Trad. muzzleloader shoot this weekend, a couple questions

[magnumwheelman]

I changed my front globe insert... likely not much of a chance to resight before the shoot, with the stupid weather the last month... I'm way behind at the farm... I decided to try to save $450.00 worth of trees that were past due for planting rather than sight in my rifle last weekend...

a couple observations after last year ( yes I know I should have taken care of this last summer )

my groups were not particularly tight... not as good as I should have been able to shoot with a field rest at 50 & 100 meters... I'm thinking my patch is too thin... if I go to a thicker patch, how much of a point of impact change am I likely to see??? is a direction in point of impact at all predictable???

as mentioned, I changed my front globe sight insert... last year I used an orifice front, with my peep rear, but it covered up too much of the target to see some of the targets ( like the poker shoot, which has 52 cards stapled on a backer minus the amount of shooters each getting 2 cards ) I was having difficulty telling where I was on a board full of cards... I switched to a thin post from the bottom of the sight... curious how much the change of front sight inserts is going to change my point of impact??? & is that predictable??? I'd think all the inserts should be roughly regulated to the center of the front globe, & not make much difference, however going from an orifice to a post may cause me to hold differently...

anyway... hoping I'm on the paper enough to adjust during the fun & games, before the actual competition, where it could cost me beer for everyone for the weekend next year ( said beers are enjoyed, after the shooting for the day is completed )

[lah]

How did all this turn out?

[magnumwheelman]

Well my local retired machinist buddy recommended laying the inserts on top of each other... the post went to the center of the aperture since the post goes under the target typically, I adjusted the rear sight a bit, and got pretty close... close enough to play along on the fun & game shoots they start out with... we shot the 25 meter standing competition today... and the gun shot better than I... I had one hang fire, after lots of rounds, when the gun was dirty, and got a complete miss.... which is likely enough to hurt my chances for a 1st place over all... but I shot twice as good at that stage as last year... the 50 meter is usually my best stage, and in previous years the 100 meter I hold my own... so tomorrow those stages are shot... so I'm not out of it yet...

[magnumwheelman]

Sunday was a very good day... I shot a record low score on the 50 meter sitting target... & a record low score on the 100 meter rested, to move from dead last, to 1st place overall for the 1st time ever... they are putting my name on the traveling trophy this week ... I out shot some very good shooters, one current military... the skinny front post helped... it also helped that I was able to shoot the 50 meter 1st... I could see that my sights were still a little bit off after making adjustments at the 25 meter targets... but I just left it alone, & used "Kentucky windage" at both... my 1st shot at 100 meters was just outside the 8" black square, & I put the rest all in the center of the black, even managing one dead center on that stage...

I was shooting Goex Black FF that was powder MRS dad had that is more than 30 years old... ( a bunch of the guys, including the one that has won the most overall, have switched to modern powders... like 777

the skinny front post helped a lot, & I think I was shooting the tightest groups, with my Hornady round balls & a .005" thicker patch over 70 grains of FF I know for a fact that everyone else was using much smaller charges, & we had been discussing the ability to shoot tighter groups, & what the best charge would be??? obviously the lower charges are easier on the shooter... but I question if they shoot a tight enough group...

if I could better manage my pre-tremor condition shooting standing, unsupported, & better those scores I could ensure my name on that trophy more in the future... but will admit it was fun going from dead last after the 1st days shooting, to 1st over all, by a very wide margin, after the 2nd day

I think I might try coloring the front sight next year, as it had a tendency to disappear into the 8" black square at 100 meters when I had to adjust my sight picture for hold over since the sights weren't perfect... might try adding a sling to my rifle & see if using one helps my standing shots... ( the 25 meter standing counts for a lot of points, since we shoot twice as many shots at 25 meters, as we do at 50 or 100 meters

[bula]

I believe I've told of putting a sheet out on the ground under/in front of the muzzle ? Starting with a "square" loading, powder charge equals bore. As in 45grs in a .45. Work up 5grs at a time until you see unburnt powder on the sheet. Go back 5grs grains and this maybe be the most accurate load, or lightest effiecient load. A retired co-worker that had hand built muzzle loaders for many years. Was a sniper in Korea, etc.. told me of this. It came to 80grs in my .54 Lyman Great Plains. Congrats on the shootin'.  

[bula]

Am not sure I explained that well. Will try again ! When looking for the most accurate loading, look between a square load and where you find unburnt powder. For hunting use, you may keep trying beyond unburnt powder to whatever you and the manufacturer call MAX. My 54 rifle with FFG was most happy at 80grs.. Ya'll know this a volume measure, not a weight. 

[magnumwheelman]

at this point... I picked 70 grains to roughly simulate the 50-70 cartridge... I'd guess from my shooting yesterday with the new patch thickness, this yields a 4" - 5" 5 shot group,at 100 meters with a round ball & patch... which should be IMO, a pretty good grouping at that distance...

[bula]

Pretty is as pretty does. !st place says it all.