What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Dale Allen Raby]

Tried to order powder from Graf's today, but they could not seem to process my debit card. This seems to be a recurring problem with them for me. Has anyone else had this sort of problem? I really WISH somebody local would start stocking black powder again!

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Spent most of the day shooting the SMR for the first time and getting it sighted in. First let me say that I am in love with it, the fit and feel are just right for me. The lock is wicked fast! And of course no miss fires and easy on the flint. I believe I shot 24 times. While filing the front sight I was swabbing every 2nd shot for consistency, but once I finally raised the POI and made a windage correction I only swabbed after 5 shots and still had no problem loading. All shots were 45 gr of Goex 3F with Goex 4F prime. Swaged .440 RB (sprue up) with .015 patch and mink oil lube. It’s still shooting a little low, I used a 6 o’clock hold for all shots, so I’ll have to hold center mass or get a taller rear sight, can’t take any more of the front!!! But I’ll work those things out, very happy overall.

Was shooting at 25 & 50 yards. The last photo shows how much I had to file down the front sight!

I would sure take those groups! Were you shooting from a support or off-hand?

 

[ETipp]

Yesterday took my .32 Crockett Squirrel Rifle out for the first time. Despite my better effort, my wife decided it was too cold out in the morning so we finally hit the woods at the crack of noon. Not a squirrel to be seen. I told her they had already been out, eaten all they wanted, and was now holed up sound asleep.

But hey, at least we got out in the woods. I did, however, find that its a joy to pack that little ML around. Light and easy to handle in the woods. Well, other than I have a tendency to smack it up against every other tree I go by. Not used to a 32" barrel.

 

[TDM]

I would sure take those groups! Were you shooting from a support or off-hand?

Thanks Dale, definitely from the bench. I barely hit paper offhand! But this rifle is shooting so good from the start that I’ll start shooting off-hand more. Forgot to post my range photo.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Thanks Dale, definitely from the bench. I barely hit paper offhand! But this rifle is shooting so good from the start that I’ll start shooting off-hand more. Forgot to post my range photo.

I'm envious. I can't imagine not having to walk on snow this time of year!

 

[ETipp]

Today I shot my .32 Crockett a few times. Let the wife shoot it once. She really liked it and hit smack dab in the bulls eye shooting offhanded.

Then partook in my first time ever making patch lube. I found that the .32 caliber, cotton, .015" patches I bought blew all to pieces with pure bear grease. Not so with older thicker Bore Butter. So, I mixed it with pure beeswax. Still did not like what I was seeing when lubing the patches. Next I tried new and thinner Bore Butter mixed with beeswax. That appears to be a thicker and better lube but I have yet t shoot them.

If the wife can find some pillow ticking she thinks is stashed somewhere, I will most likely cut some patches tonight.

 

[david w]

I'm in hibernation right now. My aging body doesn't take cold like when I was a young whipper snapper. I ordered vises for my main spring and frizzen spring. Totally disassemble and lubricate all parts. Just doing some winter maintenance. I may cone my 36 SMR barrel as well!

 

[TDM]

I'm envious. I can't imagine not having to walk on snow this time of year!

I lucked out today, it was 58 and sunny! But the cold will be back.

 

[ETipp]

Spent most of the day shooting the SMR for the first time and getting it sighted in. First let me say that I am in love with it, the fit and feel are just right for me. The lock is wicked fast! And of course no miss fires and easy on the flint. I believe I shot 24 times. While filing the front sight I was swabbing every 2nd shot for consistency, but once I finally raised the POI and made a windage correction I only swabbed after 5 shots and still had no problem loading. All shots were 45 gr of Goex 3F with Goex 4F prime. Swaged .440 RB (sprue up) with .015 patch and mink oil lube. It’s still shooting a little low, I used a 6 o’clock hold for all shots, so I’ll have to hold center mass or get a taller rear sight, can’t take any more of the front!!! But I’ll work those things out, very happy overall.

Was shooting at 25 & 50 yards. The last photo shows how much I had to file down the front sight!

Nice shooting there bro!

 

[aussie pete]

Spent most of the day shooting the SMR for the first time and getting it sighted in. First let me say that I am in love with it, the fit and feel are just right for me. The lock is wicked fast! And of course no miss fires and easy on the flint. I believe I shot 24 times. While filing the front sight I was swabbing every 2nd shot for consistency, but once I finally raised the POI and made a windage correction I only swabbed after 5 shots and still had no problem loading. All shots were 45 gr of Goex 3F with Goex 4F prime. Swaged .440 RB (sprue up) with .015 patch and mink oil lube. It’s still shooting a little low, I used a 6 o’clock hold for all shots, so I’ll have to hold center mass or get a taller rear sight, can’t take any more of the front!!! But I’ll work those things out, very happy overall.

Was shooting at 25 & 50 yards. The last photo shows how much I had to file down the front sight!

Good shooting there, TDM! It sure is nice when stars align. Those targets look good. Are you hunting with the gun? Or paper only? I shoot point of aim with rifles that are not biased to the magic dust , but for my muzzle loaders I have come to rely on a six o'clock hold, setting my sights to hit centre of the circle with that sight picture. I shoot close in when hunting, mostly, nearly always on broadside shots at animals that are not alarmed. Holding on the spot where the front leg joins the body, the ball lands in the vital zone. Once again, nice shooting.

Pete

 

[TDM]

Good shooting there, TDM! It sure is nice when stars align. Those targets look good. Are you hunting with the gun? Or paper only? I shoot point of aim with rifles that are not biased to the magic dust , but for my muzzle loaders I have come to rely on a six o'clock hold, setting my sights to hit centre of the circle with that sight picture. I shoot close in when hunting, mostly, nearly always on broadside shots at animals that are not alarmed. Holding on the spot where the front leg joins the body, the ball lands in the vital zone. Once again, nice shooting.

Pete

Thanks Pete. This will be a paper puncher or maybe a few squirrel. I prefer a 6 o’clock hold too. But I ran out of front sight to file off! But front and rear sights are cheap, so that can be fixed. But I have never, ever, in 40 plus years of shooting BP had a rifle shoot this well with the first load combination. My others don’t shoot this good after 5,6,7 different load combinations!!! So I’m very pleased.

 

[TDM]

Nice shooting there bro!

It’s the rifle, I’ve never shot that well before with my other MLs. I did use the little peep site patch on my shooting glasses on the 50 yard shots. It helped.

 

[Compressorguy]

Took the file knife build a little further, blued the blade and stained the Elk scales with Fiebings medium brown stain, rubbed all back with steel wool and waxed.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

55 and partly sunny in Ohio today. Strange weather for February but I'll take it. Had a chance to play at the forge. I forged out a period turnscrew and 4 nice hooks. Turnscrew is made from the finest spring steel so it will never deform, bend or break in a persons lifetime. I also made a couple of bending jigs not pictured.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[brushyspoons]

Started working on a rear sight for my Appalachia rifle. Still a long ways to go, but doing most of the shaping when it's still attached to the bar stock has made this second attempt a lot easier than my first.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I wanted some thin rawhide to make knife sheath liners so the knife would not cut through. Last month I soaked a large rawhide dog chew until soft then squeezed it between two boards and let it dry. The sheet of rawhide turned out out perfect !! Looking forward to making my first rawhide knife sheath liner. I have 7 more of the big dog chews so I'll have rawhide to last me quite a while.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[pacanis]

Spent most of the day shooting the SMR for the first time and getting it sighted in. First let me say that I am in love with it, the fit and feel are just right for me. The lock is wicked fast! And of course no miss fires and easy on the flint. I believe I shot 24 times. While filing the front sight I was swabbing every 2nd shot for consistency, but once I finally raised the POI and made a windage correction I only swabbed after 5 shots and still had no problem loading. All shots were 45 gr of Goex 3F with Goex 4F prime. Swaged .440 RB (sprue up) with .015 patch and mink oil lube. It’s still shooting a little low, I used a 6 o’clock hold for all shots, so I’ll have to hold center mass or get a taller rear sight, can’t take any more of the front!!! But I’ll work those things out, very happy overall.

Was shooting at 25 & 50 yards. The last photo shows how much I had to file down the front sight!

Nice shootin'. That's a lot.

My swaged balls don't have a sprue. I use Hornady. Are you sure you weren't using cast? Just curious. I'll stick with Hornady if others have sprues.

Also, if you get a taller front sight you'll just end up filing it down to the same spot, won't you? Maybe I'm not understanding things.
I would have raised POI with more powder. I use 90gr of FFF and it shoots pretty soft. Just as comparison.

 

[TDM]

Nice shootin'. That's a lot.

My swaged balls don't have a sprue. I use Hornady. Are you sure you weren't using cast? Just curious. I'll stick with Hornady if others have sprues.

Also, if you get a taller front sight you'll just end up filing it down to the same spot, won't you? Maybe I'm not understanding things.
I would have raised POI with more powder. I use 90gr of FFF and it shoots pretty soft. Just as comparison.

Ha!!! Just call me a dummy! I was shooting CAST balls! Not sure why my fingers typed Swaged. Probably will make more sense now. Thanks for pointing that out!

 

[64Springer]

Started laying out Frankenstuffer. 16ga smoothbore. 25 inch barrel. Chambers' Mountain Siler lock. She will be scoped. Angled pistol grip.

The barrel will ride in a walnut chassis. The 1/2" x 1" barrel channel will be used to build up the butt stock assembly. And a 1" x 1" walnut breech block will be installed behind the plug. I think the breech plug will be pinned through the side of the stock using a hardened 3/16" pin. Ponder. Ponder Ponder.

The barrel liner is a true 16ga x 3/4" OD secured inside a 1" OD tube with a 3/4" ID. Inner and out portion are 4130 steel epoxied together.

The breech plug is a bit of Mosin UnMen barrel tapped for a bit of 3/8"-16 screw. It was nice of the Russians to run a tap drill through the barrel for me...

A .600 ball in a plastic wad seals the bore nice and tight.

 

[Bunk]

Not a good day day at all.
In fact a terribly frustrating,, aggravating,disappointing day.
All those .36 Navy bullet paper cartridges I have been making for the last week will not work in my Uberti 1861 Navy.
The loading port space is too shallow and tips the bullet heel out of the chamber mouth then the rammer has a sideways billet to jam into the chamber causing a complete stoppage of the gun resulting references to the Supreme Being and water retention structures (family friendly).
The cartridges load quickly off the gun with the Tower of Power but that is not the plan.
It took all afternoon and numerous take downs to get off just thirty rounds which caused a surprising amount of new profanity. Fortunate I work alone.
But made lots of hits and that 126 grain bullet and 20 grains FFFg is no wimp load.
There are 8 so as tocartridges to shoot in the morning then the gun gets a good cleaning and then loaded with APP and ball and put a few more down range or shoot the Sharps carbine.
Decisions decisions what do y'all think?
The bore first will get a good JB compounding because those bullets have essentially no grease groove and it has been too cold in the shop for melting lube and dipping bullets.
Lots of powder smoke though so I can't complain too much.
Frustratingly submitted
Bunk