What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[aussie pete]

"Hey. You seen my mum? She said she'd be back soon."

I thought you might enjoy this image I took in my solo muzzleloader wanderings. I wonder if other deer species leave their young 'hidden' while they go off to forage? This Chital slip was so small. Use the fallen gum leaves to give you a sense of scale, under a foot long from tail stump to shiny nose. I don't know if it was male or female - I didn't want to disturb it to find out.

Pete

 

[SOLANCO]

"Hey. You seen my mum? She said she'd be back soon."

I thought you might enjoy this image I took in my solo muzzleloader wanderings. I wonder if other deer species leave their young 'hidden' while they go off to forage? This Chital slip was so small. Use the fallen gum leaves to give you a sense of scale, under a foot long from tail stump to shiny nose. I don't know if it was male or female - I didn't want to disturb it to find out.

Pete

Saw a whitetail doe behave strangely on a back road. Stopped where she had disappeared into the woods. Found a fawn bedded ion dead leaves. Did not touch or approach but wish I had a photo. I have read that a doe will abandon a fawn if there is human scent on it.

 

[Brazos John]

Back when flat roofs were covered with tar and gravel, as a roofing inspector, I often came across shore birds that built nests in the loose gravel. If I would approach the nest, the Mama would hop off and fly about 20', land, and raise a wing as though she was hurt, and hop around, squawking. She wanted to attract me away from her nest. If I followed, she would repeat, taking me farther away from her nest.

Ha, ha, I was too smart, I went back and ate all of her chicks!

 

[Century to late]

Back when flat roofs were covered with tar and gravel, as a roofing inspector, I often came across shore birds that built nests in the loose gravel. If I would approach the nest, the Mama would hop off and fly about 20', land, and raise a wing as though she was hurt, and hop around, squawking. She wanted to attract me away from her nest. If I followed, she would repeat, taking me farther away from her nest.

Ha, ha, I was too smart, I went back and ate all of her chicks!

Those are probably killdeer. Not the smartest bird for nesting choices.

 

[Brazos John]

Those are probably killdeer. Not the smartest bird for nesting choices.

I think you're right about them being Killdeer. But these might have been some of the smarter ones. Up on a building roof, there were a lot less dangers than on a beach, like from people.

After a hurricane came through Houston a while ago, and the gravel from downtown roofs shattered downtown windows, laws changed, and there are no new gravel-covered roofs, and the old ones have pretty much been replaced by now with rubber roofs.

I guess the birds have moved on.

 

[Century to late]

I think you're right about them being Killdeer. But these might have been some of the smarter ones. Up on a building roof, there were a lot less dangers than on a beach, like from people.

After a hurricane came through Houston a while ago, and the gravel from downtown roofs shattered downtown windows, laws changed, and there are no new gravel-covered roofs, and the old ones have pretty much been replaced by now with rubber roofs.

I guess the birds have moved on.

Ya that's old school roofing. I get them along my gravel roads. Feigning is the word for faking injury to draw away predation from nest. Sorry about the useless information I helped my wife through a biology degree.

 

[pacanis]

The tight wedge! Only thing as frustrating is the loose wedge. Especially when it falls out never to be found.

The thing that has worked for me is to lay the wedge on a solid surface and do Slight taps with a light hammer and check the fit until it fits the way you want it.

You can certainly see the scrape marks on both sides of the wedge. Especially on one side. It would not be hard to see where to tap it.
But it goes in with only slight pressure (up to 1/4" away from completely in) when inserted from left to right... that's odd. The TC would not go in either direction.

I think I'll install this one left to right. Maybe that's how it was fit. I'm not sure where I got the idea it was right to left, the opposite if it was pinned... Maybe pictures? My CVA and Traditions are inserted right to left... hmm... I might have to Google this one. I can't see it making a difference.

 

[pacanis]

Yep. Killdeer.
I learned about them when I used to spend time on a gravel roof doing HVAC work.

 

[BillyC]

"Hey. You seen my mum? She said she'd be back soon."

I thought you might enjoy this image I took in my solo muzzleloader wanderings. I wonder if other deer species leave their young 'hidden' while they go off to forage? This Chital slip was so small. Use the fallen gum leaves to give you a sense of scale, under a foot long from tail stump to shiny nose. I don't know if it was male or female - I didn't want to disturb it to find out.

Pete

View attachment 231635

Our white tails leave their fawns like this and I believe based on the dark spots where the antlers would grow that this is a buck fawn. This one spent a few days right outside my gate last year. The doe would visit 3 or 4 times a day to feed it.

 

[Terrier]

Spent a little time last evening making a bullet bag to donate to the auction at the next club meeting of the Tennessee Longhunters. I haven’t been to a meeting yet, but looking forward to the first one (for me)….

It’s been a minute since I did any beadwork (say, 30 years?)

 

[longcruise]

I might have to Google this one. I can't see it making a difference.

I've seen it written that the English direction is right to left and the American direction is left to right. Some people are known to knit pick the choice .

Mine go right to left since my very first assembly of my very first rifle. I'm right handed and hold the rifle in the left hand and push the wedge in on the right side with the right hand.

 

[ppb]

... created this powder measure as a dodge to delay the inevitable curtain hanging project the Mrs. has planned for me.

It's graduated to handle 20 - 70 gr. of 3F.

Edit:
I'm editing this post to say "Thank You!" to all who have clicked the "Like" button and to add some pictures that may give some insight to how this was made. Please note, I am not a machinist - however, I do have a lathe, knee-mill and a rotary table that will mount to the mill bed vertically or horizontally.
I started with two pieces of brass bar stock. One, 3/4" dia., the other was 1/2" dia. Setting up the rotary table in the vertical position provided the means to cut the flats on the barrel. The barrel was drilled, then bored as smooth as my boring bar would allow - no reamer. The plunger was turned down to the bores diameter, then fitted so that it just passed through the bore. Final finishing of the plunger came after the flat and thumb-screw keyway had been milled and after the notches had been cut in with a X-acto saw blade. The little "rosette" at the top of the plunger was done by using a ball end mill incorrectly - it looked kinda neat so I let it stay... The granular delineations(?) came from numerous/ tedious comparisons to a known scale.

 

[longcruise]

That's a fine looking piece of work

Could you post additionally on how you made it.

 

[pacanis]

I've seen it written that the English direction is right to left and the American direction is left to right. Some people are known to knit pick the choice .

Mine go right to left since my very first assembly of my very first rifle. I'm right handed and hold the rifle in the left hand and push the wedge in on the right side with the right hand.

I'd like to have a standard. At least for the wedge guns I have purchased.
But I figure if it ever loosens up pushing it in left to right at least I'll have a side to fall back on before bending the wedge

 

[Billy Boy]

I have a picture of a gun inside my raincoat….

 

[pacanis]

There's a junk shop between my house and the grocery store. Small town. It takes all of two minutes to get there.
Sometimes the junk shop gets in some nice stuff, as the guy will buy out gun shops going out of business (the BP side) or have a tool I need on the cheap.

Well, today he had these items...

I threw in a few odds and ends, like another .40 swab, the thin flint leather and the brass wedge for helping stuck wedges out of the slot. Or in case I lose one.
But the unfired in the box Traditions/Pietta and the brass flask and powder measure/funnel were definitely coming home with me. Like I need another 1858, lol. But all mine are Ubertis, so this one is different
$280 OTD

 

[TDM]

Took quite a few hours to do, but I have all the Woodsrunner brass polished up. Takes a while to remove all the casting lines and scale. But they shine pretty good now.

 

[pacanis]

Dang you have a lot of patience TDM.
Nice job!

Inside, too?
LOL

 

[TDM]

Dang you have a lot of patience TDM.
Nice job!

Inside, too?
LOL

Thanks, I did skip the insides! But I wanted the brass to be nice and shinny to distract attention from the inevitable mistakes I’ll make when I start carving the stock.

 

[Century to late]

Took quite a few hours to do, but I have all the Woodsrunner brass polished up. Takes a while to remove all the casting lines and scale. But they shine pretty good now.

Wow!!