Finally!!

[hungryjohn]

Well, I finally found a place to go shooting in my local area.

It turns out that a person about 30 minutes drive from my house has his own gun range that he has open to the public. Only four dollars to shoot and the rules are very simple: Muzzleloaders only and no inlines. Bring your guns/s and targets (Don't forget all you need to make them go boom). Everything else is provided.

Anyway, I went out there yesterday to work on getting my Traditions Hawkens model sighted in. The first thing I noticed is that due to the lower profile of the new rear sight I had put on (Thanks again Deaddog), I had no choice but to file down the front sight. Would you believe the dang thing is plastic? I never even realised it until I took a file to it. Guess I'll have to be replacing that next.

All my shots were done using a .490 rb with pillow-ticking spit-patch. My first shots, using 50 grains fffg Goex powder were all over the place ay 25 yards. The next three were grouping fairly good and I saw that I needed to adjust a little to the left. Then I put up a fresh target and got one just below the bulls-eye and two in the bulls-eye so close together that I had to look close to find where one hole ended and the other began.

Then I wnt up to 50 yard range. With 50 grains, my shots were low and spread out a bit too much. Once I took my load up to 60 grains, things went better. My groups got tighter and shot came up so that I was hitting the bulls-eye without adjusting my sights.

Unfortunatally, the weather started changing in a hurry with temps droppin like a rock and a deffinate feel of rain in the air. So instead of trying the 100 yard range, I felt the best thing to do was pack up and get out of there. But it was a good day while it lasted. Sorry I couldn't post any pics but my camera has decided to give my problems this week.

[gordy]

        Glad to hear you found a BP range. Sounds like your getting her tuned up pretty well  .Keep us posted on future progress and get that camera working .

[DEADDAWG]

John, I'll look in my junk box and see if I have one of the steel front sights that go with the rear I sent you. PM me your address again.

Rick

[Wyoming Mike]

Sounds like you have it dialed in.  Now you get to do it all over again when you get the new front sight.

[hungryjohn]

Sounds like you have it dialed in.  Now you get to do it all over again when you get the new front sight.

That and do some trigger work. There's an awful lot of travel in the front trigger before it even engages. Then the dang thing tries to hang up. Adjusting the tumbler in the lock took care of most of that, but I had to adjust the rear set trigger to where it doesn't even work to get it to do anything.

By the time I get this gun working right and proper, I will probably have enough into it to have bought a new one and be so fed up that I'll be ready to toss it in the river 

[Wyoming Mike]

From your description it sounds like the triggers were not inletted deep enough. 

[DEADDAWG]

John, Got real lucky and found the front sight you need. It is shorter than the stock front sight on the Lyman. I'll get it in the mail as soon as I can get a padded envelope.

Rick

[hungryjohn]

Thanks again, Deaddog. Let me know what you need in exchange.

[DEADDAWG]

John, got the sught in the mail to you today. Had a hard time finding those padded envelopes. You should have it in a couple days. Same as usual, pass it forward when you can.

Rick

[hungryjohn]

The sight Deaddog sent finally arrived here a couplr hours ago. The old sight, being plastic, popped right out ant the new one slid in easy with no fileing or reshapeing needed. In fact, it went in with so little tapping required I'm seriously thinking of tacking it in place with a little solder.

The one thing I found wrong was with the package it came in. The envelope was obviously cut open and the contents examined. there was no attempt to reseal it and the was nothing on or attached to the envelope that it had been looked at by a postal inspector was anywhere to be found.

So I guess a trip to the range so I can clear my head and figure that one out is needed. At least that's what I'll tell my wife.

Thanks again Deaddog. I really appreciate your help.

[DEADDAWG]

John, the easiest way to tighten the sight is to dimple the bottom of the dove tail on the barrel with a center punch. Normally six dimples spaced evenly is enough. Don't know what to say about how long it took to get there or it being open, never had that happen before. I'll ask my postman about it on Monday.

[DandJofAZ]

Saw your comment about solder and thought oh-no just dimple it..see someone beat me to the comment..

[catman]

Next time go ahead and shoot in the rain, I did it the other Sunday before last. You will learn how to load & shoot when bad weather moves in & your in the middle of nowhere. I walk-in hunt & camp some weekends alone. I walk in about 10mi in the National Forest, rain, sleet & snow, they did it with no problems. It was tuff, they didn't live long lives, but good ones. They didn't know any different..