Musket sightless sight picture?

[B. Miller]

Your are right about the barrel. I was using a 0.648 and a 0.15 patch and running the ramrod against a tree to get it down the barrel. Dixies recomendations are for a 0.65 ball and a 0.015 patch, good luck getting that down the barrel. My 0.065s are tight with a lubed paper cartridge. I am going to try switching to a 0.010 patch as I picked up a package of the wonder lubed and the 0.648s . I also want to try 0.648s in the lubed paper cartridge. I have had decent results with 20 pound cotton paper lubed with the larger ball but I shave a little paper on the way in. I picked the 20lbs paper up for nitrated Sharps cartridges and it seems to be durable and absorbe and handle the lube really well.
Bruce

 

[mike alexandre]

Have to say I've never got on well with the paper. Its works, but I dont think its as accurate as a properly fitted patch and ball. You may find the .010 patch is not man enough to handle the powder load and your patches will show with burns on.

 

[B. Miller]

justmike,
Where did you find a 0.64 mould. The closest I can find without going over is 0.635 from NEI Handtools.
Thanks'
Bruce

 

[Grenadier1758]

I belive that you can get a 0.640 mold from J. Tanner.

J Tanner Bullet Moulds

 

[mike alexandre]

Agreed. Jeff Tanner and give him my regards( Mike in Jersey)

 

[JackAubrey]

Say mate,your eye is the rear sight.What I did w/ me bess was to tap in a brass tack where the corner of my mouth rests against the stock.This is my anchour point I borrowed from archery.Now I am more or less consistant in the stock placement.I use the bayonet lug as an erstwhile front sight knowing my eye is the rear sight.Hope that helps.Best regards,J.A.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Consistancy can improve even more if you can build up the stock with leather or remove wood if too high to allow your cheekbone to be fully seated on the stock while allowing your eye(rear sight)to be placed in the correct position in relation to the front sight. The degree of firmness of cheekbone pressure to the comb is a personal one but it should not be too loose nor should one be pushing down with their face to create a correct picture.

This type of setup makes a much more stable anchor point thus improving consistancy. It also enables the shooter to better control felt recoil as the face and gun recoil as one unit.

The best way to build up a comb is to start with narrow pieces of the chosen material first and build up in width as pieces are added. This helps to keep original stock profile and just build up the height without making the stock so wide one loses the cast or creates opposite cast.