have a sprue plate. but that can be remidyed with a pair of wirecutteing pliers.but his moulds cast real nice balls.bb 75