What to do at the range.

[alleyyooper]

I really like this forum but there are things that keep coming up and get answered again and again.
Don't just go to the range to find that sweet load for your fire arm.

(1. Wet weather protection.
test placeing a ballon, finger cot, latex glove finger tip, comdom or cling wrap over your muzzle and see how the rifle reacts. Find out first hand instead of hopeing.

(2. Want to know how accrite your rifle is with out swabbing the bore?
Test it at the range. Most of mine I found will place two shots on top of each other. The third can go any place. One needs a wipe every shot.

(3. Primers & caps. Which is best.
Buy a few brands and try them on YOUR rifle to see what effect they have with your favorite load. Some # 11 caps should just be given away as they are not worth shucks. Some 209 primers are way over priced and do not work any better than the cheap shot gun relaoding ones, but that is my findings.

Test all that stuff at the range and see what Happens with your firearm.


Al

[TNHagies]

Good advice alleyyooper! I have a friend that shoots all the time but all he does is load up his hunting load and cuts paper. Then he calls me to see if the new primers he just bought the day before the season opener will change how it shoots. I agree, try things like shooting with shooting sticks or off handed if that's how you going to be hunting. I know I don't have a shooting bench on my climber stand. I wish I did though

[bronko22000]

Alley - you are definately correct. But you just cant fix stupid. The usual questions like you stated will just continue to come up and you can do one of two things. Answer the post in a tactful manner or just ignore it and not answer.

[Gotbuck]

You are correct, try it before hoping. One "game" you can play is golf, you set up targets at unknown distances and angles and set up 9 or 18 depending on how many all want to shoot and the closest to the "pin" target dot or other marking wins that hole. You can vary the shooting by saying this hole is offhand, the next is sitting, the next is laying on the ground etc.. This is obviously done on a home range as I do not know if a public range would approve. I also knew a guy who had a running target set up in which he practiced a shot on a running deer that was mounted to a cable and would go back and forth while he aimed and shot. I could not hit it so I do not make that shot.

[Semisane]

But you just cant fix stupid.

You're right about that bronko. But it's not always a matter of being stupid.Things that are so obvious to old hands in muzzleloader might never even cross the mind of a novice.If I were introducing a 12 year old to muzzleloading I would begin with very basic things, keep the explainations simple, and expect questions about things that seem obvious to me. Well, a 40 year old who has no experience with muzzle loaders is just like that 12 year old.

[Gotbuck]

I've seen a 40 year old next to me shoot his ramrod some 50 yards before realizing he lost it!

[TNHagies]

ORIGINAL: Semisane

You're right about that bronko. But it's not always a matter of being stupid.Things that are so obvious to old hands in muzzleloader might never even cross the mind of a novice.If I were introducing a 12 year old to muzzleloading I would begin with very basic things, keep the explainations simple, and expect questions about things that seem obvious to me. Well, a 40 year old who has no experience with muzzle loaders is just like that 12 year old.

I agree, perhaps the moderator's could place a "sticky" thread at the top for newcomers on subjects just as this. Some newcomers don't ask questions as they are afraid of looking dumb and if we had that it could save them a lot of frustration. Just a thought...

[HEAD0001]

I have heard a lot of shooters say "I hit here yesterday, but it was 6 inches left today, or 4 inches low".

IMO what most MZ shooters do not realize is how much the weather effects your MZ shooting. The old timers that taught me was to only sight your rifle in with a "snow test".

I think the old timers were right. I know it is tougher to go to the range on the bad days, and the cold snowy days. But those are normally the types of weather you are hunting in.

I have noticed weather can makes some big differences on POI. However IMO the moisture content(humidity) is more important than temperature. Just as long as the temp is not too high. IMO too high is over 70 degrees.

Keeping your powder at a consistent temp. and moisture content is a lot more important than what most people believe.

Basically I use 3F powder instead of 2F because I think it has a more consistent burn rate. And I also shoot 130 grains as a max. load instead of 150 grains-I believe there are weather conditions that will not allow the 150 grain load to fully burn. I have seen conditions when I could not get the 130 grain load to fully burn. Tom.

[bronko22000]

Semi - you know as well as I do that there is a big difference between stupidity and ignorance. And I mean ignorance in the purest sense of the word. (not knowing) These people I don't mind helping or providing advise. But some people who I know better I feel like just knocking them upside the head sometimes.

[SteveBNy]

ORIGINAL: Gotbuck

I've seen a 40 year old next to me shoot his ramrod some 50 yards before realizing he lost it!

One day shooting in the backyard by myself someone shot 2 in the course of 4 shots

Steve