Some Fun at the Range - New and additional PHOTOS

[xring2245]

I had been going to the range at least once a week to test two of my guns - a Dale Atkinson .45 cal. flinter and a copy of a Jacob Dubbs early Bucks County .62 cal. smooth rifle.  I had been keeping detailed notes on the results and had worked up some pretty good loads.  I decided that Wednesday (29 Jun 11) would be a fun day at the range with some informal target shooting.

I had been doing all my shooting and testing with GOEX, but I had some Elephant powder on hand.  In the past I had never been impressed with it, so here was a chance to use it up.  I also had on hand previously shot patches that I had picked up after the last several shooting sessions, so I decdided to reuse them as they were in great shape.  I figured, "What the heck!"

In the first photo, you can see the loading table with the can of Elephant powder and the used patches in the center of the image.

I loaded 60gr. of 2F Elephant behind a .595" RB and shot at a 50 yd. pistol target at 50 yards.  This was offhand shooting and I was impressed with the results.  Not too shabby!

More to follow...

[xring2245]

The Elephant powder actually shot well.  It looks like I will have to see what I still have in stock and maybe spend some time shooting off the bench.  Here are the results:


I only brought a little Elephant, what was left in the can, and could not shoot any more with that powder, so I switched to GOEX with 70gr.  I fired good groups as well, as the .62 smooth rifle shoots well with 70-75gr. 2F.

The patches held up well.  I had fired four shots with several of the same patches and they were still usable.  I wasn't going to push my luck with them any further.  BTW, they were lubed with Lehigh Valley Lube.

That's it for now.  Just figured I'd share.
Have a great weekend everyone.


James

[trentOH]

I shot my smoothbore today- a Japanese-made Brown Bess. I have some .025 denim patches I've probably shot 8-10 times each with .690 RB. Today I only had .715 RB which was a little too snug, so I used t-shirt cleaning patches lubed with Ballistol, then with plain old water.  The t-shirt patches were easy to recover, as what little was left of them was smoking worse than the Los Alamos  fires!

I have to get a better shooting box though. Your's looks just about perfect!

[roundball]

Pretty stock on that smoothbore...

[xring2245]

Pretty stock on that smoothbore...

Thanks, it is a gorgeous piece of wood.  Nice detail throughout.  I can post a closer pic of the gun too if that would be of interest.

James

[TinStar]

I would love to see pics of both of them; especially the Dubbs. Did someone build them for you or did you do it?

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

[xring2245]

I have to get a better shooting box though. Your's looks just about perfect!

Here are some photos of my shooting box.  If they help anyone come up with a good design for themselves, then great...


This is an all-oak box made by Fuzzy Johnson of First Frontier Militia in Bowmanstown, PA.  It is approx. 16" wide, 12" deep, and 12" high.  It holds everything for a day at the range.  I generally do not carry my roundballs in it, as it would get heavy.  


The box holds two cans of powder on the right side, as well as cleaning solvent (blue spray bottle), oil, Lehigh Valley Lube, spray lubricant, ramrod tips and accessories in an Altoids can, and some alcohol.
The tray holds a lot of smaller items including shooting glasses, ear plugs, short starters, calipers, tins of patches and flints, and more.


The bottom of the box holds larger items such as a brass machinist hammer, a 4oz. rubber mallet, large scissors, screwdriver with an assortment of bits, rod puller, stapler, large bag of 2" patches for my .62s, extra pillow ticking either rolled or folded (1/2 yard or so; I never want to be without).  The only thing I cannot get into the box that I would love to have is my 28oz. Deadforce black rubber mallet that I purchased from Lowe's.

By the way, when I go to primitive events, I don't carry all of this equipment.  I am very comfortable loading out of the bag.  I do carry a wooden wiping stick/"range" rod though.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  This is my system that I am comfortable with.  It may work for some of you; but then again, it may not.

James
    

[Roger Fisher]

This be some of the important aspects of this site..  Thanks for the photos Jim.

My box (the main one) should have wheels under it. Among other things I carry 2 lb of Goex 3 f and 1 lb of Goex 2 F for the knuckle baller and the chunk rifle.  Box of ab 100 .454s a box of around 45 .465s for the log gun and a leather pouch with around 40 or so .530s for the smoothie. I just have to work down the load of lead I'm draggin around.  (Suggest a 2nd box left in the truck) Not that I don't have any.

Did I say that I hate to run out of anything

[xring2245]

Roger Fisher can tell you that most shooters that we encounter at our shoots will use a shooting kit and many of them have the know-how to load and shoot from the bag as well.  The shooting kit makes everything convenient for a day at the range and saves a lot of wasted time looking for things in the truck or trying to find another shooter to borrow from.

I shoot many guns, a few of them most of the time.  My shooting kit is a generic one, one I can use with all the guns.  I have a bag for each gun, not just for each caliber.  Each bag has exactly what I need for that particular gun, thus it is ready to use for loading and shooting primitively.  I have a lot of evertyhing in the box - powder, patches, solvent, oil, patch lube, etc.  If I am shooting a primitive event at a shoot, and the bag runs dry of patches, for example, I go to the box and replenish.  Again, I don't store RBs in the box, but in military ammo cans in the truck with balls of all sizes.  I have enough to share, when needed.

Roger, is this the way you are organized too?  Anyhow, it works well FOR ME.  I guess other shooters would find this system convenient for them too.

Any other ideas from forum members?

James

[Roger Fisher]

Roger Fisher can tell you that most shooters that we encounter at our shoots will use a shooting kit and many of them have the know-how to load and shoot from the bag as well.  The shooting kit makes everything convenient for a day at the range and saves a lot of wasted time looking for things in the truck or trying to find another shooter to borrow from.

I shoot many guns, a few of them most of the time.  My shooting kit is a generic one, one I can use with all the guns.  I have a bag for each gun, not just for each caliber.  Each bag has exactly what I need for that particular gun, thus it is ready to use for loading and shooting primitively.  I have a lot of evertyhing in the box - powder, patches, solvent, oil, patch lube, etc.  If I am shooting a primitive event at a shoot, and the bag runs dry of patches, for example, I go to the box and replenish.  Again, I don't store RBs in the box, but in military ammo cans in the truck with balls of all sizes.  I have enough to share, when needed.

Roger, is this the way you are organized too?  Anyhow, it works well FOR ME.  I guess other shooters would find this system convenient for them too.

Any other ideas from forum members?

James

Sure, and I use one of
Fuzzy's boxes also (don't ask what happened to the first one....

When shooting the circuit and I know I will shoot primative w walk/walks I have my belt bag stocked in the box and the horn (filled and plugged) and the flint and steel kit so I'm ready to go.  All I need out of the truck then is my hawk and knife (being I don't have a box big enough for them also   Rock throwing , spear chucking and trap setting they'l have to supply that

[Daryl]

The Elephant powder actually shot well.  It looks like I will have to see what I still have in stock and maybe spend some time shooting off the bench.  Here are the results:


I only brought a little Elephant, what was left in the can, and could not shoot any more with that powder, so I switched to GOEX with 70gr.  I fired good groups as well, as the .62 smooth rifle shoots well with 70-75gr. 2F.

The patches held up well.  I had fired four shots with several of the same patches and they were still usable.  I wasn't going to push my luck with them any further.  BTW, they were lubed with Lehigh Valley Lube.

That's it for now.  Just figured I'd share.
Have a great weekend everyone.


James

That's a wonderful target for a smoothbore - especially offhand at 50 yards - WOW!  I'd like to see how it does off the bench.

[Roger Fisher]

The Elephant powder actually shot well.  It looks like I will have to see what I still have in stock and maybe spend some time shooting off the bench.  Here are the results:


I only brought a little Elephant, what was left in the can, and could not shoot any more with that powder, so I switched to GOEX with 70gr.  I fired good groups as well, as the .62 smooth rifle shoots well with 70-75gr. 2F.

The patches held up well.  I had fired four shots with several of the same patches and they were still usable.  I wasn't going to push my luck with them any further.  BTW, they were lubed with Lehigh Valley Lube.

That's it for now.  Just figured I'd share.
Have a great weekend everyone.


James

That's a wonderful target for a smoothbore - especially offhand at 50 yards - WOW!  I'd like to see how it does off the bench.

Oh sure go ahead and puff him up.  So now he'll pound on us at our shoots .

[Daryl]

  

But Roger- just look at that target.

 My 20 bore won't even do that off the bench, let alone offhand - WOW - what great shooting - way to go xring - that's terrific - until now, I thought 3" off the bench was good - that's perhaps 2 3/4" and offhand - WOW!

pssssssssst - Roger can't do that - shhhhhhhhhhhh

 hahahahahahahaha!

[xring2245]

I would love to see pics of both of them; especially the Dubbs. Did someone build them for you or did you do it?

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

Here are some pics of my Jacob Dubbs Smooth Rifle










I purchased this rifle about eight years ago from Joe Hess, selling under the name of Ironheart, when we were both exhibiting and selling at Dave Mantz's event on Rt. 15 just south of Gettysburg.  He told me about the gun and said it was a copy of Jacob Dubbs smoothbore.  I did some research on Jacob Dubbs and put a deposit on the gun, as my interest had been piqued.

I put the gun away and did nothing with it for several years.  A few months ago I pulled it out and shot it.  There were some issues.  I did more research on Dubbs and his guns and found out that this style was actually a smooth rifle.  I gave the gun to Rich Dillon of Dillons' Flintlocks to correct the issues I had encountered while shooting it.  He corrected the flaws, including some poor workmanship, and made the changes that I had asked for to make it more authentic to what Dubbs would have done.  This included the installation of a period correct rear sight and a new front sight to match.

The gun actually started as a kit, possibly a Chambers kit, and the builder, if you want to call him that, did a few things right and several things seriously wrong.  For example, the original front sight was epoxied to the barrel.  Fortunately, Rich Dillon was able to either undo or correct the mistakes.

The gun now shoots one hole groups at 50 yards, as long as I do my part.  It has become one of my favorites and I use it a lot.