ALR December Postal Match

[smylee grouch]

Yep, the older a fella gets the older he wants to get. 

[Daryl]

Happy Birthday Taylor and thanks for all your help and encouragement, you as well Daryl, only I don't know when your birthday is.

I used to particularly like the time between 8th Dec. and May 22, as Taylor is 2 years older than I am during that period. After May 22, he's only 1 year older.
That 'spread' is becoming less important nowadays.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Thanks for the BD Wishes guys.  I got a card that says that at this age, every birthday is a win...that makes me a winner!!  We're at -18 this morning...just came home from a birthday holiday in Victoria BC where it is currently +7 C...very pleasant. 

[bob in the woods]

Got out today and shot my first target.  25 yards, off hand, 10 bore Chambers N.E. Fowling gun.[ smoothbore 46 in barrel ...no rear sight ]  .715 ball, 100 gr FFg , paper cartridge
nicked the 2 1/2 in , but not a half ball, missed the 1 1/2 altogether
I score a  9
Next time I want to try my .54 rifle


upload

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Nice shooting Bob...very sporty of you.

[Jakob]

Got the jag popped out today. Totally uneventful.  Filled in 4F under the nipple and it was just a gentle *Pop* and the jag came out a about 4 feet.
Barrel is soaking in ballistol right now and will shortly get a full scrub and I should be back at the range tomorrow.

[bob in the woods]

Nice shooting Bob...very sporty of you.

Black powder deer season just ended here, so I needed to unload my gun. Rather than pull the charge, I figured I'd just fire it, along with 4 additional shots 

[Dphariss]

Got the jag popped out today. Totally uneventful.  Filled in 4F under the nipple and it was just a gentle *Pop* and the jag came out a about 4 feet.
Barrel is soaking in ballistol right now and will shortly get a full scrub and I should be back at the range tomorrow.

Soaking the fouling with a petroleum will just make it water resistant and harder to remove completely. If petroleum soaked powder fouling is allowed to buildup in the breech through repeated firings and cleanings it can make a material much like asphaltic concrete. Which is then very difficult to remove. This can and will completely plug breeches. This is a picture of a fouling trap breeched barrel that came in to be “fixed”. The rifle was not used much and was apparently well oiled since it did not rust nor did the fouling get hard.. But improper cleaning had finally completely plugged to vent.
While the fouling trap would have kept fouling at least a good iniitial water flush would have kept  the vent clear. I use a light petroleum to remove any possible remaining water but I don’t do any initial  cleaning with petroleum.

[Daryl]

Not sure about what Ballistol is made of, but seems to me, it is water soluble.
I cannot see what good it will do, and that a proper cleaning with the barrel out of the stock is what I feel is needed, not soaking
in anything. Get it well cleaned as quickly as possible.

[Jakob]

I've found Ballistol very effective in loosening up *everything*. Regardless, barrel (removed from stock) got a thorough cleaning with hot soapy water, until patches came out *clean*.
 Went to the range, -11C, but low winds. Warmed up, mounted the target and noticed that my patches were now frozen. Balls still went in smoothly, but loading the 2nd shot on the target, I guess it melted and then re-froze in barrel as it got stuck when I tried loading the ball...trying to use more force resulted in this

(Left the range rod at home, of course).
Got home, grabbed the range rod and it seated the ball with no effort.
Will need to find a better lube for freezing temps
Will try again on Friday. At worst, I'll keep the patches on my pocket.

[rich pierce]

I hear that having windshield washer fluid in a wet lube mix is the ticket where it gets cold. Keeping patches with “freezable” lube warm won’t help if the barrel is mighty cold.

[Daryl]

That's unfortunate, Jacob. It's happened to many of us, either that or punching the ball through the frozen patch.
BlueThunder windshield washer antifreeze fluid + just a tich of  Neetsfoot Oil is what a bunch of us up in PG use for lube in the winter time.
I put in about an ounce of oil for every 10 ounces of fluid. Mixing up a batch usually outlasts the winter, so for range shooting in the summer
time, the bit of oil slows the evaporation rate.  I usually mix up a gallon at a time.
The mixture I noted above, is what we call WWWF+ a tich of oil.
That rod had VERY poor grain runnout.
A range rod made from a piece of drill rod, or air-craft stainless works well for range shooting as well as cleaning.
Actually all of this BUZZ, should be in a new thread, not on Taylor's Dec. Postal Match.

[Dphariss]

I've found Ballistol very effective in loosening up *everything*. Regardless, barrel (removed from stock) got a thorough cleaning with hot soapy water, until patches came out *clean*.
 Went to the range, -11C, but low winds. Warmed up, mounted the target and noticed that my patches were now frozen. Balls still went in smoothly, but loading the 2nd shot on the target, I guess it melted and then re-froze in barrel as it got stuck when I tried loading the ball...trying to use more force resulted in this

(Left the range rod at home, of course).
Got home, grabbed the range rod and it seated the ball with no effort.
Will need to find a better lube for freezing temps
Will try again on Friday. At worst, I'll keep the patches on my pocket.

EEK!
Rods that break like this are extremely dangerous and will slice through a hand like a knife. BTDT when I was a lot younger. I never buy rods though the mail. And really inspect the ones I do buy.
Another trick is to strike the rod a sharp rap on a hard object like a concrete floor. I also flex them to make sure the flex is uniformas the rod is rotated and flexed.

Ballistol has isobutyl alcohol. And this means it has a level of water as well I am sure. Since alcohols are known to absorb water from the air. Someone here with a chemical background could tell us maybe.
There is a horror story from long ago about such things, in this case Hoppes #9 and  P-dex that appeared in “Rifle” magazine.

Ballistol MSDS
https://www.ballistol.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/MSDS_TECH_BIO.pdf
I don’t see anything especially magical and since they don’t give percentages etc its probably just alcohol and something akin to Kerosene. Its apparently not “hazardous” enough to be listed. Which tells me it may be mineral oil or some such. Did not read the entire MSDS. They seem to be getting more involved than they once were.

Hoppes is more complex, apparently, but it is a good lead remover for rifles shooting “naked” bullets.
Hoppes #9 MSDS
It has 2 alcohols it seems.
https://www.hoppes.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-HuntShootAccessoriesSharedLibrary/default/dwbd6a431d/productPdfFiles/hoppesPdf/sds/1000-101_SDS_No_9%20-Bore_Cleaner_liquid-Revision_11_4517.pdf

I suspect that both these probably have enough water to do some good in removing BP fouling. I know (via Rifle Magazine) that PDex and Hoppes  #9 left to soak overnight will kill a barrel due to the water present. I asked Bill Knight about the “Rifle” case and that was his opinion. Hodgdon replied to “Rifle’s” questions stating that if ANY liquid was put on P-dex fouling that it had to be completely cleaned immediately.
BP (real BP) fouling sucks up water like a sponge and the carbonates will liquify and wash away easily. Adding petroleum to the mix will not enhance this SFAIK though it might help remove any carbon present. I only use a little Dawn or Windex to cut any remamining patch lube that might be present. But I also rinse well to get all the soap out.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I don't have any problems with folks discussing things like loading and cleaning on this thread.  This thread's benefit should be an exchange and absorption of information where lessons can be learned by everyone willing to take advice.  Hopefully, when information is freely given, especially from an experienced and successful shooter, those who have issues will glean valuable help in solving their own problems.
Jacob:  use only water that is tepid, comfortable to the skin, not hot water, to clean your barrel and lock.  Otherwise, flash rusting WILL form in your bore, and that is barrel cancer...you don't want that in your bore.  Flannelette patches will dry your bore...you don't need the heat from the water to do that. 

[Jakob]

It looked a lot nicer than it was! -12C, but 8kt wind and 80% humidity meant I barely lasted an hour.. We'll be hitting -29C next week, so this was my best chance to get out.
I really wanted some mink tallow but I wont get that for at least another week, so I pre-soaked and dried some patches in hope they would provide some lubrication...which they kinda didn't. However, I kept the lube in my pocket and with some quick work, I could wet a cleaning patch and wipe between each shot.
I only lasted a warm-up round (5 shots) and then one target before the cold got the better of me and I ran home.

Could be better, but given the conditions, I'll take it.
.54 cal percussion, 70gr 3F Schuetzen, .535 ball.

DIY caps are getting a little annoying. Keeping them in a tin means that the priming compound will shake loose over time and not being able to fit them in a capper, means taking the gloves off to fit them. I have, I think, found a more local source for caps, so hopefully that issue will soon be gone. (Meanwhile I am now making progress on my Jaeger, which will also eliminate that issue!)

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Jacob:  I'm glad you got out to shoot the December PS.  I hope you (and the rest of us) get another opportunity.

[bob in the woods]

I'm still hopeful ....maybe this afternoon 

[taterbug]

Bob, that second clump of trees looks to be about 25 yards.  You could shoot off the porch!

[Dphariss]

last day of the “heritage” ML season (8 days) after the general. Critters still a little hyper. Of course bow hunters get a LOT more time before general season… But they are special and have fought a ML season hammer and tongs for years.

Will give it a try next week sometime if the wind abates peak on the weather station is 34 mph right now.

[Daryl]

Supposed to warm up here next week to close to 0, by next weekend(Christmas).
-24 or so right now. Too cold to shoot for this old fella.

[Pukka Bundook]

minus 30 C here Daryl. What's that, minus 24F?

Yep! My hands don't like cold any more!

[Seth Isaacson]

Good shooting gents!

My kids colored some of the bulbs for me to shoot. However, I wound up driving all day to pick up a new puppy from a rescue last Monday, so I didn't get out to shoot as planned. We have a snow storm coming in when I'm off later this week, but I might be able to get out after the storm and shoot. If not, I'll hopefully find a decent day right before New Years.

[Dphariss]

I like the target.
The others used a lot of toner. I get them drawn out and have some little sticky dots to use for aiming. Wife found me a compass to draw them with. Now waiting for a little warmer weather.
Actually below zero f about daylight. Might make +10 by noon.



And yes, for you folks in the Great White North  I DO go out in the snow sometimes. This is about 1000 ft above the pickup. About 9AM yesterday,  all I got was exercise.

.

[Daryl]

Glad you can do that, Dan. It's beyond me now. I suppose Taylor could, but would not likely be hunting. We've done it, mind you, down to
-40F/C. That was brisk.
-32C (-25.6F) this morning at 10AM. That's also -10.56 Newton or 198 Delisle/241.15Kelvin. Those sound t0o hot for winter.

[Dphariss]

I suspect it was something around zero f when I shot the last shot. Was waiting in the pickup for the barrel to cool I shot the first two back to back after letting it get cold and then it needed to cool after each. 5 minutes was enough. Made them on a sheet of paper with a pencil compass then copied them on some heavier grey paper.
Was going to shoot a warm up target but it was too chilly.