...I think my new Traditions .45 caliber Deerhunter sidelock rifle shows some promise. I took someone with me to the range today so I didn't get as much shooting done as I would have liked to but that's OK. I started out at 15 yards to see if it would even hit the paper and it did. Today's shooting was done with open sights, I have yet to buy a scope for this rifle. I also started out using Speer .440 caliber round balls and some .45/.50 caliber patches I bought at a store. The patches were not labeled for thickness. I was using olive oil for a patch lube. These were loaded on top of 70 grains fffg Goex.
Target #1 shows 2 sight adjustments. One after the first shot and another adjustment after the second shot. I wrote "adjusted scope" on the target but meant to write "adjusted sights".

So I moved the target out to 50 yards and using the same load, ball, patch and lube. Of course the group opened up a little but I couldn't test the prb's any more because I ran out of them. I just wanted to use them to get the rifle on paper but they shot pretty well so I plan on getting some more.

Yesterday I stopped after work and picked up a package of 40 caliber, 185 grain Hornady XTP's with light blue .45 caliber Harvester sabots to see if this Deerhunter would shoot sabots like my .54 caliber Deerhunter. If my third shot hadn't been a bad one I would have been speechless. Darn fliers. I didn't feel good about the shot when I pulled the trigger. I kept the powder charge at 70 grains using fffg Goex. Still shooting at 50 yards.

Good start Pluckit. Did you search for the fired patches to check their condition?

I had meant to look for patches before I started shooting but forgot all about it. I think this rifle is going to be a sharp shooter once I put a scope on it.

Or, you could become a sharp shooter, and leave the scope off.

It does look like the rifle shows promise. Nice shooting. It will only get better as you get more comfortable with the rifle.

Sorry Muley, I love using a scope so much more than open sights, so that isn't going to happen.

I tried.

No surprise. You're often trying.

Yes, but I succeed more than you.

Often very trying.....hehehe.
Muley, you can't keep everyone from going to the dark side!