in anticipation

[excess650]

Virginia's muzzleloader season will start November 4th, and I've been busy doing things OTHER than shooting. Between health,work, and working on a .54 flinter I would like to have ready to hunt with, I hadn't spent any quality time at the range. The past couple of days its been right around 70*F with lower humidity, so it was time. In the low 40s this morning, the range was strangely quiet. I had the whole place to my self for 2+ hours, so no distractions. I took the Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifle and hung a new 8" gong at 50 yards. All seemed well until I couldn't find my powder measure. :cursing: I rummaged around and found a spent 30-06 case and called it good. A case full of Goex fffg, pillow ticking lubed with Lehigh Valley, and a .490" RB was the load. Admittedly, I was feeling a little rusty, but the ignition was quick and the 1st shot was just a little low-left of center, offhand. Subsequent shots were better centered. I switched to ffg KIK from 2000(?) and the next pair of impacts were at 10 o'clock on the edge. I dumped a 9mm case of fffg in as a kicker and followed with the KIK, and the impacts went back to center. I had to "put teeth" on the well used French amber a couple of times, and then finally retired it. I shot mostly offhand, a few shots sitting, several kneeling, and had a pretty good feeling about how well I could shoot it, so maybe the .50 will get its chance this year.

When I had enough, I retrieved the gong. It is 3/8" mild steel, and I was surprised to see that the soft, swaged RBs actually cratered it....fffg loads that is, but not the couple of ffg strikes!

I'll try to get out at least once every week before season, so as to be on my game.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

Good luck,

I forgot my measure last week as well.

30-06 is about 70grns on my measure. 30-30 is 42 to 45 grains.

I solved my problem of measures. I made duplicates last night.

Personally, I limit myself to labor day. If it ain't ready and acting the way it should by then, it's not used for hunting that year.

 

[excess650]

Its not like I'm short of choices, but I was hoping to have the .54 ready to go, and its still not out of the question. Regardless, I'll try to get out at least weekly for range practice. The .45 is fun to shoot, but not my idea of a stopper.

 

[azmntman]

I will most likely be taking my .54 too. Only gun I have shot in a year :redface: Min of deer last I went out...need TIME to get a load worked up with Dutch System (I did make three differnt strips of 6-1 7-1 and 8-1 to use when i get TIME :cursing: )

 

[wvbuckbuster]

I sure hope you get your .54 finished but if not sounds like your good to go with the other one. It's been a long time since I hunted VA early season. Last time was with my departed friend Ron Lilly. We had a good week him taking a deer and I a turkey. Hope your season is successful. Dan.

 

[rushlake1]

Keep at it Excess! shooting and building...

Did my new sightings during March after the season closed..

Then plink and tweak during the summer ....

What's that "W" word?

You gotta do something about that!

Good luck, aim small!

 

[hanshi]

I've been fortunate enough to get to the range with all the powder burners I'll be using here in Va. The .62 flintlock smoothbore was giving 3-shot groups under 3" at 50 yards. The load was my usual: 70 grains of 3F, a 330 grain ball and a flannel patch lubed with mink oil. I put a tuft of paper or hornet nest in as an op wad.

I'll be in WV on the 10th of Nov. There the go-to rifle will be the .50 longrifle with the .45 on standby.

 

[excess650]

The .62 has become my "stopper", but the .58 is no slouch in that regard. If I were hunting more open woods, I might be more inclined to try the .45.

 

[Dr5x]

It depends on how you process the Dry Lube strips, but the bulk of those reporting indicate the 7 to 1 mix seems to work the best.
In other words the "dryer" the better. Too slick seems to be a problem

Dutch Schoultz

 

[Sean Gadhar]

My pronghorn hunt starts Saturday. The blind gentlemen that was to come with is not coming

Work is rocking and rolling and I'm about half ready

Headed home soon after a 10 hour day to cook & freeze 2 more main meals. Pack my gear and get the Jerky out of the dehydrator. 35 year of getting ready to hunt and I still sometimes get caught flat-footed :redface:

 

[excess650]

Good luck with that antelope hunt, and make sure to take pictures!

 

[excess650]

I took the .45 flinter to the range this morning. Its been a while since I shot it, but I was pretty comfortable with how well it shot. 50 yard shots offhand on the 8" gong were easy as were 100 yards from the kneeling position. Its a little higher than I would like at 50 yards, basically "on" at 100, and the options are a taller front sight or filing down the rear...60gr Swiss ffg and 70gr Goex fffg both cratered the plate at 50 yards, but not as much as the .50 did.

 

[hanshi]

That's why the .45 is still my favorite. :thumbsup:

 

[excess650]

I had the .50 Dixie TMR out last weekend and it seemed to be working very well. I was shooting my own cast .490s with pillow ticking and Lehigh Valley Lube over fffg Goex mostly, but was using up some of my partials of this and that with a kicker of Goex fffg. It was working well enough that I decided that I really should load it as if I was going to hunt with it and see where it shoots.

This morning was the first test. My normal load in a clean, dry patched bore is with (thicker) cotton duck and mink oil as lube. I poured 80gr fffg Goex from the horn and found that I could still start the ball by simply applying pressure with the short starter. I cut the patch, and seated the ball with my range rod. I had my gong hanging at 50 yards, but eyed a bright coloered patch of leaves on the dark brown berm at 100 yards. I held center and expected the shot to be a little low, but was surprised to see the spot just got smaller. Damp patch, dry patch, and reload.....same aim point, and the patch of leaves disappeared. I repeated the loading procedure and held 6 o'clock on my 8" gong expecting a center strike, but the impact was only 1-1/2" into the gong....repeat and same result. I was pleased to have that load work so well as the first shot in a hunting situation, so I moved on to the "quick reload". I didn't wipe the bore, just dumped the powder down the bore and went with the same diameter ball with pillow ticking and mink oil. It loaded without a lot of resistance with the under barrel ramrod, and shot to the same POI at 50 yards. :thumbsup:

The range started to get busy, so I'll have to get out and see where and how consistently the looser fit shoots at 100.

 

[hanshi]

I think you have it pegged, excess. I've been loading my .50 with 70 grains of 3F for right around 1700 fps and 1-1/2" to 2" high at 50 yards. I plan to shoot it again - been a long time - at 100 and see what (I) can do; I already know what the rifle can do.

On my friend's property in WV, he tells me that the walk to the stand passes an area that offers shots as far as 150 yards, beyond my self-imposed limit. But I will consider any shot at, say, around 100 yards or so.

 

[excess650]

I'm more comfortable with a 50 yard shot than a 100 yard shot, but could make that shot(100 yards) if I had to. I've shot further, but very steep downhill, so not as much drop in trajectory, but still lots of velocity loss. A 325gr .62 packs more thump than does a 175gr .50. I'm not as much concerned about the hit as I am making a clean kill.

Last weekend a guy shooting a .54 mentioned that my .50 really barked. :haha: The report of his seemed a bit subdued compared to mine, and I'm guessing he was shooting ffg (90gr).

 

[excess650]

I've been reading some other, older threads and it got me thinking. As much as I like my flintlocks, I might want to have a percussion gun along in case of bad weather. I HAVE a .54 TC Grey Hawk that is a good shooter, but not terribly traditional with synthetic stock and SS barrel. :haha: I still have my FIRST ML rifle and never shot a deer with it. Its a first year CVA Mountain Rifle kit that I assembled while in high school, and I haven't shot it since I don't know when. It needs a new ramrod and a few shots at the range to verify the sights, but I think it'll go along. :wink:

 

[1100 Remington Man]

Good luck on your hunt and the deer should be going into the rut by then.