Ahh, the joys of sighting in the day before the day before ML season

FirstFreedom · October 26, 2006, 08:00 PM

Being the supreme moron that I am, I played musical scopes a week or so back, when I got home from the range after sighting in both my MLs, perfectly acceptably I might add..... so, back again today......

1. Everybody and their dog shows up.

2. Two guys on the far end have not brought a spotting scope, and one of the two, I swear to you, has the gall to call a ceasefire/cold range every 2 shots - maaaaaybe 3 shots, and WALK (not run) to the 100 yard mark to check his targets and back. He must have done this 6 or 8 times while he was there. This with less than an hour and a half of daylight left. Excruciating. This other guy and me were looking at each other waiting patiently, with knowing looks of "what in the hell is he thinking?".

3. ML#1 does a misfire first shot. OK, put it away, that's why I have a backup. Don't have time to mess with it. On to ML#2.

4. ML #2 is all over the place with T/C cheap shot 180s (.40 in .45 sabot). Hitting all over an actual paper plate, around the edges, but no better. Click this way. It corrects too much, impossible for the # of clicks I used. Click that way. It corrects too much again, impossible for the # of clicks. But after 20 or so shots, with 2 cleanings, at least I'm ON the pieplate. P.O.S. scope, I decided. OK, I'll just stick with the minute-of-pieplate....but wait, I have these other 180s - Precision bullets - surely I can group them (maybe it ain't the scope I thought), and there's just enough light to adjust my point of aim.

5. Still ML#2. Load up a charge with new bullet. Oops, the mark is not lining up - the mark on my rod is down in the barrel. So either I didn't put ANY pellets in, OR I put 1 instead of two. Probably I put one, but not two, by the looks of the mark, so no problem, right; I'll just shoot the 50 gr load, then keep on truckin. OK, load primer; fire. Pop; not boom. No ignition of charge. Hmmm, aaaaaaaah, ok, I must have put NO powder in, instead of 1 pellet. No problem. Use my bullet puller, pull the bullet, load up two, seat new bullet. Oops, now mark is too HIGH - there's 150 grains in there now! What I thought was a powderless load was actual another freakin misfire! Well, ain't no way I'm shooting a 150 gr load of 777 from a Traditions, with rumors of them blowing up. So I rig a rope from the pickup. Pull the trigger with rope from 20 feet back. Pop. No boom. Another !@%@#$%@#$%@#%#@%#@%, !@$%@%@%%, @#%#%#%#%, @#%#$#$%, @#$%#%#% misfire! (note the sheer number of adjectives there). So remove breech plug, hoping it doesn't blow on me in the process, push out the whole load from the front, wincing and pulling hand back quickly. It's dark now; go home. Now I must go back tomorrow when I should be loading up for the weekend instead. Hadn't been that frustrated in a looong time.

Lesson #1: Don't play musical scopes a week before ML season, when you are already sighted in, fercryinoutloud.

Lesson #2: (This dawns on me on the way home - wait for it....). Make sure you orient the 777 pellets the right way in the bore. Forgot about that. Probably what it was - only thing I can think of to cause the misfires, since I prepped the bores with blank primer shots before shooting.

I know, I know, I'm a nontraditionalist punk anyhow... I guess I'm being punished by the Primitive God of Davy Crockett for using an inline and powder pellets and scope and....

Jim Watson · October 26, 2006, 08:09 PM

The part I like is the guys showing up at the range about 10:00am on opening day, apparently because they have already been in the woods and missed their deer.

FirstFreedom · October 26, 2006, 08:12 PM

hee hee, thankfully never done that.

Wild Bill Bucks · October 27, 2006, 09:15 AM

FF,
Check the breech plug carefully....I had one that got some debris down that little bitty hole, and it would show to be throwing fire on my fouling primer shot, but was not throwing enough to ignite powder. I finally got my nipple pick out and it pushed the debris out, and I haven't had a problem since.

Just a thought.

Went out last night and fired 2 rounds at 100 yards, and both shots were touching, so I carried my rifle back to the truck, like it was made of gold, so hopefully I am ready for season.

Sorry to hear about your problem right before season, that's a real BUMMER.

marcseatac · October 27, 2006, 02:06 PM

I did that once, I loaded a charge and projectile and some people came by to chat when they left I proceeded to load another charge and projectile, so I had 100 grs loose powder with a Maxiball 100 more grains and another Maxiball. Noticed the ramrod wasn't going all the way down (thank god). Done it once out of about 500 rounds now. It's easier to do than one would think. Moose load.

FirstFreedom · October 27, 2006, 02:29 PM

Quote:

2 rounds at 100 yards, and both shots were touching

I hate you.

Thanks for the advice.

sundance44s · October 27, 2006, 03:43 PM

There should be a warning on b/p guns .. ( do not use when in a hurry ) if it can happen it will happen sooner or latter the black cloud that follows me will get to your town and find you too .when ya least expect it .

Wild Bill Bucks · October 30, 2006, 11:14 AM

When we first got into ML's long ago, I had a friend, that went to the range with me a lot. He was always smoking while he was loading, and dispite my warnings several times, continued to make a habit of doing it.

One day he had loaded the powder down his barrel, and reached over for a bullet, and the ashes from his cigarette, fell into the barrel, igniting the powder. The blast took his hat off, along with most of his beard and eye lashes. He wasn't hurt other than that, but made a vow never to smoke again. That's been close to 20 years ago now, and I have never seen him smoke another cigarette since.

I've made about every mistake, that can be made with a ML (short of shooting myself) I have figured this much out... Don't be in a hurry, and always have your mind on what your doing. Most of the time that works for me, but every now and then I do something pretty dumb, just like everybody else.

October 27, 2006, 03:43 PM	#7
sundance44s Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2006 Location: Hernando , Ms. Posts: 579	Sundance44s There should be a warning on b/p guns .. ( do not use when in a hurry ) if it can happen it will happen sooner or latter the black cloud that follows me will get to your town and find you too .when ya least expect it .

October 26, 2006, 08:00 PM	#1
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Ahh, the joys of sighting in the day before the day before ML season Being the supreme moron that I am, I played musical scopes a week or so back, when I got home from the range after sighting in both my MLs, perfectly acceptably I might add..... so, back again today...... 1. Everybody and their dog shows up. 2. Two guys on the far end have not brought a spotting scope, and one of the two, I swear to you, has the gall to call a ceasefire/cold range every 2 shots - maaaaaybe 3 shots, and WALK (not run) to the 100 yard mark to check his targets and back. He must have done this 6 or 8 times while he was there. This with less than an hour and a half of daylight left. Excruciating. This other guy and me were looking at each other waiting patiently, with knowing looks of "what in the hell is he thinking?". 3. ML#1 does a misfire first shot. OK, put it away, that's why I have a backup. Don't have time to mess with it. On to ML#2. 4. ML #2 is all over the place with T/C cheap shot 180s (.40 in .45 sabot). Hitting all over an actual paper plate, around the edges, but no better. Click this way. It corrects too much, impossible for the # of clicks I used. Click that way. It corrects too much again, impossible for the # of clicks. But after 20 or so shots, with 2 cleanings, at least I'm ON the pieplate. P.O.S. scope, I decided. OK, I'll just stick with the minute-of-pieplate....but wait, I have these other 180s - Precision bullets - surely I can group them (maybe it ain't the scope I thought), and there's just enough light to adjust my point of aim. 5. Still ML#2. Load up a charge with new bullet. Oops, the mark is not lining up - the mark on my rod is down in the barrel. So either I didn't put ANY pellets in, OR I put 1 instead of two. Probably I put one, but not two, by the looks of the mark, so no problem, right; I'll just shoot the 50 gr load, then keep on truckin. OK, load primer; fire. Pop; not boom. No ignition of charge. Hmmm, aaaaaaaah, ok, I must have put NO powder in, instead of 1 pellet. No problem. Use my bullet puller, pull the bullet, load up two, seat new bullet. Oops, now mark is too HIGH - there's 150 grains in there now! What I thought was a powderless load was actual another freakin misfire! Well, ain't no way I'm shooting a 150 gr load of 777 from a Traditions, with rumors of them blowing up. So I rig a rope from the pickup. Pull the trigger with rope from 20 feet back. Pop. No boom. Another !@%@#$%@#$%@#%#@%#@%, !@$%@%@%%, @#%#%#%#%, @#%#$#$%, @#$%#%#% misfire! (note the sheer number of adjectives there). So remove breech plug, hoping it doesn't blow on me in the process, push out the whole load from the front, wincing and pulling hand back quickly. It's dark now; go home. Now I must go back tomorrow when I should be loading up for the weekend instead. Hadn't been that frustrated in a looong time. Lesson #1: Don't play musical scopes a week before ML season, when you are already sighted in, fercryinoutloud. Lesson #2: (This dawns on me on the way home - wait for it....). Make sure you orient the 777 pellets the right way in the bore. Forgot about that. Probably what it was - only thing I can think of to cause the misfires, since I prepped the bores with blank primer shots before shooting. I know, I know, I'm a nontraditionalist punk anyhow... I guess I'm being punished by the Primitive God of Davy Crockett for using an inline and powder pellets and scope and....

October 26, 2006, 08:09 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	The part I like is the guys showing up at the range about 10:00am on opening day, apparently because they have already been in the woods and missed their deer.

October 26, 2006, 08:12 PM	#3
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	hee hee, thankfully never done that.

October 27, 2006, 09:15 AM	#4
Wild Bill Bucks Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2005 Location: Southeastern Oklahoma, Next door to Sasquatch Posts: 1,266	FF, Check the breech plug carefully....I had one that got some debris down that little bitty hole, and it would show to be throwing fire on my fouling primer shot, but was not throwing enough to ignite powder. I finally got my nipple pick out and it pushed the debris out, and I haven't had a problem since. Just a thought. Went out last night and fired 2 rounds at 100 yards, and both shots were touching, so I carried my rifle back to the truck, like it was made of gold, so hopefully I am ready for season. Sorry to hear about your problem right before season, that's a real BUMMER.

October 27, 2006, 02:06 PM	#5
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	I did that once, I loaded a charge and projectile and some people came by to chat when they left I proceeded to load another charge and projectile, so I had 100 grs loose powder with a Maxiball 100 more grains and another Maxiball. Noticed the ramrod wasn't going all the way down (thank god). Done it once out of about 500 rounds now. It's easier to do than one would think. Moose load.

October 30, 2006, 11:14 AM	#8
Wild Bill Bucks Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2005 Location: Southeastern Oklahoma, Next door to Sasquatch Posts: 1,266	When we first got into ML's long ago, I had a friend, that went to the range with me a lot. He was always smoking while he was loading, and dispite my warnings several times, continued to make a habit of doing it. One day he had loaded the powder down his barrel, and reached over for a bullet, and the ashes from his cigarette, fell into the barrel, igniting the powder. The blast took his hat off, along with most of his beard and eye lashes. He wasn't hurt other than that, but made a vow never to smoke again. That's been close to 20 years ago now, and I have never seen him smoke another cigarette since. I've made about every mistake, that can be made with a ML (short of shooting myself) I have figured this much out... Don't be in a hurry, and always have your mind on what your doing. Most of the time that works for me, but every now and then I do something pretty dumb, just like everybody else.