NEWBIES- Check them out first.

Wild Bill Bucks · October 18, 2006, 09:43 AM

I notice a lot of guys buying new ML's, the night before season opens, and get up and go hunting the next day. I can't beleive, that anyone would be under the assumption that ANY rifle is going to be huntable, right out of the box.

If you plan to ML hunt this year, and you are new to the sport, PLEASE have enough mercy on the rest of us in the woods with you, to take your rifle to the range a few times before attempting to hunt with it. ML's are not like any other rifle that most of you guys are use to. They take a lot of experimentation, patience, and plain old common sense. They take a lot more practice than about any other kind of rifle. If you don't go to the range, and learn about your rifle before you go hunt with it, you are going to be sadly dis-appointed with the whole experience. Besides being a danger to yourself as well as others.

ML hunting is one of the most fun sports out there, so don't ruin the experience for yourself, before you even get started. Find someone who knows what they are doing, and make a trip to the range with him, before you go to the woods. It COULD just save your life.

360 jp · October 18, 2006, 11:04 AM

I agree with that to a certain degeree. It took a few months for me to get my BP pistol down to where I could figure out how much powder would do what I wanted at the range. I would experiment with higher and lower loads respectively. Heck, I have a difficult time trying to remember how each one of my firearms shoots. One is high and left, the other is low and left. Different bullets have differentiating trajectory paths. I got a smokeless rifle that is dead on with 150 gr,and low and left with 200 gr or high and left.

When I got my bp pistol I think I loaded 15 gr of 777 (the base load) the 1st shot I took and it felt like I threw a marble at the target. Then I loaded to 25gr 777 and it felt realistically powerful,but pushed the max load on the firearm. Then there was remembering the order of operations to load the firearm. I would imagine that in the anticipation that goes with taking a shot on a game animal one may forget an operation if he/ she became excited during the exercise.
After some experience, and spending unforseen money on needed technological improvements, I got the drill down by memory. Cause when I bought the stuff I had no idea I had to buy a better flask, and a better capper and so forth.

Whisk · October 18, 2006, 02:41 PM

I agree wholeheartedly witth it!

Not so much with the pistola, but with the rifle I can see more need to experiment.

I'm down (after reading some of the guys posts here) to 80 grs with the powerbelts (245 or 295 grs) but am thinking about experimenting with the .45 speer's and a sabot.

A friend of mine who does really primitive BP shooting (pre 1840 flintlock type) tells me he went through all kinds of combos until he settled on one favorite load and stuck with it!

sundance44s · October 18, 2006, 03:30 PM

Funny thing about shooting black powder even after you find the perfect load .. ya just can`t resist trying something a little different ..oh well never boreing . Just because we can .

October 18, 2006, 09:43 AM	#1
Wild Bill Bucks Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2005 Location: Southeastern Oklahoma, Next door to Sasquatch Posts: 1,266	NEWBIES- Check them out first. I notice a lot of guys buying new ML's, the night before season opens, and get up and go hunting the next day. I can't beleive, that anyone would be under the assumption that ANY rifle is going to be huntable, right out of the box. If you plan to ML hunt this year, and you are new to the sport, PLEASE have enough mercy on the rest of us in the woods with you, to take your rifle to the range a few times before attempting to hunt with it. ML's are not like any other rifle that most of you guys are use to. They take a lot of experimentation, patience, and plain old common sense. They take a lot more practice than about any other kind of rifle. If you don't go to the range, and learn about your rifle before you go hunt with it, you are going to be sadly dis-appointed with the whole experience. Besides being a danger to yourself as well as others. ML hunting is one of the most fun sports out there, so don't ruin the experience for yourself, before you even get started. Find someone who knows what they are doing, and make a trip to the range with him, before you go to the woods. It COULD just save your life.

October 18, 2006, 02:41 PM	#3
Whisk Member Join Date: September 11, 2006 Location: Ceres, CA Posts: 86	I agree wholeheartedly witth it! Not so much with the pistola, but with the rifle I can see more need to experiment. I'm down (after reading some of the guys posts here) to 80 grs with the powerbelts (245 or 295 grs) but am thinking about experimenting with the .45 speer's and a sabot. A friend of mine who does really primitive BP shooting (pre 1840 flintlock type) tells me he went through all kinds of combos until he settled on one favorite load and stuck with it! __________________ "Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance" http://www.lukefisher.com/napalm.wav

October 18, 2006, 03:30 PM	#4
sundance44s Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2006 Location: Hernando , Ms. Posts: 579	Sundance4s Funny thing about shooting black powder even after you find the perfect load .. ya just can`t resist trying something a little different ..oh well never boreing . Just because we can .

October 18, 2006, 11:04 AM	#2
360 jp Member Join Date: January 15, 2006 Posts: 32	I agree with that to a certain degeree. It took a few months for me to get my BP pistol down to where I could figure out how much powder would do what I wanted at the range. I would experiment with higher and lower loads respectively. Heck, I have a difficult time trying to remember how each one of my firearms shoots. One is high and left, the other is low and left. Different bullets have differentiating trajectory paths. I got a smokeless rifle that is dead on with 150 gr,and low and left with 200 gr or high and left. When I got my bp pistol I think I loaded 15 gr of 777 (the base load) the 1st shot I took and it felt like I threw a marble at the target. Then I loaded to 25gr 777 and it felt realistically powerful,but pushed the max load on the firearm. Then there was remembering the order of operations to load the firearm. I would imagine that in the anticipation that goes with taking a shot on a game animal one may forget an operation if he/ she became excited during the exercise. After some experience, and spending unforseen money on needed technological improvements, I got the drill down by memory. Cause when I bought the stuff I had no idea I had to buy a better flask, and a better capper and so forth.