Range day

[tomme boy]

Well I picked up a new to me ML this weekend at a GS. It is a older T/C New Englander in 50cal. It has the metal butt and no false muzzle. The outside of the metal has a bunch of little spots were it was rust. It does not look too bad. The bore has a little bit of pits about an inch down the bore. The rest is like a mirror.

Well, I started out with the gun stapped down in the the rifle rests and loaded it with 110 gr of 2f and a round ball. Then I loaded it with 90 on the next shot. Both were shot from behind the shed with a string to make sure they were OK. I always do this on new ML's. Just want to make sure.

Anyway, after that I cleaned the barrel and loaded it back up with 80 grs of 3F and a LEE 250 gr REAL. I used a felt wad lubed with T/C wonder lube melted in the microwave between the REAL and the powder. First shot at 50 yds was a little high but centered. I then reloaded the gun back up. I an using a wet patch with T/C #13 cleaner on the jag to seat the bullet. It helps me to keep it from fouling. Not wet, but just damp. I shot my first shot and I could not see where it hit. So I loaded it again and shot. Same thing. I did this three more times and I just had to go see were they were going. When I got down to the target I see this.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/tommeboy/muzzleloader.png


5 shots. Not too bad for a $100 beater.

[Boerrancher]

I don't think that is to bad for a first time out. I am sure it will improve even more as you get a chance to play with it if you so choose, or leave it like it is and go kill a deer, a coyote, or just about anything else you care to shoot at with it.

Best wishes,

Joe

[405]

That is a nice target! With the 80 gr of FFFg no doubt you are getting some obturation depending on the alloy. I've found that the lubed base wad under the various conicals can help but each rifle is a rule unto itself. Even the PRB shooters sometimes respond well to the felt base wad- one 50 cal. PRB flinter I have does very well with the felt wad but it doesn't seem to matter to the rest of the herd. Some of the old timers used paper wasp nest material for the same purpose for the PRB. It seems to work about like the felt, but availability is hit or miss and during good wasp years I can't seem to remember to harvest enough to lay in a supply :)

[tomme boy]

I went with the 80 grs as this is what I would hunt with. I just wanted to see what it would do. My other two really like 60 grs of 3f. I just recently learned about the felt wad under the bullet. I used to use them in a 44 BP pistol, but I never heard of it before in a rifle. My other New Englander is almost perfect. I think I am just going to put it away and use this one. Since it is already a little beat up, I wont feel bad about putting a dent in it. Maybe I will redo the stock to look a little like a old time ML. Some of the personal touches are kind of neat.

[tomme boy]

Oh ya, the lead I am using right now is shotgun slugs picked up from the local range.

[Crawdaddy]

Nice pattern. I have a new Englander in about the same condition you described. I have only shot it once.

You motivated me to take it out and play with it.

The one shot I took was with a REAL and it seemed like it just slid down the barrel. Is that normal? All of my experience is with inlines.

[canyon-ghost]

Good shooting, I guess we shoot better when we don't know it, huh? lol.

[waksupi]

Nice pattern. I have a new Englander in about the same condition you described. I have only shot it once.

You motivated me to take it out and play with it.

The one shot I took was with a REAL and it seemed like it just slid down the barrel. Is that normal? All of my experience is with inlines.

If you have a rifle the bullet just slides down the barrel, you may want to use something to keep it in place. They can slide forward in the bore when being carried muzzle down, creating a barrel obstruction. Bad ju-ju.

[tomme boy]

Does not sound normal to me. Sounds like a little oversized bore. This one is a little larger than my nice one. I feel mine is OK to be able to hunt with it as you have to push it down. Firm preasure. My other one you almost have to beat it down.

Next is to try some RB's. Maybe they will polish the bore a little more. I'm thinking the rust close to the muzzle may polish out.

I have a T/C Hawken on its way to me right now. Thats 3 ML's in the last month. I forgot how much fun they were.

[405]

If most of those shotgun slugs are of the old, hollow base type they're of very soft alloy IIRC?

Also, in my experience with old BP guns, both BPCR and muzzleloader types, a little roughness near the muzzle is a whole lot better than roughness down near the breech. Putting two and two together, my theory is-- good bore condition near the breech helps powder gas seal, allows the bullet to get started, come up to near full velocity and spin in good condition--- so by the time it gets to the muzzle area most of the critical work has been done. The only problem area would be right at the muzzle crown.... that does need to be in good shape.

[451 Pete]

Tomme,
Nice shooting and a nice group. A patch and RB will lap your bore but it takes a bit of shooting. ( I can think of a lot worse ways to spend a day though ..... )

If you try and keep the seating pressure on the powder charge the same, from shot to shot, and load exactly the same way each time the group may even improve a bit more, but for the first time out with a new ( to you ) rifle it looks very good.

take care ..... Pete

[stronics]

Good shooting! How was the recoil with the New Englander?
David

[tomme boy]

Recoil does not seems to bother me very much. So I can not say. The only thing that really bothered me was my 870 slug gun shooting 1 1/4oz. 3" mag slugs made by lightfield. After 10 of them I could not shoot a gun the rest of the day because of the flintch factor.

[izzyjoe]

that's a good target, i have a New englander too. and i really like it, 80gr. of pyrodex and a PRB shoot's real nice.