hitting target

[fishindoc]

alright i'll keep trying and tighten my pattern-i;ll try working down

 

[Leatherbark]

I've got a JB smoothbore 20ga. I use 70gr of 3f and a thickly patched .600 ball... I can keep all of my shots on the size of a paper plate at 50 yards. If I shoot 10 shots at the target many will be close together with many of them deviating from the main group as far as 6 inches.......I think this is normal until I really get consistant in using proper cheekweld and barrel elevation. I strive to get all the shots around 4 inches at 50 yards.........Then I"ll be satisfied with my smoothbore.......I do believe this is possible,but you must be consistant in every way. Most importantly the aiming process. You might JB weld you a temporary sight on the barrel flat while your experimenting for accuracy of the load. Dont worry where the balls are landing until you find a load that is to your liking , then adjust the aim..............Good luck..........Bob

 

I just finished up trying the 60 and 65 gr fff load with patched ball only. got a group of nine shots within a foot of center at 75 feet -had three other shots stray outside of the kill zone.
overall much inproved-thanks for all your help

Just curious. If this is "improved", what kind of accuracy were you getting before you decided to try and shoot a deer?

I don't mean to be overly critical, but "within a foot of center" is pretty bad for 25 yards.

Just how big do you consider the "kill-zone" to be on a deer?

 

[Claude Mathis]

... got a group of nine shots within a foot of center at 75 feet

How close were they grouped relative to each other?

 

[tg]

"alright i'll keep trying and tighten my pattern-i;ll try working down"

I know I used to get a lot tighter groups when I fired one shot groups........every hole was right in the same place as itself?

 

[fishindoc]

there were five at about two oclock and another group at about six oclock

 

[Claude Mathis]

there were five at about two oclock and another group at about six oclock

Looking at the group at 6 o'clock, how far apart were they from each other and were they fired consecutively?

The same question for the 2 o'clock group?

Or, did random shots just happen to group themselves at 2 and 6 o'clock?

 

[fishindoc]

they were pretty tight in both groups about 2-3 inches. the group moved when i changed my line of sight down the barrel closer toward the tang

 

[Mike Brooks]

Does the gun shoot high or low, or does it shoot dead on when your're looking right down the top flat of the barrel?

 

[fishindoc]

it seems to pull high and to the right

 

[ffffg]

hi....leading.fronn.shooting.shot.really.screwed.up.
roundball.accuracy.in.nny.sixteen.gauge..

(sorry.keyboard.is.screwed.up)..also.a.fiber.wad.

under.the.ball.can.help.sonnetinnes.if.bore.is.not

.sanne.dianneter.all.the.way.down.....you.could.also
.have.a.poor.ball.patch.fit..if.it.is.a.flint.lock

.slow.ignition.can.give.problenns.with.new.shooter

s...have.fun.youl.have.it.ready.for.40.yards.by.

nest.fall.if.you.keep.at.it.and.keep.asking.questions
....if.lube.is.not.sufficent.the.fouling.will.crust
.up.the.bore.and.get.hard.as.a.rock.and.ruin.group

.accuracy...but.not.hurt.first.shot.with.clean.bore
.....keep.track.of.your.first.shot.and.see.where.

they.are.going.and.if.over.a.course.of.outings.they

.give.an.acceptable.group....dave...

 

[paulvallandigham]

Fish: If it seems to be shooting high and to the right, ask another shooter to shoot the same load, and see if the POI changes. If it does, It might be something you are doing.

Even shooting over a rest, its not unusual for a right handed shooter to pull on the trigger, anticipating recoil. That will pull the group to the Right. He will also lift his head to avoid being smacked in the cheek, so the group will go high.

Here's a trick to fool your brain, and to see if you are pulling the groups to the right. When you mount that trigger finger in the trigger guard, put the side of your index finger on the inside, bottom of the trigger guard, so that just the pad of your finger will touch the end of the trigger. Keep your finger at right angles to the trigger guard, and keep the finger in contact with the guard as you squeeze the trigger. The support for your finger will help keep you from yanking on the trigger, and will release the trigger when you don't expect it to do so. That will keep you from lifting your head off the stock in anticipation of recoil.

YOu also want to make sure that your rest and rear sand bags, and bench or table is high enough so that your face is not laying down on top of the buttstock, instead of keeping your head upright, and along side the stock. Even the mild shove of a light load in a 20 ga. gun on your cheekbones will get your attention. To give your left hand and arm something to do, curl them in front of your chest, and bring the hand up to hold the butt of the gun, with the fingers between the butt and your arm or shoulder. That will also cushion the recoil to protect you from developing a flinch. Or, if you use a rabbit ear rear bag, then use your left hand to squeeze the ears together or relax them to raise and lower the gun in relation to the target. Your Right thumb should be along side the stock at the pistol grip, and not wrapped over it. Pushing down on the wrist of the stock in anticipation of recoil, but clenching your hand into a fist, will also cause your group to strike high.

Finally, breath control is essential to getting groups. When you have the gun sighted on target, take a deep breath and let 1/3 to 1/2 of the air out. This relaxes the muscles between your ribs, so that your heart beat does not instantly make your chest " bounce", and disturb your sight picture. Begin counting thousandths of a second. You want to fire the shot between 4 and 7 seconds after letting out that air. Before 4 seconds, or after 7 seconds, the disturbance of your chest wall by heart beats increases, and will throw a shot. Continue your count after the shot is fired, and during your follow through drill, which should involve bring the gunsights back down to where they were located in relation to your target when the gun fired. That way, you will learn to keep your eyes open through the shot, and will be able to tell where your shot should hit on the target. When you can call your shots, accurately, your " follow through " is working for you. YOu want to see the front sight recoil straight up, and not to one side or another. If the sight does not go straight up, adjust your seating position at the bench to put your shoulder more square to the butt of the gun.

YOu can also find yourself shooting two distinct groups with your gun, both small, but inpacting in different locations, if you don't mount the gun on the foreward rest in the same position. Mark the barrel, or stock with tape 8 inches back from the muzzle, and rest the gun at that mark for consistent performance. If you are shooting a short, half stock rifle, then you might consider resting the stock on a sand bag that is right in front of the trigger guard, and as close to the rear sight as possible. This is the equivalence of " free floating " your barrel as it allows all the barrel harmonics to occur in front of your rest.

 

[ffffg]

"there were five at about two oclock and another

group at about six
oclock"...this.in.black.powder.is.usually.a.flinch

..speed.your.ignition.up.to.stop.this....dave

 

[fishindoc]

thanks guys I think I definitely have a flinch problem after using the higher loads. I'm working on it with the lower charge loads.
fishindoc

 

[fishindoc]

paul that was excellent- I've got a lot of work to do. I developed a lot of bad habits early on. I realize that now and I'll let you know how it pans out. Again thanks to all of you who shared insight and knowledge.

 

[matt denison]

If you have access to some 2Fg powder try it. I have seen guns that refuse to shoot well with 3Fg. In a twenty gage start at 65 grains and work up. I'll bet that you will see a good group at 70 -80 grains which will have enough poop to make clean kills at the range you are shooting. Start at 25 yards and work your way out until your groups open up and don't shoot at game at ranges longer than that.

LaffinDog

 

[fishindoc]

What should my proper site picture be- where should i place my line of sight in relation to the breech plug-tang junction.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I set the front site right on top of the breech, I see no barrel, just the front sight.

 

[Mike Brooks]

it seems to pull high and to the right

Flinch problem. Don't worry about the load untill you can work this out.....
Better put that gun away and start with a .22 and shoot it till you don't flinch any more, then go up to something in a little bigger caliber and shoot it till you don't flinch. You gotta long way to go with this. :v

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Flinch problem. Don't worry about the load untill you can work this out ...

As a new smoothbore flintlock shooter, this was my training regimen ...

* Dry fire at least 10-20 'concentrated' shots per day using a wood flint until a penny would stay balanced out on the round barrel all the way through the shot. Me thinks this acutally gave me more practice pulling back the lock smoothly !

* Fire outside using pan powder only. WOrk up to the point where the penny stays put on the barrel and YOU can hold all the way through the shot and follow-thru for at least a slow count of '3'.

* Started on the range using a low charge and worked my way up to 70 grains FFg.

* If you have a helper, have them load the flintlock while you are not looking ... sometimes there may be a main charge, sometimes not ... if you get the 'flash in the pan' and you move ... but no KaBoom ... you're still flinching.

My twin bro and I just did the exercise to each other over the weekend and we filmed it. We finally got to the point where we both stayed rock solid whether or not the gun fired or it was just pan powder.

My next goal is to beging calling my shot as this DEMANDS focused concentration all the way through the shot and recoil mode ...

Good luck !