learning experience with this new rocklock I've had now for about a month! Having problems with ignition has been a real 'bugaboo' but maybe my luck has changed for the good! The weather here HAS NOT been conducive to shooting for the past 30 days as we've gone through flood conditions locally and one rain right after another; better than 90% RH for days on end with no sunshine! Was overcast here today with no wind much so I took the flinter out and discovered that this rifle likes VERY LITTLE powder in the pan....and I mean VERY LITTLE! I fired eight shots this afternoon as I had to make my grandsons baseball game. Shooting the standard issue Hawken sights, I've been exploring just what kind of sight picture to use and I think I've got this Dude figured out. I was taking a slightly too fine front bead down in the notch and even though I've cut the front sight way down....I didn't want to take it any lower. The shot down at 6 o/clock was the fine bead and it hit right where I was holding. I altered the sight picture a bit by seeing more of the front sight and the second shot was the one at 12 o/clock. For the next three shots I changed the sight picture again and got the three hits at the 3 o/clock position. Tapping the front sight to the right a tat....I fired the last three and they went to center. This was shot from 60 yards.

[Linked Image]Untitled by Rick Mulhern, on Flickr


Even birds know not to land downwind!