Shooting indoors

[Zip]

I just found out that my local indoor shooting range allows muzzleloader rifles. It has a 25 yd. distance and some kind of high-powered vent system that the counter guy says clears out the whole place like every 74 seconds. I can't always make the 50-mile round trip to my favorite outdoor range, but is 25 yds. really long enough for any load development work? I suppose it would be handy for light loads and practicing offhand, there are no chairs at benches since most of the guys are shooting handguns. There are table/shelves for holding shooters' revolvers/pistols and ammo. The targets are electrically retrievable.

What do you think? Worth the effort? I've never checked the mileage from my house, but maybe 5 or 6 at the most.

 

[RADeO]

Zip, gasoline costs being what they are, I'd say it would be worth it. Can't ever get in TOO MUCH practice, and if you get real good at 25 yards, there is no reason why that skill can't be used at longer distances. Good basic skills are good basic skills, no matter the distance to the target. :thumbsup:

 

[MSW]

i agree... go for it ... the skills you learn shooting offhand at 25 yards will hold you in good stead at seventyfive yards.

just my free opinion, and no doubt well worth the price.

 

[Zip]

That's sorta what I'm thinking fellas. Practice don't usually hurt unless you're practicing bad habits. And yeah, basics at 25 yds. is still basics at 100 yds., with some minor mechanical adjustments for elevation and windage. I've never fired blackpowder indoors, but the guy assures me my smoke won't bother other shooters.

 

[Rhett Griffith]

I sometimes practice at 25 yards because the wind here is often really gusty and will really blow a round ball around. You just have to adjust your expections for the distance. Try for 1/4 to 1/2 inch groups at 25 yards instead of 1/2 to 1 inch groups at 50!

 

[BrownBear]

I practice lots at 25 yards with smaller targets and harder accuracy standards for myself.

One heads up on that indoor range---

I'd make it a point to use reduced loads the first few times you shoot. Our local 25 yard indoor range has a HVAC system too, and really moves some air. At the invitation of the club I brought a couple of muzzleloaders to shoot for demo. First up was a 62 flinter with my usual 110 grain 2f charge. There wasn't any second shot, because no one else could see shoot for the next couple of minutes due to flare of the range lights off the smoke, even as it dispersed. The next month the range rules had been appended to ban muzzleloaders. No sense in you killing off a good thing, too! :grin:

 

[ohio ramrod]

I realise not all of us can live in the country where we can shoot in the back yard. But be aware that indoor ranges, even the well vented ones, have problems with airborne fine lead particles from the balls deteriating on impact. :idunno:

 

[Zip]

Thanks for the common sense advice BrownBear and Ohio Ramrod. We'll try not to wear out our welcome. :grin: If we do, I guess I'm been kicked out of better places.

 

[123.DieselBenz]

25 yards OFF-HAND is not as easy as it seems, if you hurry, you can join in the competition!
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/260024/tp/1/

 

[gearheart]

I do 25 yds indoor in the winter 'cause the outdoor range is crotch deep in snow. :haha: :haha: Really good venting system and the owners of the place are also into BP. They charge $10 /hour to play but it's still cheap entertainment. I had a couple of suppository shooters come over and say wow what the heck is that? They were shooting at a bowling pin with an SKS. I said Wanna try this? .50 prb blew a tennis ball sized chunk out of the pin. :rotf: :rotf: They are looking for BP rifles now. :thumbsup:

 

[bdhutier]

I shoot our short range (+- 25m) for fundamentals and pig zero. I go to my neighbor's for deer and distance load development.

Take advantage to hone your fundamentals, once you work up a load, you know where POA/POI is; only periodic trips to a distance range are required to keep the feel of aiming those distances.

 

[Zip]

Give me an idea of the loads you all are shooting. I got a .50 cal TC Hawken. I got .490 and .495 Hornady and Speer RBs and lubed .010 and .015 patches. Would 30-50 grs. work? Right now my most accurate load is 65 grs. T7 FFFg, Hornady Great Plains lead conical and #11 percussion caps. However, at the short distance I only plan to shoot PRB.

 

[BrownBear]

My usual 25 yard practice load in 50 cal also happens to be my small game head shooting load. I use 30-35 grains of Goex 3f or Pyrodex P under a .490 ball and .018 patch in most of my 50's, including a couple of TCs. I'd be inclined to try your .495's and .015's, but if too tight go to .490's and .015. Even with small charges I've had mixed or poor results with .010 patches.

 

[Tower75]

As above really. Can never get too much practice.

I shoot my Brown Bess at 25 yards sometimes in my club's indoor range. I only load 50 grains, though. No point wasting powder by stoking it up for such a short distance.

I use it mainly to practice my off-hand shooting and I also try to build up my immunity to the flint-flinch that I can never really seem to loose :cursing: :haha:

 

[Diggerfly]

The only place I can shoot around here is an indoor range. They have a 25 yard, where people are mostly using handguns, and a 100 yard range.

I've been shooting at the 100 yard range mostly and the smoke isn't a problem at all. (65 grains of 3F Goex)

It helps that its a rifle range so people aren't just blasting away 10 bucks worth of ammo every 10 seconds like on the pistol range. :grin: But truly, with a good vent system the smoke from a moderate load will disperse very quickly.

 

[arcticap]

The NMLRA and many affiliated muzzle loading clubs hold 25 yard shooting competitions. So the indoor range could provide productive practice for that.
So many folks practice for shooting at 50 yards or more that they often don't develop loads for dedicated close range shooting.