Range time today

[Baxter]

I finally got to the range today with my Lancaster .54. Had FTF a couple of times till I replaced a very dull flint with a new, sharp English Black and ignition was perfect thereafter. 25yds, 75grs of 3Fg for charge and the same 3F for prime (worked just fine), .530 ball, .015 cotton patch dampened with Dutch's ballistol/water, tight but by the time I finished this was loading more easily - "muzzle break-in" vs unfamiliarity?. Tried .020 ticking with Dutch's but way too tight. Lots of fumbling early on but as I continued, after the dry-ball on first reload (easily cleared) a routine developed, head cleared and shooting became very comfortable from my Caldwell "The Rock" boosted by a couple of 4x4 short timbers. The rifle seems to want to shoot pretty well dead-center low but I seem to make it shoot elsewhere too often for now. Target #2 has 3 shots interconnected vertically - that made me smile. The last two shots, target #3 were shot after a kindly, gabby, personal health issues history recitation and dubious advice-filled older-than-me appearing gentleman bent my ear for 40 minutes before moving to the far end of the range and then returned to inspect my rifle's sights and advise me on sight adjustment a second time - had told him that I am not "chasing holes, I am looking for grouping to tell me what charge this rifle wants" - I am a tolerant person but I was challenged today. I used Dutch's wet-wipe swabs (Ballistol/water) x 3 after each shot and followed with dry cotton patch; was surprised at the amount of "crud" on the wipes. I have much experience with my .54 caplock but with Pyrodex which left little fouling. Flushed the bore with hot water x 5 after shooting and used more dry patches but I think that a more thorough flushing now at home is needed. Will remove the lock; clean and lube it and apply some paste-wax in a few minutes. I left the range tired but happy. Was FUN!

 

[Dean2]

It is really fun isn't it.

P.S.

Remember, one day, if you are lucky, you too will be a gabby old fart hungry for a little company so you hang out at the local range to have other like minded fellows to talk with. From his perspective, really beats the asses he would meet hanging out in a bar. From your side of the equation, not so much. :grin:

 

[Baxter]

That was all that you took away from my post? I am 70 years old, a relatively "private" person who has practiced clinical medicine since 1978 and am very adept at conversation but there is a time and a place for conversation and I daresay that being "captured" by this gentleman for 40 minutes by having him sit at my bench and jaw at me is not what I was at the range for. I could have told him that I was "too busy" to listen but I did not. Perhaps it was inappropriate for me to relate this experience as part of my posting and if so, I apologize for that. This has happened to me on a few occasions so I bought a membership with a key to the range (this one is a 55 mile round-trip for me to use) to allow me the use of the range on weekdays, for the sole purpose of shooting. I can be "wordy" when I want to be/have a purpose for doing so, as in this post which others are free to ignore. baxter

 

[pargent]

It's all good , would do the same myself chase best group and load first then move the sights. Some times people just don't follow the same thought process as we do so tolerence and good manners come in handy :thumbsup:

 

[Trench]

No, I totally get it. Short friendly banter is always appreciated at the range. It's great. Talking to other enthusiasts is always fun. However, being cornered by the guy who can't read non-verbal cues is always a disaster.

 

[Trench]

How much of that spread do you think is you and how much from the load combination. Those three holes touching is a good sign for the load combination.

 

[VEARL]

Maybe in his own way he was trying to develop another friendship. We ol' farts ( I'm 68 ) have a tendency to talk to much.
But each to his own. Myself..I would rather talk to someone at a range than I would want to talk at Wally World.
Vearl

 

[Baxter]

There are a couple of issues there. My first time out for a dedicated attempt at a decent group - some "jitters" for sure. My rest was ok. "trembled" a bit but I felt that I had a very good sight-picture with every shot. Trigger is stiff and I have a "crippled" trigger finger from age 17 so it has little sensitivity to pressure and perhaps lightening this single trigger might help - I opted not to have a "set" trigger and perhaps, with my finger issue that was a mistake. The bow of the trigger-guard is uncomfortable at the bench but tolerable standing off-hand. Have not discussed this with the builder but there is a "fullness" to it that does not allow me to wrap my firing-hand thumb around the wrist at the bench. Maybe more shooting will solve that. I have the optimistic feeling that this rifle will shoot "dead center" horizontally if I pay attention - too many of the shots were central but vertically strung to make me think otherwise - had the same result with the first shots I fired at 32yds at home. The "fliers" are, I believe/hope due to me. I have 13lbs of powder and a few hundred balls on hand, a couple of hundred targets, a million staples... baxter

 

[Baxter]

I understand what you say but how many times, honestly, have you interrupted a shooter at his bench while he is in the motions of loading, taken his shooting bench seat and launched a monologue about your trials and tribulations? I think that any further discussion of this aspect of my day at the range needs to go off this forum topic line. Sorry that I opened it to conversation. baxter

 

[Eljay]

I should probably get better myself at saying "I don't mean to be rude, but I need to concentrate while I load this thing, we can chat a bit later if you're curious."

 

[Zonie]

I can sympathize with you when it comes to gabby old guys.

When I first transferred into Engineering Design, one of my 'friends' said he wanted me to meet an old designer. We walked across the room and I was introduced to Wes.

My friend told Wes I was the new guy in the department and then beat a hasty retreat.

Wes had been with the company for years. He was involved in designing hundreds of different engines and knew the man who had founded the company on a first name basis.

An hour later, Wes was still talking.
After 4 or 5 hints that I should get to work, Wes just added a little more enthusiasm to his stories and kept on talking.
I got up and started to walk away. Wes got up and followed me, still talking.

I don't recall how long he stayed at my desk but it seemed forever.

After my "initiation" to Engineering Design I found that everyone who needed to talk to Wes would tell someone near them where they were going. It was understood that when this happened, after 15-25 minutes someone would call Wes's phone and ask to speak to the visitor.
When the visitor answered the phone they would say in a loud voice, "OK. Tell them I'll be right there.", and then to Wes, "I'm late for a meeting. I've got to go." :grin:

I know it didn't have anything to do with guns but I thought you folks would like to hear the story. Now, I'm late for a meeting and I've got to go.

:rotf:

 

[Spikebuck]

Well, at least he didn't have a lit cigarette like the guy that approached me a couple days ago. I saw him coming and told him he was welcome to come over, but the cigarette had to stay away since I had 3 pounds of black powder sitting there! :shocked2:

Are you using the dry-patch system or just lubing them with the Ballistol/Water mix as you use them?

 

[Semisane]

 

[Baxter]

Ah! Now you may have me by the "short and curly" as Sgt O'Rourke might say. I make up the solution and soak 50 or so patches in it. I then lay out the patches between enough sheets of paper towel as to remove the excess "wet", allow them to dry further until they are just perceptibly "damp". I recall that Dutch was irritated with me; advising that I just trail the wee'st trace across a dry patch just at use but, God forgive me, I don't have the patience for another wee bottle of something to "wee" onto a dry patch atop my rifle's muzzle. Please don't tell Dutch! baxter

 

[Baxter]

You are 68 and calling ME a whippersnapper? I was walking when you were still being wet-nursed. baxter

 

[Spikebuck]

I mix it, soak em, wring 'em out, and dry 'em on a flat, non-porous surface. The water evaporates out...oil stays in, but they feel dry to the touch. It is nice to not have that extra lubing step during the load process. But, whatever works best for each individual. I was just thinking that if you were lubing at the bore, perhaps your vertical stringing was due to some patches being wetter or drier.

 

[Baxter]

I dunno. Maybe I should quit sandwiching the patches between paper towels and let them air-dry as you do. When I shot these targets I used 3 of the "wet lube" patches and one dry patch after every shot - tried to be consistent. Target #3 is an almost exact copy of the first two shots on paper at 32yds that I shot out of this rifle at home a couple of weeks ago. Rifle, seems to me, to want to shoot center-line but I think that I am pulling it off left/right and may not holding on the 6:00 as well as I can. The first target's shot through the 9 was my first shot of the day from a clean dry bore. Makes me think that, as I said, the rifle "wants" to shoot center a good percentage of the time - now, I just need to let it do that and find the best load. baxter

 

[Baxter]

Your question about patch-lube hit home for me this morning. I sat down with Dutch's work on interpreting targets shot and compared my targets with his depictions. I had lightly soaked a batch of cotton "gun patches", blotted them and stored them as a "wad" in a sealed plastic tub instead of air-drying them. If I interpret my target results correctly, there may be a combination of variably damp patches and gusty breeze (3:00) that I ignored. This morning I made up a new batch of wiping patches and put them out individually to air-dry. I had used the patches from the "wad" as 3 "wet wipes" followed by one dry wipe when I was shooting - trying to remove as much fouling as possible between shots. Other possible faults include not always centering the ball on the patch due to physical limitations (muzzle of rifle reaches my nose, patch was .54cal and difficult to center on the muzzle) and after some fatigue set in, I'm sure that I did not pay attention to the sprue. I had tried a .020 lubed ticking patch for my first shot but I had to pound the short-starter with my metal stapler (the only "hammer" I had) to get the ball started - not good I know but the ball shot center-line. Much work to do. Thanks for your comments, baxter

 

[kaintuck]

anybody here use wally world 'pillow ticking'???
spit lube??

I may be barking up the wrong tree~ my 50cal uses the cheap stuff, and seems to like it......what if lube/patch is too thick?
what should his shot patches look like????
:hmm: