A great weekend

[DIRT Farmer]

This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting Hubertus at the Walter Cline range in Friendship IN, the home range of the NMLRA. He had the weekend off from his buisness trip. We met at the internationaly known Friendship buisness and convention center (the Friendship tavern) for a few cold ones and supper shared with the usual locals.

Saturday morning I ask what he would like to shoot out of what I had brought along. His choice was the 28 gauge trade gun as he had never had the oppertunity to shoot a flinter. The day was wet, drizzleing to light showers and after a tour of the range, we collected a supply of left over clay targets, (I diden't remember every thing) we went through the loading procedure on the gun. He loaded his first shot and fired it, he seemed surprised at the lack of a delay of ignition. Several shots were fired with shot resulting in his first broken clay with a flintlock.

Hext up was the round ball, loadind the ball with wads instead of patching, he shattered a rabbit clay at around 35 yards with his first shot. (remember these targets are water soaked, clays shooters know what I mean they are hard to break when wet)

As it was starting to rain harder, and I found out after traveling 6000 miles, he was here to shoot, we went to the covered line, the silhouette range. The clangers were up and after a few shots where the misses were easy to see in the wet grass, he found his hold, and began to hit fairly regulary. I could not hold off with out firing a few shots , hitting the bear target at 120 yards my second shot, he was after it hitting the bear to. Remember this is with 60 grns of ffg and a 530 round ball held in a wad colum. There was one miss fire in the day, that durned flint wore out. The better part of a pound of powder went down range, the pan stayed wet and one failure to fire in a day that was my fault do to not staying up on my gun management. I had a happy shooter with me who was in my obersavation amazed at what he had just done with a smooth bore flint gun.

Day two we went near 451 Pete's territory for a little shooting and working my dog on a game farm. He was using my grandsons Richland 12 by Pedersoli, that just happens to like 13 ga wads and a 7/8ths oz load. I was using my Pedersoli 10 ga. loaded with one oz of shot. The sun was out the field was real nice with standing grass and ceaders. The dog has spent to much time in the run the last few years and other than chasing down and catching a chucker that ran behaived well. Another first, quail an chuker shot with a double muzzleloading shotgun.

Thanks for contacting me Michail, You have no idea how great it is to see things through new eyes. Alan

[Boerrancher]

Sounds like a great weekend, and you had a lot of fun, proving once again that primitive technology does not mean inefficient technology.

Best wishes,

Joe

[Hubertus]

As expected DIRT_Farmer beat me to it :smile: writing about the weekend.
There is not much left to say, except I had a great weekend as much as he did and it was really nice to meet him in person.
I would go as far as to say it was a perfect weekend - going out shooting in good company, food and cool drinks afterwards, not to forget good stories, humor and conversation. Well the Saturday weather could have been a bit better. On the other side it wouldn’t have been as impressive…

There are a couple of firsts for me in this weekend.
As DF already wrote I was particularly interested in his trade gun, as I never shot a flinter before. Actually I don’t think I had a preconception about flint locks but of course a couple of things come to your mind. Well, within the day of shooting I basically threw those things over board – totally.

It amazed me time after time, the gun was made ready and DF primed the dripping wet pan – it went off! No poof, wait boom- NO it just plain and simple worked. Actually I think it has the same if not a shorter lock time than my Rolling Block. So shooting a flinter, breaking the first flying target with black powder and flintlock to start with. I wouldn’t have believed to be able to hit a clay target off hand with a round ball only using front sight and barrel to aim.

So Sunday comes we drove over to the game farm and the weather is perfect.
The dog (Reggie) worked very good – it was a pleasure to watch him following upwind and getting something in the nose, slowly moving in and then getting static - pointing.

Of course I chose the BP shotgun being offered the choice. Here comes the next first: birds taken were the first game for me with a muzzle loader. You should have seen DIRT_FARMER making that quail - chukker double with both barrels at about a 160° angle - wow - this man can shoot.

Here is a little memento picture taken after Sunday afternoon.
http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz157/Hubertus_album/Friendship_ML_2012/P1190230.jpg

Well writing all this I’m about ready to get in the car and drive down to meet at the Friendship international business and convention center right now!

Alan, thank you for this experience! Well one thing though I’m afraid I’ll have to connect you to my wife because she will be a bit upset after I bought my smoothbore.

Hubertus

[waksupi]

Hooked another one!

[smoked turkey]

Splendid! Worked just the way it should. I'm envious of your wonderful weekend.

[DIRT Farmer]

Well Michail you can try the system I have used, but it raises the price of the gun. If a jewlrey box comes home with the gun, most likely she will hope you buy another gun, again and again.

[451 Pete]

Well Alan, you really did it this time. Just leave you alone for one single weekend and you managed to get someones wife half a world away upset with them. I can only imagine what Hubertus will end up paying for the new smooth bore after her shopping trip. You may want to lay low if she comes with him on his next trip over.

take care ... Pete :bigsmyl2:

[DIRT Farmer]

Pete I would have passed some of the blame on to you but my cell phone went dead while we were at Friendship searching for signal. You know I think that is one of the best things about the Frindship valley, cell phones don't work there.

[Boz330]

I had forgotten that Hubertus was coming over.:violin: I would have come up and joined you Saturday. I just spent the day in the reloading room getting a bunch of my BPCR cases prepped and charged for the coming season. Sounds like you guys had a pretty good time despite the weather. Good old Midwestern hospitality at it's best.

Bob

[Hellgate]

Hubertus,
Where do you find chuckars in Indiana? We find them here in Oregon east of the cascade mountains in the dry grassy breaks along canyons and dry farmed wheat ranches. They thrive in the dry open steppe type country. Isn't indiana mostly hardwood forests and cornfields?

[Hanshi]

A dream weekend if ever there was one.

[DIRT Farmer]

Hellgate, almost all seasons are closed in Indiana so we had to go to a game farm. I had them set chukers as they seem to give off more scent and my dog has not been worked (none last year) much in the last three years while I had to spend most of my time taking care of Dad.. The dog picked up one from at least 75 yards on a 3 to 5 mph breeze.

Bob if you had come, I could have passed part of the blame on the new guns on you. I have the strange feeling Michael will be back. I think a few shots at the 500 yd gong

[1874Sharps]

Hubertus,

Great job on the bird hunting und Waidmanns Heil!

[Boz330]

Hellgate, almost all seasons are closed in Indiana so we had to go to a game farm. I had them set chukers as they seem to give off more scent and my dog has not been worked (none last year) much in the last three years while I had to spend most of my time taking care of Dad.. The dog picked up one from at least 75 yards on a 3 to 5 mph breeze.

Bob if you had come, I could have passed part of the blame on the new guns on you. I have the strange feeling Michael will be back. I think a few shots at the 500 yd gong

That's OK my shoulders are broad not to mention a few other places.

Heck I don't have a smooth bore, although those ones in Tip Curtis' shop have been singing a Siren's song. I don't even have a flinch rock but have fired my buddy's Bill Large barreled 38 in several matches. Just as fast as any percussion gun I've ever fired.

He along with another friend have been beating me up to get a Gibbs and start shooting the long range stuff with them. So many wants, so little money.

Bob

[DIRT Farmer]

It's only money Bob, of course there is that food and shelter thing. I'm glad I got a few toys before I got "retired". There is not much on the gun need "want" list now but one of Tips Jauger kits would be nice. The swamped barrel and wooden patch box has all day in the woods written on it.

[Boz330]

Retirement is what I'm trying to get ready for. A certain depression has set that back considerably. I put in for my SS but plan on just funneling that right into some investments. I'll be working for a few more years to try and get ready. I'd like to find something I could raise on my 30 acres to help supplement my retirement that wouldn't try to kill me. Did cattle for a lot of years but I'm too old for those hassles, not to mention the corral and working equipment has gone by the wayside.

I really need to sell off a lot of my safe queens that I don't mess with anymore and then I could get a few of these pet guns I'm lusting after.

Bob

[DIRT Farmer]

I understand about the cattle, my bull is doing his best to convince me to take him visiting Micky Ds. We (my brother and I) are doing some truck farming, small livestock. I rented out most of the farming this past year and am keeping about 55 acres for us to tinker with.

I went in last year to check on my SS, looks like 72 at best, although your plan may return more yeild. I have hopes of getting old and cranky, just not old cranky and hungry.

I have thought of selling a few guns but to many have a back story, it would be like losing an old friend.

[Hubertus]

Keep going and good luck with the projects.
I hope when it's time for me to retire - there will still be the concept of retirement. The time is pushed out further and further every year.


1874Sharps, Waidmannsdank!

Hubertus

[DIRT Farmer]

Michail, get a chance to cook the birds yet?

[Boz330]

Well I plan on working to 70 and maybe beyond if my health holds up. I reach my official retirement age next month and saw no use in waiting any longer than that the way things are going in this country. Might not be any money left when the country collapses under the weight of the national debt.

On a positive note, I like what I do, there isn't enough work to keep me busy 5 days a week so I'm going to a 4 day week as soon as the rush is over. Fridays will be go to the range day. I still have rifles that shoot ok but I think they can be better and I need to get them on paper at 600yds to do that.:mrgreen:

Bob

[Hubertus]

Alan,
I was invited over to a friends house for BBQ after work.
So I decided to give it a try with a new recipe. The rub I made consited of salt, chili, olive oil and maple sirup. After soaking for an hour in a zip lock put in the cooler the birdies went on the closed grill for a couple of minutes, once flipped over and done.

I like it a lot, really good eating.
Actually, I liked the Quail a bit better.

Thank you again - another first for me, since I never had Qail and Chuckar before.

Hubertus

[DIRT Farmer]

Sounds like an intersting recipe, but I have never found a quail I diden't like to eat, well there was the one I burnt cooking it over a fire in the field, but I still ate it.

My oldest son ask if you were going to be in Kansas next fall. Phesants, quail and pararie chickens on the menue. They also have a lot of rabbits where we hunted.

[Hubertus]

Well, if I can make it I certainly would like to join the party.
Let's stay in contact and hope the starts align.



Hubertus

[DIRT Farmer]

Will do.

I was doing a bit of sampling tonight, So far the cough is at bay.

[Hubertus]

How was the sample?

My cold is gone for good now - thank God.

Hubertus

[DIRT Farmer]

For a conformed burbon drinker, it is good. The fruit flavor first then sweet with a a pure alchol vapor to finish. I might have to find one of those bushes, do you think the trimmings would make charcoal for B/P?

[Hubertus]

The latin name is Prunus spinosa - Wikipedia says it has been introduced to the U.S. although it's native only to Europe and North Africa. The English call it Blackthorn - which is an exact/literal translation of what we call it in German.

This is a blooming hedge in spring:
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSW_UDpcRM94I7_GC32e3ObUJgXxSlQv mmQ6cQZ2DkfZTo9htqWXg

This what the fruits look like after the first freeze over before harvest (the freezing is important because it kills a certain percentage of the bittern/tannic acids). It's pretty healthy and one can make preserve from it or convert it to a rather liquid form :-P as you have sampled:
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRESmJmy5DL-rKDseofRi9JvhGBhE0WgBx-8eT-htr9LKV1diNi


In terms of usability of the wood for charcoal, I don't know - let me know after you have tried.
Originally I think Frangula alnus was used but I heard people tried several other woods, too, like hazel and others - I am not historically savvy in this field - hey might have to read a bit though to get up to speed.

Could you send me the two pics you had snapped of me with your Flintlock?
Would be nice to have them in the collection.


Hubertus

[waksupi]

The price that blackthorn shillelaghs are selling for now here in the states, you would only need to sell about a dozen to buy an awful nice smoothbore.

[DIRT Farmer]

Intersting shrub in the same family as some of our wild plums. And they improve in taste when frosted. Now if a little steam was collected from some simmering plum wine..
Our enforcement people might not have much humor about that.

Wensday the boss is hopefully going to be in, I used the company camera and he has the acess and cables. I wish I had brought my fossil camera, I could have had the film devoloped and scaned an to you before now, plus a roll of film has more storage than that camera.

[Hubertus]

Waksupi, if that is not a wonderful idea :mrgreen:
I might have to go and find myself a nice hedge row for a possible harvest :)

DIRT_farmer, no problem don't bother too much.