What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[oldschoolhunter55]

Starting to plan a winter Christmas camp/shoot for next week.

Wishing u the best for your shoot.hope everything goes as planned and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and family

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Mailed off a money order to a forum member for a new-to-me project rifle. Merry Christmas to me.

Congrats on your project.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Once the cold morning fog lifted and the forecast showed another atmospheric river on its way, I figured to make hay while the sun shines. I packed up a .32 caplock and navigated more than half my 25 mile trip to the range on surface streets. The traffic map looked good but after committing to the freeway with over 5 miles to the next exit traffic slowed to between stop and 15 MPH. I got off at the first exit. Anyhow, I made it about an hour later than usual.

The gun I took was one I'd dug out of storage, the tag I put on it suggested it hadn't been fired since 2011. Then I remembered the builder had told me he'd had trouble getting it to group. Since he essentially built it aa a favor so I accepted it as is. I remember having shot it but not being overwhelmed by it's accuracy. I put it away and moved on. Turns out that might have been a mistake.

I figured it would shoot low since I'd never filed the sights in. I needed to find a load that grouped before taking a file to the front sight. Windage was pretty much spot on. I fired five 5 shot groups using three ball sizes and three patch thicknesses. I've rattled on long enough so I'll spare you all the detail and let you know I found a .319 cast ball wrapped in a spit lube patch of about .020 over 25 grains of Schuetzen FFFG resulted in 4 shots cutting each other with the fifth out, I pulled it. I fired a close grouping after upping to 30 grains. It looks like I'll be spending more time with this gem. Oh, the range was 25 yards.

Looks like u have a shooter. Yeaaa

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Took the Deerstalker on another long walk in the woods, that always makes for a great day.

U had a good day. Hope i have a good day tomorrow. Going be climbing up a tree and sit back and relax. Any day a person can get out in the woods is a blessing

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

U had a good day

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Burned most of the daylight with spot and stalk for elk, then tracking (they had moved from first), then another spot and stalk. Turns out the antlers I could see with binos at half-mile or so didn't belong to a legal (brow-tined) bull, just a big spike. The freezer is full with cow elk and mulie buck, but thought I should take my bull tag for a walk today. Got within shooting range of elk in wide open country, didn't sit on any cactus, and wallked 4 or 5 miles: a good day. View attachment 276193

Wow. What a view

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Wishing u the best for your shoot.hope everything goes as planned and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and family

Same to you and yours my friend.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

decided to make that muzzle stopper before i forgot about it. changed my mind about using the .610 ball driven into the bore when i saw my brother in laws hound trotting by with a chunk of antler in his mouth.
after 4-5 rounds in the ring with him attempting to steal his prize he gave up out of pity i am sure. and i went ahead cleaned off the dog slobber and turned a stopper.
engraved the info i wanted and bobs yer uncle!
only 8 or 10 more to go. wonder if that dog knows where there are more supplies?
View attachment 276360

Have to ask what is muzzle stopper. Never heard of one of them. What is it used for? As u can tell i dont know a lot about this.im not new to hunting bu

Burned most of the daylight with spot and stalk for elk, then tracking (they had moved from first), then another spot and stalk. Turns out the antlers I could see with binos at half-mile or so didn't belong to a legal (brow-tined) bull, just a big spike. The freezer is full with cow elk and mulie buck, but thought I should take my bull tag for a walk today. Got within shooting range of elk in wide open country, didn't sit on any cactus, and wallked 4 or 5 miles: a good day. View attachment 276193

Dang i hit wrong button on key board dont know if my reply sent so i will ask again. What is a muzzle stopper and what is it used for. Ive hunted all my life but this traditional way of hunting(hunted in the 1980s with sidelock a lot but it was all self learned.) Now i want to learn from all of yaw. You guys on here have my attention.

 

[deerstalkert]

Have to ask what is muzzle stopper. Never heard of one of them. What is it used for? As u can tell i dont know a lot about this.im not new to hunting bu

Dang i hit wrong button on key board dont know if my reply sent so i will ask again. What is a muzzle stopper and what is it used for. Ive hunted all my life but this traditional way of hunting(hunted in the 1980s with sidelock a lot but it was all self learned.) Now i want to learn from all of yaw. You guys on here have my attention.

in reality the muzzle stopper is just a figment of my imagination, though if i thought of it surely someone thought about first.
the basis for this was me shooting .490 balls out of a .54 bore because i forgot that the build i just finished was .54
i thought i might put an Idiot card or something on each of my rifles with the caliber and rate of twist.
the only application a stopper would have would to keep mud wasps out of the bore if the gun happened to be within access for the little buggers.
the other application for the stopper is to keep a old semi senile guy busy making something.
ps. you will learn much on this site. every right way to do something, and every wrong way to do something.
they are interchangeable!

 

[sheriff john]

in reality the muzzle stopper is just a figment of my imagination, though if i thought of it surely someone thought about first.
the basis for this was me shooting .490 balls out of a .54 bore because i forgot that the build i just finished was .54
i thought i might put an Idiot card or something on each of my rifles with the caliber and rate of twist.
the only application a stopper would have would to keep mud wasps out of the bore if the gun happened to be within access for the little buggers.
the other application for the stopper is to keep a old semi senile guy busy making something.
ps. you will learn much on this site. every right way to do something, and every wrong way to do something.
they are interchangeable!

I had some civil war "bore stoppers". I think the term is "tompion" or similar. Brass with red cloth, they had a knurled end and the cloth part went into the muzzle. That was like, 50 years back.

Those that you've made are very nice. Thanks for posting. With another short bore-fitting piece on the other end, you'd have a handy short starter, I reckon. Good work.

 

[deerstalkert]

I had some civil war "bore stoppers". I think the term is "tompion" or similar. Brass with red cloth, they had a knurled end and the cloth part went into the muzzle. That was like, 50 years back.

Those that you've made are very nice. Thanks for posting. With another short bore-fitting piece on the other end, you'd have a handy short starter, I reckon. Good work.

we gonna have a evolution! love the idea of turning it into a short starter!
I had forgotten all about Tampions. i told you someone thought of them before!

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

in reality the muzzle stopper is just a figment of my imagination, though if i thought of it surely someone thought about first.
the basis for this was me shooting .490 balls out of a .54 bore because i forgot that the build i just finished was .54
i thought i might put an Idiot card or something on each of my rifles with the caliber and rate of twist.
the only application a stopper would have would to keep mud wasps out of the bore if the gun happened to be within access for the little buggers.
the other application for the stopper is to keep a old semi senile guy busy making something.
ps. you will learn much on this site. every right way to do something, and every wrong way to do something.
they are interchangeable!

Thank you so much for sharing this information. I know i have a lot to learn.thats why i ask questions.there are some very smart people on here. Hope you and all your family have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Introduced Kim & her spouse to flintlock shooting this afternoon.
I'll be posting a fun video soon...

 

[TonyC]

Did some smoothbore shooting with the trade gun. The new rear sight worked well.

Curious about what the freezer paper is for. Backing for your targets??

 

[simonbeans]

I have made enough short starters and turn screws for a while so I tried something new. I have a few pieces of horn so with some Crazy Crow flats and cylinders I fashioned these. I am sure one could suffice as a priming “horn” and the others as salt horns.

 

[TDM]

Curious about what the freezer paper is for. Backing for your targets??

If I’m going to pattern a smooth bore or shotgun I like to see as much of the spread as possible. I can replace with a new sheet quickly. And without it there so many holes in the old target stand there’s almost nothing to tape a target to.

 

[Rod Schnebli]

I made a buckskin rifle sleeve for my 54 cal. TC Hawken, also a pair of beaver and buckskin gauntlet mits.

 

[WALT53]

Introduced Kim & her spouse to flintlock shooting this afternoon.
I'll be posting a fun video soon...

View attachment 276429

Sir your quit the lady’s man .lol

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Shot my Frontier .50 flintlock and rang some steel at the range, then went for a little trek in the woods. Checked out my little camp site for a maybe next week overnighter.

Nobody looks like Kim where I shoot.

 

[WALT53]

If I’m going to pattern a smooth bore or shotgun I like to see as much of the spread as possible. I can replace with a new sheet quickly. And without it there so many holes in the old target stand there’s almost nothing to tape a target to.

TDM just for fun in your smoothbore try powder then on top put using same measure corn meal then paper shot cup with 3 wraps of newspaper
fill with shot and something to hold it all in .You may like the results and try the same less paper shot cup.