Getting Ready For Some "Fall" Gong Shooting

[Candle Snuffer]

Got out to the Range this morning after installing a new (thicker & taller) brass front sight (which needed to be done since I installed a new rear sight two weeks ago) on my .45 percussion half stock rifle that I'll use for offhand gong shooting at our local Range this Fall, Winter, and coming Spring.

I shot paper at 50 yards and got where I wanted to be (I like to be about 2 inches high at 50 yards - which is pretty much where I ended up at.

After shooting 6 shots at the paper target (you can see how the "2 shot groups" climbed after my front sight filings) I moved out to the 65 yard 8 inch gong and took two more shots. I can live with this for now, though I'll tighten up my group over the next month or so (when Range time permits).

(55 gr 3fg Goex, .018 pillow ticking patch with Hoppes 9 Bore Solvent & Patch Lube, .445 Hornady Ball)

NOTES:
1) The Hoppes patch lube was a test as I usually just use a spit patch, and it seemed to work just fine, though whether I stick with it is undecided at this time.

2) We'll be shooting chain hung gongs from 50 to 100 yards - (6" @ 50, 55, 60 yds) - (8" @ 65, 70, 75 yds) - (10" @ 80, 90, 100 yds)... The course of fire will vary of course just to mix things up.

3) Open only to traditional side lock muzzle loading rifles (flint or percussion) .40 through .54 caliber with fixed iron sights (no sight shades allowed), soft lead round ball only (no wheel weight lead). No slings allowed - all offhand shooting.

[Candle Snuffer]

Here's a picture of my rifle, it really does look better then what you're seeing. I'm not a photographer by any means.

There is no "dip" in the wood under the rear sight forearm. That's from camera flash.

[nosrettap1958]

"I'm not a photographer by any means." Ya, we know.  Another beautiful rifle desecrated by an inept photographer.

That rifle of yours is tightening up real nice.

let us know how you did at the shoot, will ya!! 

[jamesthomas]

 That's a nice rifle! It sure does look like it has a good bit of drop in the stock, does it help steady it better?.

[Candle Snuffer]

We'll start our gong shoots in December now instead of this month Crawdad. I'll keep you posted.

James, this particular rifle has a 3-5/8" drop. I do feel it helps my offhand shooting.

[Daryl]

Good thread - I need to get out 'testing' my trail rifle, also a .45 Gm bl. and 1/2  stocked (now).
With slippery lubes, it likes/demands 75gr. 3F and 85gr. of 2F - identical performance.
With water based lubes, like WWWF+oil and spit, it likes 65gr. 3F, but will shoot about anything over that you wish to use. It does not like reduced loads - at all if shooting 50yards or beyond.

[Candle Snuffer]

Have to say Daryl that my rifle likes the 65 grain 3fg load the best as well, (must be that 1 in 60 twist and .012 depth rifling - along with a good patch and lube), but I'm trying to conserve a little powder these days. You know I did test 60 grains several times but it proved to be the worst of all loads for any accuracy. One nice thing about the gongs (as you well know from all those years of shooting them with your group) we do have a margin of forgiveness with each shot, and that I like.

[Daryl]

My .40 was the same. Just about any load would put 5 into a tiny, single hole at 25 yards. Move back to 50 or more yards and the loads really start talking and showing preferences.  More powder does shoot better. That is why the match shooters do not use what I call squib loads.  They also use tight combinations.

[T*O*F]

The trouble with our gongs is that they don't ring and if shot with anything smaller than a .45 most of them won't even move.  Usually you can hear a twack with the larger calibers, but the smaller ones travel so fast you can't hear anything.

[Daryl]

Know what you're talking about, Dave. When shooting the .32 - I KNOW I have 'lost' 1 to 3 hits on a number of trails.

Also, seems the higher the carbon content in the steel, the more 'ring' you get.  Too, with a high speed ball, especially when I used the .40 with LHV (2,260fps) the ring on close targets would blend into the rifle's discharge. Lucky for that rifle, was the extra ball weight over the .32's ball and there would be more movement of the plates, even heavy ones.

Thick plates of mild steel are the worse for showing hits.  Sometimes, frustration would see me using the .69 on next trail - no question on it's hits with it's 466gr. WW 15 bore ball. LOL

Oft times, someone watching with binocs would call hits when no one heard or saw it with non-aided vision and poor hearing or wearing ear plugs AND poor hearing. This happened more often with .32's on up to 40's.

The .32's tiny "tink" is easily missed, but that rifle is FUN to use on a trail.

[Candle Snuffer]

We haven't ran into the target report/sighting hits issue as yet, but I certainly see where it could happen. So far we've always had several folks in our group watch the target with their binoculars. We use the AR500 target gongs from Shootingtargets7.com. No one has shot anything less then a .45 to date at the gong matches in the past, but smaller calibers very well may come along. We use 3/8 and 1/2 thick gongs and are considering the 1/4" x 10 & 12 inch for longer ranges (75 yards plus) but haven't committed to these as yet. The 1/4 inch gongs are AR500 as well and I've tested them with a 80 grain load .535 ball from 40 yards and they hold up fine. Even did a little write up about the 1/4 inch gong on shootingtargets7's web sight earlier this year. (Here it is below)

Hi Mark, just wanted to let you know I tested the 1/4" x 10" gong from 40 yards with my .54 caliber TC Hawken Rifle with an 80 grain load of 2fg Goex under a 220 grain soft lead patched round ball and it held up just fine as I hung the gong in the suggested manner. The ball would have been striking the gong with a bit over 700 foot pounds of energy. I'd recommend this gong for soft lead round ball from the traditional muzzle loading side of the shooting sports. Thanks for the products offered at shootingtargets7, they are excellent!
(Posted on 4/18/15)