Traditions Pennsylvania range report, w/ vid!

[JohnnyO]

It's been 6 months or so since I took her out to the range, I broke the front sight and finally got a new one installed. Last time at the range was a disaster, could barely get her to fire..I was fed up with the patent breech collecting crud. I had Dewey MFG make me a 10/32 to whatever is smaller than 8/32 adapter so I can put a .17cal brush on the end of my rod and clean it out...worked alright I suppose. I had also drilled the touch hole slightly larger...
Every shot went off without delay, and while it shot a few inches high...better than a foot or more low before filing the down the front sight just a hare too much, though I had the rear sight most of the way up so I can lower that and I think it'll be fine!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL0H2qChyLE[/youtube]

PS - I think holding the rifle in this way made it much MUCH easier to shoot...no bruised cheek, no looking with my head tilted back an to the side making my eye tired and getting the shooting glasses in the way...

 

[Bartek]

:thumbsup: :hatsoff:

are You satisfied with your DP Pennsylvania? is it a good rifle?

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

How is it off-hand?

 

[Mulebrain]

Thanks for sharing that video! Fun was had!!

I am curious about off hand as well. I have never found it comfortable to shoot off a bench. I really only shoot off hand. That may come from my high power days, but I sure enjoy it the best!

I need to bench rest some of my guns, and get the loads worked out, and sighted!

 

[Stumpkiller]

According to your title on the film you shot the " l " out of it! ;-)

It might not be shooting so high if you'd move the bags back to where your left hand would be. You've got them up in the thinner wood ahead of the grip area. Not sure though. M/L barrels are pretty stout tubes.

 

[JohnnyO]

According to your title on the film you shot the " l " out of it! ;-)

It might not be shooting so high if you'd move the bags back to where your left hand would be. You've got them up in the thinner wood ahead of the grip area. Not sure though. M/L barrels are pretty stout tubes.

DOH...I read it like a million times and couldn't see what you were talkin about...I don't think I can edit it without deleting it and reloading...oh well...

I'll try moving the bags up. It's been so long since I've shot black powder I almost forgot what to do...I've gotten too involved with centerfire rifles and reloading since the rising of the Obamassiah. I forgot how much fun the flintlock can be.
So far I am happy with the Traditions PennsyLvania but if I had to do it over again, I probably would have saved up and bought something custom...I've been looking at smoothbores and matchlocks but after spending a few grand on modern stuff I don't know how much I'll be able to spend in the next few months.
I have only shot it offhand once...I am horrible at it...I'm not even a good shot off the bench!

 

[doulos]

Mule brain
My Stith S Hawken is painful to shoot off the bench. But off hand its a pussy cat even with 110 grains FFG. One thing Ive found is to sit as erect as I can and not be laying on the gun. Almost the same posture as standing. I also dont support the back of the gun just the front. It makes it tolerable to shoot off the bench and is steady enough for load development. Im also learning to shoot off the arm with this gun and am starting to get used to that.

 

[blueridger]

I had the identical rifle that you are shooting. I had ignition problems with it after the first shot.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Off the arm is the only comfortable way to shoot rifles with crescent buttplates. I've got an S. Hawken in .54 caliber and it likes loads in the same range as yours and I've put 40 or 50 rounds through it from the bench without it biting me. Mine is percussion, but that wouldn't make any difference.

 

[doulos]

I was having a hard time getting used to shooting off the arm. But then I tried lowering the contact a little further down my arm just above my bicep and it seems like the way for me. I have to raise my arm to about a 90 degree angle. I don't know if thats the correct way but its working.

 

[JohnnyO]

I had the identical rifle that you are shooting. I had ignition problems with it after the first shot.

One of the last times at the range I had terrible ignition problems...the pan would flash but the main charge wouldn't ignite...I had to use my vent pick to stuff some powder into the vent hole, which worked but caused some massive hang fire...klack psssssssssss BOOM.
I think I shot the rifle a total of 4 or 5 times then went home. I opened up the vent hole a lil bit and also got an adapter to use a 17cal brush to get inside the patent breech. The main problem I had was after swabbing, I think I wet the patches too munch, and was swabbing every 2 or 3 shots which pushed wet crud into the breech, which prevented the powder from igniting.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Before you make too many adjuxtments to your sights, fire the rifle off hand. I have noticed that my rifle shoot high when fired off a rest as compared to offhand. Naturally when shooting off a bench have the rest positioned at the place where you hold your supporting hand.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

That's the right way to do it. With practice it becomes second nature. The butt plate fits into the notch between the deltoid and the upper bicep.

 

[JohnnyO]

Was back out today, moved up the sandbags, lowered the rear sight and moved the front sight....last time it shot up and to the left...now it's down and to the right. Not counting a couple flyers my groups were closer at 50 yards. Later I took 3 shots at one of those shoot n see target thingies that a previous shooter left on the target stand I was using, I had 2 shots touching a half inch below the bull...the first time I've ever done that...and the 3rd shot about 2" to the right :grin:
With my new found confidence I moved a few stations down to shoot at a small 100yard gong...never even hit it... :haha:

This has helped me with the patent breech, though I did have one or two pan flashes with no boom today...