I admire anyone who has the patience (to say nothing of the skill) to go through all that...I've done the simple work of just refinishing a few "existing" stocks but building a rifle...even from a kit...no way...it would all end up in the junk barrel before the week was over :grin:
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First ever smoothbore (other than modern)
- Thread starter Oldnamvet
- Start date
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First ever for me that wasn't off the rack. Now as soon as my shipment (powder, balls, shot, wads, flints, etc.) arrives, I'll be off to the range for some smoke. Quite a learning experience. Now find myself wanting to buy parts, a plank of wood, and starting from there. Family is amused but think I'm slipping my cogs a little :youcrazy:
Got to the range and it reminded me why I usually go on a weekday. It was crowded. There were young guys with their kids waiting their turn so I didn't stay for hours and hours like I usually do. So, I managed to load and fire 3 times at 25 yds and 3 times at 50 yds. Gun went off everytime. Just the slightest of pauses on a couple of shots but most were nearly instantaneous.
Results:
The shots at 50 yds went just off the bottom of the paper (only 8 1/2 x 11 inch printer paper). I'll be practicing more and shooting bunches of balls before I decide to take a file to anything. Those changes are permanent so I want to be sure they are really what I want. The adults kind of smirked as I went through the loading ritual but the kids were fascinated so I took my time and explained what I was doing and why. One kid said that was "way neater than dad's" which was a black stock in-line with a scope.
Results:
The shots at 50 yds went just off the bottom of the paper (only 8 1/2 x 11 inch printer paper). I'll be practicing more and shooting bunches of balls before I decide to take a file to anything. Those changes are permanent so I want to be sure they are really what I want. The adults kind of smirked as I went through the loading ritual but the kids were fascinated so I took my time and explained what I was doing and why. One kid said that was "way neater than dad's" which was a black stock in-line with a scope.
paulvallandigham
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Its going to take time for you to stop worrying about that flash in the pan going off so near your face. It looks like you are "pushing " the trigger a bit. The 3 shots at 25 yards should be closer. Increase the powder to 75 grains, and try it again. Then go on up to 80 grains. You should see some improvement in the group size with the slightly higher velocities. Also, as the barrels settles into the stock, and you become more accustomed to shooting a flintlock, I expect your groups will shrink.
Do measure that bore, to determine its exact size. Also, then measure your patching material. Because this is a smoothbore, you won't be able to use as thick a patching as you might if this barrel were rifled. Compression of the patching becomes a factor in determining group sizes with these guns. If the balls are pure lead, they will obturate in the barrel to seal the patching between the ball and the bore, compressing the patching further.
Also, consider buying some 60 gauge OP wads, and try them. That also reduces group size radically in these smoothbores. I believe this is because the OP wad delays the movement of the ball out the barrel for a few milliseconds, allowing chamber pressure and temperature to rise. This allows the powder granules to burn more completely, and for the velocity from shot to shot to be more uniform with the same powder charge.
I want my gun to be shooting balls into one ragged hole at 25 yards off a rest, and into a 2-3 inch group MAX. at 50 yards. I believe that these modern steel barrels are capable of that level of accuracy, if you develope the right load.
Do measure that bore, to determine its exact size. Also, then measure your patching material. Because this is a smoothbore, you won't be able to use as thick a patching as you might if this barrel were rifled. Compression of the patching becomes a factor in determining group sizes with these guns. If the balls are pure lead, they will obturate in the barrel to seal the patching between the ball and the bore, compressing the patching further.
Also, consider buying some 60 gauge OP wads, and try them. That also reduces group size radically in these smoothbores. I believe this is because the OP wad delays the movement of the ball out the barrel for a few milliseconds, allowing chamber pressure and temperature to rise. This allows the powder granules to burn more completely, and for the velocity from shot to shot to be more uniform with the same powder charge.
I want my gun to be shooting balls into one ragged hole at 25 yards off a rest, and into a 2-3 inch group MAX. at 50 yards. I believe that these modern steel barrels are capable of that level of accuracy, if you develope the right load.
I'm currently using 20 gauge wads which are a very tight fit. I've never heard of 60 gauge.
I am sure the gun is capable of it, my eyes are just not that good. The flash doesn't bother me since I am used to my GPR. Not having a rear sight and old eyes make getting a consistent sight picture difficult. It will have to come with practice. The main use will be with shot on flying targets. Then the sight issue will be less of a problem. On one of my skeet guns I don't have a bead anymore. I shoot that just as well as the others, sometimes better.
After I have shot a hundred balls, the targets will be better.
paulvallandigham
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Ah, yes. If you use a 20 gauge OP wad, things can improve with PRB. But, consider some type of rear sight, even if its the tang screw with the slot aligned with the center of the barrel, so you can line up the front sight over the slot. Others scratch lines on the upper tang where it joins the barrel, to give them an indexing reference for PRB. I happen to have a rear sight on my Fowler, and it allows me to blame myself totally when I miss the target! :blah: :rotf:
As for shot loads, and moving clays, the buttstock becomes your rear sight. Fit the stock to your face so that you can consistently line the barrel to your eye. I like shooting clays, and live birds, with my flintlock Fowler. In front of other shooters, it gets a real rise out of them, as my gun is often the first fowler they have ever seen, and the first flintlock they have ever seen shot.
Best wishes to you.
As for shot loads, and moving clays, the buttstock becomes your rear sight. Fit the stock to your face so that you can consistently line the barrel to your eye. I like shooting clays, and live birds, with my flintlock Fowler. In front of other shooters, it gets a real rise out of them, as my gun is often the first fowler they have ever seen, and the first flintlock they have ever seen shot.
Best wishes to you.
