What group size makes you happy?

My guns are for the upcoming deer season every year. Not competition shooting.
That said, hitting an orange at 50 yards is fine for my needs. I cant prove I hit the deer's heart with 5 shots touching, but dead is dead.

Depends on if my horse is running smoothly...Well, actually, 4" at 100 yards is the best I've done with my old TC "Hawken" and round ball out of Green Mountain barrel. This is 5 shots off the bench. Not repeatable! Lately, 2" @ 50yds. has been my best for 3 shots.

Offhand....is the true test of shooting

I get that. I'm a deer hunter too, and I hunt all seasons. I've just within the past 2 yrs gotten into traditional blackpowder, and last season was the first season I took a sidelock into the woods. Not the flintlock I'm talking about in this thread, but a .50 Hawken percussion. I took a big doe offhand from an open front bow stand at 42 yards. Hit exactly where I was aiming, she ran 30yds and flopped dead. I know I could do the same with this flintlock.

Took my buck with a compound bow last season. I've taken deer with 12ga slugs, my .30-06, my CVA inline too. I dont obsess over group size for hunting accuracy. Like you said, dead is dead.

Ames said:

My guns are for the upcoming deer season every year. Not competition shooting.
That said, hitting an orange at 50 yards is fine for my needs. I cant prove I hit the deer's heart with 5 shots touching, but dead is dead.

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I have always been happy with MOD Minute of Deer. Very nice looking group with the fouler rifle. That is some good shooting.

IMO, I believe all modern barrels, i.e., Rice, Colerain, Green Mountain, even Douglas are capable of excellent accuracy. However, your results are most likely determined by type of sights and of course, your eyes. When I "sight" in a new rifle, I usually consider a charge/ball/patch combination that is adequate for hunting and woods walk shooting. Sure I could spend hours with this load and that combo, but if I get a 50 yd group of 1" + or - .5", then I say "There it is". From then on the shots or hits are determined by me off hand and usually don't make the "benched" results. Went to Friendship once, camped in the primitive area and went down to the "big" range. As soon as 3 of us showed up in primitive garb and long rifles, we were descended upon by a "posse" of range safety officials. "Muzzles up", don't do this or that. So back to the primitive area we went.

Here is a target shot a few years ago from a Colerain barrel on an 1803 Harpers Ferry custom repro:


But yet, I also managed to miss a nice 6 point buck last fall with it. So it isn't the gun, maybe the eyes are getting as old as this shooter.

Ben Meyer said:

Was a nice day, I was off, so I hit the range to burn some powder. I've been working the Dutch Schoultz method, had 2 different loads I've narrowed it down to, took them both to shoot three 5 shot groups each to see which came out on top. The winner was: 80gr 2f Swiss powder, .495 ball, and some .014 white cotton patching from the fabric store, drylubed with Ballistol & water 7:1. Was shooting from a bench at 50 yards. It was windy/gusty.

I shot a 1.75" five shot group(my best ever). I then filed on the front sight some and with my last 3 shots, put them all in the black. My question is, for a non competitive BP hobbyist shooter like myself, is that "good enough?"

I still have more work to do. Try 6:1 and 5:1 drylubing. Still need to weigh out balls. Want to try 70, 75 and 85 grains with that load. Want to try 3f powder with that load.

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It would be nice if you would identify the firearm and it's specs. Maybe a few pictures too!

I just bought this flintlock(my 1st) last August. I live close and go to Friendship all the time. I plan on participating in some primitive area shoots. Back in january my son and I went to a NMLRA Blanket Shoot. 36 rounds at 6 different targets 25yds offhand. It was a real eye opener as to what "good with a ML" really is. The top 2 guys shot AMAZINGLY. I didnt completely suck, but wasnt even close to those 2. Didnt expect to be with a newish to me gun that I hadn't figured out yet, but they shot better groups offhand than I could do off a bench! That's where I want to get!

First you need to know what the rifle and load can do, Then find out what you can do with the rifle in real world shooting . Said another way "why did I miss" take all the variables out and only change 1 small thing at a time . It took me 2 yrs to find the load, now I need range time off hand and tree supported (like hunting) to sight in(but I now have my base, a great load)

It's a Dixie Gun Works TN Mountain Rifle, .50 cal. Mikuro made, circa 1979-1980 per DGW. Its had some work done(refinish, lock tuning, etc). Ive had a couple parts break on the lock but have it up and running and also have an L&R replacement lock. Its the one on top. Below it is an Investarms/Charles Daly .50 cal Hawken.

Griz44Mag said:

It would be nice if you would identify the firearm and it's specs. Maybe a few pictures too!

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I have a completely non-scientific and random expectation. 3X the ball size with a 3-shot group including the clean bore shot at 100-yards is the group I'd like with calibers .45 and up. Under .45 caliber I have the same hopes at 50-yards. This is bench shooting with good environmental conditions. So for a .50 caliber I want a 1.5" or less group at 100-yards. For a .32 caliber I want a 1.0" group at 50-yards. It don't always happen but if I can get it once and keep it close, I am done messing around at the bench and will stick with that load and shoot from field positions.

Very nice mountain rifle. Bet she shoots straight too!
My Dixie Pennsylvania flinter is one of my favorites.

My best group size, and being content with it, is knowing that I did my best to reach the goals I had set for that range visit. There are some "keeper" targets displayed on my workshop wall, and other targets that are usefully recycled.

What I especially like is that I learn something new no matter what the groups say, either about the shooter or the pistol. What I learn guides me to set up my next shooting "challenge" at the range. And so the fun of shooting black powder goes on and on... ~wiksmo

If you guys want to challenge yourself.....pick up a Smoothbore Flintah ...with No Rear Sight....and give that a go.....It’s a whole nuther Animal. Lots of Fun. It’s like going from a Compound Bow....to a Selfbow...Fun Fun

Nessmuck56 said:

If you guys want to challenge yourself.....pick up a Smoothbore Flintah ...with No Rear Sight....and give that a go.....It’s a whole nuther Animal. Lots of Fun. It’s like going from a Compound Bow....to a Selfbow...Fun Fun

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I had to give up bows, I was losing too much expensive ammunition....

Ben Meyer said:

Was a nice day, I was off, so I hit the range to burn some powder. I've been working the Dutch Schoultz method, had 2 different loads I've narrowed it down to, took them both to shoot three 5 shot groups each to see which came out on top. The winner was: 80gr 2f Swiss powder, .495 ball, and some .014 white cotton patching from the fabric store, drylubed with Ballistol & water 7:1. Was shooting from a bench at 50 yards. It was windy/gusty.

I shot a 1.75" five shot group(my best ever). I then filed on the front sight some and with my last 3 shots, put them all in the black. My question is, for a non competitive BP hobbyist shooter like myself, is that "good enough?"

I still have more work to do. Try 6:1 and 5:1 drylubing. Still need to weigh out balls. Want to try 70, 75 and 85 grains with that load. Want to try 3f powder with that load.

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I tried the dry patch method even going to 3:1 with Ballistol and water. My patches were blown to snot. I am glad someone is having success with them. Now my groups for my 54 should be 1 tenth of an inch center to center. Then I blow it when I fire the second shot.

Griz44Mag said:

I had to give up bows, I was losing too much expensive ammunition....

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At 175.00 dozen for Sitka Spruce....you ain’t kidding

I like a min 3" group at 100 yds (actually have shot 90 yds forever but those that have control (and have NEVER set foot in the woods) have closed my old shooting spot so now I shoot in the woods with the hikers). I believe I have age related issues and may have to agree to open up to 4". For .32 and .36 I want to hit a golf ball at 35 yds every shot.

I will be happy with ringing steel/hitting silhouettes at distance, but what I want(and intend to) master is bench at 50, offhand at 25 and then at 50.

For hunting, in 20 yrs my furthest shot has been 88yds. I doubt I'd take that shot with a roundball. I have other deer hunting implements for long shots. I would probably stretch it out to 65-70 yes but no further.

BullRunBear said:

I try for two inches at 50 yards with elbows braced but three inches is more realistic. My muzzleloaders are excellent but this is me shooting so realism keeps creeping in. I'm a casual shooter so that's good enough even for silhouettes. BTW, I generally get my best groups with the Traditions Crockett 32 caliber rifle. It's a sweet shooter.

Jeff

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Are you getting 2" at 50yds with the Crockett .32 ? I sold the one I had because I could not get a good group past 20 yds (1").
My 54 will do 1" at 100yds off sand bags on a bench.