Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons => General Interest => Topic started by: rickevans on March 11, 2013, 09:49:12 AM

Title: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: rickevans on March 11, 2013, 09:49:12 AM: I finally got to a Trade Gun shoot on Saturday at the Lansing Muzzleloaders club. They have a great course, fine food, a nice fire and good coffee. The weather was mild, the sun even came out for a while. I shot with Pathfinder and a couple other fellows, and we had a grand time. I had my unfinished Jackie Brown Early Virginia "Barn Gun" and a brand new flint. Having never shot this smoothbore before and never shot a Trade Gun match, I was pretty mellow in my expectations. The only issue I had was that the rammer had swelled up in the channel and I had to use a puller to extract it. I carried it in my hand, stuck into my sash when shooting and in the muzzle after loading for the station. The smoothbore did very well, I hit some of the difficult targets and missed too many easy ones.

The level of tom-foolery, hard-core ribbing and "helpful" banter was high ("Aim Higher. More. There"). And here is where the Pay Attention comes in. We shot the first 12 Trade Gun targets, all with RB. Then there were 4 clay birds to be taken with shot. Now where is my ramrod? Must have fallen outa my sash....nope. Between the last RB target and the claybirds was only 12 feet down the path.... Friend Dennis Neely mentioned that my shot seemed to go way high on that last target...could I have left the ramrod in on that last shot? Naw....maybe...could have....probably did. The last RB target is a large round metal "frying pan" out at what the club guide said was all of 180 yards. Hence the need for some hold over....every other target was down hill from the shooting stick, and if I would have left the rammer in for those shots, it would have fallen out as soon as the muzzle dipped to acquire the target. Not that frying pan.

With no rammer to be found, and 4 birds to shoot with shot, my close friend Pathfinder went on the hunt and harvested a natural rammer (he cut off a sapling twig) for me. Using this improvised ram rod, I loaded up powder, a wad, shot and another wad and I actually hit the second bird tossed.

So....have fun on the trail. Tell jokes, laugh, ridicule poor shots, mock your opponents clothing, lineage, dog and general appearance. But keep track of what you are doing, or you might find yourself at a station, primed and ready with no load in the gun (Ted) or wondering why that last shot went high and where the heck your ramrod went to.

I am sure some one will be by shortly with a picture or two...
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: sse on March 11, 2013, 09:51:42 AM: Just another good story to tell...
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: No Deer on March 11, 2013, 11:01:38 AM: HI Rick

Glad you had a good time. Don't feel too bad about shooting your ramrod. We have a club member that shot 2 one day. We made him a trophy, a round wooden bullseye target with a piece of ramrod embedded in it :rotf
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: rickevans on March 11, 2013, 11:11:59 AM: Well that is encouraging. I think. :Doh!
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: gunmaker on March 11, 2013, 11:19:08 AM: Been there, sure enough done that. Now I use a range rod with a 2" wood ball on end. I can see that over the sites. ....Tom
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: prairie dog on March 11, 2013, 12:38:11 PM: Sounds like someone had a good time!
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: prairie dog on March 11, 2013, 12:42:30 PM: Kidding aside, I know what you mean. During competition it is easy to get distracted and forget where you are in the loading sequence. It happens to me every time someone ask me a question or a new shooter needs help. Being the folks we are, it is nature to want to help others and your mind goes there forgetting about what you are doing in the moment.
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: Uncle Russ on March 11, 2013, 12:50:40 PM: Quote from: "rickevans"
Well that is encouraging. I think. :Doh!

I totally agree Rick........such stories seem to grow a bit in the telling simply because everybody has already heard the old version, so the new teller is forced to add a wee bit to his side of the story.

But what the heck? That's the stuff legends are made off, and it's always great to be associated with a legend, wouldn't ya say?

Not to worry, if ya haven't done it, it's just a matter of time............

Uncle Russ....
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: sse on March 11, 2013, 12:56:37 PM: At the last shoot, a guy broke his rr and so I let him use mine, but his bore was much longer, so the whole thing went in when he shoved down the next load, then pounded it on a short starter. Others were talking to him, etc, distracted him and he started walking for the next shot. I knew my rr was still in there and decided to let it go a sec, just long enough for him to realize he forgot it and probably would have shot it outta there!
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: rickevans on March 11, 2013, 02:13:24 PM: Quote
But what the heck? That's the stuff legends are made off, and it's always great to be associated with a legend, wouldn't ya say?

A legend you say...well then....
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: Uncle Russ on March 11, 2013, 03:39:56 PM: Quote from: "rickevans"
Quote
But what the heck? That's the stuff legends are made off, and it's always great to be associated with a legend, wouldn't ya say?

A legend you say...well then....

:rotf

Uncle Russ...
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: 2 Locks on March 11, 2013, 07:10:39 PM: Quote from: "rickevans"
So....have fun on the trail. Tell jokes, laugh, ridicule poor shots, mock your opponents clothing, lineage, dog and general appearance.
Whoa - slow down there just a cottin' pickin' minute!!!! You got something to say about my dog?!?!?! :evil: :cry:
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: 2 Locks on March 11, 2013, 07:12:04 PM: Just couldn't resist, Pathfinder. :rotf
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: pathfinder on March 11, 2013, 09:27:23 PM: Say the word and I'll be more than happy to take her back! If I recall,your north south was what needed some work,and that's just sight picture work.

Curl'y lock's were not noted for their quality,good lock's just not Chambers class. If you want,I can give you the number of a guy who will fix her right up,or I can re-buy her and I'LL have it done! LOL!

Anyway,here's a pic of "Ole Sticky" and his new ramrod. It seem's to fit the thimbles pretty good! I like 'em a little longer,give's ya somthing to grab onto when pulling a ball!
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: Uncle Russ on March 11, 2013, 11:03:58 PM: Pullin a ball might be a little rough, but other than that I see nothing wrong with a nice little flexible rod, seems to match the color of his knife sheath too.....now that's a nice touch.

Uncle Russ...
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: 2 Locks on March 12, 2013, 06:33:45 PM: I'm not at all serious about wantin' my money back, Pathfinder. (just had to pull your chain) But I am going to take a serious stab at making this gun work.
In fact I was planning to take the lock apart & polish all the contacting surfaces. If it turns out to be more than I can handle (and that's likely) then...

Quote from: "pathfinder"
If you want,I can give you the number of a guy who will fix her right up...
I could always use the number for a good... locksmith(?)
Send the info along.
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: Mad Irish Jack on January 13, 2014, 12:14:50 AM: rick, "Congrats on joining the not really so exclusive club". :th up Maybe not real soon, but... yeah. There are a lot of pilgrims that say "Me? NEVER!" We have their membership cards made out, filled in,...with everything except the date. You an' 'em are probably going to forget the powder or ball.....sometime. Unless you quit, retire or go under (not really a choice).:Doh! Sumtimes you kin git more an' one or two out if'n yer good at whittlin. An' since you won't be doin' no shooting til ya getts it whittled down jist right. Ya best get one an get started whittlin.
But my advice; I worked it out. Buy yerself bout haf dozen or so 4 foot hickery dowels the proper dia-meater fer yer gun weapon at a genral stoar and finish it. "At's a bit faster 'en whittlin an oversizer down. Enjoy bein' funned with. :hey-hey Tall goes round....true it do!!! Njoy.
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: Buzzard on January 13, 2014, 05:07:35 PM: I cain't hardly beleave you all michiganders done up an went an had that much fun and left me down here to fight off all these thieven kentuckyan's by myself! I'ma gonna make things right when i cya in the spring. Ya can count on that. I'll even bring Hank, if'n i hafta. AND, they ain't nothin wrong with my DOG. At least she don't go MOOOO!
Title: Re: Pay Attention!!!!
Post by: Woodrock on January 15, 2014, 02:37:24 AM: I can remember seeing a photograph what looked to be a ramrod in the chest of a Civil war field casualty.