What group size makes you happy?

[Jay]

50 yards offhand new rifle not too bad

 

[azmntman]

Are you getting 2" at 50yds with the Crockett .32 ? I sold the one I had because I could not get a good group past 20 yds (1").
My 54 will do 1" at 100yds off sand bags on a bench.

I cannot get any good groups past 25 yds or so with my Crockett? If Hoyt works on Traditions I would like to have a Crockett .40 cal. Anybody know if he does?

 

[Grenadier1758]

I tried the dry patch method even going to 3:1 with Ballistol and water. My patches were blown to snot. I am glad someone is having success with them. Now my groups for my 54 should be 1 tenth of an inch center to center. Then I blow it when I fire the second shot.

If ypur patches are being "blown to snot", its likely to be something other than the patch lubricant. Lubricant is generally the most forgiving of the variables in shooting. Most often its sharp edges on the lands or at the crown along with too thin a patch.

Since you've been on the forum for a while, you have experience shooting muzzleloaders and you might have shot your rifle enough to break it in. Has your rifle ever shot good groups without blowing patches? Speculation leads me to suggest a smaller ball and thicker patch. You may benefit from an over powder wad. Tell us all about your rifle, Age, bore diameter, groove depth, ball size, patch thickness, powder, granulation, charge

 

[Beaverquiver]

Group size? As long as they are 6' apart it doesn't matter to me.

Now that's funny right there!

 

[BullRunBear]

"Are you getting 2" at 50yds with the Crockett .32 ? I sold the one I had because I could not get a good group past 20 yds (1")."

DBrevit, I can't do it all the time but often enough to tell me the rifle is capable of it. 25 grains of Goex 3F with a .310 ball and lubed .015 patch is the best load for my rifle and shooting carefully from the bench. I'm not good enough to do it off hand or just with elbows braced. Darn it!

Jeff

 

[Ben Meyer]

I want to be able to shoot 1) the best I can shoot and 2) the best the gun can shoot. Being relatively new to traditional muzzleloading, it's both a bit frustrating AND fulfilling. 2 yrs ago I bought a cheap .30-06, a Ruger American, but a cheap Nikon scope on it, bought some cheap Hornady ammo, bore sighted it, and took it to the range right out of the box to sight it in for deer season. I shot this target at 100yds. So I'm fairly sure I can shoot in the general sense. Have been shooting my whole life. But figuring out a flintlock is a whole 'nother thing! Anymore, seeing guys, ie, who can cut cards in half with a roundball is more impressive to me than 4 shot cloverleaves with a scoped rifle!

 

[Cruzatte]

90gr 2fg Swiss, .580" ball, .020 patch lubed with mutton tallow/bees' wax, 20 ga. fusil de chasse, 44" Coleraine barrel at 50 yards from the bench. Now if I can lower that a few inches, I'll be a real happy camper.

 

[smo]

Have someone that knows what they are doing bend the barrel..
That will correct the problem.

 

[Cruzatte]

If one bends the barrel, will it fit back into the stock? Will the underlugs line up back in their slots? Color me dubious.

 

[longcruise]

If you guys want to challenge yourself.....pick up a Smoothbore Flintah ...with No Rear Sight....and give that a go.....It’s a whole nuther Animal. Lots of Fun. It’s like going from a Compound Bow....to a Selfbow...Fun Fun

My eyes are so unreliable I'm seriously thinking about taking the rear sight off a rifle and give it a try.

 

[Bob McBride]

For me it depends on the application. I like 1” groups at 50y on my small calibers, but 3” on my deer guns works for me. I’m not a fan of intensive bench work....

 

[Nessmuck56]

View attachment 29376
90gr 2fg Swiss, .580" ball, .020 patch lubed with mutton tallow/bees' wax, 20 ga. fusil de chasse, 44" Coleraine barrel at 50 yards from the bench. Now if I can lower that a few inches, I'll be a real happy camper.

Is the gun period correct.....or do yah have a rear sight ?

 

[Cruzatte]

Is the gun period correct.....or do yah have a rear sight ?

Mostly period correct. Exception is the stock which is American Black Walnut (J. negra) not French Walnut (J. regia) No rear sight.

 

[Nessmuck56]

Mostly period correct. Exception is the stock which is American Black Walnut (J. negra) not French Walnut (J. regia) No rear sight.

bring your cheek down....your eye is your rear sight. When I first got my Tulle....i Tried aiming it like a rifle...with my eye looking down the barrel.....and groups were way low....I started picking my cheek up and seeing more of the barrel...and groups came up. Your just the opposite .

 

[okawbow]

My over the log rifle has a 54” long, 1 3/8” diameter barrel. It weighs about 23#. We shoot 10 shots at 60 yards from a prone position with the rifle rested on a “ chunk” or log. One shot at each of 10 cards and several minutes between shots while everyone retrieves their card and pins another in its place. Each shot is measured to the thousands of an inch from the center of the score card. The “string” of 10 shots added together for the total score.

Chunk guns must have open sights with the rear sight at least 8” in front of the breech. The front sight can be a blade or pin type. Round ball only.

I shoot a .48 caliber with 110 grains Old Eynsford or Swiss 2F. Depending on the wind and sun, a 3”-5” string might be required to win a big event. That means the average shot is less than 1/2” from center. A group like the one in the picture is “competitive“ but might not win.

 

[Ben Meyer]

Ive watched the chunk gunners shoot at Friendship. Its VERY impressive! Never say never, but I don't see myself personally getting in to that. Or a number of other blackpowder disciplines. Or really any "national" or super competitive competition shooting, at least not right now. I just don't have the time to dedicate to the craft.

But anyhow, looking at that group, DAYUM!

Question: can anyone here do that with a regular flintlock(say from a bench at 50 yds) consistantly? Its one thing to be able to shoot that good, but having a gun thats capable of that degree of accuracy is another thing! I sure as heck cant. I don't think my gun is capable of it either. Im hoping to prove myself wrong on both accounts as the years go by.

 

[smo]

Yes the barrel will fit back in the stock, just be carful pushing the pins back thru the wood so as not to splinter the outboard side of the wood.

People talk about bending a barrel in a tree fork, I’ve never witnessed it done that way, but I’m sure it could work.
The club I belong to has a jig made to hold the barrel and measure the about of bend you put in the barrel.

On a gun with lugs... I can’t speak to that as I’ve never witnessed a lugged barrel being bent.

Maybe arching the barrel would be a better term instead of bending, we’re not looking to shot around corners after all. It doesn’t take much kinda’ like Brylcreem, a little dab’ll do ya!

 

[smo]

I’ve posted this here before... shot off hand at 50 yards with a smoothbore flintlock.

No I can’t do it , but it can be done!

 

[Mark Herman]

This is a 13 shot table match group shot at 30 yards. GM .40 with 70 hrs FFFg and a peep with pin head front sight. A quarter covers or with room to spare.

 

[jharmon]

IMO, I believe all modern barrels, i.e., Rice, Colerain, Green Mountain, even Douglas are capable of excellent accuracy. However, your results are most likely determined by type of sights and of course, your eyes. When I "sight" in a new rifle, I usually consider a charge/ball/patch combination that is adequate for hunting and woods walk shooting. Sure I could spend hours with this load and that combo, but if I get a 50 yd group of 1" + or - .5", then I say "There it is". From then on the shots or hits are determined by me off hand and usually don't make the "benched" results. Went to Friendship once, camped in the primitive area and went down to the "big" range. As soon as 3 of us showed up in primitive garb and long rifles, we were descended upon by a "posse" of range safety officials. "Muzzles up", don't do this or that. So back to the primitive area we went.

Here is a target shot a few years ago from a Colerain barrel on an 1803 Harpers Ferry custom repro:


But yet, I also managed to miss a nice 6 point buck last fall with it. So it isn't the gun, maybe the eyes are getting as old as this shooter.

My guns are for the upcoming deer season every year. Not competition shooting.
That said, hitting an orange at 50 yards is fine for my needs. I cant prove I hit the deer's heart with 5 shots touching, but dead is dead.

Was a nice day, I was off, so I hit the range to burn some powder. I've been working the Dutch Schoultz method, had 2 different loads I've narrowed it down to, took them both to shoot three 5 shot groups each to see which came out on top. The winner was: 80gr 2f Swiss powder, .495 ball, and some .014 white cotton patching from the fabric store, drylubed with Ballistol & water 7:1. Was shooting from a bench at 50 yards. It was windy/gusty.

I shot a 1.75" five shot group(my best ever). I then filed on the front sight some and with my last 3 shots, put them all in the black. My question is, for a non competitive BP hobbyist shooter like myself, is that "good enough?"

I still have more work to do. Try 6:1 and 5:1 drylubing. Still need to weigh out balls. Want to try 70, 75 and 85 grains with that load. Want to try 3f powder with that load.

Good day.....Thompson Center .54 Hawken, Green Mountain barrel, 60 gr, hand cast, moose milk lube at 25 yards offhand....at Ft Melchert, Co......then there are days the barn isn’t a big enough target