What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

today i shot my .54 Lyman GPR flint until i started to shake from the cold. good thing too, it's snowing.
cleaned the GPR.
punched out a couple hundred patches of .010 and lubed them with a blend of bear fat and beeswax.
draw filed a barrel wedge and fire blued it.
filed a bit on the barrel tenon on my whatsit .30 flinter. now the rr seats all the way.
posted my antique guns in the new antique forum.
started matching up parts from the parts drawers for my next build. have never scratch built a percussion rifle so that's what this one is going to be.

deerstalkert said:

today i shot my .54 Lyman GPR flint until i started to shake from the cold. good thing too, it's snowing.
cleaned the GPR.
punched out a couple hundred patches of .010 and lubed them with a blend of bear fat and beeswax.
draw filed a barrel wedge and fire blued it.
filed a bit on the barrel tenon on my whatsit .30 flinter. now the rr seats all the way.
posted my antique guns in the new antique forum.
started matching up parts from the parts drawers for my next build. have never scratch built a percussion rifle so that's what this one is going to be.

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I'll look forward to seeing some pictures of the new build.

SOLANCO said:

What I learned the hard way is combination tools are no bargains. One of them will not necessarily be good at the task you need done now. And if something breaks you may well be out more than one tool. I think the Swiss sell knives like that to a list they got from P.T.Barnum.
That looks like a tool that will many things poorly and not a single one well.

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Well, that hasn't been my experience with Victorinox SAK. I've lost a few, worn out a couple of them over many years, but never broke one. 'Course I try not to abuse 'em. Never thought that I would ever use a scissors in a knife, but I've found they work rather well. Toothpicks sound kind of silly, but it is the most used tool on a SAK I use.... when it has one. Tweezers work really well on small thorns embedded in flesh. Can and bottle openers are great to have. The corkscrew might work OK on wine corks, but I use it as an improvised marlinspike when I got a tight knot I want to untie. The screwdrivers are less than perfect as screwdrivers, but the screwdriver/bottle opener makes a tolerable wedge pin puller and even a poor screwdriver in the field is better than trying to use your fingernail. Stainless steel has some advantages as well when using the knife in a place it is likely to encounter black powder. If something breaks, well, I always carry more than one knife.

Yeah, it's a handle filled with compromises, but I can't fit a tool box into my pocket. I can carry several SAK'ves and other knives besides. Perhaps I am one of Mr. Barnum's once-a minute suckers, but to each his own...

An SAK is never farther away from me than in my left front pocket. Been carrying the recruit for the last couple of years. My mz tool box has a small one in it permanently and gets used with some frequency. Every man should have a pocket knife with him at al times.

Shawrco said:

I'm a new to ML shooter. Posted a few photos of the T/C Hawken 50 that's hopefully on it's way to me! In the mean time I've been gathering up the necessities for making smoke. I'm starting from scratch, except I have a supply of BP, lead (wheelweight/range lead, some 40:1 and 50:1 ingots, and some sheet lead that hasn't been smelted yet), pot/dipper, and heat! I've procured cleaning equipment, lubed patches, some .490 RB, etc. and I've ordered some .498 RB, Wonder Wads and Walters Wads, pillow ticking patchs, both Maxi Ball and Maxi Hunter, some Great Plains and conical bullets, etc. just to try everything out. Probably should have just started w/RB
Not sure where to start with the powder - Wano PP (I have the most of this)/Elephant 2F (partial can) or the Swiss, both sides of the barn door at 1-1/2Fg and 3Fg. What's the consensus on Cartridge grade BP in a ML? I have the most of this left from BPCR loading.
Will wait to get into casting for this rifle until after I see how it goes. Have been reading all the threads on lube recipes/pan lubing etc. The wealth of information on this forum is vast and much appreciated. Patiently awaiting the rifle's arrival!

v/r,
SRCo.

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Hello, The Swiss and Goex are good powders. The Elephant is the dirtiest, worst fouling, crummy black powder I’ve ever shot. I threw mine away before using it again. Just my humble opinion. Never heard of the other stuff.
I wish you a great time with your T/C! Good solid well made reliable rifle.

SOLANCO said:

What I learned the hard way is combination tools are no bargains. One of them will not necessarily be good at the task you need done now. And if something breaks you may well be out more than one tool. I think the Swiss sell knives like that to a list they got from P.T.Barnum.
That looks like a tool that will many things poorly and not a single one well.

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I’ve owned several Leathermen tools, one Gerber and some no-name Chinese junk (worthy of throwing as far as you can) and one absolute gem, Victorinox Swiss Spirit. Note: not the Swiss tool.
It is comfortable, everything is lockable, the build is robust and it has handled everything I’ve asked of it with ease.
I highly recommend the Victorinox Swiss Spirit!

Worked on tightening up a homemade set of leggins recently.
Obviously when I tightened them, I couldn't get the Minnetokas on.

The cure ??

I cut the top half off.
The top half will go on the locks to hold flints.
The lower half works great now!

Snooterpup said:

I’ve owned several Leathermen tools, one Gerber and some no-name Chinese junk (worthy of throwing as far as you can) and one absolute gem, Victorinox Swiss Spirit. Note: not the Swiss tool.
It is comfortable, everything is lockable, the build is robust and it has handled everything I’ve asked of it with ease.
I highly recommend the Victorinox Swiss Spirit!

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Well the Spirit is designed as a tool. Not a pocket knife with a whole bunch of things added. It is not inexpensive so it needs to perform well.

skwerleater said:

I finished this sheath today. I put the knife together from Crazy Crow parts a couple months ago.

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When my youngest son graduated from high school, I gave him a Buck 110, along with this note that I wrote:


If y'all have occasion to give someone a knife, you're welcome to borrow this.
Not that I'm a poet, but it's better than just saying, "Congratulations. Here."
Brazos John

Got me a huge buck today! He was so big that I couldn't find scales that could weight him? I did take a picture of him and the picture weighted 35 pounds! LOL!

Getting some idea of how to begin inletting this barrel. Practice. Practice. Practice.

And a bit of laying out. Measure a hundred times, cut once.

I woke up this morning and installed a new flint on my new (to me) T/C Hawkin .50
This afternoon I went to Cabela's for .495 balls, patches and flintlock tools.
Then I went to the nearest shooting club and signed up for membership since I just moved into this area after being away for 40 years.
I've done nothing but Ml stuff today!

19f in my hollow thus morning at daybreak..
I saw several deer between 09:15 & 11:00 , nothing after that.
I hunted from 8-2… swirling wings off & on and bright (cold) sunshine..

I had 1 young 8 point chasing 1 of the older does this morning..
The rut getting close!

BigD63 said:

I woke up this morning and installed a new flint on my new (to me) T/C Hawkin .50
This afternoon I went to Cabela's for .495 balls, patches and flintlock tools.
Then I went to the nearest shooting club and signed up for membership since I just moved into this area after being away for 40 years.
I've done nothing but Ml stuff today!

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Any day that's all about shooting is a good day.

Annual muzzleloader family hunting trip in Daniel! Boon National Forest! 6 of us this year with percussion guns!!

smo said:

The rut getting close!

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It's apparently here!
Copy link and put it in address bar, or whatever you call it:



Things are Good in The Goodlands,
or,
Things are Wood in The Woodlands.

Snooterpup said:

I’ve owned several Leathermen tools, one Gerber and some no-name Chinese junk (worthy of throwing as far as you can) and one absolute gem, Victorinox Swiss Spirit. Note: not the Swiss tool.
It is comfortable, everything is lockable, the build is robust and it has handled everything I’ve asked of it with ease.
I highly recommend the Victorinox Swiss Spirit!

Click to expand...

I have a couple of those cheap Chinese ones, but I also have a Gerber Uncle Sam gave us on our trip to the sand box.

I neutralized the lye stain on the Kibler SMR stock, let it dry out, removed the whiskers with 400 grit paper, and started with the Permalyn sealer. I thought I was doing pretty good until about 2 hours later I realized I missed a big spot right down the comb. My concentration really sucks these days.

Loja man said:

Annual muzzleloader family hunting trip in Daniel! Boon National Forest! 6 of us this year with percussion guns!!

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That's great! How's the hunting been? Planning to get out myself this weekend.

Trapper Scott said:

I neutralized the lye stain on the Kibler SMR stock, let it dry out, removed the whiskers with 400 grit paper, and started with the Permalyn sealer. I thought I was doing pretty good until about 2 hours later I realized I missed a big spot right down the comb. My concentration really sucks these days.

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Did you use white vinegar to neutralize the stock?