Range Time

[dlpowell]

Sent a couple of hours at the range with my 13 yr old son. He's got his own.54 cal and at a little over 100lbs dripping wet handles it pretty well. I've been shooting bp over 30 years and still have fun! I dry balled once and loaded a full round on top of another. Thank god for pliers and ball pullers! Used cross sticks for a rest and liked them better than the bench. What's amazing to me is 30 years ago I was the only person at the range with a bp gun, now every time I go someone is there with one of those inline things. Glad to see our sport grow. Still don't like those inlines!

Oh yeah we used a 7/16" range rod instead of the factory rod. What a difference! I could start the ball without a short starter.

Later

 

:bow: Way to go. I started over 50 years ago, with a homebuilt piece of junk ,but it shot. Until my Dad dissappeared it. Then built another with found parts and pictures. BP was only 50 cents/ pound.Turned in old bottles for powder money. Now there are plenty of people out at the range, with store bought guns burning 10 dollar/pound powder. seems that what goes around comes around behind you,next they will be building guns from scratch again. I know some are and blessings on them. There is no better feeling of accomplishment than shooting well with your own piece. of course someone will say ,'It dont look like any rifles in the book'" So what!!! it is yours. Bob

 

[MSW]

well, lonesomebob, i think you 'got it in one.' one of my favourite rifles is a 36 which i build by myself and for myself. it was the very first rifle i made from a stock blank, and when it arrived, my wife said "What, exactly, did you get yourself into?" but now it's the best- fitting rifle i own. the stock is lacewood with cowhorn inlays, silver wire work, a sliding wooden patchbox, large siler, 36" long hammock barrel (coned and lapped) with a white litnin' touch hole liner. the shape is, kinda sorta, lancaster 1770s, but as far as PC i suppose that pretty much went the far way when i made the stock out of lacewood.

if someone wants to spend a wad of time or money (or both) just to have a rifle that is exactly in the [whatever] period, more power to 'em... it's their money, and they probably worked darn hard to get it, and they should spend it as they see fit. in exchange for me not telling them what to do, i expect the same courtesy.

now if i could just get the same consideration from the government... [insert tirade here]...

anyway, point well made!

msw

 

:bow: Good to hear from a fellow doit your self type. It looks good ,hangs well ,shoots well who cares what it looks like. I honestly saw the boys taken into camp with a rifle, barrel taped to a 2x8 sawed roughly out into a stock shape . The lock was a worked over micquelet and a nail hung for a trigger, the butt plate was botle caps nailed on and there was no trigger guard. But it shot quite true andconsistant. If it works dont mess or complain. shows what a great barrel will do for you. Bob