Covid postal match March 2021 Prize announced!!!!!

[Justin Urbantas]

Okay folks, here's the shoot for this month. It's to be shot at 25 yards offhand. The match is 5 shots per target, with 2 targets used, for a total of 10 shots for the match.  The goal is to put a ball in each triangle section, and one in the middle black. Only one hit in the centre black will be counted, and any section that has 2 hits will only score one hit.  Play it safe, or go for the gold. Half ball scoring, and highest score possible is 50.  3 entries allowed. To make this easy target you'll need a quarter, a sharpie, pieces of paper, and a large canning ring.
Make an x corner to corner, trace a quarter in the middle , then the ring around that.  If you want to use a compass, the centre circle is 1 1/8" and the outer is 3 5/8". Prize will be announced when I figure it out.
********
The prize this month will be a stained glass powder horn suncatcher.  Aim small miss small.

[Justin Urbantas]

Here's an example of a perfect target, scoring 25. The red dots represent shots.

[Daryl]

Now THAT looks interesting, Justin.  Reminds me, I need a new toner ctg. for the printer.

[Daryl]

To make this easy target you'll need a quarter, a sharpie, pieces of paper, and a large canning ring.

LOL I've got some made up, just have to do it - Taylor?

[OldMtnMan]

Shoot for the center first. Then if you miss and hit a section you get another shot at the center.

Is that cheating?

[bob in the woods]

Wow !   This should be interesting     

[MuskratMike]

Just made mine up. Tomorrows supposed to be a warm sunny day with little wind. I will try to get at least 2 targets shot, scored and posted so everyone can see how bad a shaky old man can shoot.
"Muskrat" Mike

[Daryl]

Wed 6 (42.8F), Thurs 9 (48.2F), really warm, but no sun till Saturday likely. Got some targets made and ready to shoot.

[alacran]

Was wondering what you would come up with. Looks interesting. Crappy weather for the next couple of days. I'll make some up to have ready.

[longcruise]

It seemed like a lot of work to make six of these so I made one up and did a PDF.  I'll try to attach it here if it will work.

[Justin Urbantas]

Thanks so much for making those targets. It'll definitely help folks out with a printer.

[Justin Urbantas]

Oh. I should mention too, that if you end up with 2 shots in a section, the lower of the two scores will be counted.  Aim small, miss small.

[Maven]

Thanks for the target "shortcut," long cruise!

[longcruise]

Yer welcome.

[Daryl]

I have only one target to post.  Was a little harder than I thought it would be, especially with the flinter.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Daryl and I went out on a warm cloudy day (9 C) and shot Justin's March target...Holy doodle!!  We both found it to be a difficult and frustrating target, but we endeavored to persevere.
I used my Chambers' Virginia rifle in .50 cal., .495" pure lead ball, .021" (10 oz) denim patch, moose milk lube, 72 gr. FFg GOEX, 4Fg in the pan.  After the first couple of targets, all shooting to the right, I discovered my front sight is leaning a bit, but I just tried to hold 'into the wind', and here's the result.




I scored it thus:  (5 x 3) + (3 x 2) = 21/25.  Justin of course has the word on the score. 

Justin:  a side note, I have your prize for February engraved and ready to mail...will get to it ASAP.

I'm going to use a .40 cal next time, just for fun.

[Justin Urbantas]

Good shooting on a very tricky target.  I agree with your scores. 19 for Daryl and 21 for Taylor.

[BillF/TRF]

I have only one target to post.  Was a little harder than I thought it would be, especially with the flinter.

That seems like a lot of powder (.50 cal/85 gr) for 25 yd shooting?  I would be really "twitching" by the 5th shot!

Bill

[Justin Urbantas]

Daryl seems to like big, thumper guns. His  .69 being a good example. I like my little 45 with 35 or 45gr at that distance.

[Daryl]

There is no recoil to 60gr. nor 85gr. in a .50 with a round ball, Bill.
That rifle is just an ounce or 2 under 8 pounds.
Even my .69, with 85gr. gives no recoil to speak of.  It does kick a
bit with 140gr. or more.

I know the 85gr. 2F load should shoot reasonably well at close range and even out to 100 meters on our trail walk,
but I haven't "worked up" a load as of yet. I do need to do that with this rifle and with the .36 bl. on my squirrel rifle.,
however I did manage to win the squirrel shoot at Hefley in 2019, with a 40gr. charge, so obviously that load shoots OK
and close to the sights that have not been changed, from the .32 bl.

[BillF/TRF]

There is no recoil to 60gr. nor 85gr. in a .50 with a round ball, Bill.
That rifle is just an ounce or 2 under 8 pounds.
Even my .69, with 85gr. gives no recoil to speak of.  It does kick a
bit with 140gr. or more.

Maybe that's why I can't get tight groups, I just need to use more powder in my .45 cal?

[alacran]

[

Maybe that's why I can't get tight groups, I just need to use more powder in my .45 cal?
[/quote]
I have found with MLs that you can usually get two loads that will shoot tight groups.  A low load, and a high load. With my .54 Hawken, 60 grains of goex 2f, with a .530 ball and a .018 pocket drill patch will shoot just as good as the high load which is 95 grains of the same powder and patch combo. With my 1 inch  Douglas barreled .45 target flintlock 70 grains of 3f OE, or Goex will shoot very well. 90 grains of the same will shoot just as good. Since I have adjustable sights on that rifle, I don't see the reason to shoot the higher load.
I had a light weight .45 flintlock hunting rifle which had two loads as well, 50grains 3f for the low and 70 for the high.

[OldMtnMan]

I've always tried to keep things as simple as possible. I develop a hunting load and then use that load for everything. Practice, target competition, and of course hunting. Same powder load, patch and lube. It makes it easy and i'm always fine tuning the load. Which in time makes a really accurate hunting load.

Just the way my mind works.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I currently have two .50 cal longrifles, and both have similar rifling styles, and rates of twist.  One has a 42" barrel and the other, 48".  The accuracy load that works identically in these rifles is 72 gr. of FFg GOEX, .495" ball, .021" (10 oz) denim pre-cut patches (material washed and dried twice to remove sizing), any lube from mink oil or neatsfoot oil, to LVL or moose milk, to saliva.  I use this load for all shooting from 25 yards to 100+.  This load shoots flat - level sights - to 75 yards, and requires holding some of the front sight over the rear sight notch for 100 yards.
As far as the calibre choice goes, I like it so much I have two more rifles of that calibre in the 'wings' waiting for time on the work bench.  With my rifles in the 9 - 10 pound range, I have no issues with recoil induces flinching, so hold and follow through is comfortable and natural.  Follow-through is essential for all shooting, but absolutely crucial for flintlock rifles.
Having said all that, I have to admit that I was surprised to find that the best handling, steadiest rifle I have ever shouldered, was made by my friend Gary Mummery in Kimberly, BC, back in the last century.  It was a Hawken rifle with a 28" x 1 1/8" parallel .54 cal barrel, and a 13 1/2" lop.  It seemed to be an effort to get the sights to move out of the bull'seye.  This is all such fun!

[rich pierce]

Today’s target for score - the lower one with the small holes. Percussion .54, spit patch 0.018” patch and .530 ball over 70 grains of Olde Eynesford FFG.

Then I played with my .69 smoothbore and saved that  fun target - not for score obviously. My New England fowler, .69 caliber. I use a .662 ball and a 0.020” spit patch over 70 grains of Olde Eynesford FFG. Top picture. I was just aiming at the bullseye.