Cold Weather BP Shooting Success

[ike]

I have posted once about losing accuracy in cold weather. In Minnesota it finaly was above 20 degrees when I went to the range this morning. After asking the fourm for advice I feel I should share what I have learned. I have found that in a 40 and 45 cal flint lock rifle you must add about 5 grains of powder to the normal load. Using 3f Goex. I then used bear fat on the Pillow Ticking patches. Bear Fat stays soft in the cold. I also went from .015 to .018 for the ticking. I also wiped the bore with Hopes #9 between each shot. Hopes #9 does not freeze. This morning I shot 20 rounds from the bench rest and the 2nd through 4th target which were the orange 1 1/2 circles at 25 yards I kept all five RB's in the orange for fifteen consecutive shots Look out tree rats. The last seven shots were off hand. Not all were in the orange. Four were in the orange and I pulled two rounds to the left. One shot was way off and I knew it was bad when I pulled the trigger.

For the shooters in the southern warm weather I must say that the 20's temperature was so warm after several days of below zero that we were almost ready to just put on a sweater. I did look for the ladies out sunbathing but did not find any but I know I will find some tomarrow when I watch the polar bear plunge on Green Lake. The Polar Bear plunge is a fund raiser where people jump into the water. Even I will not jump into that big hole cut into the ice in my bathing suit but they do it.

Again I must say thanks for all the advice.

 

[George T.]

Man to a Texan I have to tip my hat to you going out in 20 degree weather. It hit 18 here last night but goy up to 42 here today. I have been focused on loading for the new age weapons.

I deer hunted with a 40 caliber flint lock and I never added powder. However I should add that I shot it tightly patched with 90 grains of 3F.

Here in Texas it was usually in the upper 20's to 60 degrees. The one thing that gave mew fits was the November days with fog and near 100% humidity. The powder in the pan would turn to mush in a couple of hours.

Geo. T.

 

[VEARL]

I don't like shooting when it is that cold.
I shoot, then I have to wait until Spring to see my results. The round balls just freeze in flight to the target. :rotf:

 

[btech]

Bear fat?!?!?!?? I haven't seen that in my local Winn Dixie.

 

[smo]

It's in the cooking oil section...right by the beaver castor and snake oil. :rotf:

 

[ike]

Bear fat requires setting out some bait and when the bear comes to eat you ask it to give up its fat. You need it for cooking, pie making, shooting, etc. If the bear objects you have to persuade it to give it up. Bear communication requires bigger balls and more powder.

 

[BrownBear]

Great report! Thanks.

Got me thinking.... Always dangerous. I have a pint of bear oil sitting on the shelf right now, but a few years back I got distracted by TOW's mink tallow. Time to un-distract myself, I think. :slap:

 

[necchi]

Just a little feed back/background here folks;

I know ike and his wife, we run into each other at several local `vous each season and he's a top shooter.
If ike's there shooting you had better bring your best game, because he's called to the prize table at nearly every event and many times it's for the Blue Ribbon!
He's one of those guy's that when he talks about accurate shooting, it's worth while paying attention :thumbsup:

 

[MSW]

well, it got up to the low twenties here in what my nieces call the "Great Frozen North," but it's still too cold for me to shoot - i'll leave that to folks braver than I.

thanks for the input, though ... gets me to wondering about the physics of it ...

:hmm:


make good smoke!

 

[mooman76]

Not as fun shooting in the cold but sometimes you just need to get out and do outdoorsy stuff.

 

[ike]

:grin: Thanks for the complement. Can't wait for spring.

 

[Vaino]

Have used the " waxy" stuff for patch lube in cold weather in spite of all the dire warnings....hunted snowshoe hares in minus 15 w/o any problems. When one realizes just what happens when the powder ignites, one comes to the conclusion that the "heat" of the burning powder melts the "waxy" lube at the TANGENCY of the PRB...in fact, on some PRB combos, the hot gases blow by the patch and super heat the lube. This happens w/ all lubes whether "freezeable" or not.

So...all this talk about " cold weather" lubes is just "talk"? I'm not advocating using "waxy" or "freezeable" lubes or any other lube....what lube one uses is a matter of personal preference. But lubes that freeze aren't dangerous for the above reasons. The negligeable freezing at the TANGENCY of the PRB doesn't offer much resistance....so pressures aren't increased hardly at all......Fred

 

[ike]

This may be true. I have used moose snot almost all of the time. It was not working in the cold. I do agree with you somewhat. I think the increase in powder was the most important factor in improving the accuracy.

 

[btech]

Bear grease and moose snot! I'm gonna try some skunk oil.

 

[ike]

You may be the only one at the range. Or at least the other shooters will give you plenty of room.

 

[necchi]

But ya gotta realize you changed several things,
The powder charge, the patch thickness, the patch lube and your wipe,, (?)
Which one was the thing that brought the accuracy back?

 

[stinkyfeet]

Being a northern boy originally I usually did most of my shooting during the winter black powder leagues. I always noticed my gun shooting low in the cold as well. I always figured its becaus eits single digit Michigan weather and I was cold, heavy clothes, watery eyes, shivering, or i just plan sucked. But you bring a vaild point to the table on this one.

 

[M. De Land]

Yeah but the fire hasn't been lit yet Fred while your loading a lube stiff patch with numb fingers!
Although a pre-charged loading block would work for the first few rounds of a match and for a hunt one would be good to go.
I don't shoot my muzzle loaders much anymore in really cold weather. Fingers just don't like it much. MD

 

[OldNo7]

Another option is to use "Mr. Flintlock's Patch Lube". I just read a report this morning that said you can put lubed patches in the freezer for 3 weeks, and they will still be soft and pliable later when you pull them out.

I have not tried that "yet", but I did use my T/C Hawken yesterday in 17-degree weather with 20-35 mph winds. I played with an old flintlock for the first 1.5 hours at the range, so I know all my Hawken gear was good and c-c-c-cold by the time I switched to percussion from flint.

The new-to-me 1-66" (round ball) .50 cal Hawken shot really well for me, and was the first time I have fired her for groups. And I'll admit that this group was only fired at 25 yards... But it was for 3-shots, loaded from a pouch (no bench or table), shot offhand with no sling, and the range conditions were anything but "balmy"...

I figure if I can load and shoot this well in those conditions at 25 yards, that with a slight adjustment to my sights, it will help me prepare for the upcoming "Primitive Biathlon" in Dalton NH in mid-February (1.5 miles on wood/rawhide snowshoes, engaging targets along the course).

The load was a 0.495" Hornady round ball with a 0.015" Ox-Yoke patch, lubed with "Mr. Flintlock's" patch lube (made locally to me), over 90 gr of 777 3F powder.

Can't wait to test this load at 50 and 100 yards -- in 5 or 10 degree weather. :thumbsup:

Tight groups!

Old No7

 

[Dean2]

But ya gotta realize you changed several things,
The powder charge, the patch thickness, the patch lube and your wipe,, (?)
Which one was the thing that brought the accuracy back?

Doesn't to me make much difference. The new combo works and that is what matters.

IKE

Glad you got it worked out. the combo you arre using is very close to what I shoot up here all the way to -30, except I use mink oil instead of Bear fat, strictly becuase I don't like the smell of bear fat. That Hoppes 9 is amazing stuff, ain't it?

I am however going to try your go up 5 grains. I have never noticed my gun shooting lower in the cold, but then the warmenst I have ever used it much was only about +30 F. Have to try it a +70 in the summer and see if it shoots higher.