What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

TDM said:

Piddling with the SMR. Have the trigger guard fitted and pinned. Have the barrel pinned and got the tip on the ramrod and peened. Started installing the ramrod pipes. Went for a woods walk.

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Shes pretty

SciAggie said:

Y’all ever make something, then put it up so well that you can’t find it later? Man that irritates me - cause I do it to myself…

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Unfortunately I do it all to often.

SciAggie said:

Y’all ever make something, then put it up so well that you can’t find it later? Man that irritates me - cause I do it to myself…

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Yes!

I did it with a key.

Can't unlock a lock without the key.

Rifle testing today, I had coned the barrel with a Joe Woods coning tool in .54.



I could thumb start a .530 ball and an .018 patch all the way in easily, before coning I had to pound in a .526 ball with an .018 patch. With the cone I could seat the ball with minimum effort, I believe I could have gone to a .535 ball if I wanted to

I started shooting and wasn't doing too well, I was chasing balls with what turned out to be a fairly loose back sight. Somehow, I had bent the front sight, I straightened it several times before I was satisfied with it. I was hitting left and low at 50 yards and had already drifted my rear sight as far as I was comfortable with so I gave the front sight a slight tap.

I was shooting 80 gr of 2F and shooting low with about a 3" group at 50 yards, I had trouble seeing my front sight.

I decided to bump my load up to 85 gr, BINGO!

I had a shiny front sight for the high shot, the sun came out couldn't tell exactly where the blade was, I had a spray can of sight black so I sprayed the sight and took two more shots, I think I can live with the results.

I have a GM drop in for a TC in .54, it too has a very tight bore, it is next one the coning list.

I went out to my club's range and helped a little setting up targets and such for out rendezvous that begins tomorrow. We had a good bunch and none had to work too hard.
Enjoyable day.

I shot today and found my rear sight was loose. Still is. Should I peen it when I get it close or no?

I am about two inches right at 25 currently

Fisherking said:

I shot today and found my rear sight was loose. Still is. Should I peen it when I get it close or no?

I am about two inches right at 25 currently

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I’d try to shim it first.

Took 2 planks out to Jim Kibler to have 3 stocks cut for rifle kits. A 50 and 2 58 calibers. That should keep me off the streets and out of trouble this winter.

Made a 10 lb mess today. Put my mold on top of a full pot of lead. I guess I bumped the handle. I walked back in the room just in time to see the last of the pot drain. Luckily it sits in an aluminum pan which I destroyed when freeing the pot base from the lead. That was my happy day!

Thought I would make a slim jim holster today, but when I got settled at my work bench I was feeling a shooting bag instead. The holster will have to wait until tomorrow.

gunpa said:

Made a 10 lb mess today. Put my mold on top of a full pot of lead. I guess I bumped the handle. I walked back in the room just in time to see the last of the pot drain. Luckily it sits in an aluminum pan which I destroyed when freeing the pot base from the lead. That was my happy day!

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But you saved the lead!

Century to late said:

Very nice work.

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Thanks brother

Fisherking said:

I shot today and found my rear sight was loose. Still is. Should I peen it when I get it close or no?

I am about two inches right at 25 currently

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Yep. What TDM said: "shim it." This is the most effective way for sure, no messing with the tolerances of the dovetail, I find. The best shim material for me is the trusty aluminium drink can. Just cut a couple of strips as wide as the dovetail and slightly longer with about 10mm hanging over each side. Place one piece in the dovetail, tap in the sight for a good fit (may need two thicknesses for a loose dovetail). Once the sight is where you like it cut the extensions of either side of the barrel flush with the sight using a Stanley knife (box cutter?) - cuts super easy. And, you don't see the shim! Nice.

Sometime down the road, you may want to change your sight, and if you peened it, things could get tricky with a sight that now seems too large.

Cheers Pete

Fisherking said:

I shot today and found my rear sight was loose. Still is. Should I peen it when I get it close or no?

I am about two inches right at 25 currently

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Use a center punch put a few dimples in the bottom of the milled slot on the barrel. Tap the sight in.

Got the 1860 ready to go to work for show and tell, walking across the living room hard wood floor and....
The dang thing slipped out and hit the floor butt first.
Good thing it was in the pin between cylinders.

Fisherking said:

Spent half the day on the end of a post hole digger making sparks. Does that count?

I don’t think it was Chert though. :/

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I can sympathize. There is so much stone in our soil that when we drilled a well the dirt from the bore was grey, not brown.

Took a gourd from the porch where it had been since Thanksgiving and put it out back for a target. Loaded up a Hornady .50 caliber 410 grain HBSP with 7 grains of Old Eynsford 3f topped with 70 grains of 3f Triple 7. This load is somewhat overkill on gourds, just so you know. Shot the gourd three times. It never moved. Walked down range and discovered three holes in the target. Apparently gourds are stubborn and don't want to move when hit.

As to Hornady Great Plains Bullets, I'm starting to like them a little bit for their accuracy and relative ease of loading. Still don't care for the waxy stuff they use for lube though.

Shot them with a T/C Hawken .50 caplock with factory QLA muzzle. Might have to acquire more of these bullets and see how they do at longer ranges. Should have a plastic jug to "hunt" any day now.

deerstalkert said:

we still haven't replace our girls with a pup. both died last year. not sure we are going to get another one, though my wife was talking puppy breath yesterday.
any pictures of your pup?

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I am 76 and our Lab Chloe is 12. When she goes I don't think it would be right to get a puppy. Dog should not have to mourn its master. Maybe a mature rescue dog is an answer. Chloe is our 6th Lab and I remember each one of them. Just can not imagine living without a dog.

SciAggie said:

Y’all ever make something, then put it up so well that you can’t find it later? Man that irritates me - cause I do it to myself…

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Yes. We call that "putting it someplace safe". Once we put something "someplace safe" it is lost forever.
"Someplace safe" must be the biggest room in our home, but I don't know where it is.

SOLANCO said:

Yes. We call that "putting it someplace safe". Once we put something "someplace safe" it is lost forever.
"Someplace safe" must be the biggest room in our home, but I don't know where it is.

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i can do this 3-4 times a day! be using something, set it down and somebody comes along and hides it.
i figured more drawered cabinets was the answer, all they do is give more places to look!