Sometimes it is just good for the soul just to go shoot...Monday was one of those days. It was really nice here and it seemed like only natural that one should go shoot, plus, I still had one more trip planned with the Renegade 54 PRB gun. The last time I was out with it I was just shooting to record velocities with a 0.530 Round Ball. This time out I really just wanted to shoot it for fun at birds at various ranges. I also one other experiment mind. I wanted to try some 0.018 Pillow Tick patches to see if that might tighten up the accuracy. The reason for the test was I normally use 0.015 Ox Yoke cotton patches but they do load, what I would say in the easy category. I can almost push the patch and the ball with my thumb through the crown type easy.
When I got to farm, step the shooting bench and the work bench, I grabbed a handful of Clay Birds and walked out the field to set them up. I set 2 @ 25 yards, 2 @ 50 yard, 2 @ 80 and 3 @ 100. These would be the targets of opportunity today. They are out there but really hard to see in this pic. The two birds set at 25 yards have already met the destruction of the .530 ball.
One of the 25 birds were not that easy though. When I got set up to shoot I did my normal things - pop 3 caps push an almost dry Windex patch through and load up. I chose to use the a thicker patch for this shot at the suggestion it might be better for accuracy and might be less susceptible to the heat of the T7-3f. So after dropping the 60 grains of powder down the tube I inserted my newly purchased Ox-Yoke lubed wad (note: this to me is a much better wad than the Muzzleloaders Original wads that I had been using). The OX-Yoke had some body to it and did not fold up just putting it in the bore. Next came a 0.018 lubed Pillow Tick patch and the ball. It definitely loaded tighter and I remember thinking I really like this pressure. It took a little whack on the short starter and then pushed down with the pressure I felt was comfortable.
I shot this load 4 times at the first 25 yard bird - NO CONTACT - I was around it but never close enough to even scare it. I was even considering some sight adjustment, but instead decided to walk down range and see if I could find a patch. Nothing, I even kinda walked a grid looking for one or remnants. I found several cotton patches from a previous trip but know pillow ticks.
Before putting up a target and/or adjusting the sights I decided to go back to the tried and true load. Everything was the same except I switched from the Pillow Tick back to a Ox-Yoke 0.015 cotton patch. With this patch, and I fear it loads a little to easy, I am almost able to push the combination through the crown with my thumb, but still have to use a short starter to really get it done. Then down the bore - certainly easier than the 0.018.
But anyway, loaded up and set down at the bench dropped the rifle in the rests, capped the rifle, found the target in the sights - pulled the set trigger and touched the forward trigger (probably from a bit of frustration from the first 4 shots) - I was not totally ready but the gun went off and I was po'ed because I did not think I had the perfect hold. I waited till the smoke cleared and the bird was gone!!! Oh Happy Days!
From that bird I moved to the next bird on the right and then right on up the course - It was awesome! When I got to the hundred yard birds - I was somewhat concerned because the powder load only being 60 grains - I was worried about drop. I took my normal 6 O'clock sight picture and popped the first bird without a problem. Oh and by the way that 3" bird is really small @ 100. Next two birds -> 2 shots two birds. Some days you just get lucky!!! And Monday was my day!
This picture is a composite of Monday's shoot. The upper left picture shows the bird locations. If you look carefully at the two highlighted 100 yard birds the 3rd bird is a foot or so at 1 O'clock from the right highlighted bird. Right off the left upper corner of the black box in the picture.
So at this point the rifle is cleaned and put away - not changing nothing - for me it is good to go!
