Shooting report

[John from MD]

I was at the range yesterday tuning my TC New Englander 50 and 54 for some pig hunting.

Earlier, I decided to try some hotter caps by buying 1) a musket cap nipple and 2) a 209 conversion nipple. My experience with both was dismal. I have read where CCI musket caps suck and brother are they right. I had nothing but hang fires even with a completely cleaned barrel and breach!

The 209 converter worked after a fashion. It fires fine but 1) takes a knife to get the used primer out and 2) makes so much carbon that I could barely force the second primer in. It would never work if I needed a quick second shot.

I forgot to bring my chrony so I didn't get any speed info on my loads. I was shooting round ball, maxi ball, maxi hunter and Plains bullets. I was using 60 gns of powder for the 50 with a ball and 80 with the 54. I sighted them in about three inches high which put me POA=POI at 100.

Then I started working with the BIG slugs and up to 120gns of Pyro P and 100 of T7. Man, my shoulder is still throbbing and I was wearing a PAST pad.

I worked up the 400gn maxi ball to POA = POI with three inch groups. I fired a 435 plains bullet and it went into the same general area but by then I was calling it quits. I also ran out of Pyrodex (thought I had an extra can in the truck but didn't), so I was using 3F towards the end which is a pain to swab out. (I swab between shots when sighting in).

One thing I learned today, I'm too old to bring two hard kicking rifles to the range the same day.

Regards,

John

 

[Clovis]

Sounds like you had fun.

Think I would stick with the PRB loads and have more fun and less pain.

Up the powder load a little for the balls and hunt with it, nothing will throw off your aim like expecting to get hurt when you pull the trigger.

 

[John from MD]

You know, it is only from the bench that the big conicals give me some grief. When I am shooting standing from sticks, I don't notice it as much. The round ball is truely easier to shoot but you don't have to chase those hit with a Maxi. I am planning a compromise, I am going to try some Lee Real 300's. They are cheaper than the Maxi Hunter 275's ( I make them myself) and they are about the same size so they should be as accurate.

I am going to do a side by side comarison with my Renegade and New Englander. The Renegade has the standard Patridge sight and on the New Englander I put a .500 Marble Gold 3/32 bead. I had the Renegade painted orange at one time and it worked well in the woods. I would loose the black sight in anything less than full sun up.

John

 

[lazarus]

Ouch. I've been shooting 120gr pyrodex behind 240gr .44 XTP out of my CVA wolf. Leaves a mighty bruise after a couple of dozen rounds. No pad, but last time I used a folded over camo scarf, but 8 layers. Helped a lot. Previously off the bench by round 6-7 I would be sore and hurt a little on each shot with real pain by round 20. This time it was okay, a little sharp by round 20 and I quit around round 30 (was also shooting 9mm and .22lr). Very light bruising the next day. Helped out a lot. I also found standing made a huge difference. Only shot off 3 rounds standing, but I've never done that yet (just getting in to shooting and hunting). A nice shove, but zero pain. Of course the first round I had a crappy stance so it made me have to take a step back. Still managed the 3 rounds in 3" at 50yds standing. Not amazing shooting, but for my first time not using bags and a bench it thought pretty good. Going to hit up the range again this weekend to shoot a lot of stuff (.22-10, garand, .308 of some sort, my ML as well as my neighbor's ML).

Still have a hair under a pound of pyrodex left and then I am switching to 777. Starting to get a lot better accuracy and the range trip (3 weeks ago) was also my first time shooting at 100yds as well. Kept all but on flier within 6". Need to adjust the sight (ghost ring and front fiber optic) however. Shooting a bit high and to the right. I think with a bit more practice I can get that grouping down to 4" or so at 100yds with the sights I have and probably manage that not using a bench and rest. Getting a lot more confidence now that I've put about 100rnds from my ML down range as well as a couple of hundred .22 and 9mm.

 

[John from MD]

When you shoot ML, only vary one thing at a time and shoot at least a group of three. Then change something else and do the same. This will give you a good idea of what your rifle likes best.

John