What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[30coupe]

Well, I did some shooting with the .45 Navy Kentucky this evening. The first five or six rounds grouped pretty decent for me using ticking and Hoppe's Black Powder Lube with my cast .440 balls. Then I tried some ticking with the dried 6:1 Ballistol ala Dutch Schoultz. This one DOES NOT like that combo. I scattered holes all over the 8-1/2"x11" target paper...none in the bull. I guess I'd better stick with the Hoppes.

One major issue I have with this rifle is that someone prior to me cobbled on a set of TC Hawken type sights, so there is a huge bead at the front and the floppy TC rear sight. I ordered a buckhorn rear and a Kentucky style post front sight. I think I'll be waiting for them to come in before I waste any more powder. My supply of real black is dwindling and getting more will be expensive at best and impossible at worst.

 

[30coupe]

I spent a while refining the lock on the Pedersoli Jaeger tonight. I'm happy with how its turning out. Can't decide if I want to brown the lock or leave it in the white. Either way it will be much better than factory caplock.

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I kinda like the looks of it in the white myself, but what's important is how you like it!

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

I kinda like the looks of it in the white myself, but what's important is how you like it!

Thanks! Me too....I still need to file a little more on it, and polish it out, but I think leaving it in the white and letting it patina on its own is what I'm going to do.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

Ok...first attempt at relief carving, star inlay...and posting pics here!

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You did good!
If you want to make your star fit a little closer rub some water around it, will make the wood swell.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I spent a while refining the lock on the Pedersoli Jaeger tonight. I'm happy with how its turning out. Can't decide if I want to brown the lock or leave it in the white. Either way it will be much better than factory caplock.

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Good job!

 

[akroguy]

You did good!
If you want to make your star fit a little closer rub some water around it, will make the wood swell.

Yeah, I already did that and it worked nicely, then pulled back again. Part of the problem is I live in New Mexico, and the dryness just sucks the moisture out of everything. My guitars go sharp when it rains, then flat again a day or two later. They are excellent humidity indicators! I actually thought the relief carving would be more difficult than the inlay, but that turned out to not be the case. Getting exact fit of an inlay is a true art...that I'll figure out...some day.

The star isn't glued in yet. I've thought about maybe adding some dye or stain that will be used in my finish to the epoxy to maybe help fill the voids around the edges....what say ye?

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

Yeah, I already did that and it worked nicely, then pulled back again. Part of the problem is I live in New Mexico, and the dryness just sucks the moisture out of everything. My guitars go sharp when it rains, then flat again a day or two later. They are excellent humidity indicators! I actually thought the relief carving would be more difficult than the inlay, but that turned out to not be the case. Getting exact fit of an inlay is a true art...that I'll figure out...some day.

The star isn't glued in yet. I've thought about maybe adding some dye or stain that will be used in my finish to the epoxy to maybe help fill the voids around the edges....what say ye?

Well you could try using a wood glue around it before putting it in permanent and sanding lightly which might fill some voids. I've done that and it worked for me. Putting the stain in before with the epoxy is a good idea. You got this!

 

[SciAggie]

Did some experimenting with loads in my .72 English sporting rifle. I never notice the recoil when hunting or shooting once or twice. It gets my attention from the bench shooting groups. I still love it though.

 

[30coupe]

Made a trip to Crater Fireworks (- Home) and picked up 5 pounds of 3F Schuetzen. Jon has Schuetzen and Swiss on hand. For what I do, I can't justify spending half again as much for Swiss, especially since my grandsons have started burning up about as much as I do. It's a 180 mile round trip, but with the wife's RAV4 it's still less than shipping and hazmat fees. The downside was it ended up being a combination powder buying and shopping trip (mostly following SWMBO around while she shopped actually). I guess it wasn't a bad trade-off though since she didn't grumble about me buying the powder...yet.

I've been shooting Diamondback (aka Elephant), so it will be interesting to see what if anything is different about Schuetzen as I haven't used it before.

 

[Urban Coyote]

35 shots total out of two .50 cap locks. One my first muzzleloader from 1976.

 

[Mousegunguy]

Today I turned a friend on to a percussion smoothie and a new model army.
He’d never shot black powder before.
My favorite comment was ‘I really do love the smell!!’

 

[flconch53]

There are two different approaches

One is bending the barrel, some use the smack it on something method or stick it in a forked tree branch and pull. I am afraid of going to far so I support both ends and use a press in the middle, I set this up so I can measure the amount of bending.
Downside is you remove the barrel, bend, reassemble, shoot, remove barrel bend... repeat till it hits point of aim.

You can also file a little on the muzzle opposite of the direction the bullet needs to go, exiting gasses will force the bullet in the desired direction (This was Britsmoothies preferred method). Advantage no disassembly required.

I took a little more care than the crook of a tree branch method. I would sand a dowel down to a nice fit the length of the bore to prevent the chance of kinking the bore remove the barrel from the gun and clamp on the flats with a pc. Of leather to protect the finish and then give a quick tug opposite of the direction you want to move the point of impact. Reassemble shoot and repeat if needed. I have also seen them bent in a hydraulic press for the more OCD people

 

[Paul Nelson]

Fitting a new rear sight to my Hawken style Investarms flintlock

 

[garypl]

Disassembled my Kibler Ketland lock, cleaned and oiled it and reinstalled in the SMR (the one I just finished removing the breech from to remove a stuck ball)

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

Fitting a new rear sight to my Hawken style Investarms flintlock

Beautiful!

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

After a full inspection I reinstalled the drum, nipple and lock of an unmarked original long rifle and rung a little steel gong @25 yards with it a few times. First time I've shot it since I bought it earlier this year. Bore measures .375. Used a .370 round ball, .010 patch, and 25gr 3f to start with. The previous previous owner said he used a charge of 70gr 3f. Built 1840-1850. Its sure does have a heavy barrel. I'm excited to see what this one will do on the bench.

 

[deerstalkert]

made two ram rods. one 1/4 inch and one 11/32 inch. shaped and epoxied ends then pinned and stained. tired me out so i took a nap.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

made two ram rods. one 1/4 inch and one 11/32 inch. shaped and epoxied ends then pinned and stained. tired me out so i took a nap.

what caliber is the .25" RR for?

What material did you use?

 

[deerstalkert]

what caliber is the .25" RR for?

What material did you use?

it's a 29.5 cal i got a uncompleted project and the barrel is a true weird. shoots .283 ball.
the rod is hickory with brass ends. i heat treat the wood and it is stiffer than raw.

 

[30coupe]

Got the proper sights installed on my Kentucky. I thought I had some before pictures on my phone, but then I remembered that was the phone that died. So I put the sights it came with on the barrel for comparison. Unfortunately, the huge rear sight was covering some scars and the wedge had been driven in without modification, so the top of the dovetail was bent up on both sides. Tapping it down means the bluing is messed up, which only shows on the front of the sight. I've got some OxphoBlue at home, so next time I get there I'll bring it down to touch up the scars. It won't be perfect, but I still prefer the traditional sights to the oversized TC sights.