Hello,
It's nice to find such a huge forum for muzzleloading and support issues. I just bought a pietta (yeah, i know. but what are the choices ?) LeMat from cabela's (still on sale $749) and have taken it to the range once - my very very first time with a bp weapon. to be sure, there were a few issues.
Overall, things went well. I had taken the time to read postings on civil war reenactors sites, cabela's tips and videos, and even youtube which has dozens of home made videos of people blasting away with all kinds of weapons including a blunderbluss (my next possible purchase).
My biggest mistake was trying to fit a ball (.454) into the cylinder with 45 grains of fff. I just could not seat it and then realized that there ain't that much space !! So i had to dump the load and start over with a 35 grain charge. Other than that, the biggest problem was the c**ppy remington #10 caps. Maybe they weren't seated properly but throughout the day i had several that didn't fire on the first try.
Most comical moment was looking over my shoulder to see about 8 people crowded behind me watching my every move and then when i fired a round, they would all go "ooohhh" and "aaahhh" as the smoke billowed out. I don't even know if i hit the target. Felt sorry for the other shooter with his $3000 WA2000 and spotting scope. Nobody even seemed to notice him. What a day.
I'm looking for a partner to shoot with. There are about 20 outdoor/indoor ranges here in the bay area but i don't have a car and most are located far off the beaten track without any public transport service. If any of you visit the SF area, contact me and we can do the tour.
Final notes. Owning a lemat was a *must do* for me. I saw a real 1856 model on the history channel and said "that's the one for me." I've had .410 and 20g shotguns, .22 carbine, .45 colt, but none of them are a fraction as fun as this baby. By combining a .44 revolver and the 20g shot, it's the best of both worlds. And, contrary to popular misconceptions, they are not difficult to operate or clean. If a rank rookie can do it day 1, you old pro's have no excuses.
Anyone interested in getting one should search yahoo for "lemat sale" and you will find several private party and retail sources. Prices range from the high (new navy arms $890 +/-) to used ones ($550-600). As always, buyers should do lots of reference and background checking.
Don't be a stranger. Feel free to introduce yourself. I have lots of questions so you will have to put up with my newbie status for now.
By the looks of this forum, i made a good decision getting into bp.
:thumbsup:
~daniel~
It's nice to find such a huge forum for muzzleloading and support issues. I just bought a pietta (yeah, i know. but what are the choices ?) LeMat from cabela's (still on sale $749) and have taken it to the range once - my very very first time with a bp weapon. to be sure, there were a few issues.
Overall, things went well. I had taken the time to read postings on civil war reenactors sites, cabela's tips and videos, and even youtube which has dozens of home made videos of people blasting away with all kinds of weapons including a blunderbluss (my next possible purchase).
My biggest mistake was trying to fit a ball (.454) into the cylinder with 45 grains of fff. I just could not seat it and then realized that there ain't that much space !! So i had to dump the load and start over with a 35 grain charge. Other than that, the biggest problem was the c**ppy remington #10 caps. Maybe they weren't seated properly but throughout the day i had several that didn't fire on the first try.
Most comical moment was looking over my shoulder to see about 8 people crowded behind me watching my every move and then when i fired a round, they would all go "ooohhh" and "aaahhh" as the smoke billowed out. I don't even know if i hit the target. Felt sorry for the other shooter with his $3000 WA2000 and spotting scope. Nobody even seemed to notice him. What a day.
I'm looking for a partner to shoot with. There are about 20 outdoor/indoor ranges here in the bay area but i don't have a car and most are located far off the beaten track without any public transport service. If any of you visit the SF area, contact me and we can do the tour.
Final notes. Owning a lemat was a *must do* for me. I saw a real 1856 model on the history channel and said "that's the one for me." I've had .410 and 20g shotguns, .22 carbine, .45 colt, but none of them are a fraction as fun as this baby. By combining a .44 revolver and the 20g shot, it's the best of both worlds. And, contrary to popular misconceptions, they are not difficult to operate or clean. If a rank rookie can do it day 1, you old pro's have no excuses.
Anyone interested in getting one should search yahoo for "lemat sale" and you will find several private party and retail sources. Prices range from the high (new navy arms $890 +/-) to used ones ($550-600). As always, buyers should do lots of reference and background checking.
Don't be a stranger. Feel free to introduce yourself. I have lots of questions so you will have to put up with my newbie status for now.
By the looks of this forum, i made a good decision getting into bp.
:thumbsup:
~daniel~
