Slug Guns and Muzzleloaders

[sluggun pilgrim]

Just ordered 2 100 gram bottles from Micro Tools
Cheers

[sluggun pilgrim]

The NYoil arrived the other day, tried it out on Sunday(17th) found bullets difficult to load with chase patch lubed with Nyoil compared to Right Whale oil. Although had good shots scoring 94 at 100 had wild shots as well . Possibbly due to hitting the bullet with the loading rod after short starting the bullet.

Cheers

[Kenny Wasserburger]

interesting, where on earth are you getting right whale oil?
what is the patch thickness?

Kenny W

[sluggun pilgrim]

Hi Kenny
Onshore whaling in Australia did not cease until 1964. The whaling station inn Albany Western Australia was the last one. Predominantly hunting Southern Right Whales that spend the winter months along the Auistralian coast to give birth. I presume other whales were also hunted. In South Auistralia where I live English Settlement did not start uintil 1836, but there was an American whaling station on Kangaroo Island from 1802. Apparently there is still some whle oil left in Albany. Every time I go to Western Auistralia for the Muzzle Loading Nationals i trade gun flints for whale oil. I've even been offered whales teeth to trade for flints.

I use 2 thou cotton tracing paper as patch material , chase patch and 1:30 tin lead alloy bullet 0.402 on the base in a 0.408 groove diameter barrel

Cheers Vlad

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Thanks for the infor Vlad, interesting as hell I gota say! Like the idea of the chase patch and your alloy much harder then most slug gun shooters are using over here, I use 1:60 myself yet my pard Jimbo uses 1:40 with Darn good results!

Kenny

[sluggun pilgrim]

Hi Kenny

When I made my sluggun I tried grease groove bullets initially as I had several 40 cal moulds that I use in my BPCR. I tried from pure lead to to 1:40, harder than that and it was too hard to load. Best score achieved at 100metres was in the mid 90's. After finding a wbsite called blackpowdermag.com and an article on sluggun shooting i copied the style of bullets used by the sluggun shooters, and had a mould made. Again I started with pure lead. best results were with 1:60 after that loading was difficult. I tried sizing the bullets a couple of thou easier loading but no improvement in scores. I was using 2thou Reynolds freezer paper. After about a 100 shots with paper patches I notice a marked improvement in easier loading. I returned to the unsised bullet 0.402 at the base, I was now shooting a couple of points better and could load harder bullets, best results were with a 1:30 tin lead bullet, would on average get 6-8 bullets cutting each other an the odd flier. Then found this forum, you and Joe Gussenhoven told me you were using 100% cotton tracing paper. Joe sent me a couple of pads. Tried the cotton paper but too difficult to load so gave up. Then a couple of months ago changed my cleaning technique. Went to the range with 10 loads of freezer paper and 10 with tracing paper, plus a few sighters. Shot a 98 with freezer paper followed by a 100 with tracing paper. The following week in our Club champs shot a 99. Then a week later at 200 shot a 97 in very windy conditions. When trying the Nyoil yhe first shot on target was higher than with whale oil, made a sight adjustment and shot 4 consecutive shots cutting each other in the 10 ring then an 8 . Although managed to squeeze in a couple more 10's the 3 8's were a bummer.

Have been trying to find someone who will make me a moulds for a 2 part bullet but so far have been unsuccessful.

How do you attach a photo here.

Cheers Vlad

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Vlad,

So what did you change in your cleaning method? sounds like your nearly there! the 3 8's are a bummer something is up for sure. Keep at it, I plan on trying a harder alloy myself my bullets though are swaged after moulded with the swage that came with the Rifle. I have also got a Unertl Scope now for the 45 and plan on trying it out too at Phoenix in March.

another question are you oiling the barrel before you load the bullet? I see in my notes where Steve Garbe oiled the barrel, May try oiling the Choke section before loading the bullets see if that helps.

Kenny

[sluggun pilgrim]

Hi Kenny
In the ML sluggun i changed from 1 damp oth sides followed by a dry both sides to 2 damp one side only keeping the second damp for the next shot. Same with the dry first dry removes the moisture the second dry seems tyo drag out more fouling as it comes out blacker than the first dry. I only oil the patch, Have a small cigar tin with some 1/4 inch felt saturated with oil. Place the chase patch after i have crimped it on the felt and with finger rub the patch until the oil totally covers the patch except the bit that folds under the bullet.

As for the BP cartridge rifles. Just cleaning with 2 damp in the 38 opened up the groups slightly. In my 40-65 just cleaning withj 2 damp thre results were woefull. Going back to wetter patches followed by a dry dramatically tightened up the groups. The best I have shot with the 40-65 at 200 on the ASSRA target is 242 with 2 centres, the group size being 2 1/4 inches wide at 3 oclock and 3/4 inch high. Had quite a few shots cutting each other in a horizontal string. I've been using GOEX 1 Fg since I took up BPCR shooting in the early 80's but am downn to my last 3/4 of a pound which I'm saving for the Kingshoot on the 28 of December with the Hahndorf Rifle club which started in 1864 and is the only surviving club with German oriogins. And a 300 yard match late in January

Run out of Swiss 1F which I have been using in the 38-55, as Goex is no longer available here. So I tried some smokeless (I know its going over to the dark side) but was amazed. Started with 18.5 gns of Mulwex 2207 (Australian made powder sold in the US under another name) 6 shot group 3 shots cutting each other, 3 shots seperate but total groups size 1 inch. 19 grains 5 shots cutting each other 1 shot 1/8 inch away group size 3/4 inch. 19.5 grains simil;ar to first group. Ran some Birchwoodcasey wipeaway through the barrel not a sckerric of lead. So why can i shoot dirty with smokeless but black is so finicky.

I think i saw results in the BP Cartrige News of you shooting long range ML's. Lee Saver did extremely well in the long range MLIAC events in South Africa.

Cheers Vlad

PS Last Wednesday went to one of my frioends place to get a template for an Alexander Henry rifle stock. We Started talking about set triggers on English rifles, as the ones I made for the Pedesoli Gibbs were nocked back in South Africa. He had a Dougall sporting rifle in 0.451 octagon barrel single set trigger, and the original bullet mould that cast a 2 part bullet in the one sissor style mould. The 2 parts were not swaged together.