Loading boards

[hotfxr]

While shooting last Friday at the almost empty Rondy I attended, I had an epiphany out there under the big blue skies.While packing up my gear and a backup outfit (in case of catastrophic flintlock failure) I fell victim to my habit of not always thinking things though. My buddy that walked with me noted that it took a lot of work to load up my rifle. Well yes it does when your ball pouch is capped inside your possible bag and your patches are in a small cap tin, also deep inside your bag. And when they are sharing space at the bottom of the bag with your powder measure and powder container, that is a lot of reaching and fumbling around. I should know better and I do know better, but I have never been the sharpest chisel in the pouch, if you know what I mean. I have always poo poo-ed those cute little boards with a bunch of patched balls in them, dismissing them as, well, cheating, I guess.
Well if that be cheating, take away my white hat and call me a miscreant because today I made up these:



So with a powder horn under my arm, a measure hanging around my neck, and the board in my bag, I can load a shot in about 15-20 seconds. and not drop lead balls and patches all around my feet.

Next time I am shooting with a group, hopefully I will not hold up the line and no one will yell at me for littering.
Now if I could just remember to make sure my barrel is free of oil before I go shooting and thereby keep it from fouling so quickly, I might start looking like I know what I am doing.

[pilgrim]

     hope you used a good lube that won't dry out, before you get  load the patched ball in the barrel

[beowulf]

  apparently you were`nt kidding when you said "boards "  !   I`ve made a few of these , but never with quite the enthusiasm I see here ! mine are rather delicate little things by comaparison  they do come in handy !

[hotfxr]

     hope you used a good lube that won't dry out, before you get  load the patched ball in the barrel

I only set the PRB's to test the fit and for production value in the pictures.

[hotfxr]

apparently you were`nt kidding when you said "boards "  !   I`ve made a few of these , but never with quite the enthusiasm I see here ! mine are rather delicate little things by comaparison  they do come in handy !

There is not much "delicate" around me, not with my track record of breaking things.    These were just from messing around and before I go out and shoot again I will make some smaller ones more like what you have. That is unless I want to start pulling a wagon behind me to carry everything I will wind up "needing".

[Patocazador]

I use a simple combo type for hunting. It's a piece of antler with a patched ball and the end drilled out for 70 gr. of 3F.





I made some of the others too, made of scrap lumber.

[hotfxr]

I use a simple combo type for hunting. It's a piece of antler with a patched ball and the end drilled out for 70 gr. of 3F.





I made some of the others too, made of scrap lumber.

Now I really like that idea. One less thing to grab onto when loading. well done sir!

[flintboomer]

I use a simple combo type for hunting. It's a piece of antler with a patched ball and the end drilled out for 70 gr. of 3F.





I made some of the others too, made of scrap lumber.

Unless you put a recessed area in both sides of the wooden one you have it loaded wrong, the recess that I see on the top side of this one is supposed to center the ball on the muzzle to speed things up.
I made mine with smooth sides and set the ball out just a little for that purpose. Otherwise, nice looking piece!

[flintboomer]

While shooting last Friday at the almost empty Rondy I attended, I had an epiphany out there under the big blue skies.While packing up my gear and a backup outfit (in case of catastrophic flintlock failure) I fell victim to my habit of not always thinking things though. My buddy that walked with me noted that it took a lot of work to load up my rifle. Well yes it does when your ball pouch is capped inside your possible bag and your patches are in a small cap tin, also deep inside your bag. And when they are sharing space at the bottom of the bag with your powder measure and powder container, that is a lot of reaching and fumbling around. I should know better and I do know better, but I have never been the sharpest chisel in the pouch, if you know what I mean. I have always poo poo-ed those cute little boards with a bunch of patched balls in them, dismissing them as, well, cheating, I guess.
Well if that be cheating, take away my white hat and call me a miscreant because today I made up these:



So with a powder horn under my arm, a measure hanging around my neck, and the board in my bag, I can load a shot in about 15-20 seconds. and not drop lead balls and patches all around my feet.

Next time I am shooting with a group, hopefully I will not hold up the line and no one will yell at me for littering.
Now if I could just remember to make sure my barrel is free of oil before I go shooting and thereby keep it from fouling so quickly, I might start looking like I know what I am doing.

Hotfxr:
I think you will find the big boards to be a little awkward to use but try them out and see. Most loading blocks are made with 3 to 10 holes for that reason but you can always carry more than one if you plan to do a lot of shooting on a trail walk .

[Patocazador]

"Unless you put a recessed area in both sides of the wooden one you have it loaded wrong, the recess that I see on the top side of this one is supposed to center the ball on the muzzle to speed things up."

I use the recess to center the ball in the patch before pressing down. It saves aggravation on my part. The lubed patch goes in the recess and the ball is centered every time.
However, You just made a good point. I think I'll countersink a place on the other side to accept the barrel. Thanks for the idea.

[hotfxr]

I had made a couple of smaller boards for the .50's a while back and did cut in a relief to fit over the barrel. However, it only works on a half stock, the long rifles having a nose piece that interferes with the centering. I made these thinner and the balls protrude a bit out the bottom and so far all I have to do is let the ball find the bore and it has tapped in perfectly the dozen or so times I tried it out here.

[Dogshirt]

However, these DON'T work with a spit patch!

[Cranbrook]

Hey HF, that aint ole Red Skeleton there holding up those boards is it? 

[flintboomer]

"Unless you put a recessed area in both sides of the wooden one you have it loaded wrong, the recess that I see on the top side of this one is supposed to center the ball on the muzzle to speed things up."

I use the recess to center the ball in the patch before pressing down. It saves aggravation on my part. The lubed patch goes in the recess and the ball is centered every time.
However, You just made a good point. I think I'll countersink a place on the other side to accept the barrel. Thanks for the idea.

Nice point about centering the ball and patch on the board, but I usually use strips and muzzle cut, or I use precut squares and when I use a board I trim the corners and then finish seating the ball so it sticks out just a little.

Dogshirt, you can spit on it just before you load, but prelubed with your favorite greasy lube will be faster.

[hotfxr]

"Unless you put a recessed area in both sides of the wooden one you have it loaded wrong, the recess that I see on the top side of this one is supposed to center the ball on the muzzle to speed things up."

I use the recess to center the ball in the patch before pressing down. It saves aggravation on my part. The lubed patch goes in the recess and the ball is centered every time.
However, You just made a good point. I think I'll countersink a place on the other side to accept the barrel. Thanks for the idea.

Nice point about centering the ball and patch on the board, but I usually use strips and muzzle cut, or I use precut squares and when I use a board I trim the corners and then finish seating the ball so it sticks out just a little.


Dogshirt, you can spit on it just before you load, but prelubed with your favorite greasy lube will be faster.

For some unknown reason, I just get the feeling that if Dogshirt was ever to fire a Flintlock again, he would most definitely use a spit patch.