The worst day at the range still beats the best day at work.
The worst day at the range still beats the best day at work.
Good point. For many that were very active in their younger days this is the last stop in their world of active entertainment.Everyone you will ever meet, has issues in their life, we know nothing about. This multiplies with time and age.
Many in this hobby are no longer young, some are staying off early stages of Dementia, have cancer, COPD, heart disease, etc... or have a dying spouse, troubled kids, financial problems, ending careers etc... and many see this as a temporary reprieve, but can't fully escape from their woes.
Don't be quick to judge, sometimes just being a bit of a grump, is the best we can aspire to.
I wish I had property where I could do the same. I’d be out there every day it wasn’t pouring down rain or below 35 degrees.Outside the kids and grandkids, I shoot alone on my own property. It's my " me time" which I don't get very often .
And you can measure your muzzle velocity with a yardstick and a wristwatch, huh?As we all know anything over 20 grains in a muzzleloader will just explode the barrel. That's why I play it safe and only load 15 grains in all of my guns. 36 caliber all the way up to 12 gauge, just to be safe
“Mending Wall”. Robert FrostI posted this before about a guy I ran into that pulled the breech plug on his TC Hawken every time he cleaned it. He said he could screw it in and out with finger pressure, the threads have obviously been wallowed out over the last 40 or 50 years. I told him this was bad idea but he countered with " this is the way I have always done it" and had no interest in listening to reason.
You can't get to some people.
I imagine people like this probably don't even know about these old cartridges and probably don't know anything about old guns either. I find it's best to try to educate them when I come across them at the range, but if they continue to be willfully ignorant and refuse to learn then there's nothing you can do. It's always best to give people a chance to learn, but not everyone is willingHe is an idiot. I had a guy who told me that I couldn't shoot my Sharps carbine because it was .50 cal. I tried to explain that a 50-70 Govt is far different from a .50 BMG cartridge. I finally told him to report me.
Your friend would definitely not like me shooting my 80 grains of FFFg out of my T/C Hawken
50 Caliber??!!??I was talking to a guy in our Gun Club last Friday. He said he was thinking about selling his two muzzleloaders because he never shoots them. I invited him out today. He has a Crocket Rifle and I’m still sighting in my Frontier Gander’s 36 caliber barrel. This isn’t the first time we’ve been out together. He’s using 20 grains of 3F because that’s what I told him I used in my Crocket.
Five shots Bench Rested with 20 grains of 3F gave a mediocre group. I bumped it to 25. The first shot goes off and he yells TOO MUCH POWDER!”. I asked “What do you mean? He said, “It’s too loud!”. He’s wearing hearing protection, by the way. I was shooting 5 grains more than he was and because of that and the fact that my barrel is 4” shorter, it will be louder. I got a nice group at 25 grains. I then went to 30. I thought he was going to have a fit. I explained that this is how you develop a load. The group spread out again, so I settled on 25. I couldn’t bear to listen to his complaining if I went to 35.
On top of that, he wanted to go look at his target after every shot. I offered to loan him a set of binoculars. Unfortunately, he declined.
When I said the gun “liked” 25 grains, his response was “Good! Because that’s the maximum charge you can use for a Muzzle Loader on this range”. I replied, “Oh really”. He said, “Yes, it’s in the Bylaws!” I’m Chief Rangemaster and therefore on the Board as well. There is nothing written anywhere that limits powder charges. That’s in the Owner’s Manual! He thinks it says 20 grains, but we all know there’s a spread between the lowest and highest.
Off Hand wasn’t as good as would have liked. I was tired and frustrated by then.
I will never shoot with this individual again! I wonder what he would think of the noise from a 50 caliber (or several) at one of our Muzzleloader Matches. I didn’t say anything because he’s at least ten years older than me. I try and respect my elders even if it’s not that much.
My buddy ordered some 11” x 17” Critter Targets from Baker for the next Shooting Match. I’m not sure what distance he’s going to set them at. I’ll go out one more time beforehand and check it at 50 yards.
Walt
I've known people like that. A short list of viable responses:I'm not so sure I would want someone that stupid on my range. If he jumped your stuff at 25 grains and lied/gaslit ya with the"Bylaws", what's he gonna do when someone shoots their Fowler with 100 grains or more. If it ain't a public range refund his fees and send him on his miserable, ignorant way.
To be fair, politicos have told us that you can shoot down a plane with a .50 caliber rifle and should be banned....(sarc)He is an idiot. I had a guy who told me that I couldn't shoot my Sharps carbine because it was .50 cal. I tried to explain that a 50-70 Govt is far different from a .50 BMG cartridge. I finally told him to report me.
Your friend would definitely not like me shooting my 80 grains of FFFg out of my T/C Hawken
Yes, you can't fix stupid, it just has to run its course.I posted this before about a guy I ran into that pulled the breech plug on his TC Hawken every time he cleaned it. He said he could screw it in and out with finger pressure, the threads have obviously been wallowed out over the last 40 or 50 years. I told him this was bad idea but he countered with " this is the way I have always done it" and had no interest in listening to reason.
You can't get to some people.
Enter your email address to join: