What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Alan O]

well done - you've got a kind of steampunk mad scientist vibe going on there.

 

[longcruise]

Working on an old CVA Kentucky Rifle kit. Temp in the corner of the garage known as "the shop" just hit 93* and rising so back into the house. I need to start earlier until the Temps come down.

 

[deerstalkert]

found an aluminum rod just 3/8 " had it stashed behind a pile on my bench. made a range rod. then twisted off the stem of an 8-32 jag in the end of it.
cut it back an inch. drilled and tapped again. repeat the above. gave up and watered plants.

 

[TDM]

Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

I think I am certainly very unwell I tided my little workshop up, got to be quite serious, I moved into the cycle shed one cold winter , the bikes went into my big workshop bottom of garden. It was a very cold winter , but I make so many small things there . Yes it’s cosy in winter

Cycles eh? Motorbikes or pedal bikes? With a shop like that, surely you've got a gloriously patinaed flat tank Sunbeam tucked away in a corner somewhere.---A Model 9 is one of my dream bikes.

 

[Banjoman]

Was honored to let a friend and his eleven year old son shoot a flintlock rifle for their first time.

 

[Tanker]

Blued my barrel and other metal on my crockett kit

 

[Ballshooter]

Made a few 36 cal paper cartridges using coffee filters with the Eras Gone colt conical. Worked well and they all went bang but need some practice making them hahah. May try some nitrate coffee filter paper

 

[sj_anderson62]

Bought a GPR from a fellow member, who bought it from a previous member. Sent the barrel off to Log Cabin Shop to clean up a dovetail fill that the prev-prev owner didn’t do all that well. The new dovetail was smaller and deeper than a normal sight, so they’re working their magic. Did initial strip of stock with citristrip. Not sure if I’m doing another, I’ll give sandpaper a shot first. Unfortunately, my job won’t give me an endorsement contract, so back to the grind.

 

[50calBoone]

I got a text from Don Bruton, My Boone rifle should be done in a week or two. Can’t wait!

 

[Buckskinquin]

Waited 6-8 hours for purchased ML shipped on Fed Ex Ground. Signature required. 4 hour window ended at 3:30 PM. Contacted help line, virtual assistant only. Another 4 hour window received today. Beginning to think arranging pu at this end warehouse is my best bet. The worst part of this is it seems many businesses in this country are uncaring and not dependable at best, with no available recourse by customers.

 

[pacanis]

FedEx is certainly the worst.

I did take my Hawken out again. I'm still not certain if my grouping problem might be the rear sight, as I shot my typical first shot:

Followed by a couple low, a couple left... I didn't even hit the target on a couple of them.

I think, just to try something different, my next outing with this rifle I'll be shooting conicals (ouch).

But first I have a Lymans Trade Rifle I haven't shot yet. I think I'll stick the Hawken on the wall for a while.

So today I'm going to look at the bore of the Trade Rifle and if the weather holds up push some lead out of it.
The current thread of this gun and accuracy has given me an itch.

 

[French Colonial]

And I have had better luck with FedEx than with UPS and USPS, must be where you are at and who the employees are that determines which is better.

 

[pacanis]

Once my packages arrive at the local FedEx center I am good to go. Aside from the drivers rotating and not being familiar with where to put the package. It took me a while to find an $800 check that had blown off my front deck and get caught up in the shrubs... I think they have since changed to where they actually leave the package, like Amazon.
It's getting there to the local center that is my main problem with them. The last few times someone used them my tracking changed from a day and time of delivery to Delayed, then I could no longer look up the tracking#, then after a few days it was moving again.

But they all have problems at one time or another.

 

[Buckskinquin]

FedEx is certainly the worst.

I did take my Hawken out again. I'm still not certain if my grouping problem might be the rear sight, as I shot my typical first shot:
View attachment 239078

Followed by a couple low, a couple left... I didn't even hit the target on a couple of them.

I think, just to try something different, my next outing with this rifle I'll be shooting conicals (ouch).

But first I have a Lymans Trade Rifle I haven't shot yet. I think I'll stick the Hawken on the wall for a while.

So today I'm going to look at the bore of the Trade Rifle and if the weather holds up push some lead out of it.
The current thread of this gun and accuracy has given me an itch.

Try this. After your first shot and subsequent loadings, do everything up to using your short starter to get the patch and ball in the barrel. Then use a moistened patch with spit or your patch lube to set the ball fully to the powder. You’ll notice some slight fouling on this patch, but you’re insuring the bore is fairly the same condition on each subsequent shot. Once you get a rhythm, this method doesn’t take anymore time. Good Luck!

 

[flconch53]

The other possibility is take a foiluling shot 1st. This will also insure a consistent bore condition. If you stated the load you are using I missed it. TC's have shallower rifling and the load will skip the rifling. This is a roundball quirk.

 

[DrLaw]

Looking around my gun area at home I realized I did not have any dark stain, just light varnish. So I went to the local hardware store, and got a dark stain yesterday. This morning I stained the ramrod for the Woodsrunner. One coating so far. However, it is ML related, so...

The Doc is out now.

 

[pacanis]

Try this. After your first shot and subsequent loadings, do everything up to using your short starter to get the patch and ball in the barrel. Then use a moistened patch with spit or your patch lube to set the ball fully to the powder. You’ll notice some slight fouling on this patch, but you’re insuring the bore is fairly the same condition on each subsequent shot. Once you get a rhythm, this method doesn’t take anymore time. Good Luck!

The other possibility is take a foiluling shot 1st. This will also insure a consistent bore condition. If you stated the load you are using I missed it. TC's have shallower rifling and the load will skip the rifling. This is a roundball quirk.

Thanks guys. Anything is worth a try to get the balls shooting the same. So far the only consistent shot has been the first one after a thorough cleaning. Then, even though it might be grouping well, the group will move. I even marked my sights to make sure they were not moving.
Of course, when hunting it's the first shot that counts

70gr Goex 3F and a .490 ball.
The first shot I can use a .015~ patch, but it really prefers .010. It fouls fast and needs constant swabbing.
I'm not looking for much, just three nice shots in a row starting with the first one after cleaning.

 

[le125verne]

Thank you Gentlemen for teaching me what was wrong with my 30 year old flintlock rifle. It had basically no spark when fired (click). When it did 'fire', 90% of the time only a 'flash-in-the-pan' occurred. When it actually fired, not often, there was always a 'hang-fire'. I well maintained in how to pull a ball.
Remedy to problem one is now removed. I surface hardened the 'frizzen' using 'Cherry Red' and a 'blue-wrench.
Looking at the original touch hole, it was located at the bottom of the 'flash-pan' (sorry no picture). Drilled, tapped and installed a 1/16" Touch-hole by White Lighting, The 'vent hole' is now even with the top of the 'flash-pan. Next step is to replace the missing 'nose protector' under the front.
I have ENJOYED learning from you Gentlemen. Again, Thank You.

 

[le125verne]

Thanks guys. Anything is worth a try to get the balls shooting the same. So far the only consistent shot has been the first one after a thorough cleaning. Then, even though it might be grouping well, the group will move. I even marked my sights to make sure they were not moving.
Of course, when hunting it's the first shot that counts

70gr Goex 3F and a .490 ball.
The first shot I can use a .015~ patch, but it really prefers .010. It fouls fast and needs constant swabbing.
I'm not looking for much, just three nice shots in a row starting with the first one after cleaning.

Try "lubing/wetting" your patches with a 50/50 mix of Dawn/water. Use sparingly.