So my son Matt this year suddenly got interested in shooting. I mean suddenly. I've taken him to the range before as a youngster, and he wasn't too keen. Turns out he didn't like the noise and the kick, well mostly the noise, and it was the noise from the other guns being shot at the range that mostly bothered him. He didn't mention that to me until this year.
Last time he wanted to come with me was five years ago as a 12 year old. We had fun but afterwards, every time I asked if he wanted to come to the range he wasn't into it to go. I don't force either of my kids to shoot nor to come with me to the woods..., (imho) I want them to have a desire to be there, not to think of either activity as a chore or punishment. Well he's growed some, and is now 17, so in March he asked if we could shoot some of my modern guns (rifles). He's into some of those online, WWII first-person-shooter games and such. (to those games I say "bah humbug")
So we've been shooting an SKS, and I let him get some custom parts like a modern stock, and a scope and such. (HEY guys feeding them new fangled self loaders can get expensive! WHO KNEW?) We were sighting the SKS in yesterday, (relax folks this IS about shooting a caplock..., wait for it...) and I brought my .54 flintlock (Trudy) along, as well as my .54 TC New Englander caplock.
In the past, Matt didn't like Trudy much, as he's not used to such a long rifle (and she's only got a 38" barrel :shake: ) The New Englander, is much shorter than the flinter, and it's a caplock so is better in very damp conditions. In fact it's my backup rifle IF I've got limited days off to hunt, and for whatever reason the weather is really damp (especially this week in October which is early ML Deer season starting in the morning.) October is still hurricane and tropical storm season, and we've had some blustery, damp, Early ML Deer seasons in the past. :wink:
So after banging away for an hour and adjusting his scope out to 100 yards, (and even though it was milsurp ammo, I SWEAR I could hear the faint sound of a cash register every time he pulled that trigger :shocked2: )..., it was time to do some BP.
I wanted to double check Trudy's sights. I've switched over from GOEX right now to Graf's 3Fg..., and I found with the Graf's BP ( which is Scheutzen with Graf's label upon it) my rifle hit 3" low. So I upped my load from 70 grains to 80 grains to correct the impact of my .530 round ball. I was then good to go for deer tomorrow, and then it was Matt's turn on the New Englander.
So I showed him how it loads, and instructed him on half-cock and full-cock, and placing a cap and whatnot. He was a little apprehensive. I told him it wouldn't kick any more than the modern rifle, and he did need to be aware that the trigger was very different from the modern rifle, so he had to take his time.
The rifle was on a rest on the bench and he shouldered it and followed the basics..., and BOOOM!..., she went off without a problem. With the New Englander, at 50 yards with 70 grains of Graf's 3Fg and a .530 patched round ball, he cut the ten ring at the 11 o'clock mark. (So proud :grin: ) All he said was, " Hey I like this!" (Gee young man you mean after all that banging away with the SKS, you admit the BP single shot rifle might actually be fun? :wink: ) His second shot, he hit the 9 ring at 6 o'clock, and his last shot was a flyer, but he "called" it when he fired, that it was a flyer. We had to then call it quits due to fading light.
Since we're in an area of my state where his choices for deer hunting with a firearm are shotgun or muzzleloader..., he's going to have to use the New Englander, but I think he'll find it more than adequate. :wink: We've also found out he needs a little vision correction, and some range time, so he won't be going out with me until regular deer season ( with the caplock and I with Trudy; We hunt deer with ML's !)
So it took a while to get him interested in marksmanship, and then with the BP rifle. When leaving the range he said, "I was surprised. That rifle [the New Englander] is really accurate."
VICTORY!
Then as we drove home he said, "Hey dad what sort of scope goes on the caplock?"
GADZOOKS!
Well I expect that with some prescription shooting glasses, he will find the iron sights just fine for hunting and shooting. (Geesh they're adjustable even..., what more does a person want?)
LD
Last time he wanted to come with me was five years ago as a 12 year old. We had fun but afterwards, every time I asked if he wanted to come to the range he wasn't into it to go. I don't force either of my kids to shoot nor to come with me to the woods..., (imho) I want them to have a desire to be there, not to think of either activity as a chore or punishment. Well he's growed some, and is now 17, so in March he asked if we could shoot some of my modern guns (rifles). He's into some of those online, WWII first-person-shooter games and such. (to those games I say "bah humbug")
So we've been shooting an SKS, and I let him get some custom parts like a modern stock, and a scope and such. (HEY guys feeding them new fangled self loaders can get expensive! WHO KNEW?) We were sighting the SKS in yesterday, (relax folks this IS about shooting a caplock..., wait for it...) and I brought my .54 flintlock (Trudy) along, as well as my .54 TC New Englander caplock.
In the past, Matt didn't like Trudy much, as he's not used to such a long rifle (and she's only got a 38" barrel :shake: ) The New Englander, is much shorter than the flinter, and it's a caplock so is better in very damp conditions. In fact it's my backup rifle IF I've got limited days off to hunt, and for whatever reason the weather is really damp (especially this week in October which is early ML Deer season starting in the morning.) October is still hurricane and tropical storm season, and we've had some blustery, damp, Early ML Deer seasons in the past. :wink:
So after banging away for an hour and adjusting his scope out to 100 yards, (and even though it was milsurp ammo, I SWEAR I could hear the faint sound of a cash register every time he pulled that trigger :shocked2: )..., it was time to do some BP.
I wanted to double check Trudy's sights. I've switched over from GOEX right now to Graf's 3Fg..., and I found with the Graf's BP ( which is Scheutzen with Graf's label upon it) my rifle hit 3" low. So I upped my load from 70 grains to 80 grains to correct the impact of my .530 round ball. I was then good to go for deer tomorrow, and then it was Matt's turn on the New Englander.
So I showed him how it loads, and instructed him on half-cock and full-cock, and placing a cap and whatnot. He was a little apprehensive. I told him it wouldn't kick any more than the modern rifle, and he did need to be aware that the trigger was very different from the modern rifle, so he had to take his time.
The rifle was on a rest on the bench and he shouldered it and followed the basics..., and BOOOM!..., she went off without a problem. With the New Englander, at 50 yards with 70 grains of Graf's 3Fg and a .530 patched round ball, he cut the ten ring at the 11 o'clock mark. (So proud :grin: ) All he said was, " Hey I like this!" (Gee young man you mean after all that banging away with the SKS, you admit the BP single shot rifle might actually be fun? :wink: ) His second shot, he hit the 9 ring at 6 o'clock, and his last shot was a flyer, but he "called" it when he fired, that it was a flyer. We had to then call it quits due to fading light.
Since we're in an area of my state where his choices for deer hunting with a firearm are shotgun or muzzleloader..., he's going to have to use the New Englander, but I think he'll find it more than adequate. :wink: We've also found out he needs a little vision correction, and some range time, so he won't be going out with me until regular deer season ( with the caplock and I with Trudy; We hunt deer with ML's !)
So it took a while to get him interested in marksmanship, and then with the BP rifle. When leaving the range he said, "I was surprised. That rifle [the New Englander] is really accurate."
VICTORY!
Then as we drove home he said, "Hey dad what sort of scope goes on the caplock?"
GADZOOKS!Well I expect that with some prescription shooting glasses, he will find the iron sights just fine for hunting and shooting. (Geesh they're adjustable even..., what more does a person want?)
LD
