Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Anybody shoot black powder here?

or have ya all gone to centerfire!!??

Just wonderin cause it's been too quite here latley,,,,,,,,
step it up a notch fellers,,,

Still here, but shootin' a lot of different stuff as well,
gonna take the flinter out this week end for a bear maybe. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
Catnthehat

Got a .45 T/C Omega in December, been playing with it off and on ever since. Seems to be a great gun so far, I'm waiting on a good scope and a chrony before I get serious range time in.

To be honest, centerfires are my first love though....

I shoot real BP. Got awful quiet here because of all the fuss regarding what constitutes a ML.

Yepper! Sure love shooting that stuff. That's about all I shoot anymore. Except for when I grab up the .22 to send the snapping turtles to their maker from the slope. Course during the heat of the summer I strap on the 1860 Army and put the "Bill Hickok" moves on them while they're laying at the edge of the water <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. They have a tendancy to lay right under the surface, guess they think I can't see them. Have even been known to sit up on the slope with the Sharps and blast a few. Been meaning to try out the .50 Hawken on them forever, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Took my new 58-cal 1-70" twist GM barrel & my Renegade stock (of course) to the range the other day. Stopped at the 50-yard marker cuz' I was shootin' two MLs that day (tough on the shoulder).



Anyways, I only had Speer roundballs (.570) ... don't know if that's good or bad! Also had (3) patches to try. Suprisingly the new GM didn't especially like the .018 bore butter-lubed pillow tickers. It did OK with the (only God knows the lube) Bridgers Best .015 patches. As it turns out, the tightest shot groups (2") came with the pre-lubed Ox-Yoke .020 Bore-Buttered cotton patches.



I should also say that the Conservation Officer at the Michigan State supervised gun range would not allow me to use the grassy area to inspect the patches enroute to changing targets.



"You Must Stay On The Concrete Walkway" ... he exclaimed twice!!



How's the surgically repaired knee doin' Tacks?? I'm walkin' one mile every two days at a brisk pace with my new plastic (Duracell) hip... no problemos!!! My job duties have been transferred from outdoor physical labor (beer truck) to indoors pushing a pencil & a bunch of keyboard keys routing 38 trucks.... providing a million paper reports... etc. No more gettin' dirty... no more day-to-day weather changes. Always around 68 degrees & dry... I think that'll be acceptable to me for my remaining 10-13 years paying into Social Security.



Hasta La-Bah-Bye

Still shooting BP. Tell me something. Does anyone have anything to offer on whether 3Fg fouls less than 2Fg. I am using a 50 cal flinter, and I shoot both RB and conicals. Just wondering what the consensus is.

Ahh, "real" BP huh.... My humblest appologies. If I ever get that itch I'll let y'all fill me in on what's what. Till then.

I shoot both in both my .58 Hawken and my .50 Penn. flinter.

I think it depends more on the particular barrel than the caliber or length of barrel. The Old Curtis and Harvey's powder fouled a whole bunch more that Goex, however.

You would be best to try a pound of everything two find out just what works besr for your rifle.

Some of the new synthetics are supposed to be good, also but I have not tried them....
Catnthehat

I'm using Goex in my flinter, but I don't know if I would get reliable ignition with Pyrodex. Also stuck out in the boonies, so availability is an issue unless I travel about three and a half hours to a bigger centre.

It sure does leave some nasty crud in the bore when I shoot 90 gr of FFg with my 360 gr minies though. Maybe I'll just give the FFFg a try. It comes out easily, but it really needs a wipe between shots.

Thanks for the tip.

Shootist, when I shoot my flinter, I generally use about 60 grains of FFFg and a .490 Round ball for targets, and if I want to really get it out there for a hunting load, about 120 grains.

My first rifle was a Lyman plains rifle, and I shot 120 grains in that , also.
A lot depends on your barrel, like I said.

Do you have very deep rifleing, or shallow?
and How long is your barrel?

Catnthehat

hey trax

what elese do you use in a black powder gun?? I have a fine renagade I built from a kit TC put them out for a season. real good shooter. I dont have a in line because the renagade works so well. If I was to have an in line it would be that omega thing looks like a winner. Just clean it real good. I use murphys oil soap in liquid form, alcohol rubbing type, and peroxide. Mix together in equal amounts. Use G96 or fluid film for lube. Black powder gives good consistant light offs and when I use pyrocrap I get hung fires. Good luck

Bearbeater

Cat,

28" tube - 1:48 twist. rifling looks pretty sharp, but have no easy way to measure it, I think I tried once with a calipre and if I remember right, I believe the groove diameter was .509 and the lands were .497. Is that deep or shallow? I get good ignition if I keep the vent hole clean and not fused. Shore is fun! Thanks for your advice.

Sounds like an Italian barrel, or a Thompson?
I think FFFG would work best, but with a 1:48" twist you don't want to push it any harder than you have to with a round ball.
120 might be too much. Only way to find out is to try it.
Dang! That means range time, and if you're anything like me, you don't like that - NOT! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Catnthehat

It's a Traditions, so likely is a wop barrel. I am thinking of going with the finer powder. More range time? Are you kidding? I have my meals delivered there now.

Yup, FFFG, for sure!

We have a kitchen.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Catnthehat