Pretty stoked. Went out to my local range and brought my new to me CVA mountain rifle and my new Traditions William Parker. When we arrived the only lanes open started at 50 yards so that's where we started. I fired my first five rounds with 40g of two F, a .490 ball and a .15 lubed patch. All my rifle shots were made with this load. The first five were all on the paper but about 4" low of target. I shot ten rounds at the 50 yard target with my best five about a 7" group and low. Next I fired five rounds from the Parker using 20g of three F .490 ball and .15 at the 50 yard target. All shots hit the paper but were quite spread and low. Later a 25 yard lane came up and we moved. I shot five rounds with the long gun and am very please!! A 1-1/2" group just left and low of bull. My pistol shooting was a little more erratic but all on the paper with a 6" group at the 25 yard target. All in all I had a great time and am all in!! Hooked for sure. So the main question is for the long gun. Do I adjust the sights to bring my shots up? Or adjust the powder load?? Or?? I will post some pics of my targets later. Df
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Fired my first muzzle loader today!!!
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jamesthomas
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First get the best group you can by adjusting powder load, patch thickness and lube type. Then you start adjusting your sights. If you have fixed sights you file down the front sight to bring the group up into the bullseye. then you tap the rear sight the direction you want, left or right.
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armakiller said:
Do not over look the above statement :nono:
powder load, patch thickness and lube type all first!! I'll be 1st to point out Dutch & his system. (just use the forum search, you will find a ton about it)
At 50 yards you might have a 2" change in point of impact by changing any one of these. 2 or 3 changes & you might be hitting dead on or even a bit high.
If you started by filing that front sight
Start at 25 yds. once you find the best load combo that your gun likes "best pattern" then you can start looking down range to see what that pattern will do. Not only will there be a sweet spot on load combo but sometimes there will be a sweet spot on range/distance as well. Jim
daniel collums
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like the other said dont mess with the sights. If you hold it true (a vise helps with that)the ball should hit the same place each shot. Swabbing between shots,powder load, patches,lube and the way you set the ball is the key. what are you using for patch lube? when i first started with a new barrel on one of my new buys i tried 3 different lubes till i found one that worked really well it was mink oil, then after i got it broke in after a couple hundred shots it started putting one bullet on top of the other. then you can adjust your sights to zero it in.
Listen to what the guys are telling you.
With that rifle my guess would be that your best groups are going to be in the range of 70-95 grains of powder. Either 2 or 3 F will work. One of the two will work better but you will not know until you find out.
With your pistol a range of 20-35 grains of 3f will most likely be the sweet spot. I do load development with pistols at 2 grain increments.
Rifles should be patched as tight as you can without needing to hammering it down the barrel. The pistol needs a thinner patch so you do not overly stress the stock as you seat the ball. Over stress that stock and it will snap on you mid load or on the shot some day.
With that rifle my guess would be that your best groups are going to be in the range of 70-95 grains of powder. Either 2 or 3 F will work. One of the two will work better but you will not know until you find out.
With your pistol a range of 20-35 grains of 3f will most likely be the sweet spot. I do load development with pistols at 2 grain increments.
Rifles should be patched as tight as you can without needing to hammering it down the barrel. The pistol needs a thinner patch so you do not overly stress the stock as you seat the ball. Over stress that stock and it will snap on you mid load or on the shot some day.
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I concur.
another one turned to the dark side ... bwahaha ... wait 'til he touches off his first flintlock ...
The Dutch Schoultz system, by the way, will be the best money you've ever spent in shooting.
Here's a link:
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/
if his method doesn't work, he'll refund your money. Read through this several times, because you don't want to miss anything, and there's a lot of information in the material he'll send.
read the whole thing several times over in private ... you don't want anyone knowing you actually read the instructions, do you?! next you know, you'll be asking directions at the gas station ...
:slap:
another one turned to the dark side ... bwahaha ... wait 'til he touches off his first flintlock ...
The Dutch Schoultz system, by the way, will be the best money you've ever spent in shooting.
Here's a link:
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/
if his method doesn't work, he'll refund your money. Read through this several times, because you don't want to miss anything, and there's a lot of information in the material he'll send.
read the whole thing several times over in private ... you don't want anyone knowing you actually read the instructions, do you?! next you know, you'll be asking directions at the gas station ...
:slap:
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ohio ramrod
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Dutch's system is a good summary of twenty plus years of "trial and error" to get consistant shooting .You can spend twenty years or twenty dollars, the choice is yours! :idunno: :idunno:
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The hook has been set and the fish is on the line! Once the white smoke has been inhaled, there is no turning back. It is an addiction. The best thing to do is feed the addict with daily or weekly infusions of black powder, white smoke.
50cal.cliff
58 Cal.
Your a gonner my friend, :idunno: it's something about the smoke, once inhaled it does something to the brain! :haha: :blah: :rotf: :rotf:
Seriously you will be surprised how much difference changing one thing in your shooting formula will change POI!
And do just that change one thing, at a time and shoot enough to determine if that was a true change or a fluke.
Powder, grains of powder, lube, patch, and wiping can all change your POI. Once you make that one change then shoot to see what the change did. Is it good or bad??????
When you decide to change grains of powder, powder make, and patch material, or wiping practices, all t once! Then you have no idea what you changed that made the POI change! Change one thing at a time. OK I tried to stress this point enough. The rest is up too you!
Seriously you will be surprised how much difference changing one thing in your shooting formula will change POI!
And do just that change one thing, at a time and shoot enough to determine if that was a true change or a fluke.
Powder, grains of powder, lube, patch, and wiping can all change your POI. Once you make that one change then shoot to see what the change did. Is it good or bad??????
When you decide to change grains of powder, powder make, and patch material, or wiping practices, all t once! Then you have no idea what you changed that made the POI change! Change one thing at a time. OK I tried to stress this point enough. The rest is up too you!
I would just like to add that you should change one thing at a time. :blah:
Col. Batguano
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It goes on and on from there. First you're shooting cap locks, then you'll get the hook set in flint, maybe cannons too, and sooner or later you're building more than you are shooting.
Your done for now,can you feel the addiction..good luck..
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Welcome to our addiction :haha:
RedFeather
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Thanks for bringing this up. Got a whole passle of guns to work up this coming summer. Will be ordering the system tomorrow. :hatsoff:
Thank you all for the comments and welcomes!! I will order the system. I am not one to reinvent the wheel!!!! I know that it is a loaded question (pun intended) but I really would like to get some feed back as to which brands are where in the pecking order of quality vs cost. I am looking for objective opinions of practical experience of brand ownership and use. I only know of three brands rt now, CVA, Traditions and Lyman. What are some others. How do they stack up and where do I find them. If there is a thread that covers this topic please point me in the right direction!! Once again thanks for your help and comments. Df
IMHO best brands are
1 Pedersoli
2 Lyman (or older Cabelas, both Investarms same gun)
3 OLDER CVA
4 Traditions
I have never had a Lyman, just going off others praises here but have had several older Cabelas and they are quite nice. Also have had very good luck with my CVA and Traditions rifles.
You get what you pay for....just don't pay for more than what yer after.
1 Pedersoli
2 Lyman (or older Cabelas, both Investarms same gun)
3 OLDER CVA
4 Traditions
I have never had a Lyman, just going off others praises here but have had several older Cabelas and they are quite nice. Also have had very good luck with my CVA and Traditions rifles.
You get what you pay for....just don't pay for more than what yer after.
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