Got some work to do !

[3 stinky dogs]

I baught a CVA bob cat.This is the first ML rifle I have owned and shot.I got to shoot it before I baught it and it hit what I aimed at.I am trying to fire a group of 3 to see how good I can do but I am hitting high and right.I havent had time to try from the bench but I am lucky to get an 8 inch groupe at 50 yeards.That wont do.I think I am flinching My shooting partner is going to watch me shoot and see if that is the case.I got powder and balls with the gun.I know the balls were swaged by the owner and the powder is Elephant 2f's.I know that powder is not real populer so I am going to grab some goex 2f's and some diffrent balls.I have some Goex 3f's but I dont think I can use that and I like to stick to what the factory recomends as I dont know enugh about ML's to experiment to much.Any pointers would be Apreceated as I get to hunt this year I am hopeing to my first ML'deer.

 

[musketman]

There is nothing wrong with GOEX FFFg, the other powder was probally recommended because they endorsed the rifle and/or company...

FFFg will burn cleaner than FFg, but in most cases, they can interchange, just reduce you load by 10% to 15% with FFFg as it will pack more powder in the same volume space of the powder measure as FFg...

Same with roundballs, swaged, cast, home-cast will all shoot fine, just get the proper diameter...

 

[roundball]

There is nothing wrong with GOEX FFFg, the other powder was probally recommended because they endorsed the rifle and/or company...

FFFg will burn cleaner than FFg, but in most cases, they can interchange, just reduce you load by 10% to 15% with FFFg as it will pack more powder in the same volume space of the powder measure as FFg...

Same with roundballs, swaged, cast, home-cast will all shoot fine, just get the proper diameter...

Ditto...Goex 3F is outstanding...fast, clean, and accurate...I use it in .45/.50/.54 calibers

 

[jim gray]

I agree with what MM and RB said about 3Fg. You may find that that will tighten your groups as well.

I am going to make some assumptions now. I assume (yeah, yeah, I know...) that your gun is a .50 caliber, that it is percussion, and that it is used.

Okay to tighten the groups start near the minimum recommended load for the gun, and if there is no minimum then try 50 grains of 3F (if it is .50 cal. anyway) and shoot a couple five shot goups from a rest if possible. During this process swab the barrel often (after if each shot would not be overdoing it.). After a couple of groups increase your powder charge by 5 grains and shot a couple more groups. Continue this until your groups start to open up more than you can live with. You will also want to experiment with different projectiles as you go. Are you shooting conicals, sabots, roundballs? If you are using roundballs try .490 and .495 diamieter balls and various thicknesses of patches to find one that works well in your gun. But as far as the load and the projectile go only change one variable at a time until you come up with the load you like.

 

[Rebel]

Use the Elephant on your lawn and use the Goex 3f you have.It will work fine in a .50 cal. Around 70-90 grs. Also you say the balls were swaged by the owner. I think you mean cast by him. That may or may not be part of the problem, depending on how good he was at casting. You might buy a box of Hornady or Speer rd balls and give them a try.

 

[jim gray]

Oops, I missed the sentence about the balls. I guess I was rushing because Rebel always posts before I do. :haha:

 

[Rebel]

Sorry, but you post more info, so it takes you longer. ::

 

[mglampson]

When I first started I thought I had to use ffg in my .50 cal caplock. That and .490 balls were recomended by someone. Groups were far from satisfactory. I experimented quite a bit and nothing seemed to work. Then I changed to fffg and .495 balls for a tight patch ball combo. Group size shrank right away. I've used fffg and a tight ball ever since on different guns and have had good results. But :results:

Britches

 

[Rocky Johnson]

3dogs I use elephant powder in cap & flintlocks its what i can get here and it works ok may fowl more just keep cleaning. You realy need to bench rest your rifle to see where it shoots. :winking: Rocky

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Ok I am flinching.My shooting partner caught me and even got a picture.I hate him.We got this ugly thing buttend down at the bench to get our mistikes out of the picture and this gun in the right hands with the powder and balls that it came with is dead on.I tried to blame the gun and the stuff but it is all me.We are going to work on the flinch.This is a good gun I am verry happy with it.It was supposed to be for the kids.Now I have to buy another one for them.Thanks a bunch and I will report the findings from todays range session.

 

[musketman]

Ok I am flinching.

All part of the game of flintlocks, it will go away in time...

Things that will help reduce or stop flinching:

1. Don't over-load the priming pan, you want it just to, or slightly below the vent...

2. Don't think about the priming powder going off, this will cause you to flinch, it is hard to get use to a small explosion going off beside your face, but it can be overcame with practice...

3. Practice with an empty gun, load up only the priming pan and hold on target, then pull the trigger and ignite the prime, note if you pulled off target...

4. Adjust trigger pull, a heavy trigger will cause you to pull off target before the gun even fires...

 

[Pork Chop]

Musketman,

I could be mistaken, but I believe that 3SD's Bobcat is percussion, not a flinter...

 

[musketman]

Musketman,

I could be mistaken, but I believe that 3SD's Bobcat is percussion, not a flinter...

When he said flinching, I assumed it was a flintlock...

:imo: Flinching is more prominent with flintlocks...

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Yea it 's a cap gun. I can feel little flecks of junk hitting my face.It is not bad just distracting.We took it apart and I got a ML cleaning lesson and we will shoot again tommrow after church.I did get used to it and I can keeo 3 on a pie plate most of the time.I do have a flint gun on order thow from TVM.That will be fun !

 

[Zonie]

Most people who flinch have been stomped by a modern rifle a few times. After being hurt by one of these things, the mind develops a dislike for them and assumes all rifles are going to hurt.

Now that you have fired your muzzleloader a few times, you might have noticed that it doesn't really kick that much. Now all you have to do is to convince your brain that this kind of gun is different.

Use moderate to light loads (55-75 grains of powder in a .50).

Concentrate on holding the gun on target for at least 1 second after it fires. This "follow thru" will greatly assist you with all of your shooting but it is most important with a muzzleloader.

Concentrate on "thinking the shot all the way thru the target".

Convince yourself that this black powder gun is not going to hurt one little bit.

As soon as you have mastered this, you will have so much fun thinking about putting another shot right next to the last one that you will forget to follow thru. Then you will shoot another wild shot.

Your mind will always remember being hurt so you have to remember to make it realize that black powder guns do not hurt with each shot.

Have fun.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Ok I got a new nipple and caps that fit compleatly cleaned the gun took it back out and fired three shots off hand.It does not sprey flecks of junk on my face any more and at 50 yards I can make 1 regged hole almost in the center of the paper plate.Thats better then I can do with a smokeless gun for sure.It was verry hot today so I gave it up but I will be going back out today.I also baught more Goex 3 f's I am shooting 60 grains under my patched round ball and my shooting buddy does not think that is stout enugh but I can hit with it so thats the load for now.I will just have to get closer I guess.