Progress is a 2 1/2 inch group with a flyer!

[Leadball loader]

I’m not the fastest learner as it has taken me 2 years to finally make a reasonable group with my FDC from an off hand position. I had to incorporate a little assist to enable the deal but ,I think eventually I will be able to practice my way to unassisted grouping.
The assistant is heavy nine foot post set 3 feet in the ground giving me a way to use my offhand stance and cheek weld while sighting as well as a brace for my supporting left arm.
Muscle memory takes how many thousand rounds? I will no doubt find out.
It is fun to see shots group and I hope to have a lot of fun this year!!
In the 1740 era use of support to shoot was the way to make your powder and lead work best when hunting food or protecting your life and I want to practice as though it were then.
LBL

 

[Britsmoothy]

How far? That's quite impressive, excellent even

 

[Yewbender]

Setup looks good and so does the shoot’n.

By the way, did you take them pic’s with an iphone ? If you did holding the phone vertical thats why they are side ways. Hold the phone horizontal with the volume buttons pointing to the ground and the pic’s won’t be sideways.

 

[tenngun]

I’d be happy with it.
I turned my phone on the side to look at them.
Do you have a rear sight. Sans sight I shoot to the right. When I first saw the photo I thought you were shooting right like I do.

 

[Leadball loader]

I was shooting at 25 plus yards with no rear sight.
Until I set the post I could hit the target wildly scattering the hits. After the post I could keep them in the black but still scattered and suddenly I realized the trigger pull was way heavy. It was 12 plus pounds when I measured it. It is a comfortable 3 plus pounds and I am feeling that I can master this gun.
My son says he mentioned the trigger to me a while ago. I guess I was so focused on me being the reason I could not dial it in and was.
LBL

 

[smo]

Patched ball or not?
Load data?
Have you benched the gun?

Tenngun, I just laid my head over sideways too look at the pics! Lol

 

[Leadball loader]

Setup looks good and so does the shoot’n.

By the way, did you take them pic’s with an iphone ? If you did holding the phone vertical thats why they are side ways. Hold the phone horizontal with the volume buttons pointing to the ground and the pic’s won’t be sideways.

Thanks for the pointer on using my phone. I am not the most tech knowledgeable user.
LBL

 

[Leadball loader]

Patched ball or not?
Load data?
Have you benched the gun?

Tenngun, I just laid my head over sideways too look at the pics! Lol

I am trying to load as they would have in 1740’s New England so I use borax treated newsprint wads and a .610 round ball over 65 grains of 2f shuetzen. I use an over powder wad a dab of Crisco the ball and a wad rammed as a unit. Loads easily every time and does not require wiping between shots.
Use of an over powder wad ,grease and large diameter ball is questionable historically but makes shooting more fun.
Some shooters might have used greased wadding I suppose.
I load from my shot bag, grease in a round flat tin, prime from my horn and have had fun despite my learning curve!
LBL

 

[Leadball loader]

I am trying to load as they would have in 1740’s New England so I use borax treated newsprint wads and a .610 round ball over 65 grains of 2f shuetzen. I use an over powder wad a dab of Crisco the ball and a wad rammed as a unit. Loads easily every time and does not require wiping between shots.
Use of an over powder wad ,grease and large diameter ball is questionable historically but makes shooting more fun.
Some shooters might have used greased wadding I suppose.
I load from my shot bag, grease in a round flat tin, prime from my horn and have had fun despite my learning curve!
LBL

I have not benched the gun because the cheek weld sight picture feel is so different from my off hand position I feel it will mess with getting good results.
I mostly want consistent grouping from a standing position for the woods walk shoots at the Ancient Ones of Maine.
LBL

 

[smo]

Here’s a couple of my targets shot from bench first then off hand.

Offhand at 25 yards.

These were shot with 2 different size balls and two different loads, but both without a patch.

Basically just powder, card, ball and either a 1/2” wad on top or an over shot card to hold the ball in place.
I have used a pinch of wasp nest as well in place of the card or wad.

What I have found is that if I elevate my bench to where I’m in the same position basically as off hand, it doesn’t seem too make any difference going from bench to offhand.

Much like you’re doing shooting from the post, only for me the bench is more stable.

My gun still doesn’t shoot where I’m looking, so I’ve still got some tweaking too do.
The bench target with the ball low and left is where the gun prints when aimed at the center of the bull.
So Kentucky windage comes into play... for now.

Just thought I would throw it out there for your info, not in anyway suggesting that this is the one and only way, but it works for me.

And by no means am I a World class shooter, I just like chunking lead!

Good Luck in your quest!

 

[Britsmoothy]

I have to have my right eye to the left of the tang screw and then see a lot of barrel to not shoot low.

There is a way to steer the ball via relieving the muzzle crown very slightly directly opposite the direction you desire.
I have done it successfully to several guns and never had to undo it or regretted it.

 

[smo]

Thanks Brits, I knew you could do that with shot.

I wasn’t sure if it worked with a ball or not.
I have to square the tang screw with the bottom left corner of the front sight..

We have a jig at the club to “tweek” it with.... I just haven’t gotten a round to it.

Holding on the bull , I’m 3-4” left & 6 “ low if I shot the tip of the front sight.

Head position and a reproducible mounting of the gun too the shoulder are what I try to focus on.

I hope some of this helps the OP somehow along the way.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thanks Brits, I knew you could do that with shot.

I wasn’t sure if it worked with a ball or not.
I have to square the tang screw with the bottom left corner of the front sight..

We have a jig at the club to “tweek” it with.... I just haven’t gotten a round to it.

Holding on the bull , I’m 3-4” left & 6 “ low if I shot the tip of the front sight.

Head position and a reproducible mounting of the gun too the shoulder are what I try to focus on.

I hope some of this helps the OP somehow along the way.

I have to remember for a close shot elevation wise to have a relaxed head position and not to nestle down on the stock!

 

[Leadball loader]

Here’s a couple of my targets shot from bench first then off hand.

Offhand at 25 yards.

These were shot with 2 different size balls and two different loads, but both without a patch.

Basically just powder, card, ball and either a 1/2” wad on top or an over shot card to hold the ball in place.
I have used a pinch of wasp nest as well in place of the card or wad.

What I have found is that if I elevate my bench to where I’m in the same position basically as off hand, it doesn’t seem too make any difference going from bench to offhand.

Much like you’re doing shooting from the post, only for me the bench is more stable.

My gun still doesn’t shoot where I’m looking, so I’ve still got some tweaking too do.
The bench target with the ball low and left is where the gun prints when aimed at the center of the bull.
So Kentucky windage comes into play... for now.

Just thought I would throw it out there for your info, not in anyway suggesting that this is the one and only way, but it works for me.

And by no means am I a World class shooter, I just like chunking lead!

Good Luck in your quest!

Thanks for your encouragement. I can tell it is going to be a quest every time I shoot and don't do as well as I did the previous session.
Today I was in flinch mode and could not group at all. I have to relearn every time I have a poor session.
Tomorrow is another day to try again and I know I can do better. I will have to see if I can find a comfortable position at my bench if all else fails.
LBL