Boerrancher
08-15-2012, 08:30 PM
I started my day with a trip to the range with the trade gun. Today was the first day that I have actually shot it off the sand bags. It started last night with a phone call from a buddy of mine in town. He wanted to know if I would join him and another friend of his at the range. I jumped at the chance as I was eager to show Dave my trade gun. We met at the range and it was empty so we each took a bench, and hung our targets. I also tossed out a few clay birds on the dirt mound backstop. I busted all half dozen birds off hand, and was wondering why those guys hadn't fired a shot yet. Both of them had misfires with their cap locks.
They, in good nature, made fun of my old unreliable flint lock, all the time we were getting ready to shoot. The next thing I know I had shot 6 PRBs and busted 6 clay birds and they were still fussing with their cap locks trying to get their first shots off. I ended up priming their bolsters with 4F before their guns would fire. I went back to my bench and started working on my first group. Before long I had shot a 3 shot group at 30 yards you could cover easily with a half dollar, but not quite a quarter. Once again my shooting companions were having misfires and hang fires. I shot one more time at a different target on the same paper and was just a couple inches high but dead on for windage. Yeah I could have shot more, but I called that shot before I pulled the trigger and it was went where I said it would.
I put up the trade gun for the rest of the time and visited with the fellas I was with. I got invited to a shoot in September, because they were looking for some new blood for the smooth bore shoots. I was told no one shoots a smooth bore. When I inquired as to why, they told me they were not accurate and unreliable. I thought I was going to die laughing. My response between the gulps of air was, " I got all my shooting done with out a miss or a miss fire. It would seem to me that the more modern firearms are the unreliable ones." I was promptly told that no one likes a smart ***, and what I did on the range is exactly why they want me to shoot. Now both these guys are old timers at this game, and both just had a bad day. I have never seen the fella with my buddy Dave shoot until today, but Dave is no slouch with that old Ky 50 of his, and never has problems making it shoot. I will say that it did feel good getting a compliment from both those guys about the way I was shooting with a smooth bore trade gun.
To make the day even better, while I was cleaning the old gun up back at the house, I get a call from Dirt Farmer. He is traveling through my neck of the woods and has a few minutes, so I ran into town and met him at a local eating establishment along the highway. I had spoken with him several times on the phone, but it was our first face to face. Dirt Farmer is a great fella to spend some time with and I look forward to the day I can make it to Friendship and shoot with him.
All in all a near perfect day.
Best wishes,
Joe
They, in good nature, made fun of my old unreliable flint lock, all the time we were getting ready to shoot. The next thing I know I had shot 6 PRBs and busted 6 clay birds and they were still fussing with their cap locks trying to get their first shots off. I ended up priming their bolsters with 4F before their guns would fire. I went back to my bench and started working on my first group. Before long I had shot a 3 shot group at 30 yards you could cover easily with a half dollar, but not quite a quarter. Once again my shooting companions were having misfires and hang fires. I shot one more time at a different target on the same paper and was just a couple inches high but dead on for windage. Yeah I could have shot more, but I called that shot before I pulled the trigger and it was went where I said it would.
I put up the trade gun for the rest of the time and visited with the fellas I was with. I got invited to a shoot in September, because they were looking for some new blood for the smooth bore shoots. I was told no one shoots a smooth bore. When I inquired as to why, they told me they were not accurate and unreliable. I thought I was going to die laughing. My response between the gulps of air was, " I got all my shooting done with out a miss or a miss fire. It would seem to me that the more modern firearms are the unreliable ones." I was promptly told that no one likes a smart ***, and what I did on the range is exactly why they want me to shoot. Now both these guys are old timers at this game, and both just had a bad day. I have never seen the fella with my buddy Dave shoot until today, but Dave is no slouch with that old Ky 50 of his, and never has problems making it shoot. I will say that it did feel good getting a compliment from both those guys about the way I was shooting with a smooth bore trade gun.
To make the day even better, while I was cleaning the old gun up back at the house, I get a call from Dirt Farmer. He is traveling through my neck of the woods and has a few minutes, so I ran into town and met him at a local eating establishment along the highway. I had spoken with him several times on the phone, but it was our first face to face. Dirt Farmer is a great fella to spend some time with and I look forward to the day I can make it to Friendship and shoot with him.
All in all a near perfect day.
Best wishes,
Joe