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82Rigger 01-29-2008 07:04 AM

Question for Revwardoc
 
Dan,

Your firearm is a Charleville, I believe you've said.

Just wondering what firearms the other End Zone Militia guys have.

Have you ever fired your Charleville with ball?

Steve

revwardoc 01-29-2008 09:38 AM

My Charleville is a 1763 model converted to a 1776 model. The conversion was simply moving the bayonet lug from the bottom of the barrel to the top.

Many of the guys carry Long Land Pattern Brown Besses. One member carries a Short Land Pattern Bess.

A few carry blunderbusses.

The Charleville is a .69 as opposed to the .75 Brown Bess. Which means that the Brits had bigger balls than we did but it really didn't do them much good.

82Rigger 01-29-2008 05:04 PM

Quote:

...the Brits had bigger balls than we did...
Ummm...I don't think so! :D

revwardoc 01-31-2008 06:00 AM

Oh, yeah; as far as firing ball, sure. I've taken part in several competitions for accuracy and speed firing. When shooting for accuracy we use a .65 ball with a greased patch; for speed with use a .60 ball with 80 grains of powder which was the typical combat load of the Rev War. I once got off 5 shots in 1 minute...once. I got off 4 shots several times, but 3 is the standard.

82Rigger 01-31-2008 06:25 AM

I've always wanted to shoot one of the Revolution era muskets.

Had a lot of fun with my Pennsylvania flintlock rifle. There's no "speed" involved since it's real pickey about what gets poked down the barrel and how it's done.

Took a LONG time to work up my load...it's sensitive to patching material, patch orientation, patch lube, powder charge and spru orientation... but when loaded the way it likes, it'll hit a beer can at 100 yards on a regular basis.

revwardoc 01-31-2008 09:40 AM

I've got a .50 cal. Dickert reproduction flintlock rifle. I used to fire it at competions and re-enactments but I broke the main spring and have been procrastinating about getting a new one. And it is a bear to load.

82Rigger 01-31-2008 03:55 PM

Rev,

I had an interesting experience while working up the powder charge for my Pennsylvania rifle.

I was trying to work up the load like you do with modern propellants...half-grain increments...and it was taking forever. It was the only way I knew.

Then an old-timer (90 years old) shooting buddy helped me out.

He said, "Start with a charge that equals the caliber, and work up in 5 grain increments until you hear the bullet 'crack' when you fire. That's the ball going supersonic."

"That's gonna be close", he said.

"Then start there and work up and down, looking for small groups."

So I started at 45 grains (FFF) and worked up. At 70 grains I heard that distinctive "crack" when I fired.

Then I started working up in 1-grain increments, and sure enough, at 73 grains I started getting "Tim Murphy" accuracy. :D

revwardoc 02-01-2008 07:17 AM

Sounds like a plan! I'll remember that.


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