What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[wiscoaster]

To the range today to try shooting conicals for the first time. Using my Uberti Remington 1858 for trial shots. I know it shoots well. Bullets to be used ordered from Track of the Wolf .450 200 grain cast lead:
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/130/1/ball-450-200
and using 25 gr 3F and a felt wad over powder since the bullets were specced as .450. I pre-lubed the bullets and I also made some combistible cartridges with lubed bullets glued onto closed cartridges containing same load and wad.

Results were totally unsatisfactory. I found these conicals to be almost impossible to seat and ram, whether in a cartridge or just loose loaded, because they're not perfectly round at the base:

This was a total bust. I only got off TWO shots, and only because I removed the cylinder and pounded the bullets into a chamber with a mallet and a starter to get them seated.

I hope this is not representative of cast conical bullets available for .44 cal cap 'n ball revolvers, but I'll try to see what other sources may be available and hope to order some more from another vendor for another test.

First time TOW has let me down.

 

[TDM]

Gee wiz and here I thought I was gonna inherit a 36 cal oh well better luck next time .Good shooting young fella maybe you just need shoot more hmmmm .

Ha! I switched over to some targets I could actually see! Made all the difference.

 

[longcruise]

Hell Walt, I can’t even see with peep sights!

I have a tough time with this too. I'm ornery and can't find my way past a certain stubbornness that keeps me shooting the typical sight ser up. I did adapt an adjustable rear sight to a peep.with a file, a washer and solder. I.used it a bit on.a GPR and an '85 win. It's helpful but I think it would be better if the peep diameter is reduced and the sight moved close to the breech. The orneriness stopped me.

Here's an idea more fitting to my attitude. Remove the rear sight and learn to shoot with the front sight only!! Lots of smoothie shooters do it so why not with rifle?

To the range today to try shooting conicals for the first time. Using my Uberti Remington 1858 for trial shots. I know it shoots well. Bullets to be used ordered from Track of the Wolf .450 200 grain cast lead:
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/130/1/ball-450-200
and using 25 gr 3F and a felt wad over powder since the bullets were specced as .450. I pre-lubed the bullets and I also made some combistible cartridges with lubed bullets glued onto closed cartridges containing same load and wad.

Results were totally unsatisfactory. I found these conicals to be almost impossible to seat and ram, whether in a cartridge or just loose loaded, because they're not perfectly round at the base:

View attachment 362350

This was a total bust. I only got off TWO shots, and only because I removed the cylinder and pounded the bullets into a chamber with a mallet and a starter to get them seated.

I hope this is not representative of cast conical bullets available for .44 cal cap 'n ball revolvers, but I'll try to see what other sources may be available and hope to order some more from another vendor for another test.

First time TOW has let me down.

Just the other day I cast some of those up for my 1860. Mine have nice clean round bases but just fiddling with them and the gun in the shop made it clear that they won't load very well. I think they need to.have a slight taper for starting and then maybe cut a very tiny ring of lead up front. Or maybe just squeeze down. I'm not even going to bother trying to shoot them in the revolver.

I went straight to my tc 45 and tested the fit. Looks like they might be a perfect fit paper patched.

Seems to me that a bullet with a base like yours should be eligible for a return and refund.

 

[aussie pete]

Had better results today shooting my .36 SMR. I worked the load back down to 30 grains of Swiss 3F and after a couple of sight adjustments I’m happy with it. Still used the .350 cast balls, .022 linen patches, 1:4 Dawn:water lube, and Goex 4F prime. I swabbed the barrel after about 15 shots but it wasn’t too bad. I was surprised at the impact rise at 35 yards but just a slight change in point of aim took care of it. But I doubt I’ll make many shots past 25 yards on squirrels. Picked up a few patches and they were all good.

Nicely done @TDM. That is a looooong barrel! You could poke the little blighters off the lower branches with that!

Cheers, Pete

 

[Stykbow]

In the woods with the GPR. Let’s see what the day brings!

 

[longcruise]

Continuing with the the renegade/Hawken re stock. I can’t work on this more than an hour at a time. Get frustrated and need to step away and think about it. This is the stocking of some Renegade and some Hawken parts into a Pecatonica Hawken/Renegade stock. It's a good stock and alignment and size of the inletting is pretty good. Still requires following the steps of any build in the correct order to get it right.

Oddly, the ramrod hole was drilled a bit small in my opinion. It also runs off to one side but to no ill effect. The ramrod hole is just fine for a 5/16" rod but this will be mostly used with a 58 so I'm wanting a fit to a 3/8" rod.

I don’t have a long drill to size it up so my redneck solution is to tap the end of a steel rod wider and then file the edges sharp for use as a scraper. After three resizings of the rod tip it now accommodates a 3/8" rod.

I took some pictures of this but since then I've had to replace my phone and those seem to be gone.

 

[yellowhammer]

...That is a looooong barrel! You could poke the little blighters off the lower branches with that!

Optics can create illusions, but you're right, @aussie pete , they aren't called longrifles for nothing!

 

[kelvinator]

Here's an idea more fitting to my attitude. Remove the rear sight and learn to shoot with the front sight only!! Lots of smoothie shooters do it so why not with rifle?

I've actually done this, although not really on purpose.
While re-habbing a spring air rifle, many test shots and disassembly, re-assembly, I got tired of putting the rear sight on and off so I just started shooting it with front sight only.
I was quite surprised how quickly I could learn the sight picture to shoot it accurately.