First black powder rifle, headed to the range.

[Stantheman86]

Joe Bilby said much the same thing in his excellent book 'Civil War Firearms'.

I love my rifled muzzleloaders, but I've never taken my .69 Pedersoli 1816 Smoothbore out and wished I brought something else. Just pure fun. From point blank to maybe 80 yards, you can hit a target. Shoots as well or better than a rifle to about 50.

 

[Stantheman86]

I'm with you, anything less than a cloverleaf group is unsatisfactory, that includes my smoothbores as well.
You wouldn't be yanking our chains abit on the 100yd from the waist group would you
Being 79 & an impulse pistol shooter I might match that group at 15-20 yds

No I aimed at the targets "waist "

Not like I was hip shooting hahaha

 

[Stantheman86]

As much fun as that sounds, I think I'll see how things go after re bedding the barrel around the plug end. Also re "blacking" the front sight and adjusting my sight picture. It isn't off much. Maybe a right handed gun with a left hand shooter....
.View attachment 86254

I'd honestly be happy with that , maybe after more shooting the groups will move over to the left with load development, sight picture fine tuning , trigger pull technique practice , etc

 

[Mooney 78865]

I'd honestly be happy with that , maybe after more shooting the groups will move over to the left with load development, sight picture fine tuning , trigger pull technique practice , etc

I guess tomorrow we'll see at 100 yards. The RC club I belong to has a rifle/pistol "range" set up for members to use. Was going to shoot this morning, but folks started showing up early to beat the heat and I decided to take a pass on the rifle. While the "range" is not close to the field, it is a bit annoying to people flying, and I don't want to ruin a good thing.
Tomorrow, I'll go out earlier and get a couple dozen rounds in. Then practice F3A aerobatics!
I am going to look at joining the local rifle/pistol outdoor club on the other side of town. Planning on going out there Monday and see what they have in regards to black powder shooting. Their website says there is a muzzle loader club that shoots there but with "permission". Don't know if that is the muzzle loader club has their own gig, (I see on the website there is a western" town") or if you want to shoot with them, you have to contact them to shoot at the "town" range. Hopfully, there isn't any restrictions for black powder at the regular ranges. We'll see I guess.

 

[Stantheman86]

I guess tomorrow we'll see at 100 yards. The RC club I belong to has a rifle/pistol "range" set up for members to use. Was going to shoot this morning, but folks started showing up early to beat the heat and I decided to take a pass on the rifle. While the "range" is not close to the field, it is a bit annoying to people flying, and I don't want to ruin a good thing.
Tomorrow, I'll go out earlier and get a couple dozen rounds in. Then practice F3A aerobatics!
I am going to look at joining the local rifle/pistol outdoor club on the other side of town. Planning on going out there Monday and see what they have in regards to black powder shooting. Their website says there is a muzzle loader club that shoots there but with "permission". Don't know if that is the muzzle loader club has their own gig, (I see on the website there is a western" town") or if you want to shoot with them, you have to contact them to shoot at the "town" range. Hopfully, there isn't any restrictions for black powder at the regular ranges. We'll see I guess.

I've never heard of a club that you need special permission to shoot Black Powder.

The most I do if people are on the line at the rifle range is set up at the end where I usually go anyway because it's more convenient to park there. Not one person has ever cared and most people are interested when you're sending bullets that make huge clouds of dirt kick up out of a mile long Musket.

I shoot my Smoothbores at the rifle range and one guy is like "maybe you need to use different bullets what's your twist on that " I'm like, none lol

 

[Mooney 78865]

Hope your right.

 

[Stantheman86]

I can see why an indoor range wouldn't want muzzleloaders but if you're outside I don't see the big deal

Some ranges are the opposite and they try to squeeze out the Tactifools with a "one round every 3 seconds " rule

 

[Mooney 78865]

I can see why an indoor range wouldn't want muzzleloaders but if you're outside I don't see the big deal

Some ranges are the opposite and they try to squeeze out the Tactifools with a "one round every 3 seconds " rule

Definitely no indoor for the Pietta either. I do take my Berretta PX4 "carry" indoor once and a while, but mostly outdoor for that as well.

 

[Stantheman86]

Definitely no indoor for the Pietta either. I do take my Berretta PX4 "carry" indoor once and a while, but mostly outdoor for that as well.

Years ago I was a member of an Indoor range, and they let me touch off 6 out of an old Armi San Marco 1860 Army but they said the filtration systems don't like blackpowder smoke . The range was smoked up for hours

 

[Stantheman86]

I think I solved my "windage" issues with this somewhat period looking tang sight, that's made to fit any rifle and is adjustable for the staff angle, elevation and windage. It's old but I don't know how old, probably 1960s but it's 1860's now . It's actually a very interesting design, there's no springs, everything is moved and tightened with thumb screws.

The aperture is large enough that I can use the front sight, I lined up the sight picture to just below the "issue" rear sight and put a wood screw into it, rock solid. At the lowest setting I'll have basically a 200 yard zero, maybe a bit higher . It won't work on an Enfield with the straighter wrist on the stock but the drop is just right on the ArmiSport Richmond. It adjust way higher for elevation than I'll ever need.

My original goal was to tinker around with this rifle anyway and make it a range shooter that is kind of a repro of a "Sharpshooter " rifle that a resourceful Confederate that's a seasoned shooter might have put together in the field, which is documented to have happened.

This is why I love owning both repros and originals , you can shoot a few rounds through an original like my two 1861 Springfields , experience the history of shooting a rifle that was used in service , and just preserve them as the historical artifacts they are but you can have fun with the repros and kinda run wild with whatever you feel like doing. I have no problems throwing sights on Italian repros made in 2017, I love doing this stuff as long as it looks right.

The guy on Ebay has more of them.

 

[Mooney 78865]

I made it out today and shot at 100 yards right out of the gate. My aiming point was the bullseye, no elevation or windage corrections. I experimented with my "sight picture" for the first 10-15 rounds before settling in on balancing the red circle on the front blade. Put up a new target and shot 4 rounds. 3 were great and one flyer. I figure I'm done trying different powder loads until I have a good supply of FFFg Goex.
I will run the rounds through the sizer AFTER I lube them though. and see if that plays with anything.
Besides re bedding the barrel and "blacking" the front sight I reduce the powder load to 45 grains.
.577 Minie' "Rapine", 494 grain over 45 grains of Pyrodex.
I'm really happy with the results! Now I need to improve as a shooter so I can do 5 shots with no flyers!
I am curious though, would reducing the powder actually make it come left? Or should I figure my "improved" sight picture helped?

 

[Stantheman86]

I made it out today and shot at 100 yards right out of the gate. My aiming point was the bullseye, no elevation or windage corrections. I experimented with my "sight picture" for the first 10-15 rounds before settling in on balancing the red circle on the front blade. Put up a new target and shot 4 rounds. 3 were great and one flyer. I figure I'm done trying different powder loads until I have a good supply of FFFg Goex.
I will run the rounds through the sizer AFTER I lube them though. and see if that plays with anything.
Besides re bedding the barrel and "blacking" the front sight I reduce the powder load to 45 grains.
.577 Minie' "Rapine", 494 grain over 45 grains of Pyrodex.
I'm really happy with the results! Now I need to improve as a shooter so I can do 5 shots with no flyers!
I am curious though, would reducing the powder actually make it come left? Or should I figure my "improved" sight picture helped?
View attachment 86625

Something worked!

It may be sight picture correcting, your trigger pull has improved just by shooting it , getting used to the rifle , less powder imparts less velocity so it affects POI

I've seen it, I changed brands of powder and the POI moved. I can't even explain why

This is why serious match shooters with any kind of rifle use the same powder , same bullet, same primer every single time they load ammo. My friend does bench rest shooting and not only did different primers change the POI but even powder from a different manufacturing Lot #. It's madness. My local club has Regional Bench Rest matches and those guys reload ammo on site based on the climate conditions. Mind boggling .

 

[Mooney 78865]

I figured that moving out to 100 yards the POI would drop. I didn't expect that the rounds would come left like they did. I'm going to run out to the Gun Club at some point tomorrow and talk to the powers that be about shooting black powder. I'm real happy I've been able to get on target without having to mess with the sights, or heaven forbid, bend it around a tree!
I think I've put 60 or so rounds through it at this point. My best results coming with the .577 Rapine rounds. I still have about 20 of the Rapine rounds made up and 25 of the Parker Hale style. I do have 100 Rapine .577 on their way. If I shoot the remaining rounds and have the same result I figure I will open the FFFg Goex and "start over" when the new rounds show up. Now that I know the gun is capable of doing well, hopefully it will be a short trip.
THEN, I want to buy a mold and cast my own bullets. Not that I haven't been happy with what I've been getting from S&S, I just want to be master of my own supply.
You guys are right, this is addicting!

 

[Stantheman86]

I've been looking to set up a little casting operation but whenever I start to think about it, I find someone selling Minies or round balls in bulk for 50 cents a piece and just order a bunch of them .

I support the "side gig" casting guys so they keep pumping them out, but like my guy Blue Falcon Bullets who sold tons of pre sized , pre lubed Minies on GunBroker then suddenly just dissapeared, it pays to be able to make your own.

 

[Mooney 78865]

I've been looking to set up a little casting operation but whenever I start to think about it, I find someone selling Minies or round balls in bulk for 50 cents a piece and just order a bunch of them .

I support the "side gig" casting guys so they keep pumping them out, but like my guy Blue Falcon Bullets who sold tons of pre sized , pre lubed Minies on GunBroker then suddenly just dissapeared, it pays to be able to make your own.

S&S has theirs for $12.50 for a lot of 25. I think I payed $9-10 shipping for 100. They are out of New York, and I'm on the far side of the world to USPS. They've been good at shipping and seem to have most everything I've wanted in stock.

 

[Stantheman86]

S&S has theirs for $12.50 for a lot of 25. I think I payed $9-10 shipping for 100. They are out of New York, and I'm on the far side of the world to USPS. They've been good at shipping and seem to have most everything I've wanted in stock.

I'm glad they're open, I heard the husband passed away and the wife keeps it going

I bought a rear aight from them and some .451 bullets 2 years ago

Track of the Wolf just raised their prices

 

[Mooney 78865]

I'm glad they're open, I heard the husband passed away and the wife keeps it going

I bought a rear aight from them and some .451 bullets 2 years ago

Track of the Wolf just raised their prices

When I first ordered a month or so ago, they were experiencing a "family emergency" and things were slow to get out. Sorry to hear that was the cause.

 

[Stantheman86]

S&S has things you can't find anywhere else, really obscure stuff. They're great

 

[Stantheman86]

Looked at my original 1862 Tower P53 today and happened to notice the rear sight was widened over to the left.

It has been bored out to .65 smoothbore and I've never fired it. It was apparently owned by a family in Tennessee who's relative brought it home from the war and had it bored out to fire bird shot. Don't know if the sight was altered at the arsenal, in the field, or after the war. But it hit off Center and someone didn't like it.

 

[Jaegermeister]

I agree about S&S. Bought my 1860 Henry 3 piece cleaning rod from them. Who the hell else would have such a product?!