Got to the range and there were hogs all over the place. Never did get a shot though. Forgot my cell phone and short starter.
Placed the target at 50 yards. The gun had been boresighted with a laser boresighter in the house. The first shot was about 4" to the right and 3" high. Made the sight adjustments and shot a three shot group. The group was 3" above the point of aim- the center of the bullseye. It was strung out vertically for about 2'.
My next three shot group was higher still but was nice at about 1.25." Checked things out and found that my powder measure was now set at 110 grains. Put the powder measure back to 100 grains and shot another group. This time i held at the bottom of the bull. That group (shown) is 2."
Last round i fired was a 350 grain FBP that had been downloaded from my Encore. Not sure where that one went.
11 rounds were fired without swabbing.
Observations:
1. It is not easy to load a gun without a short starter.
2. Walk through the gate and you might get a hog. I drove.
3. Cayugad is right that gun gets the cruddiest. There is blowby everywhere. Will stick the wire from my Mig welder down the side holes in the nipple and pull the trigger. This may lessen blowby. If this does not work i will try a regular musket nipple.
The bore of this gun is much smoother and more uniform than that of my Encore. The thimbles are tight, unlike my Encore. The Black Diamond came with a solid aluminum ramrod.
That is a nice looking group you have for the first time out.
As for the crud and fouling, I just use a bikini scope cover made out of duct tape on the scope. That makes clean up a little easier. Also I check that breech plug after ten shots. Mine likes to grab the breech plug and hold on to it.
I still shoot the 209 primers and doubt I will change.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
Falcon,
Good First time out. I have the same gun as youand like it.
Cayugad,
I would like to hear how you clean the trigger in your Black Diamond. I think the downside to this gun is that I can't take the trigger off when I clean the barrel. I am worried about all the gunk that finds its way in there. Now all I do is spray it with some carburator cleaner and let it drip out and then spray it with Breakfree. Is this basically what you do?
Thanks,
Art
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"Just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean everyone is not out to get you"
Yes... that is how you clean the trigger. I talked to a Thompson Center tech about that same thing. I told him, I did not like the fact the trigger could not come off. He said take some brake or carb cleaner with one of them straw attachments. Take the barrel off the gun and go outside or some place you can spray. And do exactly what you did. Spray it clean, shake it off good, and then add a little oil to it.
Also if you find the ramrod slips, I cut a small piece of wood, like a shim, and slide that inside the stock along the ramrod channel guides and it tightened it right up. Other wise, when I would shoot, the ramrod would pop forward all the time.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
My System One is very similar and I use Gun Scrubber and find it work well, I like the higher pressure spray. If you can find the conversion kit and get a cartridge case conversion and use Teflon tape on the threads of the breach plug you can stop the blow back. Lee
I use the teflon tape and it still has some blow back. At least mine does. Although I never tighten that breech plug all the way to the bottom of the threads. I did that once and got it stuck.
It is just my filthy beast.. But the beast will sure put them down range. When I put a #11 cap to ignite the powder I admit it did lessen the blow back, but I decided that was silly. I bought the rifle for the 209 ignition for when I was hunting in snow and rain. It took me a few minutes longer to clean was all. And even though filty, was a very dependable rifle.
The best that rifle ever shot was with pyrdoex pellets and 250 grain shockwaves one after noon. I was shooting at 65 yards and was walking back and fourth to the target after each shot because I thought I was missing. All that was happening was the hole was getting bigger. Then true to form the fifth shot jumped about an inch and a half. Made me glad to know I was human.
Also my Black Diamond XR will shoot conicals. And do it very well. It will really lay them No Excuses into a target time after time. Its a dirty rifle, but a very well made, good shooting rifle. But as Falcon and Flounder discovered.. she is a bit of a dirty beast.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
I definitely understand the dirty part, my System One is similar that way to until I worked it over. It used to burn the paint off the bottom of the scope and I had to tear it down and scrub everything on way or an other. It was fun figuring out how to fix it. Lee
The first time i fired that gun the other day the primer was blown out of the nipple. It did not happen after the first shot.
One of the regular posters on one of the blackpowder forums put a collar made of copper pipe on the end of the striker of one of his guns. When the striker goes forward the collar covers the nipple. Will probably give that a try.
Fired The Black Diemond Today
