I had a nice long range session with the Great Plains flintlock on Saturday. Temperature was in the high 80's and humidity was high, but I still had fun.

I've only shot about 100 rounds through this gun, just about all of it with95 grains GOEX, so I wanted to try some other loads. I ended up firing eight 5-shot groupsand was pretty sweaty by the time I was finished (fat boys and humidity don't mix well). It was so humid that the residue in the pan after a shot turned to damp black soup by the time I finished checking the target after each shot. I had to wipe out the pan with a dry patch before loading each shot.

I started with a new Tom Fuller English Flint, and fired all 40 shots with that flint. By the time I finished it wasa little rounded and stubby looking, but still sparking fine. I did not have any flashes in the pan, but did have a few failures to spark if I forgot to wipe the bottom of the flint after every two or three shots.

Here's the first target. I decided to start with 100 grains of powder at 50 yards. The first shot was from a clean bore that had been oiled for storage, then wiped out with a dry patch (I forgot my bottle of alcohol for wiping the oiled bore). The bore was swabbed with both sides of one dry patch between the rest of theshots.




That group wasn't too bad, but not quite as tight as I was getting with 95 grains in my last range session.

Anyway, I decided to try the same 100 grain load at 75 yards. Here's that target.





An 8-inch group??? Dang, don't like that.

Maybe it's the 100 grain load? Maybe it's the sweat in my eyes?

Put another target out at 50 yards, and drop the charge to 80 grains. Here's the target.




Well, that's about the same as the 100 grain load at 50 yards. Wonder how 80 grains will do at 75 yards? Gave it a try. Here's the target.




Well, that's a little better than the 8-inch group with 100 grains. But this is sure curious.

Note the two distinct points of impact - shots 1, 3 & 5 in a one-inch group near the bull, and shots 2 & 4 touching, but over four inches lower than the others. Anyone have any idea what I'm doing to cause this?

Heck, lets go back to 50 yards with the 80 grain load and see what happens. Here's that target.




Well, at least that's consistent with the other 80 grain / 50 yard group.

On to a new experiment. I like to hunt with a load in aclean barrel, andwantto see how the gun shoots with a clean, dry,non-oiled bore.
So I stuck with80 grains and set a new target out at 50 yards, and took five shots while fully cleaning the barrel between each shot. Here's the target.




I sure am pleased with those results.

Now, I wonder what five shots would do from a dirty bore with NO swabbing at all between shots. Also, I have been using a Wonder Wad under the patched ball. I wonder how itwill shoot without the wad. Gave it a try - loading and firing as fast as I could. Here's the target.




Man, that barrel was HOT after those five shots. Those old boys in Civil War battles must have been burning their fingers trying to load their muskets halfway through a battle.

Well, time for one last round. May as well try 75 yards with the 80 grain load. Here's the target.




DANG!! Group is about the same and the 100 grain / 75 yard group. Maybe I just can't shoot at 75 yards?

Long day shooting. Had enough. Time for a beer.