What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[mtfishn]

I had one last range session yesterday just to build a little confidence before our season opener Saturday. I'll be taking a friends granddaughter out to try for her first ML deer. Rifle shot fine, bullets touching at 50, about 3" high...about 3" group at 100 and 4" high.... and dead on at 150 grouping about 5". We should not have to shoot beyond 50yds w/ my .54 cal. Hawken kit gun.

 

[aussie pete]

Pretty decent weather today for December. Although the wind was howling all afternoon, I just had to get out for a few hours to work on another video project.
This is a .490 ball shot from a 62 caliber smoothbore at 25 yards using 90 grains Schuetzen 2F.

One of those 3 shots was pretty nice -- for me..


View attachment 274996

Yes, sir! That middle one's a beaut! And you had fun with every single one of those shots, Mark, and that's what it's all about.

Cheers, Pete

 

[aussie pete]

Packing up tomorrow and heading to the woods for a long weekend of hunting with the men in my family!! 3 generations hunting with black powder!!

Enjoy, Loja man. Have a great excursion. I look forward to the trip report.

Pete

 

[ernbar]

Forgot to post yesterday. Loaded up 50 paper .44 rounds but did it differently. Instead of punching out circles and using a glue stick to glue the ball and circle, I experimented using thin CA glue. The glue stick was used to make the envelopes from curling paper then folded over the bottoms while on the mandrel instead of using the circles. A small drop of thin CA secures the folded bottoms. Make sure the envelope is not touching the mandrel bottom otherwise the glue will weld the paper to the former. Then load up and secure the ball with thin CA to the paper. Very little CA is needed because being thin it will go a long way. I then dipped the ball part of the cartridge in melted beeswax/coconut oil lube.
The CA is extremely flammable, burning up and reducing any unburned residue. I feared the folded bottoms would not let the spark ignite the powder but the CA ignites very easily and the curling paper is very thin.
I’m ver happy to report that after shooting 50 paper cartridges there was only two tiny pieces of unburned curling paper in the cylinder chambers, a big improvement over the glue stick method that leaves me with several unburned paper pieces. I like this method better.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Gonna put together a simple furnace and smelt for a nose cap.

 

[Dutch7]

Packing up tomorrow and heading to the woods for a long weekend of hunting with the men in my family!! 3 generations hunting with black powder!!

Put ‘em in the freezer!
(the deer that is)

 

[longcruise]

I mailed my renewal for my local (only 38 miles away ) ml club.

Wife has always been crazy about Christmas decorations and I've been doing it for her. She's not able to do much herself so she sits in her chair in gives orders. Lots of orders. Maybe I'll get something done on the Franken 50 during her nap.

 

[wiscoaster]

Shot the SMR today; no task goals, just to have some fun. Because it looks like today was going to be the last day of really nice weather before winter sets in here for sure in NE Wisconsin.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I got back shooting my .32 TVM caplock. Less powder and lead than the deer guns I've been playing with. The price of caps still makes me wince.

I spent my range time trying five different loads. In two cases I tried same load, different patches, I used my custom spit lube. The other three same patch and load but one with .315 Hornady ball, one with .319 cast ball and finally buckshot measuring .320. The overall results were okay but nothing remarkable.

Oh, my "custom spit lube"? Well that's just my spit, I'm the only person who produces the exact recipe. I figure I must have blackpowder shooting in my DNA which is why my spit works so good as patch lube.

 

[wiscoaster]

....

Oh, my "custom spit lube"? Well that's just my spit, I'm the only person who produces the exact recipe. I figure I must have blackpowder shooting in my DNA which is why my spit works so good as patch lube.

Dunno about the DNA, but that's my choice of patch lube as well.

ie MY spit, not YOURS

 

[Terrier]

I got back shooting my .32 TVM caplock. Less, powder and lead than the deer guns I've been playing with. The price of caps still makes me wince.

I spent my range time trying five different loads. In two cases I tried same load, different patches, I used my custom spit lube. The other three same patch and load but one with .315 Hornady ball, one with .319 cast ball and finally buckshot measuring .320. The overall results were okay but nothing remarkable.

Oh, my "custom spit lube"? Well that's just my spit, I'm the only person who produces the exact recipe. I figure I must have blackpowder shooting in my DNA which is why my spit works so good as patch lube.

Dunno about the DNA, but that's my choice of patch lube as well.

ie MY spit, not YOURS

I use lard. No spit needed and I don’t waste any of my DNA…

 

[Gun Tramp]

Ordered five pounds of GOEX from Powder Inc.

 

[aussie pete]

Dunno about the DNA, but that's my choice of patch lube as well.

ie MY spit, not YOURS

Yeah. Since I've started using spit patches, I've never forgotten to take my lube to the range!

Cheers, Pete

 

[smo]

Thanks TDM!! I have my two oldest sons coming this year!! We set a rule years ago that the boys had to be 12 years old to join the men’s hunting trip! This is the first time for my second son to join us on the hunt! Also I will be hunting with a flintlock instead of a cap lock!

Follow thru, follow thru, follow through….
I can’t say it enough….so.
Good Luck

 

[Loja man]

I’m snug in my bag listening to my two boys chat, belch and laugh with thier cousin!! We arived in time to scout our normal areas, seat up 4 blinds , one climber and set up camp. Guns are loaded for an early morning start!! My brother and two nephews spots are actually right across a county line from the rest of us. So they can only shoot buck. Praying we have some nice deer on the ground!!

 

[Stykbow]

Sounds like good times @Loja man. Good luck to y’all!

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Yes, sir! That middle one's a beaut! And you had fun with every single one of those shots, Mark, and that's what it's all about.

Cheers, Pete

Amen brother....
Shooting is cool...hitting a target is just a bonus..!!

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

50F in Kentucky today...I couldn't pass up another chance for video & shooting fun.
Working on a "Squirrel Barking" video fun project..!!

 

[bpd303]

I gifted two tins RWS 1075 caps, to one of my officers who was running low. This deer season he and his 2 sons have harvested 7 deer.

 

[Rendezvous Valley Trading]

I grew up in a ranching family and made my living ranching for over 20 years. I was always amazed at the raw strength of a full grown bull.

No joke! When I was younger I rode them almost every weekend for sevenish years. Purely a miracle I didn’t get killed by one. What a knucklehead They are so amazingly nimble and yet so powerful.