Went to the favored shooting place with the flintlock and set a target up at 35 yards. Using a 25 yard pistol target and using the hood of the truck for a rest padded by a folded army blanket and a heavy slicker. First shot hit about ten inches to the left of the black about four inches above the bottom of the black. Use six o'clock hold. Well ok maybe it's shooting to the left. Second shot was a ten at six o'clock, the third shot was an X at one. I figured it was time to shoot off hand. Bad idea. Rifle heavy and extremely nose heavy, missed the whole target. Tried again and did manage to get into the black at about five o'clock. If I'm going to shoot standing with this gun I need a lot of practice. The smoke and fire didn't bother me with the rifle benched but it did affect me shooting standing. Possible using too much priming. Shot at and hit a small campstove gas bottle at about fifty yards shooting off a small table twice.
Rifle seemed for whatever reason easier to deal with than my caplocks. Don't understand or know why. Maybe because easier to prime than put a cap on a nipple. Only the first shot didn't have a click bang. The remaining shots I was conscious of the hammerfall and a click before actual firing of the gun. I wonder about this, if I'm using too much priming powder or not enough. I was using triple F as the main charge as well as the priming powder.
A good range session, only 9 shots fired, but every one of them went off which is a positive. Next session we'll experiment with less priming powder. The days load was fifty grains of triple F, patched round ball using .020 pillow ticking with the mink oil lube, and triple F as the priming powder usually filling up the priming pan. It was a fun experience for the first time shooting a flintlock, but taxing.
Rifle seemed for whatever reason easier to deal with than my caplocks. Don't understand or know why. Maybe because easier to prime than put a cap on a nipple. Only the first shot didn't have a click bang. The remaining shots I was conscious of the hammerfall and a click before actual firing of the gun. I wonder about this, if I'm using too much priming powder or not enough. I was using triple F as the main charge as well as the priming powder.
A good range session, only 9 shots fired, but every one of them went off which is a positive. Next session we'll experiment with less priming powder. The days load was fifty grains of triple F, patched round ball using .020 pillow ticking with the mink oil lube, and triple F as the priming powder usually filling up the priming pan. It was a fun experience for the first time shooting a flintlock, but taxing.