What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Bucks Co]

Finished up the Day-Horn; went back to my Leman project; Had the barrel and Lock in - just about got the Tang in tonight. The Stock from Pecatonica working out really well.

 

[RRidgely52]

Hey send your your stuff to me I got all winter and you can go shoot , keep us both outa the ole girls HAIR .

This is what I'm messing with....

 

[phdchemeng]

Finished up the Day-Horn; went back to my Leman project; Had the barrel and Lock in - just about got the Tang in tonight. The Stock from Pecatonica working out really well.

Hi...This is for the weekend. I received Lee molds for 35 cal round ball and 130 grain 375 conical from.Midway, and poured a few dozen from each. I don't smoke the molds but rather just keep them hot on a 2nd stove burner, and at least 90% come out near-perfect to.perfect. I don't pour huge numbers so I just buy my lead as the 1oz egg sinkers from Walmt, @94 cents for 1/4 lb. I stopped at a range while traveling to see family and shot the 130 gr conical once in my Euroarms 1851 36, 5.75 in barrel (cut down by me to stay under 6 inches, for legal bear defense sidearm while deer bow hunting in my State). I bought it used and the chambers are chamfered. They hold 28 grains/v. I used about 25 gr Pyrodex P, merely keeping the level about 1/8 in below the cylinder face, guessing i'd be able to compress the bullet into the chamber. I had already verified at home that I could load the bullet on the gun. Luckily it did load over that much powder, but I had a pocket knife handy to shave the nose in case it didn't. I shot this into a row of nine water-filled milk jugs from a distance of about 2 ft. I found it in jug number four, not visibly deformed at all, with a very slight punch through into the 5th jug. I did this as a continuation of my tests to see how much penetration I could get out of a 36 caliber pistol, that is whether the choice is a small ball and more powder, or much less powder and a much larger bullet. I had initially guessed the large bullet gives better momentum and hence better penetration. Previously the 80 grain ball penetrated into the fourth jug using full chamber of 30 grains of powder from my Pietta 1851 36 7.5 in stock barrel, and the ball was visibly flattened. The same ball with 16 grains of pyrodex P exited the 4th jug but did not penetrate into the fifth, and was not visibly deformed. My conclusion was that a ball that stays perfectly round will penetrate further than one that deforms. Previously I also shot a 175 grain truncated cone conical which I made from a 40 Smith & Wesson Lee mold and swaged it down to 375 caliber, and also swaged in a rebated heel. That bullet also loads nicely on the gun in both my 1851 Euroarms and 1851 Pietta, over my usual convenient throw of 16 grains Pyrodex P from my Traditions plastic flask. That bullet penetrated at least six milk jugs each time I tried it, and I have never caught it, since I either never had more than six jugs in place, or when I did it exited slightly out to the side and missed jug 7. So my conclusion is that if I'm carrying an 1851 36 and I need penetration I'm loading my 175 grain truncated cone conical over 16 grains of Pyrodex P. On the same trip I also shot my new pietta pepperbox 36 loaded with 32 grains of Pyrodex P and 3 35 caliber round balls each patched with pillow ticking. They loaded very firm with a typical ball starter, but much easier than the usual 375 caliber round balls, which would have shaved off a ring of lead. This load ends up about 1/2 ball diameter inside the chamber, so no room for a 4th ball with 32 gr/v. From a distance of 2 ft these penetrated three jugs, but missed the fourth jug because one exited slightly near the bottom of jug number 3. I found one ball fairly deformed in jug number two, a second ball slightly deformed in jug number three and never found the third ball since it exited jug number 3 without entering jug number four. My conclusion is that the ball closest to the powder deformed the most and penetrated the least since it was deformed, and the second ball was less deformed and it made it into jug number three, and the ball furthest from the powder was the least deformed, probably staying nearly spherical and exited jug number 3. Unfortunately I didn't keep track of which jug I found the most highly deformed ball in, however that's my guess. My conclusion is that a pepperbox loaded this way would be an effective self-protection gun if that's all you had to carry. I realize it's not very accurate at long distance but it would be very difficult to make a self-defense case if you shot somebody at 20 or 30 yards, but it will certainly hit them at 3 to 5 yards and that's a very plausible self-defense case inside of a home. In my opinion. This was 45 minutes on the range, and I got some good data and videos and pictures, and I didn't get hurt so it was a good day.

 

[Marshhawk]

Reassembled by .45 CVA after giving it a good post-season cleanup. Also of note: I now know how long I can go with a charge in the barrel. Loaded for deer Dec. 5th. Did the toothpick in the touchhole between hunts and took care to avoid condensation forming on the gun. Didn't bag a deer. They're pretty educated after 16 weeks of deer season. But the ol' CVA touched off nicely January 3rd on my home range after 28 days in the chamber.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I fudged up bad and lost it

You too, huh!!

 

[RRidgely52]

Also made a bunch of caps today, as well as 100 paper cartridges for the '63 Sharps. And got a batch of "antique muzzleloader propellant" running in the mill.
RRidgely52, I finally figured out if I put the empty caps in one of the little trays that CCI SP primers come in they are easy to fill. Then I tamp them and pick them out with a shishkebob skewer. It makes life way easier.

Thnxs for the advice...

 

[RRidgely52]

Also made a bunch of caps today, as well as 100 paper cartridges for the '63 Sharps. And got a batch of "antique muzzleloader propellant" running in the mill.
RRidgely52, I finally figured out if I put the empty caps in one of the little trays that CCI SP primers come in they are easy to fill. Then I tamp them and pick them out with a shishkebob skewer. It makes life way easier.

Thnxs for the advice....

 

[Ed C.]

Actually yesterday. Competed in our clubs little muzzleloader match. The trusted Hawken did very well and got a first in rifle. Pistol.... I have decided that pistols do whatever they want on any given day. I had a great practice session a week before the match. Day of the match.....roundballs going everywhere! We did get a second, but only because the other pistols were treating their owners even worse than mine. I guess we'll go back to the bench this week and see which one of us is a problem. Maybe pistols don't like to shoot at the crack of dawn?

 

[Ed C.]

Hi...This is for the weekend. I received Lee molds for 35 cal round ball and 130 grain 375 conical from.Midway, and poured a few dozen from each. I don't smoke the molds but rather just keep them hot on a 2nd stove burner, and at least 90% come out near-perfect to.perfect. I don't pour huge numbers so I just buy my lead as the 1oz egg sinkers from Walmt, @94 cents for 1/4 lb. I stopped at a range while traveling to see family and shot the 130 gr conical once in my Euroarms 1851 36, 5.75 in barrel (cut down by me to stay under 6 inches, for legal bear defense sidearm while deer bow hunting in my State). I bought it used and the chambers are chamfered. They hold 28 grains/v. I used about 25 gr Pyrodex P, merely keeping the level about 1/8 in below the cylinder face, guessing i'd be able to compress the bullet into the chamber. I had already verified at home that I could load the bullet on the gun. Luckily it did load over that much powder, but I had a pocket knife handy to shave the nose in case it didn't. I shot this into a row of nine water-filled milk jugs from a distance of about 2 ft. I found it in jug number four, not visibly deformed at all, with a very slight punch through into the 5th jug. I did this as a continuation of my tests to see how much penetration I could get out of a 36 caliber pistol, that is whether the choice is a small ball and more powder, or much less powder and a much larger bullet. I had initially guessed the large bullet gives better momentum and hence better penetration. Previously the 80 grain ball penetrated into the fourth jug using full chamber of 30 grains of powder from my Pietta 1851 36 7.5 in stock barrel, and the ball was visibly flattened. The same ball with 16 grains of pyrodex P exited the 4th jug but did not penetrate into the fifth, and was not visibly deformed. My conclusion was that a ball that stays perfectly round will penetrate further than one that deforms. Previously I also shot a 175 grain truncated cone conical which I made from a 40 Smith & Wesson Lee mold and swaged it down to 375 caliber, and also swaged in a rebated heel. That bullet also loads nicely on the gun in both my 1851 Euroarms and 1851 Pietta, over my usual convenient throw of 16 grains Pyrodex P from my Traditions plastic flask. That bullet penetrated at least six milk jugs each time I tried it, and I have never caught it, since I either never had more than six jugs in place, or when I did it exited slightly out to the side and missed jug 7. So my conclusion is that if I'm carrying an 1851 36 and I need penetration I'm loading my 175 grain truncated cone conical over 16 grains of Pyrodex P. On the same trip I also shot my new pietta pepperbox 36 loaded with 32 grains of Pyrodex P and 3 35 caliber round balls each patched with pillow ticking. They loaded very firm with a typical ball starter, but much easier than the usual 375 caliber round balls, which would have shaved off a ring of lead. This load ends up about 1/2 ball diameter inside the chamber, so no room for a 4th ball with 32 gr/v. From a distance of 2 ft these penetrated three jugs, but missed the fourth jug because one exited slightly near the bottom of jug number 3. I found one ball fairly deformed in jug number two, a second ball slightly deformed in jug number three and never found the third ball since it exited jug number 3 without entering jug number four. My conclusion is that the ball closest to the powder deformed the most and penetrated the least since it was deformed, and the second ball was less deformed and it made it into jug number three, and the ball furthest from the powder was the least deformed, probably staying nearly spherical and exited jug number 3. Unfortunately I didn't keep track of which jug I found the most highly deformed ball in, however that's my guess. My conclusion is that a pepperbox loaded this way would be an effective self-protection gun if that's all you had to carry. I realize it's not very accurate at long distance but it would be very difficult to make a self-defense case if you shot somebody at 20 or 30 yards, but it will certainly hit them at 3 to 5 yards and that's a very plausible self-defense case inside of a home. In my opinion. This was 45 minutes on the range, and I got some good data and videos and pictures, and I didn't get hurt so it was a good day.

Interesting. Yes, BP pistols can kill. I did a test at 10 feet with a .44 '58 Remington, 25 grains of BP and it went through 4 jugs and stopped in the 5th with no deformation. Then tested an 1873 SAA shooting .45LC and it went through all 5 jugs, exiting the 5th.

 

[WALT53]

This is what I'm messing with....

Glad to see your keeping busy there partner .

 

[RRidgely52]

Glad to see your keeping busy there partner .

Doing my best... cold and raining this week... so, in the woodshop I go... lol

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Today, I’m going to the Smoky Hollow Muzzleloaders January shoot to meet people and try out the newly adjusted trigger on my Harpers Ferry 1816 conversion musket. Hope I hit the black with this thing!

good luck

 

[reddogge]

I had to open the safe today to retrieve some documents so I decided to weigh all of my M/L guns.
NW trade gun 6.5#
Ithaca Hawken 9#
.50 SMR 7.5#
.45 SMR 7.5#
.36 SMR 6.5#
.32 SMR 6.5#

 

[PathfinderNC]

I ordered another Fowler stock for my .62 rifle build, this time in Maple. Hopefully I’ve learned something from my recent screw-up

 

[deerstalkert]

I ordered another Fowler stock for my .69 rifle build, this time in Maple. Hopefully I’ve learned something from my recent screw-up

I hope I also have learned something from my drilling mistake.
I have decided to take a break from building and do something else for a while. maybe make a horn.
sister gave me 3 or 4 raw horns for Christmas so I will look at them and see what they tell me.
I thought i had gotten away with my verbal tirade after drilling through the barrel, but the boss was just waiting for my fury to subside. smart woman!

 

[SciAggie]

@PathfinderNC We gained experience/wisdom through scar tissue, right?

 

[PathfinderNC]

@PathfinderNC We gained experience/wisdom through scar tissue, right?

Wisdom there my friend

 

[WALT53]

Doing my best... cold and raining this week... so, in the woodshop I go... lol

You could send that nice pistol to me I could shoot it out of thr truck window lol .

I ordered another Fowler stock for my .62 rifle build, this time in Maple. Hopefully I’ve learned something from my recent screw-up

where do you get your stock wood from and what kinda money if you don’t mind sharing thanks .

 

[PathfinderNC]

You could send that nice pistol to me I could shoot it out of thr truck window lol .

where do you get your stock wood from and what kinda money if you don’t mind sharing thanks .

I got the stock from Pecatonica River. It was under $200

 

[Dutch7]

I got the stock from Pecatonica River. It was under $200

I have to ask, did the stock fall?
I had one in final finish and the hanger slipped, chipped the toe and dinged the corner of the butt. Not a happy day.