Vintage Hunting and NCOWS

[buckskin billy]

i was going suggest you either try a bigger ball or a thicker patch. but not so much as you have to pack a hammer with you to load with.
my old smoke pole is in .54 calibre and the mould i have for it is .535 and i have to use a very thin patch to get good accuracy. the problem i have is the thin patches burns up. i have to use some kind of wadding between powder and patch to keep that from happening.(wasp nest works good for this) i been wanting to try a smaller size ball like a 525 or something.

i been feeling under the weather the last few days and coughing alot, so yesterday i went to see the saw bones. he tells me i got the bronchitis. he gave me a shot and some medicines and then on the way out he asked if i hunt, to which i replied yes. he said i got some bad news for you, that cough could linger for as long as a month. hunting season starts in two weeks here and i got a cough. dern this bad luck

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Buckskin
Hope you get to feeling better , this is a bad time of the Year to be sick , with Hunting season up on us . It might take a little hot toty and a good night sweat . Now as for the muzzle loader the bigger ball means a thinner patch and you don't want it to burn through . Do you use any lube on your patches ? Have you ever tried using the .530 ?

[Carr Creek Kid]

Yeah I hope you feel better Buckskin! I always just used a ball .10 smaller than the diameter and the pillow ticking patches, I think track has http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/163/1/OX-18-50-D  I haven't shot the smokepoles much since I started hardcore reloading and casting, I won't shoot anything I didn't make now days but I liked the hornady round balls with those patches. Always had good luck with my blueridge and my hawken. When I was 14 or 15 my dad got me a traditions crockett rifle in .32, I used it for squirrel and rabbit. I just cut regular cotton cleaning patches into circles the size of the barrel, spit on the patch and rammed it in. Did a number on the bushy tails out to about 35 yards. I loved when my uncles would laugh at me taking the rifle when we left to hunt in the morning, they'd have their 870's or 11-87's , then see their faces when I'd come back with more bagged than they had! And with .32 round ball holes in their heads!!

[buckskin billy]

thanks yall,
the doc gave me some powerful medicines. i cant take half of it cuz it makes me holler for ralph. but what i can take has made me feel better.
i use to use bore butter for lube but like carrs creek kid i wont shoot nothing i didnt make,even lube. i have used a .530 ball and with a thin patch its still a bit too tight. a 535 ball is almost the exact size as the bore. in fact at rendezvous shoots i have shot without using a patch and didnt lose much of my accuracy. but the fouling was a little worst. i just cant bring myself to do that when the target is a living deer. if i cant kill it clean i'd rather count tree bark.
since i got my c.sharps i kinda have pushed my old smoke pole to the side. this is my second season to hunt with. i've had my old hatfield for about 20 years now, it aint going no where

[Carr Creek Kid]

Glad to hear you're getting better!! Amen to just shooting what you make, I'm to the point where I have more fun making the ammo than I do shootin it. I can't stand seeing ammo prices when I go to the store now either. The only factory ammo I'll buy is for my concealed carry guns

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Yesterday I got a chance to shoot my muzzle loader again . It shoots good if I use 2 of the .15 patches with the .490 round ball .
I have ordered a box of the .500 round ball , they won't be here for Early season . Has anyone tried the larger balls , In the past I have used the .495 and they were ok , But I'm out of them . So as I had to order anyway thought I would try the larger .500 .

[Deadeye Dick]

Rowdy,
I shoot the .490 ball with a .15 patch also. I tried a .18 patch, but it was just too hard to seat the ball with that thick of patch. If you go to a .500 ball you will need to go with a thinner patch. I shoot 80 grains of Swiss 2f powder in a Lyman Great Plains rifle. Going out today to practice and check the zero of my rifle. Muzzle loader season starts the 10th of Nov in Oregon.

[Ima Sure Shot]

CarrCreekKid, Are you from the CarrCreek area of Ky?  We are, my husbands uncle played on the famous Carr Creek bbteam of 56.Ima

[Carr Creek Kid]

Ima, actually it's a place in southeast Missouri where my family farm is. It's in Shannon county down in the Ozarks right off the Current River.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
I received a couple samples of Vintage ammo to test . These are loaded with .429 bullets . Will  test them on Monday  . Will be at Deer camp the next 2 days . Muzzle loader season comes in tomorrow ,will hunt with my Pennsylvania Hunter . Hope to stock up some fresh venison .

[Carr Creek Kid]

Good luck Rowdy

[dusty texian]

Good Luck there on your hunt Rowdy. WT. season starts here in Tx. Nov. the 3rd.  Mule Deer season starts here in Tx. Nov. 23rd. Been practicing with the 45-75 ,76 for Wt. and the C. Sharps 45-120 scoped with RHO 6 POWER .for The Mule Deer, those Mule Deer shots tend to be on the long side . Hey that Swiss 2ff is great . Tightened up the groups on both rifles . Dusty.

[buckskin billy]

wanna know  whats cruel? tomorrow is opening day of primitive deer season in louisiana and the boss called today and said "gonna need you to work tomorrow" to which i said. "today is my last day" to which he said "reguardless i need you to work tomorrow" i wont repeat what i said from there but im sure i made a sailor or two blush.
got 20 rounds of 44-2 1/4. my lucky calico hunting shirt is airing out, and ill be putting in 8 hours tomorrow.
next weekend regular gun season opens but you can rest assure that this child will be in the woods with my sharps

[Carr Creek Kid]

Yeah I think I'm going to try my '76 NWMP 45-75 at deer this year, or maybe take my Henry out again. Or maybe my 1895 in 30-05 that hasn't drawn blood yet...wish my spencer was here already. I'd like to give the 56-50 a go at a whitetail. Good luck next weekend Buckskin

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Had a Excellent weekend . I hunted Saturday morning out of a stand till mid morning didn't see but 1 at a distance . After lunch went to a ground blind and hunted till about 4 was seeing nothing but squirrels . Then I walked to another  woods as soon as I crossed the dried up creek I got a glimpse of Deer . There was a big oak tree in front of me so I slowly started walking toward the tree as slow and quietly as possible . I was at the oak tree when I noticed a Deer coming straight toward me , I stopped and as the deer was coming straight at me he then walked behind the oak which gave me a chance to raise my rifle as soon as he appeared he saw me standing behind the tree with my rifle at the ready . I decided in about a half of second he's a keeper . I made a good shot he was down and never moved again . I shot him in the neck with my ole Pennsylvania Hunter this made the 20 th deer I have taken with this Round ball Rifle . The buck was a nice 8 point I was by myself when I snapped a couple pictures BUT I do have pictures . Will post in a couple days when a friend comes over and shows me how .

[dusty texian]

Hey Rowdy,congrats on your deer hunt. Sounds like you had a good time .On the ground with a traditional rifle ,that is truly a vintage hunt . Glad for Ya. Dusty.

[buckskin billy]

congradultions on your buck rowdy. cant wait to see your pictures

[Carr Creek Kid]

Congrats!!

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy!

Here's the pictures (part 1 of 2). Hope they turned out good.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Here's part 2 of 2 on the pictures.