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Did some target shooting today and a little experimenting.
When you see the target below the flyers (two off the paper) was the experimenting. The grouping was as follows.
70 GRN 4f.
Thin card.
Two thin leather wet with oil wads.
.440 ball.
A thin card.
Distance was a goodly strides fifty paces.
IMG_20190317_161924.jpg

Sights need a slight adjustment but I am delighted with the performance of this smoothrifle.

B.
 
That's a good group at 50 paces. When you get it down just a couple inches you'll be spot on. 50 paces is a long ways. I killed three deer with my flintlock last season and I don't think any of them were over 50 yards away. You used 70 grain of 4F? Is your powder designation different from ours? i have never seen anyone use 4F for the main charge, only pan priming.
 
That's a good group at 50 paces. When you get it down just a couple inches you'll be spot on. 50 paces is a long ways. I killed three deer with my flintlock last season and I don't think any of them were over 50 yards away. You used 70 grain of 4F? Is your powder designation different from ours? i have never seen anyone use 4F for the main charge, only pan priming.
I have been using 4f for a couple of years now but I only recently came out!
The one in the black is by drawing a finer bead, I have been having to shoot with the front post proud of the rear hence the high group.
 
Did some target shooting today and a little experimenting.
When you see the target below the flyers (two off the paper) was the experimenting. The grouping was as follows.
70 GRN 4f.
Thin card.
Two thin leather wet with oil wads.
.440 ball.
A thin card.
Distance was a goodly strides fifty paces.
View attachment 6763
Sights need a slight adjustment but I am delighted with the performance of this smoothrifle.

B.
Thumbs up. A Brit working for HBC said rifles were unnecessary as to sixty yards a smoothie carried as well as a rifle. And that was hunting range. My rifles can cut near one hole at fifty yards....from a rest on a good day .... if the Gods of black powder are smiling.
However not once in my life have I seen a day when a group any smaller then yours makes any difference at all. Fact is I like my smoothies, and rarely shoot a rifle.
 
Thumbs up. A Brit working for HBC said rifles were unnecessary as to sixty yards a smoothie carried as well as a rifle. And that was hunting range. My rifles can cut near one hole at fifty yards....from a rest on a good day .... if the Gods of black powder are smiling.
However not once in my life have I seen a day when a group any smaller then yours makes any difference at all. Fact is I like my smoothies, and rarely shoot a rifle.
Thanks.
Just to add. I shot offhand too.

B.
 
I have been using 4f for a couple of years now but I only recently came out!
The one in the black is by drawing a finer bead, I have been having to shoot with the front post proud of the rear hence the high group.
Gentlemen, please do not turn this thread into a discussion of 4F powder.
We've had more than enough of that debate on this thread:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/4f-powder.113450/

No argument here Zonie. If it works for Brit, and judging by all the game he kills it does work, then I have no problems with it and I say good luck Nate, good hunting!
 
Thanks.
Just to add. I shot offhand too.

B.

You should be proud of yourself. I used to shoot the SE Regionals and my best target was the 50 yard bull shot offhand. I managed to take a 3rd place one year with a group worse than yours. And we were all shooting rifles. In fact, you should make a trip across the water and attend some shooting competitions over here. It should be easy to drum up some bets against that smoothbore of yours. You could probably make a couple of million bucks. Everybody knows Yanks can't shoot.
 
Did some target shooting today and a little experimenting.
When you see the target below the flyers (two off the paper) was the experimenting. The grouping was as follows.
70 GRN 4f.
Thin card.
Two thin leather wet with oil wads.
.440 ball.
A thin card.
Distance was a goodly strides fifty paces.
View attachment 6763
Sights need a slight adjustment but I am delighted with the performance of this smoothrifle.

B.
I don't recommend that you continue to use 4FG as a main charge, I am surprised your barrel is still in one piece!!!:eek:
Keith.
 
Great shooting Nathan!

Will you say why you place the thin card on top of the load? Is the load so loose, it is used to keep it from shifting perhaps?

Possibly you've found it gives better accuracy for some reason?

Thanks for sharing Skychief.
Friend. It needs a thin card to hold the ball down. No patch is used.
The experimental shots were infact trying your principle of loading for shot with wet heavy wads on top of the ball but alas it seems it does not work.
B.
 
Did some target shooting today and a little experimenting.
When you see the target below the flyers (two off the paper) was the experimenting. The grouping was as follows.
70 GRN 4f.
Thin card.
Two thin leather wet with oil wads.
.440 ball.
A thin card.
Distance was a goodly strides fifty paces.
View attachment 6763
Sights need a slight adjustment but I am delighted with the performance of this smoothrifle.

B.

Why the two thin leather wads over the thin wad? Why not thin card over powder , ball, then thin wad over ball? Great shooting.
 
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