What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[chorizo]

@aussie pete Ouchy, but then again I just got 3 lbs of FFFg Triple Seven at USD $36 plus 6% taxes plus shipping of $25 plus HazMat shipping costs with 1000 musket caps and all three were on sale. All spread out then allocated the cost is close to USD $46 per lb so $53 per lb is not too unreasonable.

It won't be long that the same thing is going to happen here.

Swiss 3F is listed at $30....if you can find it. Schuetzen is $24.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Wano is the brand of real black that is most commonly available in Australia. It is a German made powder that is available in a wide range of grades to meet standards for mining, fireworks, and shooting sports. Research tells me that it is rebadged Schuetzen. It is sold in 1kg jugs. We pay for our sins over here. At present, the best price I can match for Wano at a gun shop is $179 Aust for a 1kg bottle. At today's exchange, that's $121.61 US per kilo - or $53.60 US per pound.

We are fortunate to have the current importer, Combat Simulations, down at the bottom of the state in Helidon. That's a 2,800-kilometre round trip from here in Townsville. When someone is doing a run to the bottom corner, we usually ask around and pick up several kilos for mates who prepay - saves at least a few bucks, and we are thankful it's available. Black powder is a unique Dangerous Goods product here; almost all cargo carriers refuse to transport it due to the cost of regulation compliance.

Economically, my aim for target shooting is to get the very best accuracy out of each rifle or musket using the lowest charge. Hunting of course is a different matter, as there you need the oomph for humane outcomes.

Pete

PS That's not me having sticker shock in the image below! View attachment 202021View attachment 202022

That's... kinda outrageous. I find myself reaching for the 15 and 20 grain powder measures more often myself these days, but last time I bought Old Eynsford 3f black powder, I think it cost me about $15.00 for a pound... and I thought that was getting expensive then.

 

[smo]

Dry fired , dry fired , dry fired…
Ran some ball..

Then dry fired, dry fired & dry fired some more….

 

[aussie pete]

Dry fired , dry fired , dry fired…
Ran some ball..
View attachment 202041

Then dry fired, dry fired & dry fired some more….

Well, there's an upside. That run of balls will see you out for a while. And think of the savings on powder!

Kind regards, Pete

 

[smo]

Hopefully they’ll get me thru the year…
Powder isn’t a problem at the time…

 

[deerstalkert]

Thanks. I'm sure I could fabricate it, even in a primitive smithy with only files to do machine work, but it is a fairly complex part and seems to be poorly designed with such a tiny dimension in a hardened part that has to take impacts in order to function. As I am not long for this world anyway, I'm not sure yet if it would be worth the effort. I have other guns to shoot, other projects, and it might be time to just put it up for sale as a parts donor so others can fix their own guns.

T/C was such a GOOD company to work with. I will never forgive S&W for discontinuing service on the older guns... but that is business I guess.

basically the reason i offered. need to get rid of stuff!

 

[jd945043]

Today no shooting because of massive overtime at the factory but I am sure I brought a smile to the people of Track of the wolf because I ordered a whole bunch of supplies so the smoke poles keep belching smoke

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

basically the reason i offered. need to get rid of stuff!

Well, I'll try to find a camera that can focus closely enough to post a picture. Happy to help you get rid of "stuff". I'm gonna hafta do that myself one of these days. Y'know I still got my first computer... a Tandy 600 laptop! Dunno where it is exactly, but I know I got it... somewhere.

 

[JT1200R]

I’m refinishing a Traditions St Louis Hawkins I got from my uncle

 

[springfield art]

Cut dovetail for front sight View attachment 87230

Just as an aside, a friend goes by that moniker in his antique motorcycle world; has' old iron' on his vanity license plate. I've had several barrels shortened by my gunsmith (on muzzleloaders) and I've imagined his dove-tail cutter is just like this one in your photo; You have a professional set-up!

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I've never seen a lock like that.

Oh first time. Lucky you ha ha. Think you are referring to the brass lock plate I could not find a lock in uk But I had some shotgun locks by Thomas Bland. So I removed the internal components and used the lock plate as a drill jig I only had an old 1/8 whitworth thread tap and was a bit scared to use it on steel, so I went for brass. I might replace it with steel at a later date It does not have half cock but it has rebounding locks , ie hits the nipple and then rebounds to 1/8” above blown cap. This you can have a cap on the nipple and the hammer head won’t touch it

It’s getting there Nice to chat my sons pet bear. Hz ha ha movi

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Looking over Dixie's catalog and found this rifle: FR3020 Double Flint Rifle

Seems like kind of an odd duck, so to speak, with a rear leaf sight and a front bead. .63 caliber barrel, so roughly 20 gauge. Kind of interesting. Looks like my kinda rifle. I gotta stop lookin' at those wishbooks...

 

[BS2366]

I picked up a box on the porch. Opened it and there were 1000 #11's in it!

 

[TDM]

Finished these 4 measures. Probably go ahead and make a 90 gr too since all stuff is already out.

 

[Loja man]

Ordered some supply’s from TOTW.

 

[oldwood]

Almost finished a set of sheet copper ramrod thimbles for an Appalachian smooth rifle. Hope to install them tomorrow.

 

[rhart]

Went to the range to shoot my .50 TC Renegade for the first time. Before leaving the house I ran about 8 dry patches down the barrel. Got to the range and poured 50 grains of 3f down the barrel and a pushed a .490 round ball using a .010" lubricated patch down. Went down way too easy - thinking I need to use thicker patches. Anyway, embarrassed to say the cap went off, but not the powder under the prb (black goo where dry powder should have been). I fired 20 caps but no joy. So I shot a few rounds through my Pietta 1860 Army using cartridges I made from cigarette rolling papers with new slix-shot nipples. Cylinder started experiencing cap jams after 8 rounds fired so I packed it in and called it quits. My son has a compressor so I got him to try to blow out the prb I assumed was stuck down the barrel (since it went down so easy I figured it would blow right out). Lots of air came out the end of the barrel like there was no ball in it!

Long story short - the ball must have came out of the barrel from the pressure of one of the 20 caps I fired off trying to ignite the load (if I'd known I would have run some cleaning patches down the barrel and maybe gotten to at least fire the gun a couple of times). There's always tomorrow or the next day...

 

[TDM]

Went to the range to shoot my .50 TC Renegade for the first time. Before leaving the house I ran about 8 dry patches down the barrel. Got to the range and poured 50 grains of 3f down the barrel and a pushed a .490 round ball using a .010" lubricated patch down. Went down way too easy - thinking I need to use thicker patches. Anyway, embarrassed to say the cap went off, but not the powder under the prb (black goo where dry powder should have been). I fired 20 caps but no joy. So I shot a few rounds through my Pietta 1860 Army using cartridges I made from cigarette rolling papers with new slix-shot nipples. Cylinder started experiencing cap jams after 8 rounds fired so I packed it in and called it quits. My son has a compressor so I got him to try to blow out the prb I assumed was stuck down the barrel (since it went down so easy I figured it would blow right out). Lots of air came out the end of the barrel like there was no ball in it!

Long story short - the ball must have came out of the barrel from the pressure of one of the 20 caps I fired off trying to ignite the load (if I'd known I would have run some cleaning patches down the barrel and maybe gotten to at least fire the gun a couple of times). There's always tomorrow or the next day...

Sorry you didn’t get to fire it. Run a little alcohol through it next time and on several patches, then dry patches. And snap 2 or 3 caps at the range before loading.

 

[sheriff john]

Watched the 1969 movie about the Gunsmith of Colonial Williamsburg, narrated by David Brinkley last night. Anyone who enjoys antique firearms would appreciate the hour-long documentary. Dug out two original rifles from one of my safes afterwards. Both rifles exhibit some of the work shown in the film (barrels and stocks) even though they're from the 1850-1860's. Kinda fun.

 

[ETipp]

It was fairly humid this morning. Nonetheless, spent a great session confirming the Pedersoli Rocky Mountain's diet and sight setting. Moreover, helped a buddy, Scotty, get his Tryon running nicely so that the recoil didn't impact his old war injuries (lower back, neck, shoulders).

The Rocky Mountain was spot on. I couldn't recall if I had left the setting for a six o'clock hold, or point of aim. Turns out point of aim sight picture. My first shot (target engaged at 50 metres) aimed at 6 o'clock to the white, went straight there. I lifted to the centre of the target and the remaining 9 shots reminded me why I like this rifle. The load is sixty grains of FFG Wano, a lubed over-powder wad, .018 pillow ticking spit patch (cut square) and a cast 530 round ball. No breeze, locked in on a rest front and rear, sitting at the bench.

The most fun was spent getting Scotty's 54 Pedersoli Tryon shooting with a reduced load. We laddered from 50 grains FFG Wano downward, ending up with a successful 32 grains FFG Wano, equal volume of polenta over-powder with a lubed .015 patch and a 530 round ball. Next time out, I'll post some images of his results. No recoil, accurate, still plenty of smoke - he's a happy soldier!

Just for entertainment's sake, I've included an image of a local squatter pigeon, as he was waking up to the morning sun at the range. Grandma reckons you need eight for a good pie.

Pete

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Nice shooting on the paper target but I can't see the hole in the birdy. Did the feathers cover the holes up?