cayugad

Today started out rather good. I was using my Lyman .54 caliber Trade Rifle flintlock. I had casted some .535 roundball to try out of it. When I shoot .530 diameter ball I shoot 90 grains. So I figured I would start the shooting with the slightly larger ball at 90 grains. I refer to the ball I cast myself as HC roundball which of course means, home casted roundball.



Shots were all taken at 75 yards with the open sights off a bench. Shots 1-4 were pretty good, but they seemed to be floating around the bull. So I decided to kick the powder charge up to 100 grains of Goex 2f.

With 100 grains, shots 5-8 were really making me smile. Then every thing went down hill from there. For some reason the ball started flying all over the place. Some of the shots even missed the 8x11 inch sheet of paper. I figured the barrel needed to be swabbed. So after swabbing it got better for a couple shots, but then went right back to spraying all over the place.

I checked the powder measure and it had not gotten bumped. The powder seemed fine. I was really puzzled. My sight picture was good. And the target was easy to see, even though it was seventy five yards.

I then checked the sights to make sure they were all nice and tight. They were fine. I checked the wedge pin and that was fine and in place. So I changed flints. After firing a total of fifteen shots...



and for the last seven unable to hold anything even close to a group. As you can see, two hits almost off the box from the 15 and two other shots.. well you explain to me where they went. I gave up on the rifle and changed to a different one for the rest of the day.

frontier gander

Thats what my mountain rifle does when i use triple 7 mix. It shoots normally with pyrodex. I plan on picking up some pyrodex P in the next couple days to try out. Triple 7 and PRB just do not go well together.

What thickness patch did you use with a .535 roundball?

cayugad

the same as always, 100% cotton pillow tick that mics out to about .017

wabi

Wereyou getting good consistent ignition? If there wasinconsistent hesitation it could be causing you to unconsciously pull off target.

frontier gander

Does it load easy with that thick of a patch? I know with a .530 RB and a .015 patch, i have to use a bullet starter.

cayugad

Yes, ignition was fine. Although shots #9 & #10 were with a dull flint, so I changed to a new flint. That was when things really started to go down hill.. even though the ignition was very fast.

And FG even with that size a patch and the larger ball, they still loaded fine. I was reading the manual a few weeks ago and it was saying that the recommened ball was a .535 so I casted up twenty of them.

sabotloader

Dave,

You know I can not explain anything when it comes to shooting PRB's, especially from a gun that use a rock to get blast off..- but I think I can explain your target today....

Go to Semisane's rules there will be one that covers your target....

yeoman

Cayugad - sounds like the problem was related to fouling. Maybe a buildup in a groove near the muzzle which was lowered by your swabbing but not entirely removed. Did you look for the burned patches?

cayugad

yes, I recovered many of the patches.. While they were filthy with fowling, they were not burned out or tore. I was using castor oil moosmilk as a lube.