What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Eric Krewson]

Working on the precarve from hell rifle (with the patched lock panel), when you have a 3/8" web everything looks fat no matter what you do. The buttplate was already installed and the comb established on this kit when I bought it second hand, I was limited on how much I could drop the barrel and keep things lined up properly.

You can see that inletting gap about where the sear will be, I filled it with thin glued in wood shaving and superglue after I took this picture. I inletted the lock during wet weather, yesterday we had a bluebird day with the lowest humidity I have see here in months. I put the lock plate in the mortis to check my fit and it wouldn't go, previously it would go in easily with no force. The dry weather had shrunk the inlet to the point where the lock just wouldn't go in. A little soot on the lock plate and a bit of sanding of the black spots and everything went together as it should.

 

[JamesA]

Yesterday. I went to the range and shot the Hawken and the "Preacher". No busted knuckles this time. At 50 yards, I can keep the Hawken in a 6 inch circle. That may not sound like much to most but to me, it's an improvement. The "Preacher" (1858 Remington BP), welllllllll.....let's just say I have room for improvement. Had a great time.

 

[ghostdncr]

Worked on a couple of horn projects. One is a small hunting horn for something like a .32 or .36 rifle that's basically finished, and then continuing work on a larger horn for fowler use. The fowler horn is one given to me by an individual who ran a drill out the side of it and I decided to save it.

Did some rasping and scraping on a longrifle stock.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Working on a small deerskin medicine bag. Just for some personal items I like to keep with me. Spiritual significance.

 

[OldRust]

I took my H&A .58 cal Underhammer to the range today to check out my new store bought shoulder. I had a complete shoulder replacement in December and decided it was time. I only took 6 balls along figuring that would be more than enough to decide if it was going to work. I should have taken more. I did cheat and use a Limb Saver recoil pad but I'm back ! No issues ! I wasn't going for accuracy or working up a load, just there to shoot.

Thanks
O.R.

 

[nkbj]

Sized more of these to .458 diameter.

 

[nkbj]

I took my H&A .58 cal Underhammer to the range today to check out my new store bought shoulder. I had a complete shoulder replacement in December and decided it was time. I only took 6 balls along figuring that would be more than enough to decide if it was going to work. I should have taken more. I did cheat and use a Limb Saver recoil pad but I'm back ! No issues ! I wasn't going for accuracy or working up a load, just there to shoot.

Thanks
O.R.

View attachment 97069View attachment 97070View attachment 97071

Big thumbs up!

 

[Woody Morgan]

Sanding on the TOW ramrod I bought for the Pedersoli SxS 20. Make it fit the thimbles just so.

wm

 

[sheriff john]

Put the old Lyman .58 minie mold from Ebay into Lyman handles and opened a box marked "melting stuff" from our 2004 move to the farm. Mice chewed electric cordon hot pot. Beat-up LEE melter heated up, rust and all. Didn't realize it'd been 17 years since I used some of that stuff. Anyway ...old timey mold worked great. Fun with old stuff brings back a flood of memories. Don't get many .58 bullets from a pot o'lead.

 

[Ponderosaman]

Today I finally got to take my Pedersoli SxS for some laps. I got it patterned and shot a few times just to get used to a blackpowder shotgun, but due to the oppressive AZ heat I haven’t wanted to spend any length of time putting it through its paces. I learned several things today.

1. Get a range rod. I’m hard headed. This is something I actually already knew. The lesson I got today is - Many people on this site suggest getting a range rod. Me - “Why do I need a range rod? What the heck is wrong with the rod they give you with the gun? Why would the one they give not work? Convenience is for wusses, I’m a stock ramrod man!” Mine broke and cut my day at the range by at least 25%. Also stuck me in the pinky and my palm. Bled on shirt, had to pack it up. Ordered a Delrin rod that will fit in the gun, if I do choose to hunt with the ramrod that goes in the gun, a new hickory one to make me whole again, and a handled range rod for easy loading to kill clays. All from Track of the Wolf.

Muzzleloader shotguns are much harder to load than muzzleloader rifles. With my load, there’s three times I need to ram stuff down. The pneumatic effect makes it hard to load, the fouling makes subsequent loads twice as tough. Rifles are sooo easy.

I need some quality time with this weapon. This is the last time I go to the public shotgun range for a while. Between the “complex” loading and the 2 barrels, the focus I need to get comfortable is just too much for people passing by, talking to me and worrying about being a good range citizen.

 

[SOLANCO]

I took my H&A .58 cal Underhammer to the range today to check out my new store bought shoulder. I had a complete shoulder replacement in December and decided it was time. I only took 6 balls along figuring that would be more than enough to decide if it was going to work. I should have taken more. I did cheat and use a Limb Saver recoil pad but I'm back ! No issues ! I wasn't going for accuracy or working up a load, just there to shoot.

Thanks
O.R.

View attachment 97069View attachment 97070View attachment 97071

Good to know. The medics are implying I may need that replacement part.

 

[SOLANCO]

Today I finally got to take my Pedersoli SxS for some laps. I got it patterned and shot a few times just to get used to a blackpowder shotgun, but due to the oppressive AZ heat I haven’t wanted to spend any length of time putting it through its paces. I learned several things today.

1. Get a range rod. I’m hard headed. This is something I actually already knew. The lesson I got today is - Many people on this site suggest getting a range rod. Me - “Why do I need a range rod? What the heck is wrong with the rod they give you with the gun? Why would the one they give not work? Convenience is for wusses, I’m a stock ramrod man!” Mine broke and cut my day at the range by at least 25%. Also stuck me in the pinky and my palm. Bled on shirt, had to pack it up. Ordered a Delrin rod that will fit in the gun, if I do choose to hunt with the ramrod that goes in the gun, a new hickory one to make me whole again, and a handled range rod for easy loading to kill clays. All from Track of the Wolf.

Muzzleloader shotguns are much harder to load than muzzleloader rifles. With my load, there’s three times I need to ram stuff down. The pneumatic effect makes it hard to load, the fouling makes subsequent loads twice as tough. Rifles are sooo easy.

I need some quality time with this weapon. This is the last time I go to the public shotgun range for a while. Between the “complex” loading and the 2 barrels, the focus I need to get comfortable is just too much for people passing by, talking to me and worrying about being a good range citizen.

Love my 50BMG range rod.

 

[Roundball2319]

Cut some old paper 12 gauge shells up for the shot. I'm working on a grouse load with 7.5 shot for my 56 caliber smoothbore.

 

[sheriff john]

Today I finally got to take my Pedersoli SxS for some laps. I got it patterned and shot a few times just to get used to a blackpowder shotgun, but due to the oppressive AZ heat I haven’t wanted to spend any length of time putting it through its paces. I learned several things today.

1. Get a range rod. I’m hard headed. This is something I actually already knew. The lesson I got today is - Many people on this site suggest getting a range rod. Me - “Why do I need a range rod? What the heck is wrong with the rod they give you with the gun? Why would the one they give not work? Convenience is for wusses, I’m a stock ramrod man!” Mine broke and cut my day at the range by at least 25%. Also stuck me in the pinky and my palm. Bled on shirt, had to pack it up. Ordered a Delrin rod that will fit in the gun, if I do choose to hunt with the ramrod that goes in the gun, a new hickory one to make me whole again, and a handled range rod for easy loading to kill clays. All from Track of the Wolf.

Muzzleloader shotguns are much harder to load than muzzleloader rifles. With my load, there’s three times I need to ram stuff down. The pneumatic effect makes it hard to load, the fouling makes subsequent loads twice as tough. Rifles are sooo easy.

I need some quality time with this weapon. This is the last time I go to the public shotgun range for a while. Between the “complex” loading and the 2 barrels, the focus I need to get comfortable is just too much for people passing by, talking to me and worrying about being a good range citizen.

There are those who've never broken a ramrod and there are the rest of us. Lots of quality guns come with not-so-quality ramrods. Broken my share and seen others snap theirs. Most common mistake I've seen is trying to push too far up on the rod or trying to hammer one down or push against something like a tree (uh, my bad).

Others here know far more than I, but over the years, I've found the old "Alcan" fiber shotshell reloading wads work well for me. When starting to foul, I break them in half and tromp them down atop one another. May be my imagination, but 2Fg in my shotguns doesn't seem to foul as badly as finer powder. Damp swab every now and then helps, too. Have Fun and carry a red bandanna. Blood stains don't show as bad.

 

[Ponderosaman]

There are those who've never broken a ramrod and there are the rest of us. Lots of quality guns come with not-so-quality ramrods. Broken my share and seen others snap theirs. Most common mistake I've seen is trying to push too far up on the rod or trying to hammer one down or push against something like a tree (uh, my bad).

Others here know far more than I, but over the years, I've found the old "Alcan" fiber shotshell reloading wads work well for me. When starting to foul, I break them in half and tromp them down atop one another. May be my imagination, but 2Fg in my shotguns doesn't seem to foul as badly as finer powder. Damp swab every now and then helps, too. Have Fun and carry a red bandanna. Blood stains don't show as bad.

Great advice, thank you. I do think I was holding too high on the rod. That’s part of all the focus needed. Don’t hold too high, poor the powder carefully so as not to lose any, be patient with the pneumatic effect, poor the shot carefully. Shake down the powder in the nozzle of my brass powder container so it doesn’t spill inside my bag. Keep track of what I have done in what barrel.

I’m sure I would have made other errors today if it hadn’t been for the method I figured. I put a highlighter in the barrel I’m not loading to avoid getting mixed up.

 

[Eutycus]

Some day I'll get around doing some silver inlays , so I invested in a few silver coins, mostly Mexican. I just can't bring myself to file down an American coin plus I don't think it's legal. And they're getting hard to find.

 

[sawyer04]

Retired, but puttered around the gun hut today. I work on residenter firearms for a hobby. Scarfed up enough parts to build maybe three rifles and a smooth bore less barrel. Got a lead on an old long tom with a busted stock and wore out mechanism. May be my barrel.

 

[.36Rooster]

Guess this counts...

 

[Roundball2319]

View attachment 97324

Guess this counts...

Nice brace of rabbits. Are they headed to the bbq or the crock pot?

 

[.36Rooster]

Freezer...once december wraps up the small game hunting is just hunting...and not much seeing or shooting.

I'll have my first meal around thanksgiving, and then once the freeze hits, I'll start working on projects and cooking...until about april... right now I'm up to 15 squirrels, and 4 rabbits, and counting...