What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[DiMarco_Mercantile]

I taught and let my older cousins shoot my .45 Kentucky pistol last night during the fireworks. Gotta let everyone try muzzleloading at least once!

 

[smokepolehall]

I think you got the better end of the deal on that one!

Yes sir i did, he was scared to build the kit. It was my 1st & i did ok with it. I actually did very well on my next deal with it. I sold it for enough samolians i bought a new T/C Renegade .54 n all the shooting supplies for it.

 

[longcruise]

I got one back in 78, it shot a maxiball very well with 60 gr of Goex 3 f. I killed a few tick toters with it. Then a friend asked if i would trade. I said what cha got ? He says a new in the box .50 cal T/C Hawken kit n i said done deal.

Whoa! Ya better hope the statute of limitations has run out on that.

 

[scottmc71]

Off enjoying a week of vacation and walking through our localish flee market found these for cheap. Dating to 1978 n 79. A good day indeed.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I got one back in 78, it shot a maxiball very well with 60 gr of Goex 3 f. I killed a few tick toters with it. Then a friend asked if i would trade. I said what cha got ? He says a new in the box .50 cal T/C Hawken kit n i said done deal.

Never could use mine. Got it used at a pawn shop and knew nothing about black powder. This was well before internet and I only knew one guy that even had a muzzleloader. He told me how much powder to use and how to load it and that was my only mentoring. First time I loaded it the day before muzzleloader season opened the nipple blew out on the first shot. Took it to the local gun Smith and he put a new nipple in it. Second shot and that nipple blew out. Back to the Smith. He rethreaded the hole and put in an oversized nipple. Third shot was also a flying nipple. I was only loading 60 grains so I'm guessing the breech plug was just soft. Sold it years later on GB and made sure the buyer understood it was unsafe to shoot. All that didn't stop me though. I missed that opening weekend back in 94 but the next weekend I came home with a new investarms version of a GPR and a new Investarms Hawken carbine. Never looked back.

 

[TDM]

Well, I’m somewhat disappointed. I’m back at my camp and was going to spend the evening studying the relief carving photos on the thumb drives I ordered from the Kentucky Rifle Foundation but they will not open on the laptop I have here. The laptop is only 20 years old running Windows XP, can’t imagine what the problem is.
But I’m really surprised that the thumb drives won’t work on the TV which is maybe 7 years old tops. I watch all my game camera photos on the TV with a card reader. Oh well.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Well, I’m somewhat disappointed. I’m back at my camp and was going to spend the evening studying the relief carving photos on the thumb drives I ordered from the Kentucky Rifle Foundation but they will not open on the laptop I have here. The laptop is only 20 years old running Windows XP, can’t imagine what the problem is.
But I’m really surprised that the thumb drives won’t work on the TV which is maybe 7 years old tops. I watch all my game camera photos on the TV with a card reader. Oh well.

We that stinks. I'm sure you will find a way to pass the time though.

 

[TDM]

Yep, got more polishing to do and I’ll rewatch some videos and do some carving sketches. Got up to 100 this afternoon so everything is inside work!

 

[BackDraft]

“He who hesitates is lost…” I’m referring to me, not you.

I should‘ve bought the cap making kit and all the trimmings when I first saw it (it was in stock). A few weeks later, I saw an article written by Tyler Freel in Outdoor Life about it a couple of days after it was released and what I expected as I read it was true. Sold out and back ordered everywhere it was previously available. Snooze, ya loose.

All is not lost, tho… I scored some RWS caps from Grafs a week ago. Those should last me a while.

www.22lrreloader.com has the prime-all kits in stock.

 

[Terrier]

www.22lrreloader.com has the prime-all kits in stock.

Hey, thanks, BD! Got my order in before they sell out again.

 

[CuNosecap]

Worked on taking a bunch of wood off my Mark Silver VA. Lots to go to get that slim wrist and forearm. Rasping can wear you out!

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Hello from London

I am stressed out today I bid on two rifles at Holts auction, next Monday, I bid high on a good Swiss ml ,photo , 10.5mm
(it’s a 400 mile round trip to Holts auction up in Norfolk To inspect ) With buyers commission I guess £1400. The other I won’t talk about yet

Early in the year I won at holts a pair of mint Westley Richards 577/500 no2 BP barrels 1885 ( £280) to make into a flint double rifle , playing with it I think it wise to make it percussion, then I can used substitute Bp or even nitro but for want of original locks. Doing my brain in Police won’t give me at 80 a BP permit either , such is life. We are not a gunny hunting nation, but France is , an hour across the channel, but full of rules and regulation , no Licence needed for BP stuff , but you need land owners permission to shoot. Full oh hogs but I have never seen them over 5000 miles of France, bit barren I thought So there we are nothing else but wish you all well

 

[longcruise]

Tried the concept of lubing the copper strips. I used the Imperial sizing wax, WD 40 and the Costco version of Pam. None of the three had any positive effect on the process. The three photos below represent the three different lubes. No point in identifying which is which because they are pretty much the same.

But my little brain did (finally) recognize at least part of the problem. Notice where the punch is right at the edge of the strip and how it's rougher and sometimes broken through. This is where the strips have been hanging up.

I was able to improve the process by being certain that the strips were pushed all the way to the back of the slot and by leaving a little more space between the cutouts.

Under the best of circumstances, the aluminum is the better option. The copper is softer and tends to follow the punch a little and is easily hung up.

The manufacturer could possibly improve the design by by cutting the slot a little deeper so the punched hole is a bit further from the edge.

Could also be user modified but I'm not planning on doing it. Will focus on improving technique.

 

[Terrier]

Amazon. They’re .005”.
Got a roll of .005 copper there too.

Can you foresee having any time soon to test whether the brass works better than the copper?

 

[TDM]

Can you foresee having any time soon to test whether the brass works better than the copper?

No, my to do list is long already and my procrastination level is high. But there’s a couple of active cap making threads where using each is discussed.

 

[BackDraft]

Hey, thanks, BD! Got my order in before they sell out again.

I got another pack enroute, as well.

 

[BackDraft]

… my to do list is long already and my procrastination level is high.…

A man of a kindred spirit!

 

[DrLaw]

Yesterday, nothing.
However, I was 'designated sniper' at Camp Callahan, a one-week each camp for adults, teens and children with special needs, developmental and physical disabilities located north of Quincy, Illinois. Wednesday morning is range day where the campers come out in the morning to shoot .22 rifles at paper targets and balloons. Campers get to keep their targets and some are pretty proficient and blast out the bullseye. However, there are some who are not as good, and they still get to go home with a target with holes in it. This year I tried for Happy Faces in those targets. This week it was the adults.

Today, on the other hand, I finished (Finally) the carvings on my Woodsrunner and started sanding the stock in preparation for the finish process.

The Doc is out now.

 

[TDM]

Tried the concept of lubing the copper strips. I used the Imperial sizing wax, WD 40 and the Costco version of Pam. None of the three had any positive effect on the process. The three photos below represent the three different lubes. No point in identifying which is which because they are pretty much the same.

View attachment 233871View attachment 233872View attachment 233873

But my little brain did (finally) recognize at least part of the problem. Notice where the punch is right at the edge of the strip and how it's rougher and sometimes broken through. This is where the strips have been hanging up.

I was able to improve the process by being certain that the strips were pushed all the way to the back of the slot and by leaving a little more space between the cutouts.

Under the best of circumstances, the aluminum is the better option. The copper is softer and tends to follow the punch a little and is easily hung up.

The manufacturer could possibly improve the design by by cutting the slot a little deeper so the punched hole is a bit further from the edge.

Could also be user modified but I'm not planning on doing it. Will focus on improving technique.

Can’t really give any useful advice since I’ve yet to use my stuff, but how or what are you using to hit or push the dies with? Don’t know how it’s going to work, but a few months ago I bought a 2 ton press mainly to use for cap making whenever I finally get around to it.

 

[TDM]

Finished up polishing the external parts on the Woodsrunner lock. There’s one before photo of the jaw cap and frizzen. None of this is necessary, but it’s what I like to do to get started.