Got the Hawken out, put up a target at 40 yards and I put holes in it. Wasn't trying to prove anything, just makin' noise, smoke, and holes in the paper. I did use some of Blackfeet's rb and patches, haven't done that in 15 years or so. Thanks for those bud. I kept'em on the paper, brushed up on pulling rb because I forgot to put powder in, twice. God bless whoever invented vice grips to aid in pull them out. I benched a few just to see, saw, will work on that later. I enjoyed the 60 degree temps and clear skies, just had a good time. Thanks for lettin' me share this with you all, it is like doing it again.
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yup, had fun anyway. Sometimes it is good to say oh well, and do it.
makes you feel new to the hobby... hdslp I do it about once every shoot. to busy talking most of the time... ROFL ROFL
Sounds like you had a good time. I used to think that if I didn't get off at least a dozen shots that the range fee had been wasted but now some of my most memorable sessions have just been me taking my time on a beautiful day and poking more holes in the target for the sun to shine through. What was your load combination?
BTW- there are only two types of folks who muzzle load; those who have dryballed and those that will. Carry a nipple wrench with you and next time you do that, remove the nipple and dribble a few grains of powder down the hole then use a pick to work the powder down enough to reinstall. This will often dislodge the ball and you won't have to pull it out. This is where having marked you ram rod/range rod comes in handy. One mark is for where the rod is when loaded, the other is marked with nothing in the barrel, so you can tell if you've still got a dry ball in there or it's been shot out with the few grains of powder in the nipple hole.
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Thanks William, you are right, coulda done that. But, I was at home, near all my stuff, it seemed easier to muscle it than to finesse it. They both came out slick and easy. Need to get into a rhythm, didn't let it bother me. I have my rod marked, but I knew I had done it because the cap went off but the bullet did not. Oh well. A few marks on my rod doesn't bother me. It won't be the last time a dry ball happens. I had fun.
Quote from: Rocky on April 11, 2011
Thanks William, you are right, coulda done that. But, I was at home, near all my stuff, it seemed easier to muscle it than to finesse it. They both came out slick and easy. Need to get into a rhythm, didn't let it bother me. I have my rod marked, but I knew I had done it because the cap went off but the bullet did not. Oh well. A few marks on my rod doesn't bother me. It won't be the last time a dry ball happens.
I had fun.
That's the whole point, keep it up.
Don't fret too much Rocky. I went to a bp shoot on Sunday, there were about 40 shooters there. Mostly in the 50 to 70 year age. One shooter had a similar problem as you have, but a componded problem. When asked why he needed a ball puller, and if he had dryballed, He replied that he was talking while loading, not concentrating on the tas at hand, and he double loaded. That is powder, patch/ball then powder patch and ball. He caught it with his marked range rod. As he said it was his lucky day that he caught the mistake. That would been the end of his 50 year old flintlock and maybe the end of him as well not to mention those near him. Marking the ramrod/range rod is a must.
Rocky, you need to get yourself a CO2 discharger. I bought one about three years ago, haven't had a dryball since. Best $25.00 I ever spent.
Thanks pilgrim and deaddawg, I do have my rod marked, and I always use my fingers to guage how much of it is sticking out, then I check the mark. My problem the other day was I was relaxed and enjoying myself, and using RB for the first time in many years with my Hawken. I just need to get the routine down mentally, then I will not have the dry balling. If I were out in the woods and didn't have the proper equipment to pull the ball, I would use the technique that William described. I have done that before. I saw the CO2 dis-charger some time ago, and it is a great way to do it, but being the extreme-thrifter-to-the-max that I have been all my life, didn't want spend the money when I could achieve the same results with good ol' work (and a measly bit of powder, if need be.) I did give one as a present to a friend some years ago, and he used it a few times. He said it was worth whatever I paid for it. I have the vice grip pulling down to a science, because that is the way I want to do it. I believe it was an Army Drill Sargent that said, "There are three ways to do something, the right way, the wrong way, and MY way." Blackfeet will probably kick me next time he sees the vice grip marks. He is gonna make me a handle that will screw into the opposite end so I don't have to use the vice grips. It is gonna fold up into nothin' so I can take it with me to the range and such.
Those CO2 dischargers are worth the price. Saved me a few times !!! flwa
A long time ago I tried pulling the ball. After I found out that you can trickle in a little powder and fire it out I have always done it that way.
With percussion you pull the nipple and with flint you just shove it in through the vent or pull the vent if you can and work in a couple of panfuls, screw everything back in properly and fire downrange.
The CO2 discharger also works fine but I am too cheap to get one.
YUP, cheap pretty much says it for me too.
Quote from: Rocky on April 13, 2011
YUP, cheap pretty much says it for me too.
Nothing wrong with that this is Traditional Muzzleloading on the Cheap after all thmbsup chrrs pnic hdslp ROFL ROFL
I only paid $15.00 for CO2 discharger. No tax either... thmbsup
Cheap is always borrowing it from yer buddy cause you don't want to buy one. ;D
I would suggest that if you dry ball and triggle powder in the nipple of flash hole the you point it at the ground so you can see for sure that the ball dose in fact come out.
If you are at a match it needs to go downrange, but it can hit the dirt 15 yards out. You can usually see a little smoke and see it hit the ground. If you aren't sure that it fired out just wait a minute and check it with your rod.
One reason for firing it downrange is that if you have a load in it but can't get it to fire you want it to go into a backstop of some sort and the other folks don't necessarily know whether you are dryballed or if you have a load in it.
SAFETY FIRST!
Sound advise!!!