Squirrel Practice and Idiots

[roundball]

Got to the range right at first light this morning with a .45cal Flintlock to practice for head shots on squirrels...stuck a couple dozen 1" stickers on a sheet of cardboard at 25yds, sitting position, etc.

Had the place to myself and was just wrapping up the last of 50 shots when a young man and his significant other pull up just as I'm taking a shot, walks over and blurts out "a flintlock!!"..."is that from a museum...does it actually work?" "Do you actually use that thing?"
He said "I tried a .50cal muzzleloader one time, uses those little caps, but the 200grn powder charges were just too dangerous" (yes, 200grns)

I mentioned my surprise at hearing that size charge, and began explaining the charges I use for hunting and target loads, when he just interrupted again and said "I have a safe modern stainless inline that I don't have to worry about blowing up in my face like the old relics did...you really shouldn't be shooting that thing"...then he walked away.

PS: so anyway, in closing, let me add that I'm real glad a squirrel's head is actually a tad larger than a 1" sticker !!
::

 

[Stoney]

Lucky an expert showed up to set you straight.I bet the next shot from that museum piece would have been the one that blew your face clean off. :nono:

 

[bpollock_sr]

I don't know what to say . stupidity has no cure.

------------------------------ :hmm:

hell we might win this thing.

 

[bpollock_sr]

I don't know what to say .His stupidity has no cure.

------------------------------ :hmm:

hell we might win this thing.

 

[2172]

Here in the South, our technique is to enlarge the stupidity...one of our old boys would have answered, 'huh..that's what happened to my pap, I bet..he couldn't find a powder measure, so he used a shot glass...well, thank you for the advice, stranger..." or some such. We get a lot of practice when we go North and talk to people who know all about the South 'cause they watched Dukes of Hazzard, and know we all marry our first cousins, if our sisters are taken...you can have some real fun with 'em....and, since you'll never convince them of the truth, you might as well string 'em..Hank

 

[smokeblower]

"yepp , it is an older one, but the last guy I saw using a new fangled inline did'ent put the primer in the right place. The whole thing blew up and burnt'up because the plastic stock caught fire and dripped down his leg. He tried to sue Wal-Mart, where he bought the gun, but it did'ent work out .."

 

[[email protected]]

Roundball,
that is one "experience" you will never forget.....you should have asked that feller where he hunts jest so ya are never in the same patch of woods with him..

*** WV SCROUNGER ***

 

[Ron LaClair]

I ran into a couple of fellas at the range last year that had just bought new inlines and were trying to sight them in at the 50yd bench. They were having a lot of trouble getting them to print in the paper. I set up at the next bench and took my .54 and .62 flinters out of the case. I was just going to check them to make sure they were still shootin center.

When they saw my guns they had a dozen questions which I answered the best that I could. I put up two targets on the board and proceeded to poke a nice tight group with each gun on each target. One of the guys said, "how do you do that? I didn't think a gun like that could shoot that good, especially without a scope." I assured him that they were indeed good shooting guns and that I had taken a lot of game with them.

After I packed up and left I smiled to myself knowing that I had given them something to think about. Maybe I'll read a story here some day about someone that met an old guy with a flintlock at the range and it got them interested in traditional muzzleloaders. :hmm:

 

[bob1961]

Had the place to myself and was just wrapping up the last of 50 shots when a young man and his significant other pull up just as I'm taking a shot, walks over and blurts out "a flintlock!!"..."is that from a museum...does it actually work?" "Do you actually use that thing?"
He said "I tried a .50cal muzzleloader one time, uses those little caps, but the 200grn powder charges were just too dangerous" (yes, 200grns)

an even scarier thought is that he might breed :shocking: :crackup:..............bob

 

[SKS_madman]

Buffalo, thats not funny; I get the urge to head up there with a tiny rubber band and some scissors! :what:

 

[Rebel]

That ain't funny there WB, specially since that significant other RB spoke of was most likely his sister or first cousin. :: :kid: :relax:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Rubber bands are neat for that purpose, they just entropy and drop off.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

If they were even there to start with...

 

[Old40Rod]

...you really shouldn't be shooting that thing"

If'n it were me, I would have winked at his woman and offered to let her shoot the flinter since her man was afeared... :winking: But then again, I'm live above the Mason/Dixon line :crackup:

 

[vinnynj]

thats why tigers eat there young

 

[AZ-Robert]

"I didn't think a gun like that could shoot that good, especially without a scope."

Remember when.... a scope was an "optional" accessory on even a modern rifle?

 

[Twisted_1in66]

"yepp , it is an older one, but the last guy I saw using a new fangled inline did'ent put the primer in the right place. The whole thing blew up and burnt'up because the plastic stock caught fire and dripped down his leg. He tried to sue Wal-Mart, where he bought the gun, but it did'ent work out .."

:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: Now that's a great answer!

 

[rickC]

Hopefully not with his cousins?? :hmm: :shocking: ::
just kidding! I'm from the "southern end" .

 

[chuck-ia]

most people just don't get it. We, (2 of us) get questioned at the range if we actually hunt with those things (flintlocks). You would be surprised at the people who hunt around here that don't even know what a flintlock is. People are into quick and easy in this modern hi-tech world. By the way roundball, funny story, obviously, that guy had no clue who he was talking to. Some people are just, how should I say it, not very smart? flinch

 

[gordy]

Theres just no hope for some people.I wouldn't want to be in the same County when he loads his SS marvel.You did Your best to educate him.The problem is that folks such as he reflect badly on muzzleloading, when they extract the pieces of SS from his carcuss