What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Greyrider]

I had two feathers make the short starters with powder measure built in one end so it’s all one thing. Pour powder in grab ball block, push ball into Barrel. Fast for hunting

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I had two feathers make the short starters with powder measure built in one end so it’s all one thing. Pour powder in grab ball block, push ball into Barrel. Fast for hunting

Clever idea. Seen some pictures of Two Feathers' work. Seems like a competent and creative craftsman. I'm almost never in a hurry these days. My milk jugs always wait quietly when I miss or wound them.

 

[Greyrider]

That’s funny

 

[TDM]

First off, @chorizo shamed me with his Herculean 500 stroke bore polish. So even though I did a second polish on the little pawnshop Deerhunter last week, I took the barrel off and did a 120 stroke Bore Bright & scotchbrite polish. After clean up it did make a positive difference but it’s as good now as it’s going to get and it shoots fine. Secondly, the Investarms Gemmer that I built a year ago has really been bugging me. I made the neck too narrow and should have removed more wood around the top of the lock face. 6 months ago a picked up several antique silver spoons to use to inlay a thumb rest and beef the neck up some. So before my trade gun kit arrives I thought I’d go ahead and tackle it. I’ll start tomorrow. I’m quite sure it’s not HC, but I’m tired of looking at the narrow neck.

 

[chorizo]

@TDM I'll see your 500 and raise you 350........That 58 was bugging me, so I switched to 220 grit, did 200 more with that, then 150 with 320. It still has chatter marks but is smooth to patch, so I am going to shoot it before I do anything more. I also did 100 more with JB cleaning paste in each of the 54's . They are smooth to patch now also.

Trigger time is in order if the wind and snow will stop.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Y'know, @TDM , I never thought of using silverware for something like that! I got a project for this summer that will probably require a new triggerguard and I got a long silver fork that'd probably work. I'm used to working with red-hot iron, so how hard could it be to cold-hammer a thin piece of sterling silver? I guess I'm gonna find out....

 

[TDM]

Y'know, @TDM , I never thought of using silverware for something like that! I got a project for this summer that will probably require a new triggerguard and I got a long silver fork that'd probably work. I'm used to working with red-hot iron, so how hard could it be to cold-hammer a thin piece of sterling silver? I guess I'm gonna find out....

The antique shops around here have boxes of old silver plate table wear usually for a $1 a piece. Nobody wants it anymore. I bought several large serving spoons, each with a different design and settled on the one a cut. We’ll have to see how it turns out.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

That’s funny

Funny until I realized that milk jugs are probably the only things I get to "hunt" these days

 

[chorizo]

Funny until I realized that milk jugs are probably the only things I get to "hunt" these days

Toss a soup can or two out for variety.....keep shooting, don't stop, do the things you enjoy. 😉

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Toss a soup can or two out for variety.....keep shooting, don't stop, do the things you enjoy. 😉

I'm becoming an expert on "fun" targets. Milk jugs work great, but half-gallon almond milk cartons are my favorites. They explode quite spectacularly. Soda cans do to, but then I gotta stumble around in the snow to pick up all the sharp little pieces unless I wanna wait until spring to pick them up in the grass.

Occasionally I get to shoot a 'coon off the front porch. The food out there is for cats not 'coons. Some day maybe they'll learn that lesson. 'possums are just too pathetic to kill. Last one I tried to chase off the porch crawled into a small shelter on the cat tree and just looked out at me. Had a Colt Pre-Woodsman in my hand, but just didn't have the heart for it.

 

[pacanis]

My worn out leather gloves usually yield one or two stalls. The other fingers have holes in them. 😁

Same here.
But my leather gloves are the deerskin ones that the co-op sells. They aren't thick to begin with. So the fingers and thumbs go first.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Same here.
But my leather gloves are the deerskin ones that the co-op sells. They aren't thick to begin with. So the fingers and thumbs go first.

Wool glove liners?

 

[Ed C.]

This has taken several weeks but today I think I completed my last step in load and loading development in testing .015 square patches I cut from pillow ticking. Now to use this on the right hand Hawken and see how it works.

 

[pacanis]

Those are some nice groups at fifty.

 

[TDM]

Very nice @Ed C. !

 

[Ed C.]

Very nice @Ed C. !

Thanks! That's the gun...off the bench. Off hand will be a different story The next challenge.

 

[TDM]

Thanks! That's the gun...off the bench. Off hand will be a different story The next challenge.

Same here.

 

[painter]

Ordered a flintlock for my 36 cal Pedersoli Frontier.

I hope it's half as reliable as my Kibler lock.

 

[Bunk]

Wow! If you lived close to me I'd be your new best friend!

be delighte to have you. are you in Central Texas?

 

[Dale Lilly]

I'm becoming an expert on "fun" targets. Milk jugs work great, but half-gallon almond milk cartons are my favorites. They explode quite spectacularly. Soda cans do to, but then I gotta stumble around in the snow to pick up all the sharp little pieces unless I wanna wait until spring to pick them up in the grass.

Occasionally I get to shoot a 'coon off the front porch. The food out there is for cats not 'coons. Some day maybe they'll learn that lesson. 'possums are just too pathetic to kill. Last one I tried to chase off the porch crawled into a small shelter on the cat tree and just looked out at me. Had a Colt Pre-Woodsman in my hand, but just didn't have the heart for it.

We have a 'possum that loves our back porch trash can. If we forget to close it, and put a rock on the lid, he will be curled up, in the can, asleep in the morning. I have to turn the trash can upside down to make him leave. He goes a few feet, gives me a accusative stare, runs ten feet and does it again. He is so sweet, I could not kill him. Hmmmm? Polecat 🦨