Finally on sight
 

My brother and I went out to the range today and I said lets just take our time and enjoy it rather than get in a rush.

I used 90gr 2fg Goex, .490" round balls, .020" patches lubed with Anti-Rust & Patch Lube, Damp swab between shots.

At the beginning, my flintlock was shooting solid, but then started to get real funky once I adjusted my sights. I took 5 shots and was scratching my head when a thought hit me to check the tang screw. Sure enough, it was loose almost 2 full turns. This is why I always bed the tang and trigger plate. I'll clean the rifle tonight and prep it for bedding as it needs it.

After I tightened the screw, I took 3 shots, cleaning between each shot and walked away more than happy! I may also change out the bead front sight for the german silver blade sight that I have in my little collection. Personally, I think the bead sights are better suited for hunting rather than target shooting.



We also cut patches at the muzzle,


Better sun light should help improve that group. Wind was iffy today and so the orange would be nice and bright even with sun glasses on, then I'd have to take them off in order to see the target due to clouds moving in and ruining the orange dot. Worse however, was when I'd get shadow and light on it streaming in from the pines. That really limited my sights.

Great day of shooting though. No fuss, just dirty hands, the smell of sulfur in the air and lots of smoke.

that is some good 100 yard shooting. What kind of patch material is that? I am a firm believer of cutting patches at the muzzle. Nice job.

Dave,

I may have missed it, but has anyone here ever done any testing of precut vs cut at muzzle patches using identical material and lube to show any variation in group size at a given range? Just curious...

BPS

BPS - I use pillow ticking both cut at the muzzle and precut from the same rifle and I didn't notice a difference. I normally cut at the muzzle at the range and use precut for hunting.
Maybe I'll give this a try and see if there is a real difference (when turkey season is over and the weather is nicer).
What I would also do if I were to test is, with the cut at the muzzle is to cut two ways. 1; Place the ball so that I would have to cut both sides of the patching to ensure they are equal (which is what I do anyway) and, 2; Leave one end intentionally longer.
That material that Jon is using looks a lot like bleached out denim!?

I did it with a couple rifles. I couldn't see much difference in groups or POI. The only reason I cut at the muzzle is I get a perfect centered patch and it seems easier for me to get the ball initially set.

That is very good shooting.

Track of the wolf .com

Part Number: OX-20-BD


Its bulk patch material that's sold in either 36" long strips or in my case, 1/2 yard square that I cut into my own strips.

Jon, judging by the look and thickness it looks like denim before they dye it blue.

that would be pretty thick then? Might be good in a loose bore rifle.

Well maybe denim is a bit thicker than .020". I have some that comes in around .022" and other that is .025"

Not its certainly not denim, just a good tight weave.

I remember back in the dark ages when I was still fairly young I had unknowingly run out of patch material and was going on a shoot. It was a Sunday and back then you found NOTHING open on a Sunday except a Church! So I started pumping my poor little brain and ran across a solution that was pretty much perfect! An old worn out Ace Bandage! Not the really stretchy stuff like they make today but more like a wrap. That stuff worked fantastic! I think they still make the stuff but it's used more for a bandage covering now and not really stretchy. You guys might give that stuff a look. Could turn out cheaper and work really well. Been years since I was into PRB shooting so I have no clue as to cost and availability of good patch material nowadays. I know back then it was hard to find and we usually used worn out T-Shirts for donor material. The wife would have had a small fit if I'd cut up another T-Shirt to literally burn up for nothing!

Stuff looks like drill cloth. Drill cloth is excellent patch material.

That's what it looked like to me falcon. I bought a yard at a local fabric shop a little while back and it was reasonably priced stuff with a nice tight weave.

BPS

I see Jo-Ann fabrics has drill cloth. Next time I pass by there I may just grab a yard. I have one of those fabric roller cutters that will easily make short work of cutting it into strips.

Bronko, what kind are they? If you can find me a link, I'd greatly appreciate it! Using a knife to cut my patching into strips sucks!

MD you can pick them up at any walmart in the craft/fabric section. the roller comes with a rubberized board. Its no problem cutting through 4 layers of material. Even as thick as that. I cut flannel 4-5 layers thick in one pass. This is the one I got:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fiskars-Ro...g-Set/12335930

Just be careful because those buggers are sharp!

Hobby Lobby has it too.

got one today along with a pair of their scissors, wow! one hell of a cutter! I'll be cutting material when I get back home!

Take from my experience - Be Careful. Those cutters make a razor blade seem dull. You slip a little and bump your hand - you're going to bleed.

So from what you're saying, it wouldn't be a good idea to trim your nose hairs with it? :biggrin:


BPS

not unless you want to cut off your nose to spite your face!
But really - look at it this way, anything that can cut through 4-6 layers of medium weight flannel in one pass with little pressure would slice your finger clear to the bone pretty easily.
Now if you want Barry, you may want to try it on your nether region! Just don't slip.

One slip and Barry would have to be renamed Barrinda :eek2: