- Joined
- Jan 30, 2021
- Messages
- 320
- Reaction score
- 641
What an unusual day for late January in Kansas! 57deg, sunny skies and light winds! A perfect day to try out my newly completed SMR! I loaded up the possibles bag with all the goodies needed to shoot .40cal shouldered my rifle and headed out my back door to try out my new smokepole!
I set up several bean cans on a log at 25yds loaded her up with 50gr of goex 3f, a .395 bal and .010 patch, primed the pan, aimed and fired. BANG! .....OUCH! My right thumb punched me squarely in the upper lip! The smoke cleared and all 4 cans were still standing. I loaded up and fired again, being careful of my thumb placement and cheek weld this time! Same result, missed the can! For shot number 3 I stapled a blank page to my target board drew an X in the center and took a shot, AHA! The ball impacted the bottom edge, barely cutting paper. Out came the file and I took 8 or 10 swipes at the front blade. The next 3 shots landed just below the X. Better! I loaded up again and sent a can flying with a satisfying PING! The next 3 cans were knocked off in similar fashion!
Ok, time to shoot the monthly muzzleloading forum postal match target! Took my first 3 shots at the left hand pie offhand from 25yds, all 3 landed low. Out came the file again for another 8 or 10 swipes at the front blade, followed up by 2 more shots in the 10 ring! On to the right hand pie for one bull and all in the black! Good enough for me on my first trip out shooting the SMR.
This rifle is a real sweetheart to shoot, as long as you keep your thumb next to the wrist and not over it! The recoil is light, she is easy to maneuver and once you are set up on the target she stays locked in right there, solid as a rock. I fired the first 19 shots without doing anything to the flint other than wiping it and the frizzen before I had a flash in the pan on shot 20. I knapped the flint and fired shot 20 then flipped it over bevel down for the next 10 shots. At shot 30 the barrel was to fouled to ram the ball home with the wooden rod so out came the range rod to finish the job. I swabed the barrel with a spit patch and fired 3 more shots before my horn ran dry of 3f forcing me to call it a day.
The SMR is definitely my new favorite! If your on the fence about ordering a kit, get on over it! The grass really is greener on the other side! Thanks Jim Kibler for putting out such a great product!
Chris
I set up several bean cans on a log at 25yds loaded her up with 50gr of goex 3f, a .395 bal and .010 patch, primed the pan, aimed and fired. BANG! .....OUCH! My right thumb punched me squarely in the upper lip! The smoke cleared and all 4 cans were still standing. I loaded up and fired again, being careful of my thumb placement and cheek weld this time! Same result, missed the can! For shot number 3 I stapled a blank page to my target board drew an X in the center and took a shot, AHA! The ball impacted the bottom edge, barely cutting paper. Out came the file and I took 8 or 10 swipes at the front blade. The next 3 shots landed just below the X. Better! I loaded up again and sent a can flying with a satisfying PING! The next 3 cans were knocked off in similar fashion!
Ok, time to shoot the monthly muzzleloading forum postal match target! Took my first 3 shots at the left hand pie offhand from 25yds, all 3 landed low. Out came the file again for another 8 or 10 swipes at the front blade, followed up by 2 more shots in the 10 ring! On to the right hand pie for one bull and all in the black! Good enough for me on my first trip out shooting the SMR.
This rifle is a real sweetheart to shoot, as long as you keep your thumb next to the wrist and not over it! The recoil is light, she is easy to maneuver and once you are set up on the target she stays locked in right there, solid as a rock. I fired the first 19 shots without doing anything to the flint other than wiping it and the frizzen before I had a flash in the pan on shot 20. I knapped the flint and fired shot 20 then flipped it over bevel down for the next 10 shots. At shot 30 the barrel was to fouled to ram the ball home with the wooden rod so out came the range rod to finish the job. I swabed the barrel with a spit patch and fired 3 more shots before my horn ran dry of 3f forcing me to call it a day.
The SMR is definitely my new favorite! If your on the fence about ordering a kit, get on over it! The grass really is greener on the other side! Thanks Jim Kibler for putting out such a great product!
Chris
