Mike Miller Custom Tulle

[Bushy]

Hi to Post
As promised here is my report on my 54 Custom Tulle that I shot early Tuesday morning.  Mike Miller made me one sweet Tulle Flinter.  The Caywood Lock fired every time for all 57 Shots. Instant ignition.  Used a .530 ball with a .010 patch lubed with my old favorite Crisco.  My standard patch of .015 was too tight.  Set up target at 13 yds.  First virgin shot by my friend who never shot a flinter hit alittle to the right but above the bull.  My first shot was dead centre.  Both shot a group of 5 shots.  We than moved to the 25yd target.  Had 3 bulls and 2 high.  The high were aimed high and hit top of black as expected.  We kept shooting the centre out of the target.  This Tulle is the nicest shooting flinter  of the four that I own.  It is so light and sleek.  Is built PC enough for me.  Has a 42" Rice barrel octagon to round with wedding bands and  fluted.  Has a cherry stock.  Forgot to mention loads the same all 57 shots but I blow down the barrel after each shot.  When the time comes where I don't no if my fun gun or flinter has not gone off, I'll be throwing both into the Niagara River.  Cleaned her when we were done, very little fouling.  Used FFFGoex.  The 7/8ths flint still has lots of life.  No gouges in the frizzen. 
This was a great way to Start off Canada Day.  I dressed French 1750's.  Now need a Milice shirt and some plunder.  I can't thank Mike Miller enough, he sure rose to the occasion.  Sorry for the rant but the gun just shoots so great.  I am one happy camper so to speak.  Won't be afraid to get her dirty since I didn't pay an arm and a leg.  No use taking a cadillac off roading.
My little Tulle may not be a Caddy built by one of the Kings but its the best Tulle I'll ever own.  Thanks again Mike Miller builder extradinaire.  I think that French for Top Dog.

Bushy(Vaya Con Dios Amigos)Stay Well and Shoot Often

[Bentflint]

Bushy, pictures?

[black kettle]

Bushy;
Say you didn't blow down the barrel.    There be some folks panic over that with
their What If's. Me? I blow down the barrel too.A lot of folks here do, there be some that dont. If you choose to blow down the barrel, I say your choice and sound
wisdom it is.

Arlin

[Bushy]

Hey Black Kettle
Did I say I blow down the barrel.  I meant to say that after every shot I always blow down the barrel.  I can shoot all day long.  Safer than blowing off acouple of fingers or worse.  There are flinters who blow down the barrel,  flinters who don't blow down the barrel  and flinters who say they don't blow down the barrel but do.  To each their own.  Works for me .   I will get some pics posted after I get back from Fort Niagara. 

Bushy(Vaya Con Dios Amigos)Stay Well and Shoot Often

[lew wetzel]

when do we get to see the pics....

[Edd]

Hey Black Kettle
Did I say I blow down the barrel.  I meant to say that after every shot I always blow down the barrel.  I can shoot all day long.  Safer than blowing off acouple of fingers or worse. 
Bushy(Vaya Con Dios Amigos)Stay Well and Shoot Often

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We'uns here in the southland are a speck slow at times. Help me with this. Are you saying that blowing down the barrel puts out a fire?? How do ye know there is a fire going on?? How do you know when you gots de fire put out??

Edd

[Frank]

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 How do you know when you gots de fire put out??

Edd
[/quote]

When the smoke stops coming out of the touch hole.

[Leatherbelly]

 I never blow down the barrel...of a loaded gun!

[Harnic]

I'm pretty particular about where my lips go!  Pretty women are about it for me, I don't put my lips on anything else! 

[Roger Fisher]

All of us,I'm sure are happy that you are happy with your new Tulle!

I'm feeling too good right now to go on about the Verboten blowing down the muzzle 'cept to say it may not blow YOUR head off; but the newbie that does see others do it then get all ferhuddled when they get a flash in the pan and then blow down the muzzle.  I've seen just that done 3 times and nothing happened.  Just lucky I guess!   As they say stuff happens.  It is verboten at any club that I know of.  We are independent souls; but the mere fact that the NMLRA (being accepted as experts on safety rules) forbids it should tell you something!

Ok I'll shut up now

[black kettle]

Hey Bushy;
I'm on your side and I do blow down the barrel after each shot. a lot of
folks here do. but since I've here this subject has been covered three times
for certain. Always with the same results. Hang in there, they'll all get tired
soon and  head for the beer closet.

Arlin

[Edd]

I was on duty as a range officer during one major shoot. It became obvious to me that one fella was experiencing way too many gun related problems. I smelled it first, then asked him next: "are you drinking whiskey?" He owned up to the fact that he was half drunk. Just minutes before I sent him home,  I'm certain that he would have blown down the barrel of a cannon...

I've seen a lot of goofy mistakes as a range officer. The overwhelming majority of shooters are trying to concentrate on their own loading and shooting. Their neighbor to the immediate left or right of them,  won't always let them shoot in peace without asking them questions. And that leads to mistakes while trying to load or unload.

There is a major difference in someone blowing down a barrel and fanning the flames inside a frontloader if he/she is shooting alone. Given the same loading procedure during a major shoot, while many shooters are on the shooting line and the risk of a gun related accident goes up dramatically.

Edd

[Bushy]

HI again
Rogers comment got me thinking so I pulled out my copy of Muzzleloading manual NMLRA.  I purchased it in Friendship in 2005 when I bought yep you guessed it my first Mike Miller flinter.  Since I ruffled afew feathers talking about the great little Tulle that he built I will cease about my flinters from Mike Miller however thats all I currently own.
I firmly believe in gun safety at all costs.  My first priority.  Rule#1 as per the NMLRA on page 28 states"Treat every firearm with the same respect due a loaded firearm".  Rule #6 states"Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot .  Avoid all horseplay with a firearm".

Well Well Well.  What do you call grown men do reenacting shooting at each other with real firearms with blanks?  So much for rule # 6.  The lore of the Loughery is held in May at Friendship.  I could be wrong but is this it not horseplay with guns?  The NMLRA  just broke rule # 1 and  6.  As far as blowing down the barrel its not in their Ten commandments of shooting safety.
Its on page 6 under Unit 2 Safety.  Ya thats a cute little poem about blowing down a barrel.  Like I said before if you don't know your guns fired  than you should not be in its possession.
This is the one major reason I don't do battle reenactments.  Very simple its dangerous and I follow the Ten commandments as set out by thr NMLRA.  I don't horseplay with real guns loaded or unloaded nor do I point a firearm at anything I do not want to shoot.
So endeth the lesson.  Now lets do as the Eagles have sang"Get Over It".


Bushy(Vaya Con Dios Amigos) Stay Well and Shoot Often.  As a P.S. only this once.  Make them all Mike Miller guns.

[Daryl]

 Bush- glad you like your .54 smoothie.  It's a bore (28) that I'd like to have as well. Your luzzle shape might be stopping you from using a thicker patch. A thicker patch will hold more lube and clean even better as you load and shoot.
: I just can't get over the feeling that blowing down the barrel is pointing the rifle at something I don't want to shoot - empty or not.
: I sort of got into the habit a while back (was a rule to do it here in BC at one time) but have weened myself of that and try to weenothers of it as well. We have new shooters who have enough on their plate already, just to remember, powder, patch, ball and to seat ball down tightly on the powder and if in doubt, ask someone NOW.
: Blowing down the tube is a habit after time and like all habits is difficult to stop.
: Here, in Northern Canada we ALL use tight ball/patch combos and none of us wipe between shots, none of us have burning embers left in the bore because we use tight ball/patch combos that cannot leave anything in the bore.
: Whenever I hear of someone saying they have to wipe between shots and they are using a descent lube, that tells me they are using a loose combination which is caused by weak wrists or arms or perhaps a too-sharp muzzle crown that won't allow a 'proper' combination.
: Even my little wife, Tracy, who shot with us last Sunday, and who hasn't shot for 27 years, had no difficulty loading and shooting her GM .45 barrel'd Seneca. It never got dirty, and she shot very well indeed. Her combo was a .440" ball with a .020" LV lubed patch having .005" compression per side in the bottom of the grooves, .010" total. When I asked her how it was loading, she said 'easy'.  Next time, she' ll be using the same patch and a .445" ball as they are more accurate. They also load 'easy'.

[Edd]

American Civil War reenactors are not aiming at the mock enemy. It only appears to be that way from a spectator's point of view.  Early on, the officers of every company, inform the privates to aim some twenty feet high over the head of the enemy.  In addition, an inspection is performed before each battle. Cartridge box contents are inspected as well as cap box contents. During the inspection, percussion caps are fired at a blade of grass to be sure of function and safety of the musket.

Edd

[Bushy]

Hi Daryl
Yep you could be right.  I tried  .015 patch and she seemed really tight.  At the time I didn't want to force the issue.  Used the .010 and it worked fine.   I'll pick up some .520 balls at Friendship in the fall.  I think the muzzle is probably fine but not sure at this time.  Mike did suggest using .520 balls.  Wanted to use what I had on hand and  it seemed to work.  I'll check Fort Niagara this weekend but I don't think they sell powder or ball at the reenactment.
Thanks for your advice much appreciated.  I'll take her out shooting again on Monday.  I used to cringe about dropping a load of powder down a freshly shot gun.  But will try  your suggestion.

Bushy(Vaya Con Dios Amigo)Stay Well and Shoot Often

[Daryl]

Bushy, would you please amend your profile so we know to whom we are speaking. (edicate and all) Some guys won't answer someone who leaves their identity hidden & one may lose valuable information due to the missing identity.  I've been on forums for many years, with no adverse experiences.

[Roger Fisher]

Bushy - I expect you have received my personal message re; Your new smoothy.

BTW - My smoothy is also a 28.

Will only add one more thing.  NMLRA rule #1090 -Blowing down the barrel" There will be NO blowing down the barrel of any firearm during NMLRA matches in any manner that requires placing the head in front of the muzzle. A flexible blow tube may be used at the shooters option providing that the shooter's head is not placed in front of the barrel".

Best regards

[Bushy]

Hi Roger yep I did.  Thanks for the info.  A personal message was also sent to you.  I'm off to Fort Niagara tommorrow for some plunder to carry with the Tulle.  Hope I can get some smaller balls as was suggested by Daryl earlier today.

As always

Bushy(Vaya Con Dios Amigo) Stay Well and Shoot Often

[northmn]

I had a 28 gauge Dixie percussion for a while that was a lot of fun to shoot.  Sold it because it didn't fit and was very cheaply made.   Almost kept it to make a flinter out of.  Smoothbores are fun, while they aren't really good for field mice at 100 yards like some seem to think we need as accuracy standards they do the job at close ranges.  What is surprising to me is that they seem to be making them in smaller bores all the time.  A 54 should be almost pleasant to shoot with round ball.  I kind of like your French send off of Vaya Co Dios Amigo.

DP

[don getz]

Bushy......how long have you been shooting?  Have you ever dry balled a "load"?  Strange things can happen when shooting a muzzleloader.  I personally I don't care if you blow down the barrel or not, but, just remember, it COULD happen.  You might shoot your whole life, and maybe it won't happen, but the possibility still exists for it to happen.
I do know that if you were shooting down here in Pa. at a routine muzzleloading shoot, you would be told about it, and
would probably be chased off the line if you continued to do it.  One thing I have learned in my sixty some years of shooting, there is NO room for error when handling or shooting a gun, the consequences are just too dire.......Don

[Roger Fisher]

Thanks Don! I feel a little less lonely in this particular pro and con discussion on blowing down the barrel!

Hope you will be able to shoot the chunk at the Getz/Singer shoot on the 12th!

Geez I better start looking for my Log Gun!

[tg]

"Thanks Don! I feel a little less lonely in this particular pro and con discussion on blowing down the barrel! "

There are those who do and those who don't, it is aways wrong if against any rules where/when you are shooting, aside fom that it is a matter of choice and not really anything that needs preachin' about ,  though the intentions are good, the continued unsolicited warnings do grow old after while.

[Elnathan]

I just cup my hand around the muzzle and blow from a couple inches away - neither my hand nor my face is directly over the muzzle. Seems to work for me....

This is one of those arguments that will never be resolved, I think.

[Candle Snuffer]

I just cup my hand around the muzzle and blow from a couple inches away - neither my hand nor my face is directly over the muzzle. Seems to work for me....

This is one of those arguments that will never be resolved, I think.

I think your right Elnathan, it is one of those issue that will never be resolved.  However, if the rules in which a person is shooting under say that you can not blow down your barrel with anything other then a bent tube I don't see this as that big of an issue as it is most likely a line shoot where the shooter has 20 to 30 and in some cases 45 minutes to fire five shots.  This is plenty of time for any unburnt embers to burn themself out if they do exist in ones' bore after they have fired over a five shot match.  It would be a on average; 4 to 6 to 9 minutes given for each loading and discharge.  This expanse of time can be increased over waiting by swabbing or doing as Daryl suggested, use a tight ball and patch comb.  

Where I have seen where the issue of blowing down the barrel really lay is within timed events.  Folks just don't trust to drop powder down a smoking barrel right after their shot.  Again - the tight patch and ball combo will will ensure there is no live embers in the bore as Daryl has said.  Even then there will be those who will not except this as they see smoke coming out of the bore and will not drop a quick load of powder down that bore.

So the issue goes on and on and on, but still comes down to the club's rules that may state, "No Blowing Down The Barrel" and we as competitiors will abide by them if we want to compete.