AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: alacran on February 01, 2025, 05:53:37 PM
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I didn't expect to be writing this today. I thought there would be more and better entries. January's weather was dismal for just about everyone.
We only have 28 days for this match, so I thought I would post right away.
(https://i.ibb.co/Pssmvr6Z/PXL-20250201-142558761-NIGHT-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mrrDVRcC)
This target can be printed from my targets.com
The rules are simple you can shoot it at 50 yards from a bench or you can shoot it standing offhand at 25 yards.
One shot at each bullseye.
The center ring counts as X, next ring is a 10, then a 9 and outer ring is 8.
Tie will be decided by x count, followed by position. That is a tie between bench and offhad, the offhand shooter wins.
I/2 ball rule.
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ambitious target, but not sure I'll be here in 900 years? :o ;)
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Alacran, congratulations on your January target! I like your target choice for February, looks like some warmer weather ahead for some of us!
Tony
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Alacran, looks like fun. Good choice.
J.B.
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That looks like a nice target. The last one was pretty difficult, especially for my smoothy. I just aimed at the centre more or less and hoped for the best :D
Congratulations on your win. I hope you get a chance to try this one yourself
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Ours just went colder -24 right now.
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Ours just went colder -24 right now.
Same here :( Loading with gloves on is not too bad, but loading with mitts is awkward :)
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Especially with a .36, Bob. ;D
Targets printed on 32 pound Whitest and Brightest paper.
Now, warmer weather and access to our range. That won't happen until we get a thaw, I expect.
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Drove past the black powder range today just after noon. Snow was about 4' high blocking the driveway.
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I snowshoed out to the back 40 yesterday, and shot this target with my 20 bore. Bare
.610 ball, wwf/oil blanket wad, 100 gr FFg 25 yards standing, arm braced on tree
I hope to be able to get out again before month's end { we are getting lots od "winter" this year :) ]
(https://i.ibb.co/0V8Kbv2N/P1010005.jpg) (https://ibb.co/M5Wf0QST)
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Glad to see you braved the elements to shoot some paper. Your photo is a bit fuzzy and the best I can make of it is that you scored a 33.
Good shooting with a smoothbore even if you are supporting with a tree.
Hopefully the weather will improve. I hope to shoot this myself, but the wind has been a problem.
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Was out at the range today (indoor air rifle) and the access to the BP range has been plowed out.
Now, we need some warmer weather and Taylor and I can shoot this month. Supposed to warm up
in another week or so. ;D
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Same here Daryl, re. warming up in a week.
Weekend is supposed to be minus 30 here.
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We are more than halfway through February. Punxsutawney Phil appears to be correct about six more weeks of Winter. Pretty much everything East of the Mississippi is a mess. The Northwest and the Rockys aren't much better. Here in the Southwest, it has been very windy.
Hopefully some more of you will brave the elements and have a go at this target.
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Minus 26 this morning, not forecast to even break zero for a few days. But a glimmer of hope, next Sunday forecast says +39!
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Supposed to warm up here by Thursday, but forcasting snow/rain every day. We want to shoot it, but will
have to wait a bit.
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Just as soon as we can get a break, we will give it a try. Between the rains which turned the range into a swamp and now the winter precip called for Weds., conditions are not "happy" at the range. Being is north of us, the range will catch enough snow to make the ground and roads a "rotten" mess. It's going to be a few days before Marc and I can safely get to the range. Our not shooting is not a voluntary thing!
J.B.
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I’ve been wanting to do this for some time and finally getting to it.
Dennis
(https://i.ibb.co/nszxg0Qv/IMG-9096.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SXRFsxV8)
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Good work, Dennis. Zat a 44/50?
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Daryl,
Right barrel 54 cal fast twist, left is straight rifled 28 gauge. The left barrel with .021 patch and .530 RB prints in the midst of the right barrel groups.
Dennis
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We are supposed to get a break in the weather this weekend, I hope to shoot this target then. I’ve had them printed for a couple weeks now, but too much snow and cold
Tony
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Good shooting Dennis. A 44, puts you in the lead. Hopefully we will get more entries. I was wondering why the puny load in your .54 until I read your post on that barrel being a fast twist barrel. What exactly is the twist in that barrel. Being a cape gun, is the purpose to shoot conicals out of it?
What is the length of the barrels?
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alacran,
Barrels 28 1/2” long. The twist is 1:38” and unfortunately the groups open quickly much above 50 grains of powder. It is nicely accurate at 50 though. Someone on this forum some time ago pinpointed the issue by asking about the twist rate.
I’ve just started seriously shooting this rifle and rather than clutter this thread with what is a somewhat long story I can start a new thread if anyone is interested. I had a conical mould made, have made a short starting device and now have a means of seating the bullet at the breach so that it is concentric with the bore. Just need to start shooting the 367 gr conicals.
Too, sorry Daryl, I thought the 44/50 was a question about barrel calibers, thus the odd reply.
Dennis
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Not an issue, Dennis. All's good.
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Put my Kibler fowler 20 gauge together this winter, took it for first shots today. Took a couple with shot, 3 with patched ball and one with loose ball, figured I was ready for the February target (or not).
Temp 45 degrees, no wind, range melting out fast the last couple days.
(https://i.ibb.co/x8dR0JpZ/February-range.jpg) (https://ibb.co/R4dVmzx8)
All loads were with 70 gr 2Fg Grafs powder.
First 2 targets were .600 RB a .010 neatsfoot lubed patch, shot at 25 yards left hand bracing on post.
(https://i.ibb.co/21jz0rMS/Freya-Feb2025-patched-target-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/7dG3xDpQ)
(https://i.ibb.co/G4jFz5gv/Freya-Feb-2025-PATCHED-TARGET-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0R3QHGPj)
This last target was loose ball, I had a thick nitro over powder card, the ball, now using .610 RB and a thin over shot card to hold it in. (Though in all honesty, gun was so fouled by this last set that the loose ball had to be pushed down so it might not have rolled out even without the over shot card.)
(https://i.ibb.co/Dffrn1Pk/Freya-Feb2025-loose-ball.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QvvDGJ7n)
Looks like an 8, a zero and a 27, which was all luck, or maybe I was getting a better idea where to hold by this time.
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Glad you got out and shot the target. You are shooting a new gun and in my opinion you did very well. I agree with your scoring except for the last target.
I score it a 26. When there are two shots in a target where only one can score, the lower score shot is the one that counts.
Hopefully we can get more entries. Including today we have three days left.
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Got'cha.
Much more shooting and patterning in store for this fowler, turkey season starts mid April.
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Finally got around to shooting this month’s match. I dug out my .30 caliber Soddy Daisy I made 10 years ago, with a FCI 3/4” barrel and an L&R lock. Perfect light conditions with the sun behind me and shining on the target. Offhand, 25 yards. This little rifle really shoots nice! From the bench, it will put every shot in a quarter size hole.
Here are my two best targets. Third one was sighting in and getting used to the flintlock again.
(https://i.ibb.co/XxxHq97x/EBEA27-AF-1600-4-EF3-B357-68-C582-FB8079.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1GGck3rG)
(https://i.ibb.co/TB8SnDrz/4-FDF11-C0-0-E3-A-4256-B7-C3-E9-C870-C6-D6-B3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tMstNw3y)
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Zat a 46 and a 43? Cool rifle. A .30, eh? David Rase has a .28. He shot it well, at Rendezvous B.C. - way too many years ago now.
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Good shooting Okabow, Daryl got it right a 46 and a 43. You are now the current leader.
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I got out yesterday afternoon [ in between snow storms ! ] and shot this target again. I'm planning on trying once more before the end of the month, so did a little experiment , just as a demo
20 bore, .610 ball, felt wad 1st shot [ lower right] is my usual 100 gr charge
shots 2 through 5 are 60 gr charge of FFg -all off hand at 25 yards
There are many who would think that the results are pretty good for a smoothbore, considering the size of the targets, and all would definitely take a deer, however the difference that extra 40 gr of powder makes is very telling in my gun. This becomes even more apparent as the distance increases to 50 yards.
(https://i.ibb.co/Y4hpBvSV/P1010006.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JWH5jXTS)
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Considering your worse shot is only 2 1`/2" from the centre of the bull, not bad. The 100gr. shot is only 1/2" to the centre of the ball.
Why the change in powder charge, Bob?
Your 60gr. shots are fairly consistent. It looks like a decent composite group of all 5 shots in 2 5/8", when superposed on one bull.
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Considering your worse shot is only 2 1`/2" from the centre of the bull, not bad. The 100gr. shot is only 1/2" to the centre of the ball.
Why the change in powder charge, Bob?
Your 60gr. shots are fairly consistent. It looks like a decent composite group of all 5 shots in 2 5/8", when superposed on one bull.
This is for fun, Daryl, so I thought I'd take a try with the lower powder charge [ 60 gr is a fairly popular load for 2o bores here ] and see how much accuracy I would give up with the lower velocity. I know from past experience that the group size really increases by the time you're at 50 yards. My 100 gr cartridges will still shoot extremely well at 50
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Glad to see you are having fun with this target. With my .62 smooth bore, I get similar results with the 60 grain loads except mine are consistently to the right of center. With 90 grains at 25 yards pretty much hit center. I don't use cartridges because where I live it would be a fire hazard.
I attribute the windage difference to more time in the pipe with the lower velocity load.
I use .595 balls with 40 pocket drill.
At any rate Bob I guess I'll have to play with my .62 on this target .
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Congratulations Okabow, you are the winner of the February Postal Match, with a high score of 46. Look forward to what you will be choosing for the March match.
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Congratulations Okabow you are the February Postal Match winner with a score of 46.
I wrote this up earlier, but I neglected to click on Post.
Look forward to what you have in store for us for March.
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Thanks! I’ll think about it a day or so.