May Comments For Our May 2017 Paper Silhouettes Results

[Ohio Joe]

Okay, I know it's still April 30th, but I wanted to get this reminder up for those with April Targets to still be turned in;

6.a. IMPORTANT - Returning Targets (for score) must be returned on, or before, or post marked, no later then the 15th day of the following month. EXAMPLE: April's targets would have to be "Post Marked" by the 15th of May to count for score...

http://tradmla.org/tmaf/index.php?topic=22167.msg207801#msg207801

Mail To:

Joe Martin
TMA  / NMD
315 Coates St.
Crawford, NE 69339

And as a side note, I just finished switching over my Dickert cap lock rifle to flintlock for our May Silhouettes, which I hope to get out this coming Friday (May 5th) to shoot if all goes well... Now May 4th is National Prayer Day - so no doubt I'll be praying heavily on that day in preparation for May 5th...

[Uncle Russ]

And as a side note, I just finished switching over my Dickert cap lock rifle to flintlock for our May Silhouettes, which I hope to get out this coming Friday (May 5th) to shoot if all goes well... Now May 4th is National Prayer Day - so no doubt I'll be praying heavily on that day in preparation for May 5th... 

Joe, you seem to be trying your hardest to avoid the situation I was faced with last Friday. 

That was actually my only "really bad" experience with one of those cap buster thingys, and I ain't going to just trash all the other cap busters I have, most of them have served me very well over the many years I've used them...but I will be shooting a flintlock in May! 

Never owned a rifle I could change over from Flint to Percussion, but I have often thought that that must be the ultimate thing to practice, shoot, and hunt with the same rifle, same weight, same balance, same feel, but with different ignition, and it's your almost immediate choice.
If I remember right, you've had  that Dickert for some time now.   

BTW; While looking through some "stuff" in the shop the other day I came across 43 brand new / unused English Flints. They must have come from that "group buy" we had years ago. I guess I put 'em away where I thought I'd be sure to remember where they where...seem to do that a lot lately. 
Uncle Russ...

[amm1851]

I tried to shoot today but when I got up to the hills west of here where I like to shoot it was raining and snowing and 34 degrees. Uncle Russ,  would you mind sending some nice weather my way for a change?   

[Uncle Russ]

I tried to shoot today but when I got up to the hills west of here where I like to shoot it was raining and snowing and 34 degrees. Uncle Russ,  would you mind sending some nice weather my way for a change?   

  I would love to bud, however.....we ain't got enough nice weather to spare.

It was right at 38 degrees early this morning, but it warmed-up to a very balmy 48 by noon, and it has been pouring rain since.

(BTW:Surface temperature on the lake is just now reaching 46*F....it should be in the 60's by now!)

When we "spring" forward, it sure makes one wonder just darn far forward we are supposed to spring....never trust a dadburn Groundhog, no matter what he says!

Uncle Russ...

[Ohio Joe]

And as a side note, I just finished switching over my Dickert cap lock rifle to flintlock for our May Silhouettes, which I hope to get out this coming Friday (May 5th) to shoot if all goes well... Now May 4th is National Prayer Day - so no doubt I'll be praying heavily on that day in preparation for May 5th... 

Joe, you seem to be trying your hardest to avoid the situation I was faced with last Friday. 

That was actually my only "really bad" experience with one of those cap buster thingys, and I ain't going to just trash all the other cap busters I have, most of them have served me very well over the many years I've used them...but I will be shooting a flintlock in May! 

Never owned a rifle I could change over from Flint to Percussion, but I have often thought that that must be the ultimate thing to practice, shoot, and hunt with the same rifle, same weight, same balance, same feel, but with different ignition, and it's your almost immediate choice.
If I remember right, you've had  that Dickert for some time now.   

BTW; While looking through some "stuff" in the shop the other day I came across 43 brand new / unused English Flints. They must have come from that "group buy" we had years ago. I guess I put 'em away where I thought I'd be sure to remember where they where...seem to do that a lot lately. 
Uncle Russ...

Finding those flints was great! 

Yes sir Russ, I've had this convertible Dickert for (oh at least - 12, 13, maybe 14 years?)  There is something to be said for having a rifle with the same weight and feel that can be shot cap or flint. Biggest thing I found is that I have to up my flintlock charge 10 grains for a 65 grain 3fg charge, while the cap lock likes both 55 and 65 grains 3fg,,, but I like to shoot 55 grains in the cap version as I save a little powder that way.

I gotta go with the flintlock in May Russ... I told myself going into this that I would rotate - cap / flint / cap / flint and so on, for the silhouette shoots. It's kind of a way for me to get a workout with both ignition systems with my rifles, and yes shamelessly I have a rifle for each month, (though ol' convertible "Candle Snuffer" [name given to me and my rifle for snuffing 25 candles in a row at a Chadron Fur Trade Days Rendezvous quite a few years back] gets to shoot twice). You wouldn't know it the way I shoot now.   I've lost some steps with my eyesight for sure over the years.

Anyways, it's all good fun, and I can't think of a better group of folks to share shooting with, then the good folks here at the TMA!   

[Ohio Joe]

Ok, Maven got us kicked off for May Silhouettes. Maven, your score is posted! 

[Maven]

Thanks , Joe!  And I thought I did as badly in May as I did in April:  I mustn't have been paying attention when they taught addition in elementary school!:lol sign  More seriously, I tried a different rifle yesterday (same targets though), a .50cal. Mowery (.495" RB as per the manufacturer) and in spite of not having fired it for several years, did better with it than my FL. At this point it's a toss up as to which rifle I'll choose for the June match:  the Mowery or my ever reliable Lyman GPR.  Both are cap locks, btw.  Lastly, while I have shot my Isaac Haines FL well in the past, I don't any longer.  Practice will improve that, but I'm giving serious thought to glass bedding its R. Rice bbl.  Any thoughts or advice about this?


P.S.  As you may recall, I've tried various patch thicknesses with the Isaac Haines, but I'm not getting the accuracy I think the rifle is capable of.  However,  I'm fairly certain that the RB I cast from my Jeff Tanner mould + a .021" muslin (?) patch gives better accuracy than the .530" RCBS RB I sometimes use with the same patch.  Pondering this, I wonder whether a .018" pillow tick patch and the .530" RCBS RB will perform well enough to be competitive?   It certainly is easier to load....

[Ohio Joe]

I'm giving serious thought to glass bedding its R. Rice bbl.  Any thoughts or advice about this?

Well, I've heard of folks doing this but I just don't know enough about the subject. My gut feeling is that a "bedded" half stock rifle - there could be some advantage to it,,, but a full stock rifle where the tenons have a bit of an oblong hole for the pins to expand/contract with the wood temperatures, I'm just a bit hesitant on that. Now hopefully someone will come along and have some good thoughts on this as I'd like to know as well.

As for the patch/ball combos, I think a feller just has to experiment a bit. Even the patch lubes come into play as you already know... I've always understood and haven't always practiced it, that a tight patch and ball is the way to go for best accuracy,,, however just when we think we're there we sometimes fined that that's not always the case? Could it be the patch lube?

You did fine Maven and congrats on being the first in for May Silhouettes. I plan on getting out real soon myself - but I'm at least a week out from today. Those two holes above the chicken didn't miss by much had they been about 3/4" lower you'd of went 3 of 3 on that paper feathered beast! Glad you're enjoying the silhouettes my friend. It makes it fun for all of us!     

[Maven]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice, Joe and good luck to you in the May match!  I'll now give serious thought to the bedding issue.

[Ohio Joe]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice, Joe and good luck to you in the May match!  I'll now give serious thought to the bedding issue.

Thanks Maven, I'm hopeful I'll get out this coming Friday to get my May targets shot. The forecast here is calling for rain all week long. Have to see how that plays out. Seems to me I saw a Thread one time on a forum about bedding muzzle loading rifles, but for the life of me I can't remember where it was? As always, a pleasure talking with you. 

[Ohio Joe]

Got your May score posted, Axe. You just nicked that chicken and touches count as hits. Nice shooting! 

[dmarsh]

Ohio Joe, you one of those new math guys?     Looks like 18 out of 20 to me for Axe. 

Dave

[Uncle Russ]

Ohio Joe, you one of those new math guys?     Looks like 18 out of 20 to me for Axe. 

Dave

I'm here to tell ya that fella Axe came to play, he always comes to play!
That dog can hunt!

  ...looks like Joe "jerked" his trigger finger just a wee bit on that 2, and hit a 1....I've don't that before, too many times to count, it ain't no big thang and it's sooo easy to do.
Squeeze Joe, let the air out and slowly squeeze....but not to worry, both Dave Marsh and meself can't do that "new math" stuff either....

Uncle Russ...

[Hank in WV]

Might want to revisit Mavens also.

[Ohio Joe]

Ohio Joe, you one of those new math guys?     Looks like 18 out of 20 to me for Axe. 

Dave

I'm here to tell ya that fella Axe came to play, he always comes to play!
That dog can hunt!

  ...looks like Joe "jerked" his trigger finger just a wee bit on that 2, and hit a 1....I've don't that before, too many times to count, it ain't no big thang and it's sooo easy to do.
Squeeze Joe, let the air out and slowly squeeze....but not to worry, both Dave Marsh and meself can't do that "new math" stuff either....

Uncle Russ...

Boy that breeze coming through the back screen door was sure making it hard to hold on that 2 key... I know now I should have held off on the 3 key so I could hit the 2 key... What was I thinking... Good catch!