long range shooting with m/l

[paulab]

greetings..anybody here interested in mid-range or long range shooting with m/l? By mid-range i mean 200-300-600 yards. long range is 800-900-1000 yards. most of this type of shooting in this country is done at n.m.l.r.a. or n.r.a. sanctioned black powder target rifle events. the rifles used are mainly copies of english m/l target rifles from the 1860's. pedersoli makes a .45 and a .40 cal. version with fast twist barrels [1:18] to stabilize the big bullets they shoot. a typical load in the .45 cal. version would be 80-100 grains of powder behind a 530 grain bullet [either paper patched or grease grooved]. it's a heck of a lot of fun...but be advised! it can be addicting. please understand that i am interested in TARGET SHOOTING. i am not interested in hearing from somebody who wants to brag about how far away they shot their deer last fall. cheers

 

[sproulman]

actually we brag more when we shoot a buck at 20 yds.

takes more SKILL to do it close than at 100 yds or more.

i never shoot at buck at 100 yds or more.

most i get are 30 yds to 40 yds .

its just how we were raised on open sight flintlocks,it has to be close and clean shot behind shoulder.

letting the buck go is trill for me too, i only had neck shot on 8 point with 18 inch spread this year, i left him walk andhe is still out there unlessed poached.

 

[longcruise]

This has not been a very popular topic on this board. Just not that many people involved in it. Member Dave Minshall is involved.

There is a list devoted to this kind of shooting on Yahoo called the Long Range Muzzle Loader group or something like that.

I'm guessing you are already a member and participant there?

 

[paulab]

yup...already familiar with l.r.m/l site. just testing the waters to see if any kindred spirits here. I've got to tell you guys ......if you ever get a chance to try it.....DO IT!!! It's waaaaay cool. cheers

 

[J.D.]

I have competed in ML silhouette match many years ago, using a flintlock shooting PRB, off hand. The 37" tall bears where at a range of 200 yards. This match was a blast and I wanna do it again, but can't seem to coordinate my schedule with the match schedule.

I'm planning to build a 60 cal, early Reading rifle that should put 'em down with authority. Don't know when I will get to start on it.

I have a coupla others to build before tackling the Early Reading.

I have also shot several long range gongs, 125-150+ yards, with some success.

I have found that shooting 200 yard + ranges, off hand, with a flint gun is really easy. It's hitting the targets that's hard. :grin:

God Bless,
J.D.

 

[blacksmithman64]

does 135 yards with a .50 flintlock offhand count? :grin: Nailed that target every day except saturday!

 

[Idaho Ron]

I shoot out to 300 yards for target shooting a lot. I don't shoot in matches I do shoot against my son for milk shakes and cokes. It is his scoped 243 vs my TC Renegades.
Shooting even out to 300 yards takes time and practice if it were as easy as sproulman thinks there would be a lot more guys doing it.
I have three rifles I use out to 300 yards. Two 50's with 1-28 twist, and a 45 with a 1-18 twist. To go much farther I am going to need a different rear sight. Ron

 

[D Sanders]

I am very interested, but I have no M/L that is a conical shooter. All of my M/L's are ball shooters. Just lately I have been reading up on civil war type sniper rifles and muzzle loading target rifles. I feel that I would enjoy this end of the sport just as much.

My motto is "I like big guns, big bullets and lots of smoke!!!"

 

[Mad Professor]

Ron, try to find one the early TC vernier tang sights Quite a bit of elevation adjustment on those.

 

[longcruise]

I have competed in ML silhouette match many years ago, using a flintlock shooting PRB, off hand. The 37" tall bears where at a range of 200 yards. This match was a blast and I wanna do it again, but can't seem to coordinate my schedule with the match schedule.

I you are gonna be anywhere around Denver on August 23rd, plan to attend this one;


CSMLA Silhouette Match

 

[nw_hunter]

Midrange 600 yards!!!!!!!!!! "DANG"

I know you don't want my version of long range :grin:

And I won't mention my longest deer kill, but I did shoot a turkey, at what I thought was mid-range (60 yds.) Not a head shot......I cheated, and drilled him right in the brisket.

 

[Many Klatch]

The NMLRA has competition matches at 400 yards at Friendship and when the National Guard isn't on alert they have recently had longer range matches, I believe they were able to use the 1,000 yard range at Camp Atterbury. Come to Friendship for the Spring or Fall shoot the big gong you hear ringing all day long is a 24" X 24" ( I think) steel plate at 400 yards.

Many Klatch

 

[renovato]

That's something that I've wanted to get involved in very badly and is definately in my future. I've been looking into guns and equipment. Right now money and time are the stumbling blocks, but as soon as I overcome them, expect another in your midst.

 

[renovato]

I shoot out to 300 yards for target shooting a lot. I don't shoot in matches I do shoot against my son for milk shakes and cokes. It is his scoped 243 vs my TC Renegades.
Shooting even out to 300 yards takes time and practice if it were as easy as sproulman thinks there would be a lot more guys doing it.
I have three rifles I use out to 300 yards. Two 50's with 1-28 twist, and a 45 with a 1-18 twist. To go much farther I am going to need a different rear sight. Ron

I don't see where sproulman or anyone else said long range shooting is easy. Sproulman's comment is obviously about the skill it takes to get within 30-40 yards of a deer, rather than just sniping it at 100+.

 

[grey8833]

paulab:

Funny you should ask. I got bit by that bug and have been building the "Rigby" kit from Petonica since Christmas. About up to finish sanding the stock and the metal, then rust blue, then shoot.

The kit is really a funny cross between a Henery (octogon barrel) a Rigby / Metford-Gibbs (stock). No ram rod, 1-18 twist GM barrel. Big damn thing. Can not wait to get it fired up.

When I poured those 535 grain freight trains of a bullet, wow, them things are big! :shocked2: and I have a 60 cal. Hawken.

Problem now is finding a range longer than 100 yards out here in the northeast.

Mike F

 

[J.D.]

I would love to attend, Marmotslayer, but the CLA show is the same week end, and with 300 miles to
Lexington, KY vs 900 miles to Denver, each way, I'll do the CLA show. :grin:

The Gemmer ML club, who hosts the ML silhouette match, is only about 45 minutes away, but it seems that we have conflicting schedules.
Gotta do something about that, one of these days.

My son is a member of a club with a 600 yard range that I have access to anytime I want to drive 4 hours to go shooting. Otherwise, I'm limited to 100 yards at the local MO conservation range about 30 minutes away.

I gotta shoot the 600 yard range, when I can get back out that way. Never fired a ML rifle past about 250 yards, and didn't do all that well, at that range, off hand. It is fun trying though.

 

[rafterob]

I was recently reading a book on Penn. Longrifles with many quotes from catalogues circa 1850-80. All stated the rifles were good to 300 yards with standard sights but would need peep/globe sights at distances beyond that. I started to look at another book titled "The Caplock Rifle 1850-??" or something like that. It went into great depth about target rifles of the percussion era. I plan to check that one out.

 

[Larry Pletcher]

Paul,
My LRML is made with a Pete Alan action and a Badger barrel. I swage paper patch bullets to 540 gr. My closest range is probably friendship. I shot at Oak Ridge once and found out how little I knew about LR shooting.

Shooting 1000 yds is a hoot. The bullet is in the air 3.5 seconds give or take. If you get a chance to go to Friendship there are a bunch of fellows that would help get you going.

Regards,
Pletch

 

[mckutzy]

wow this thread sounded interesting i have been wondering what it takes to do this kind of shooting....

but the OP'er said and clarified his original post?

 

[broadarrow]

Hi Paulab, how far along are you with long range muzzleloading have you got a rifle, what is it? And are you competing yet or are you still getting your gear together? Regards, Peter B.