What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Banjoman]

We had less than 3 feet of snow here in East Tennessee so I went up on the mountain and shot my Thompson Center Hawken. I’d been getting 3-5 inch groups or worse at 50 yards. I tried changing different components but nothing helped. The patch lube I started with was a combination of beeswax, olive oil and spit. This lube was very greasy and slick. I remembered reading somewhere that if the rifle bore had shallow grooves (this gun does) and the lube was too slick that the patch and ball would slip the rifling. That may have been the problem because when I switched to precut patches slightly dampened with spit, my groups shrank to about 2-3 inches. I can now consistently hit pop cans and water bottles at 50 yards and that’s good enough for me.

 

[Greg Y]

My leathercraft game is weak....but it should keep me from busting out the chop saw. I contoured a piece of foam under the leather to follow the contour.

 

[wiscoaster]

Made some paper cartridges for my Colt Special M1861 trying out my ideas of a three-envelope cartridge to contain some cerial meal to clean bore while shooting. Took the rifle and cartridges to 50 yd range to try out and frankly worked well beyond my wildest dreams. Cartridges are, of course, completely not authentic, using modern fabrication techniques (mostly meaning glue), but fabrication made so much easier, and shooting usage as well. Might post a thread sometime on my three-envelope cartridge fabrication ideas if and when I get the chance and the motivation. Also shot round ball through the 1861 using measure, pour, patch, ball and ram .... just because it can be done. Also worked quite well. (Actually could not distinguish the round ball holes from the Minie ball holes on the paper target, but hey, it was only 50 yds).

PS, in case you're wondering I didn't shoot with the bayonet attached.

 

[aussie pete]

Made some paper cartridges for my Colt Special M1861 trying out my ideas of a three-envelope cartridge to contain some cerial meal to clean bore while shooting. Took the rifle and cartridges to 50 yd range to try out and frankly worked well beyond my wildest dreams. Cartridges are, of course, completely not authentic, using modern fabrication techniques (mostly meaning glue), but fabrication made so much easier, and shooting usage as well. Might post a thread sometime on my three-envelope cartridge fabrication ideas if and when I get the chance and the motivation. Also shot round ball through the 1861 using measure, pour, patch, ball and ram .... just because it can be done. Also worked quite well. (Actually could not distinguish the round ball holes from the Minie ball holes on the paper target, but hey, it was only 50 yds).

Great to hear, wiscoaster. Cartridges aside, have you tried to simply stack the three ingredients down the barrel to compare results? Looking forward to seeing your cartridges and construction process.

Kind regards, Pete

 

[longcruise]

I can now consistently hit............

I think you may have hit on another aspect of accuracy in that consistent reference. It's hard to keep application of grease or thicker lubes consistent and in my experience, consistency is more important than the actual choice of lube. That's one of the important aspects of Dutch Schoultz's accuracy system.

I've never been convinced that there is any such thing as the ball slipping the rifling. If it did, the patch would be torn up. Many accuracy problems can be found to be in the patch material and the fit of patch and ball to the bore.

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Over the past few days I did a bit of shooting with my 40 Cal SMR... I had replaced the front sight with a silver one from TOTW and didn't do enough verification shooting for point of aim adjustments prior to the last club shoot, so I did a miserable job at that shoot. Downright discouraging!

Over the course of a couple days, I shot enough to know just where it was hitting and made adjustments. I'm liking it now... just need to settle down a little more and control my breathing and trigger pull a little smoother and it should tighten up some more.



View attachment 260879

That ought to bring home the bacon, or venison.

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Yeah, but IMO, anything over a .530 is like artillery.

I better sure, after carrying it all day it would certainly feel like it.

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Found this at the front door when I got home late from my club's ml shoot Saturday but didn't get a chance to open it up till yesterday afternoon.....Kibler colonial, plain maple stock w/no patchbox, .58(24 ga) smoothbore.

Man, you're fortunate that it didn't grow legs and walk off somewhere before you got home.

 

[wiscoaster]

... have you tried to simply stack the three ingredients down the barrel to compare results?...

Stacking the three down the barrel individually would work just fine, and the results would be the same, but it simply won't work in a single-envelope cartridge. You need to keep them separated until loading.

PS: I just finished cleaning the rifle and can verify that the cerial filler does indeed reduce fouling. In fact, the bore looked so clean and shiny I almost didn't think I needed to clean it.

 

[Banjoman]

I think you may have hit on another aspect of accuracy in that consistent reference. It's hard to keep application of grease or thicker lubes consistent and in my experience, consistency is more important than the actual choice of lube. That's one of the important aspects of Dutch Schoultz's accuracy system.

I've never been convinced that there is any such thing as the ball slipping the rifling. If it did, the patch would be torn up. Many accuracy problems can be found to be in the patch material and the fit of patch and ball to the bore.

I’m no Idaho Lewis for sure, but I’d like to try some conicals in this gun sometime.

 

[longcruise]

I’m no Idaho Lewis for sure, but I’d like to try some conicals in this gun sometime.

I've shot a bunch of conicals out of my 50 cal TC from various barrels and had good results. I never used an over powder wad although it seems like a popular technique. My accuracy has been at it's best when I wiped between shots.

My most recent conical experiments have been with the PA conicals. They seem to shoot very well. I probably won't hunt with them but other family members are sold on conicals so trying them out for them.

 

[JGH45]

Found an early 70's vintage TC Hawken with a great offered selling price. Met with the guy selling the TC his grandpa owned - It was rough and when I ran a patch down the barrel it had lots of fouling, looked like it had not been cleaned after it was last shot. The kid said it hadn't been shot for over 15 years. Now I was bummed but the kid really wanted to sell it so I negotiated a MUCH LOWER price and bought it. After cleaning it well and checking the bore no pitting or rust noted in the bore. I went to the range and shot five rounds 60 gr my homemade BP, .490 RB, .015 patch lubed with Ballistol & Water mix. Shot a 3/4 inch group at 25 yards. Decided to redo everything and make it look pretty.

 

[Rob M.]

Finished up the Fusil de Chasse ...

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

cast .495,s with the repinned mould like new again...

 

[WALT53]

We had less than 3 feet of snow here in East Tennessee so I went up on the mountain and shot my Thompson Center Hawken. I’d been getting 3-5 inch groups or worse at 50 yards. I tried changing different components but nothing helped. The patch lube I started with was a combination of beeswax, olive oil and spit. This lube was very greasy and slick. I remembered reading somewhere that if the rifle bore had shallow grooves (this gun does) and the lube was too slick that the patch and ball would slip the rifling. That may have been the problem because when I switched to precut patches slightly dampened with spit, my groups shrank to about 2-3 inches. I can now consistently hit pop cans and water bottles at 50 yards and that’s good enough for me.View attachment 261245

How many grains of powder are you using in your tc .I use to us totw mink oil on my patches and 80 grains of 2f in my hawken and it worked good.

 

[TRGRHAPY]

Finished making a Powder Horn, which I am pleased with

 

[aussie pete]

Stacking the three down the barrel individually would work just fine, and the results would be the same, but it simply won't work in a single-envelope cartridge. You need to keep them separated until loading.

PS: I just finished cleaning the rifle and can verify that the cerial filler does indeed reduce fouling. In fact, the bore looked so clean and shiny I almost didn't think I needed to clean it.

Yes. Semolina keeps the bore clean in my rifled muskets. Plus, every opportunity I shoot the muskets, someone comments on the smell of the fired charge. Goes somewhat like this: "What the heck have you got in that?" or "That smells like corn chips!"

Muzzle loaders at our range are viewed with a certain curiosity.

Pete

 

[Banjoman]

How many grains of powder are you using in your tc .I use to us totw mink oil on my patches and 80 grains of 2f in my hawken and it worked good.

I settled on 50 grains of 2f which worked good.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

I've shot a bunch of conicals out of my 50 cal TC from various barrels and had good results. I never used an over powder wad although it seems like a popular technique. My accuracy has been at it's best when I wiped between shots.

My most recent conical experiments have been with the PA conicals. They seem to shoot very well. I probably won't hunt with them but other family members are sold on conicals so trying them out for them.

I've found the PA conical to be very accurate in my .50's as well, currently a TC PA Hunter and TC Renegade but also did very well out of the Lyman Deerstalker I had. Won't say they are better or worse than PRB for deer but seem to work fine.

 

[cal.43]

Finished up the Fusil de Chasse ...

What a great looking gun.
What finish did you use for the wood ?