What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[aussie pete]

A fun day at the local Townsville range today. I got started after the Range Officer cowboyed some cattle off the 1000 metre line and moved them off into the bush- see the pic below, blue Nissan utility (pick up) way out on the left in top of the image.

I had a fistful of minies lying around in three various conditions, so I thought I would do an accuracy comparison to tidy the cupboard up. I like the results; I wouldn't be standing in front of the muzzle of the Parker Hale three bander at any distance. I shot to 50 metres, using a 40 grain charge of real black, Wano FFFG for all - benched firmly on a front rest with soft bag under the buttstock. Once again, my favourite proved to be the little Lyman, paper patched.

Cheers, Pete

 

[Psycho Mike]

I like the Maltese cross on the pb lid!

Thanks, I'm a Member of a Hospitaler Order, so I figured it would be a way to make it mine. Wouldn't have been common "in the day" as the modern orders are a bit more recent than a Colonial would be, but it's still possible to have had a few associated with the older Order(s) around in the day.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Returned last night from the Rev War reenactment of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina. The events on Saturday and Sunday were fantastic and the weather was perfect. I got killed in the first battle but recovered well enough and fought bravely on Sunday’s engagement ( though we lost the battle). What a fun hobby!

 

[jrweis1997]

Got some good deals this weekend at an auction, 1803 was new in box never fired for 350

 

[Todd Reeves]

Loaded some black powder rounds for my Kirst 1851 Navy Conversion. I really enjoy loading black powder metallic cartridges. I try to load as period correct as possible and enjoy shooting them.

 

[Shawrco]

Wondering if an Edward Marshall style might not be a satisfactory substitute or maybe strictly Yaeger is a must.

Thanks, I have been considering one of those as well… my personal preference is for shorter barrels

 

[aussie pete]

Returned last night from the Rev War reenactment of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina. The events on Saturday and Sunday were fantastic and the weather was perfect. I got killed in the first battle but recovered well enough and fought bravely on Sunday’s engagement ( though we lost the battle). What a fun hobby!

Ah. The resurrection of PathfinderNC! Glad to see you recovered from death.

Cheers, Pete

 

[Rebel bull]

Did a few hours of testing with my Crockett. Tested several things. Some on the rifle and some with newly cast .311 balls.

First was, I finally decided to give a 6 O-Clock hold a try. This didn’t work out so well for me. My thinking is that it was due to a black aiming square on white background. I recently installed a new front sight with a white bead. So, in terms of that, it didn’t work out well. I intend on trying this again sometime.

I was able to establish that .311 round balls with sprues are more trouble than it’s worth. Very difficult and time consuming that gave me a fit.

Established that this particular rifle likes a 20 grain charge of Swiss better than the 15 grains I was hoping for.

Tested different holds of the butt sick of the rifle until I found one that I hope will be overall best for squirrel hunting.

Established that there are no noticeable difference in accuracy using .018 patches than my perferred .015 patches.

Performed final sight in. All I was interested in up until this point was establishing a group. It mattered not the POI.

Ran a moist patch down the bore with Windex on it after each shot then followed by clean patches until they came out clean.

Due to the sun constantly moving, I found it conducive to keep moving my makeshift table. It was on unlevel ground so this added to inconsistency, with some frustration. Target distance ended up at 27 yards.

In the end, the POI was where I was aiming.

Wound up being:

20 grains of Swiss
.015 ticking
TOTW Mink Oil
.310 swaged round balls

I use buckshot pellets in mine they came out of the scrap bin at the plant some of them were plated most not an shoot great in my custom seneca a 8lb jar is about $40 at ballistics for #1 1/2 buck=.310 that's a lot cheaper the buying them100 at a time

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

@Rob M., I’m pretty sure I found what my patched jag was catching on. I removed the breech again to do a 600 grit polish on the bore and with it cleaned an inside hump appeared under where the maker’s marks were whacked into the barrel. What do you think?? I won’t be using a jag for cleaning anymore, only a shotgun swab. And you can’t really feel the hump, the light and shadow exaggerate it a little.

Thad, maybe you could use some sand paper, like doing a coning on the muzzle but wrapped around a dowel or whatever to reach that bump? Might be just enough to take it down to where it won't be a bother.

 

[TDM]

Thad, maybe you could use some sand paper, like doing a coning on the muzzle but wrapped around a dowel or whatever to reach that bump? Might be just enough to take it down to where it won't be a bother.

I was using a dowel wrapped with sand paper to polish out the bore when I found the hump. After thinking more about it I’ll just leave it be. If I remove any metal that area under the maker’s marks might get too thin. Thanks.

 

[Forester]

I went to a local gun show sponsored by my gun club last Saturday. I found a few misloading shooting supplies. A five Lb. ingot lead bar, a 25 lb. bag of hard #9 shot, a lightly used pair of Lyman mold handles, four handpicked amber flints, no humpies and a tin and a half of CVA #11 caps, non corrosive. All at fair prices. I usually don't find much that I can use.

 

[Rudyard]

A fun day at the local Townsville range today. I got started after the Range Officer cowboyed some cattle off the 1000 metre line and moved them off into the bush- see the pic below, blue Nissan utility (pick up) way out on the left in top of the image.

I had a fistful of minies lying around in three various conditions, so I thought I would do an accuracy comparison to tidy the cupboard up. I like the results; I wouldn't be standing in front of the muzzle of the Parker Hale three bander at any distance. I shot to 50 metres, using a 40 grain charge of real black, Wano FFFG for all - benched firmly on a front rest with soft bag under the buttstock. Once again, my favourite proved to be the little Lyman, paper patched.

Cheers, Pete

View attachment 304795

View attachment 304791View attachment 304792View attachment 304797View attachment 304798

 

[Rudyard]

I too of late have found the Lyman pp to be a great round in 58s & the' TC Maxi' 50 cal renders a similar improuved consistency in the 50 cals with the plus that there is no fire risk it being very dry in the bush this summer .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Cayman like]

Returned last night from the Rev War reenactment of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina. The events on Saturday and Sunday were fantastic and the weather was perfect. I got killed in the first battle but recovered well enough and fought bravely on Sunday’s engagement ( though we lost the battle). What a fun hobby!

My ancestor William Hall was in that battle in a North Carolina regiment.

 

[longcruise]

I'm working at turning this little horn into a priming horn. It was part of a grotesque display of many horns that I bought for $5 at a garage sale. The seller had bought it off the wall in a bar in Mexico. I have sanded the grease and smoke stains off and deciding what to do next. This is the last horn remaining from the eight that it came with.

Also found this that I had started long ago and forgotten. Maybe a day horn??

 

[PathfinderNC]

I finished a Powder Horn- Number 56. Came out pretty nice I think

 

[John Stark]

My #11 cap punch arrived today so I knocked out a few dozen (cup only, haven't added the compound yet). I tried a Redbull can, Coke can, and a Monster can....the Coke can did the best. One thing I learned is that annealing the "sheet" is pretty much a must. Using just the plain, cut sheet made uneven, crappy cups. Hitting it with the propane torch relieves the roll tension and make the sheet far more malleable and produces very nice cups.

 

[Piquant]

I finished a Powder Horn- Number 56. Came out pretty nice I think

Pretty nice? They are works of art. Beautiful as always.

 

[longcruise]

I finished a Powder Horn- Number 56. Came out pretty nice I think

"Pretty nice" is a huge understatement!

I've gotten the horn drilled and the spout whatchamacallit fitted.

Ain't gonna be no pathfinder!

 

[smo]

I spent the afternoon wiping down & treating my shooting bags & gear….