Target Shooting

That looks like a good group. Want to see what it will do at 100 yards, send photos please when you get at that distance. I think my next gun is another Rupp smoothbore 46" swamped barrel.

Just sitting here watching it snow again and going nuts. This Hawken was made with a GMountain barrel 32" long 1" across the flats, and a 1 in 28" twist. They didn't make these particular barrels very long. I purchased two of them. The other gun I made I sold and don't know how it shot. The fellow I made it for passed away and it probably has never seen powder down the barrel. This gun is an odd duck. It will shoot the regular Goex black powder with 2" minus shots at 100 yards all day long, but use a substitute and the group opens up to 5". Figure it? I have changed everything from bullets, and quantities of powder. Nothing changes. The riflings are deeper than the usual fast twist guns and appear to be about .010 deep. The deer horns were from a muley, shot with that gun at 500 yards. Just kidding, I was in a blind at a water hole in the desert and I might as well used a club on it. It was that close. Very disappointing not making a long shot.

cannonball1 said:

That looks like a good group. Want to see what it will do at 100 yards, send photos please when you get at that distance. I think my next gun is another Rupp smoothbore 46" swamped barrel.

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I’m to old in the eye and too busted up in the body to shoot
a powder charge large enough to keep that .648 in the air for
100 yards! LOL

smo said:

I’m to old in the eye and too busted up in the body to shoot
a powder charge large enough to keep that .648 in the air for
100 yards! LOL

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Smo no your not, the silhouette turkeys at 100 yards I get lucky ever so often and knock over a couple. I am using only 60 grs. of 3F behind a patch .648 ball in my smooth bore. 60 grs. ain't no shoulder pounder. I even bounce a couple of balls into the turkeys.

That’s good info...
I haven’t had the chance too test any outside of 25 yards.

But I like what I’m seeing..so far.

I’ve shot patched .626 balls without much success with charges up to 120 grns of ffg, even shot some Fg with them.

The best load prior to now was with .626 ball and 70 grns fffg,
Surprisingly 70 grns of fffg seemed too work better with shot as well, 2 ozs # 6.

Loaded in the Skychief loading procedure.

Those .648 do leave a hole! Kinda’ reminds me of a bowling ball.

You are right in your statement , for me up too 90 grns of ffg wasn’t
too bad on the shoulder .

I’m going to play around with the .648’s and fffg as well.

When folks say they shot a such and such group, they should post a target.

While back I read someone saying they shot a .254 group at 100 yards with .45 cal. To do that, all shots would be in the same hole. That's kinda hard to believe.

What I have learned is that a lot of BP shooters do not shoot competition because they do not want to lose. They come out and shoot 1 or 2 matches and do not come back. They do not win and they wonder why. Most times they are shooting against shooters who shoot a lot and have been doing it for 30 to 40 years.

FDF,

My targets are in post # 19, not shot at 100 yards however...

But I agree , pics should be posted.

The best I'm able to shoot at 100 yards is about 4" for 5 shots. I used to be a little better...okay a lot better; but those days have been gone for decades. Still, that's been good enough to tag a couple of deer at that range. All these shots, whether standing or sitting, had me braced, on a bench or lwaning against a tree, if standing. 5" ain't bad at all.

Many chunk gun matches are comprised of ten targets. One starts the match with a sighter target. Three shots are taken to establish a group. The sighter target is positioned to center the group over the center of the scoring target. One shot is fired for score and a new scoring target is placed. Shooting is often prone using a chunk of wood as a rest. For table shoots, a bench used so shots are taken from a sitting position. If you want excitement, an old ironing board is used as the table. Spiders (the bullet hole covers the cross on the target) are common.

The target distance is about 60 yards or 11 to 12 rods (60.5 yards to 66 yards).

Prizes are often awarded for individual targets with the top prize going to the shortest total string.

crankshaft said:

yes..... some guys with fabulous one hole groups are never seen at competitions, where they should clean up the awards.

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Thete just a bunch of liers

There are several 3shot group matches. Measure your group at the widest point then subtract the ball diameter thats your group.
Example .886 group minus .495 ball equals .391 is your group

Went out to the shooting range yesterday with my 45 caliber and 90 grains of swiss pushing a 530 grain slug. Front support only and I did have a pad for the gun. My groups were exceeding good, but after 10 shots my arm was so black and blue I quit. Maybe it's because I'm getting older. The gun weighs a ton. Let's get serious about this and here is my question: What do you slug shooters do to reduce the kick that may be over and above a heavy coat and gun pad bearing in mind I cannot change the curved butt plate on the gun.

I agree with the op. To me is group is five shots. To Harry Pope a group was ten shots. I shot many very good groups over the years, normally against guys who shot even better ones.

How about if I shoot a one shot one hole group 5 times?

cannonball1 said:

Went out to the shooting range yesterday with my 45 caliber and 90 grains of swiss pushing a 530 grain slug. Front support only and I did have a pad for the gun. My groups were exceeding good, but after 10 shots my arm was so black and blue I quit. Maybe it's because I'm getting older. The gun weighs a ton. Let's get serious about this and here is my question: What do you slug shooters do to reduce the kick that may be over and above a heavy coat and gun pad bearing in mind I cannot change the curved butt plate on the gun.

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You might try the shoulder recoil pad (worn on the shoulder, not attached to the gun) sold by Buffalo Arms.

I have shot chunk guns I cant recall the number of shots but I do recall the fun & cameradery of the event at Allen Coons place where the bib & brace overalls came into their own to hold the rifle up so you had two hands free to load . I shot a Bill? Irons stocked Bill Large barrelled piece stamped ' Old maids a thinking' and remember ' Old Scaly' and the desirum of being able to talk about the finer points of ' Hawg 'rearing, our hosts powder horn bearing a prize pig as decoration .Chunk gun shooters are a fun crowd if their guns seem made to be on the ungainly side this is a sort of' reverse vanity' ( likely akin to Japoneese teacups being deliberatley ugly. ) but the bores are good the scales & hammer marks on Old Scaley being superficial as if to say what matters is the bore.The rest is of little consequence . Lay back, ' down home'. Priceless memories. Regards

coot, have you tried BA's shoulder pad?

Boomerang said:

How about if I shoot a one shot one hole group 5 times?

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Why waste paper, just shoot all five shots at one piece of paper and claim to have shot out the five different aiming points.

I shoot competition all the time and have for 45 years. Sometimes I do good occasionally great and sometimes really bad. I see the same reluctance of many to attend formal shoots. Maybe they are in denial as far as their skills go.

The last competition i shot the last target of the day was at 100 yards and was the NMLRA standing bear. Five shots. Didn't even touch the paper. It wasn't the gun! The whole day was great fun and wouldn't have missed it for anything.

cannonball1 said:

coot, have you tried BA's shoulder pad?

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I just got one a week ago & have not had it at the range yet. It is some form of fairly dense foam or gel, about 1/2" thick sewn inside a suede leather & canvas cover with straps to hold it in place. Getting a bruised shoulder sighting in a couple of rear loaders (sitting at a low bench, I could not get the butt seated well) made me decide to give it one a try.

Coot, Please keep me informed when you get a chance to try it.

Thanks