Rifled musket Range Report

[ihuntsnook]

Began working on my 75 yard offhand distance today after satisfactory results from 25 and 50. After 5 shots I began having ignition problems. I was wiping between shots with dry paper towel, and apparently I was getting a build up of dried fouling in the drum. I could see it after removing the nipple. I replaced the nipple and fired a cap and was surprised to see how much crud came out. Rest of the day I cleared the nipple in that manner about every 5 shots and had no more misfires. I suspect the breech area gets hot and the fouling cooks hard quickly. Looked like little grey pepples. I was using number 11 caps and I never had that problem with musket caps. I'm thinking about moistening the swab patches next trip and see if that makes a difference. I'm loading 60 grains of Swiss in back of patched round balls with pillow ticking lubed a la Dutch Shoultz.

 

[jacko]

Am I understanding this right? Are you shooting patched balls from a rifled musket?

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

I’m curious, which #11 nipple are you using? I replaced the musket nipple with #11 nipple and had the same problem. I found another make of #11 nipple, which I can’t remember now, and never had the problem again.

Jacko, what else would someone shoot in a rifled musket? PRB is all I use in my rifled musket.

 

[Shine]

A .58 mini ball

 

[Greg Blackburn]

Now I haven't shot my ML since 2007 but I used to swab then dry with moist then dry patches between each shot, using Pyrodex, and a musket cap out of my CVA Bobcat percussion .50.

I very seldom had a misfire at the range and I think I used to pop a cap alone from time to time. Maybe after each swabbing session.

I'll bet I was the most anal Bobcat owner on the planet!

Greg

 

[ihuntsnook]

Yes I like round ball in my musket. They are accurate, easier to cast or cheaper to buy, have a better trajectory, and a lot less recoil than .58 minies. And I replaced the more traditional musket nipple with a number 11 because I have a thousand number 11 caps.