A .69 caliber Muledeer

[GrantS]

Season's been over a month, but figured I'd post up the results anyway:

.69 caliber flintlock musket copy of the charleville. Been handgun-hunting the last few years and decided I wanted to try something different. Planning on doing some casting with an experianced friend to get my own roundballs, as factory bought .69's are pretty spendy.

Had a blast, got to about 60 yards and let fly. Ran about 40 yards and dropped. Apparently one does(not) need a .300 mag and 4-16X scope to get something ;)

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12341573_569650739851081_7226420266957408993_n.jpg ?oh=e6a9ce71fb9881b1c33b6ac901e28da7&oe=570F1F99

[johnson1942]

thanks, what state is that in?

[Rifle 57]

Good shootin Grant

[RenoDave]

Good job and with a flintlock even

[LAGS]

What can you expect when you shoot a Deer with a Basketball, they are going to go down.
Good shooting.

[missionary5155]

Greetings GrantS and Congratulations !
That is a fine looking Muley you have there. Nice woodsy areas are the place where those smoke poles really shine. Any critter that gets well thwaped with a caliber 68 ball is not going to be long on the run. Thank you for the post and the photo !
Mike in Peru

[Hickok]

Thanks for the great post.

I have watched the guys at the N-SSA in Winchester Va shoot the smooth bore muskets. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them shoot and talking to them.

I was really surprised at how well the smooth bores shoot when properly loaded! And they aren't allowed to use a tight patch either! A lot of the guys said they cast a ball out of COWW, knurled with a file and dipped in Lee alox.

I would guess using a tight patch and proper size ball would be more accurate.

Grant, can you give us the info on how you load your musket, as I find it very interesting.

I shoot two 1853 .577 rifle muskets, but the "smoothies" are a different animal altogether.

[waksupi]

It is nice to see another refined gentleman from Montana who shoots flinters.

[richhodg66]

This is very cool. I've killed quite a few deer with muzzle loaders, but nothing like this.

Congrats on anice deer with a fine weapon.

[koger]

Congrats on a nice buck, and hunting achievement in my opinion! I got my first Mulie this year hunting with Johnson 1942 on here, very similar to yours, fork horn, but I was more than pleased! I posted on here as well. Nice rifle and story, thanks for sharing!

[GrantS]

thanks, what state is that in?
Montana, up near the Canadian border, eastern part of the state.


As far as loading: The bore mikes out at .685, I purchased a bunch of .672 and .662 roundballs. At first I experimented with .662's with .010 patches, I got around 4" groups at 50 yards. BUT.....they smoldered and I almost set a fire with the patch, so I switched over to .672's :shock:

.672's without patches opened up a fraction, but I was still getting 5" groups at 50 yards. Didn't think that was bad for being a smoothbore. I loaded it ahead of 100 grains of FFG powder. My musket has a large enough flashole I don't need special priming powder, I just spill a little of the regular FFG into the pan.

Planning on casting/getting some .642's and loading paper cartridges, and also plan on dipping my .672's in wax, seeing if I can get them to snug up a shade (I can't patch the .672's....I got a ball jammed in once doing that and had to pull it).


I actually loaded it up with some #6 birdshot and hit a pheasant with it, but I didn't manage to drop him. Missed a buncha times, haha, my reaction time for birds ain't real good with the flintlock. Need to experiment with wadding,etc. to tighten up the groups.

[johnson1942]

up near williston n.dak. real nice country up their. similar to the country down here in western ne. lots and lots of good mule deer up their.

[Hickok]

Grant did you ever try knurling a round ball with a file and then giving it two coats of Lee Liquid alox? The N-SSA guys say it takes up a little of the windage in the barrel and makes for tighter groups. Wrapped in a paper cartridge it may shoot well.

[GrantS]

I have not tried that. I will have to however.

I know most people use rifles for good accuracy, however the big-bore muskets just call to me :D Although, I can't say I won't be purchasing a .577 enfield at some point in the future ;)

[Hickok]

Grant I have two .577 Enfields, an 1853 3 band Armi-Sport (Italian-made), and a Parker-Hale 1859 2 Band early model actually made in England. The Armi sport has a 3 groove barrel and the PH has a 5 groove. Both are 1 in 48" twist and shoot the heavy Lyman PH minie into 4 inch groups at 100 yards off a bench, (when I am seeing the sights real good!)

Pedersoli is making a beautiful .577 Enfield now.

[GrantS]

There's been a Armi-Sport Enfield that's been at a gunshow for around 3 years. If it's still there I hope to snag it.

They're beautiful guns. On a even farther-out note I've thought of bypassing the Enfield and going straight for a Snider :) Lol, the mind of a person who loves oddball stuff.

[swheeler]

Very nice Grant!

[swathdiver]

Take a micrometer with you next time to a fabric store and mic their linen, ticking, muslin and denim until you find stuff below .010 when stretched. I reckon that you'll find some fabric between .008 and .005 that will allow you to load relatively easy and tighten up your groups some.

[Beerd]

Very good!

And Welcome!
..

[Omnivore]

Nice going!

My son and I have killed a fair number of our Northwest White Tails using a 50 cal percussion ML rifle with patched round ball. I reckon the 69 cal would do right well on anything what walks on this continent. That thunder stick heap-big medicine.

[GrantS]

Take a micrometer with you next time to a fabric store and mic their linen, ticking, muslin and denim until you find stuff below .010 when stretched. I reckon that you'll find some fabric between .008 and .005 that will allow you to load relatively easy and tighten up your groups some.
I've got to do that, seems like I always forget when I'm there. Lol, 24 and the mind of a man 64.

And thanks guys, had a blast using the muzzleloader. Stepping up to archery (using traditional recurve and 70's era compound) next year :)

[varsity07840]

Montana, up near the Canadian border, eastern part of the state.


As far as loading: The bore mikes out at .685, I purchased a bunch of .672 and .662 roundballs. At first I experimented with .662's with .010 patches, I got around 4" groups at 50 yards. BUT.....they smoldered and I almost set a fire with the patch, so I switched over to .672's :shock:

.672's without patches opened up a fraction, but I was still getting 5" groups at 50 yards. Didn't think that was bad for being a smoothbore. I loaded it ahead of 100 grains of FFG powder. My musket has a large enough flashole I don't need special priming powder, I just spill a little of the regular FFG into the pan.

Planning on casting/getting some .642's and loading paper cartridges, and also plan on dipping my .672's in wax, seeing if I can get them to snug up a shade (I can't patch the .672's....I got a ball jammed in once doing that and had to pull it).


I actually loaded it up with some #6 birdshot and hit a pheasant with it, but I didn't manage to drop him. Missed a buncha times, haha, my reaction time for birds ain't real good with the flintlock. Need to experiment with wadding,etc. to tighten up the groups.

A lubed 14 ga fiber wad over the powder will cure your burned patch problem.

Duane

[Beerd]

I've got to do that, seems like I always forget when I'm there. Lol, 24 and the mind of a man 64.



watch it kid, ya might offend somebody ................. ;-)

..

[GrantS]

Duane, good to know. I will add it to my list of experiments. I've only had it since April, and it's been amongst half a dozen other projects :) This winter has been good for trying stuff out.