Another project Trying a restoration

[Wrknrvr]

   Sorta getting desperate to make this thing work. As I have less than two weeks till I leave.

  I gotta tie some flies this week as fishing is going to be more interesting in the next few weeks than shooting.

 

   Well I fiddled down a stick. Poured some water and sand into two different bullet molds this am.   Tiresome to get a steel bullet mold bigger by a few thousands.

  Will try casting new bullets in the am. Then try some paper patching on them for sizing. Windy for a for a few days so will by tying flys and packing.

 

  Tired fingers,    Vern

[Wrknrvr]

   Woke up this am. How stupid could I be.    Should have used a bow stick to ream those molds out.

  I did cast bullets from both molds, and will paper patch them tomorrow.   But the next few days are windy in New Mexico. Also loading the wagon up for traveling north.

 

  Have a good day,    Vern

[Wrknrvr]

   Well yesterday I finally made substantial headway.    I did cast some bullets after reaming out two bullet molds .

  Then I forced them through a sizing die to .449. Then paper patched with three different types of paper patching paper.

  Fired 7 rounds. Now there was no tumbling of any bullets. So I dug three out of the dirt bank. With soft lead the bullets actually obdurate. That is when the rear of the bullet swells from the sudden explosion behind it.

 

  In the photo you can see the rifling marks on the rear of the bullets. That apparently was never doing that with the smaller diameter bullets. Or it was at random as about 50 percent of the previous bullets fired were either random in there relationship to the bullseye.. Or were flyers. Yep they were hitting the target sideways.

  Also I found some of the cardboard wads and the grease cookie stuck to it about 20 feet down range.

 

  The bullet will push through the barrel with just some light finger pressure.

   I sure feel good about this improving my thinking on this subject.

  I may get one more time at the range. But we are leaving New Mexico next Wednesday or Thursday.

 

On a side note, never walk in bear pee, come into camp at night. You are unwelcome to the others around the camp.

   I punched a hole in a can of bear spray in my Jeep yesterday. Yep I did it accidentally. But still it has the same effect.

  Today I will scrub the inside of the wagon again. If I can.

 

   Vern

 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

  Well I guess the next time i will get to shoot this gun will be in Montana somewhere.  I sorta ran out of time to get the covered wagon fixed and get going.

  Now I did see that medicine man again. What he told me was is quit interesting about the medication he was having me take. It was willow bark.

  He also said white man has known about willow bark for over a thousand years. Yes aspirin was first made from willow bark. Then in the late 1800’s, white man figured out how to make it without willow bark.

    I am taking 81 milligrams a day. 

  Will see both my regular doctor and my ophthalmologist soon after I get back to Montana 

 

   Vern

Edited March 18, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

   Well we did stop near Santa Fe New Mexico for rations. And a day of rest.   While there I did see a hunter there at the trading post. Was talking to him about my health and he said a medicine man from Idaho told him to eat a few caterpillars in the spring.

  What the heck is that for. You must be nuts to eat caterpillars. Well he said ya know that bad rash that old white men get on there skin. Yes I have seen it a few times on old white people. Only a couple times.

   The medicine man said the Spanish that came to Mexico had drought that decease. Some Indian in old Mexico had figured out to eat female caterpillars as a cure.   And how do you know which caterpillars are female. He said Just eat all you see. Half of them must be female 

  Well ya know I would believe that as much as making Rocky Mountain pine tea. Until I tied it.

  I may go fishing today in the Arkansas river. 

 

    Well back to shooting again. It maybe a few weeks till I can get out to a range.  We are going to hopefully stop in Lewistown Montana for a few days.  There is a range there near town, so I may get there for a short time. 

 

   Vern

[Wrknrvr]

   We have finally made it to our summer spot in Montana.

 

  On Wednesday I had a appointment with my ophthalmologist that first diagnosed me with macular degeneration in the late summer of 2020. He was giving me injections every six weeks for the first 6 months. My situation calmed down for macular degeneration, so he spaced the shots out to every 8 weeks.

   So we did go to New Mexico last winter and I had shots until late December.

   In my late January office visit to the ophthalmologist, he felt I did not need injections at that time as my condition stabilized. So late February visit showed the same results. No need for injections.

 

  So I have been keeping my own records, photos and cross section image of my situation. So on Wednesday my ophthalmologist in Kalispell Montana said I do not need injections at this time. My next appointment is 8 weeks out.

  I told him about my willow bark/ aspirin treatment.

  I also told him how my ability to focus my eyes has improved.

 

he has been a ophthalmologist for over 30 years. Both of the ophthalmologist said  that the aspirin treatment was tested years ago and it did not prove to work.

    So he is sorta confused as to what is happening. I told him about what I found on the net. That made him more do more thinking.

I asked him if a person should be able to see a 32” black target at 1000 yards. He was not sure.

  Well I have a black garbage can lid that is 32” in diameter. set at 1000yards. I can see that now when it is bright outside with out glasses. I need to focus on it. But I can see it.

  So I found a web site about using aperture sights for long distance shooting. 

  I also joined a shooting club that has up to 300 yard distance for targets. So now I can go shooting without snow covered roads for the rest of the summer.

   Vern

[Wrknrvr]

    I finally found the size of targets are different distances, on the NRA site. So that really helps with testing my eye sight at different distances up to a 1000 yards.

   Not only is that quite a distance to shoot . Trying it without a scope seems really darn near impossible. But some people can do it.

    So I finally went to the range. Set up proper size targets at 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards. That is according to the NRA web sight.

 

    So I can see all those targets with or without glasses. I did go back through some old glasses and found one pair that I can focus on the targets much better that my prescription glasses. My new prescription glasses were purchased last October.

   

   Since there were glasses available back in the 1800 hundreds, your are allowed to use optics on your head. Just not on the gun, in competition shooting.

    I have read where they did have adjustable focusing glasses back in the day. Opera glasses.  

 

  So I have a much better idea what I am trying to shoot at and at a certain  distance.   At this time 300 yards seems darn near impossible, sorta.

 

    I have had a chance to make a 542 grain bullet for the 45-70. I have paper patched several of them. So I was at the range and fired several rounds of my 400+ grain bullets at 100 yards. So I am thinking group size is sorta ok. But I am still thinking there is something wrong with my bullets.   So I chambered a round with the 542 grains bullet. Squeezed the trigger. I would say it could be a freak shot. But it was nearer the bullseye than I expected.

   Then I realized I could have a new problem. For every action there is a reaction. My shoulder told me so. So I only shot one 542 grain bullet. Need to see if I was shooting more bullet than this gun was built for. Since that day I have found some charts on loading 12 gauge black powder shells. My 542 grain bullet is within a heavy load for 12 gauge slug or birdshot weight.

There are quite a few people that can and do make and shoot paper patched bullets. But I personally do not know anyone locally that does it. So this sure has been elusive to me. But Labor Day weekend there is a 1000 yard shoot about 45 drive from me. I am going to try and go and see if I can learn. Sure as heck hope so.

   I think I learned about cabin fever last winter. While being holed up in New Mexico and hiding from people, because of covid. Throw in a computer with lots of time to research history and one can find some strange medical history.

 

   Allen was at the range that same day. Boy was he mad.    He shot 2 400 + grain paper patched bullets. They  tumbled at 50 yards. Then he shot a 542 grain bullet at 50 yards and it tumbled. 

 

    Before he left I said look at what I brought along. While in New Mexico last winter and having a computer to look at, I found a original 1830s long rifle.

  As far as I can tell it was a flintlock, then converted to percussion. The stock was cut down to be a half stock, mountain style rifle.

   I bought it unseen. So I had to clean dirt out of the trigger system. It has double set triggers. Cleaned and lube the lock mechanism. It works fine now. Had to make a new nipple for the ignition. Then very carefully clean  the bore with sand paper down to 2000 grit paper.   It is rifled, and I will call it a 40 caliber bore. I did not have a bullet mold for it. So I made a conical mold. Cast about 10 bullets and patched them.

 

   Allen was quit interested in it.  So I loaded it with 30 grains of black powder and slid a bullet in place. The front sight is missing. So I glued a temporary sight on the front. I said I would shoot it, just Incase something stupid happened. Yes this is the first time i ever seen in being fired.

  Well at 50 yards the bullet did not tumble. I walked up to the target just to make sure. Loaded another round. Squeezed the trigger. Well I did say about the front sight being replaced. Second shot went say 2.5 inches to the left at 50 yards. And that bullet did not tumble.

 

   So how the heck can I try for better than a year and cannot get Allen’s rifle to shoot paper patched bullets without some of them tumbling. Yet the new to me original long rifle shoots paper patched bullets the first try.

 

  The only real difference besides the bore diameter, is the 45 caliber is 1 in 60 twist rate ( I am going to confirm that in a day or two). And the 40 caliber is 1 in 30” twist rate. I do have a thought on this 40 caliber rifle, was it re barreled or was it bored out and re rifled to a larger caliber.  

  When rifles were first rifled they had a very slow twist rate. So was this gun, during its life, modified for more accurate shooting, it has a 41” long barrel on it.

   Allen’s madness calmed down as he was intrigued by this rifles ability to shoot.

   This week I will make a new bullet mold for Allen’s rifle. And patch about 20 rounds for the 45-70 with 542 grain bullets.

 

[Wrknrvr]

     I have tell ya that this thing about shooting open sights to 1000 yards seeeemms really dam near impossible.

    Well I finally went to a long distance shoot over the Memorial Day weekend.

   Just as a spectator.     Only 7 shooters there. When I got there, they were doing there morning competition.   Very calm they were. They were keeping track of every shot. At this time they were shooting at 1000 yards.

   A few of these men were from out of state.

 

    I started listening to the return ring from hitting the target. It was a steel 5’ x5’ target. I would say they were hitting about 65 percent of a return ring. 

    So I have 800 yards to go.

 

      Both my eye doctor and family doctors appointments were postponed because they both have gotten the latest sickness. My eyesight has been improving slowly. Letting me see the target through the scope tube just a little bit better every few weeks.

 

  Stay safe,   Vern

 

   

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

       

   Well this is a photo of my rear sight  drill sizes needed for seeing through the scope tube

 

  This shows three different size oriface holes with a drill bit inserted.

  The top one is about .085” in size.  I needed this when my eyes were at there worse condition. A few times when I tried to shoot at 100 yards or less the view went blank. For awhile I could not see a 3” target at 75’ through this oriface.

   The next one from the bottom was about .070” in size. After starting my aspirin treatment I started to be able to see through it.

    Well I have been frustrated with my eyesight for awhile. Two ophthalmologist have looked at my eyes for almost two years. Macular degeneration they say. Witch includes shots in the eyes.   Yep real fun.

      So I went to a compounding pharmacy. Asked about willow bark. Yep she said, I can get it. But I have no idea what dosage to take.

     So I found some at a health food store on a Indian reservation. Yep we have it. What dosage do you want or need. I said smallest as possible.

 

   I cannot find any info on what dosage to take.

   Two weeks after I started the willow bark treatment of one 400 mg capsule a day. Things changed.

   Now I was looking at how many bullet molds I made.

   9 in all. Different diameters, different lengths. What was I thinking. Not one shot good. At 100 yards.

     So after a few days started the willow bark treatment. I sat down and looked at my bullets that these molds made. I picked three different bullets to test. One paper patched (I never heard of them before this project started).

   Looked at them for shape. Measured the diameters

   Well in the beginning of this hobby, I wanted to do this with as little manufacturers parts as possible. Should have done one thing at a time.

   All three were passed through a bullet  diameter corrector. Computer won’t let me spell what I mean.

 

    So at the range I shot 3 rounds at 100 yards.    At that moment I noticed the front sight was to big in diameter to correctly center the bullseye. So I put a smaller one in the front of the scope tube.

  Fired two more rounds. Much better results. Scope tube is off to the right and low. Adjust tube.

   Now try three rounds of paper patched bullet. Better, but now I noticed the rear sighting hole that was installed was toooo big.

   But that is what I have with me.  

So I shoot three rounds of a 564 grain bullet that I made a mold for. Solid lead bullet. No paper patching on it. Just proper bore size.

   The large bullets work good. Stopped shooting as I need a smaller rear opening at the rear of the scope tube. Yea I drilled my smaller diameter holes out to fit my eyesight at the time.

   When I looked at the target up close, I had no bullet tumbling at all.

    So I have loaded about 15 rounds of each of the different bullets that I used last. Made a .030” oriface for the rear of the scope. I just tested my .030” oriface out to 100” yards. I can see a target out to 1000 yards. But I need a oriface of about .027”. Or smaller.

 

   Searching the net I found gas burner nozzles are made in increments of .001” per step to the next size. Drilling a .030” hole with a hand drill is interesting. How to chuck up a .027” bit.

Edited June 26, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

    I was at the range last weekend.

 

   So that day I started shooting at 100 yards. 6 shots at a 5” black can lid. Nothing to talk about.

   This trip to the range I had about 30 rounds loaded. All the same primers, same make of case and amount of powder. Same wad stack. That includes a grease cookie.

   So I could load different bullet into the same cartridge case. So the only difference would be the bullet. The paper patching  as in thickness of paper. One was .0018 thousands thick. Same bullet. The other was .0024 thousands thick. Same Both double wrapped.

After shooting the .0018 thousands thick bullet and not wanting to show the bullet spreed. This was my first 6 rounds.

   So I decided to try a 560 grain straight, non patched bullet at 200 yards. To the right of bullseye. 4 rounds frustrating as these bullets work fairly good. They are long and have a flat point about 3/16” across. Original military bullets had a similar shape nose on there bullets.

  So then I go back to my first 6 rounds of bullet style. That was rather scattered across the target. Not on in the bullseye.

   So I load several rounds with the same bullet. All with the .0024 thousands paper. Same primers, same powder, same wad stack under the bullet.

   Fire 5 rounds. No one hit the blank target. Really. Blank frustrating to say the least. We it is time to leave the range. Maybe go find Allen and look for gold.

   So there is a break in shooters shooting. So time to set targets or remove targets.

   Get to the 100 yard target.         Blank it.    Last 4 rounds are in the 5” black lid. To the left center of it. And one just touched the outer edge of the lid. Can it be that paper thickness can change accuracy that much

   Bullets make black hole in targets. Black targets with black holes. Really confusing.

   So I made a few red targets. For my next trip to the range.

  I have a 60 power spotting scope. I was confused about seeing holes in that lid. But did not believe it was there. Even got my binoculars to look. Could not see them as good as the spotting scope.

  Well I have been reading a forum on long range black powder shooting with post going back to about 2003. Bullet tumbling, and pour accuracy is quite a problem for lots of us who start trying this subject.

    Everyone else I have read about either have a newly manufactured rifle that has been made in the last 50 years. As reproductions.

   Or they have original rifles.

   Throw in my eye problems and that really did confuse me. But the medicine woman on that Flathead Indian reservation new her stuff. That willow bark is still working.

   Vern

[Wrknrvr]

Edited August 10, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

 Well this photo shows the front inserts I made for my scope tube. There different sizes as in the inside diameter. For the front of the scope tube.

 

   When I was having eye sight problems, none of them worked for a short time. At 56 paces things were hard to see looking at a 2” target. Now I could see the target when not looking through the scopes that time

   Then as I was using aspirin things starts slowly get better. That was back in January and February time frame.

   So lately I was using the .162 thousands I’d sight. It has been working good. I can see a target at 50 yards, 100 yards and 200 yards.

   But at 300 yards it starts to have the target disappear. Like back when I was having my eye problems. The last time at the range my target at 300 yards was 13” in diameter. So I can shoot at 200 yards with this front sight. It has a clear picture of the target. I can center the target in the front sight very easy.

   So I have two bullets that now work at 200 yards.

  So shooting by my self is frustrating sorta, as in looking where the bullet is hitting. On target or on the dirt. But not the last time I was at the range , the time before that I ask some there to watch where my bullets were hitting at 300 yards.

   First one was below the target on the right. I adjust for elevation.

Yes I added a elevation adjustment for shooting up to 400 or maybe 500 yards. That is to be studied.

   The next one was on target. Low to the right. The next one, after adjustment was just to the right of the bullseye.

  The target base is 42” square.

  I have never shot any gun at 300 yards.

 

    But the front sight may be a problem. So I made one that is .186 thousands inside diameter.

    Tested the sight on a 13” diameter target yesterday. I was not where I could shoot. 

   Now the rear sight hole is .032 thousands in diameter. Yes I have been able to reduce the rear diameter after two months of time with treatment. I am now using willow bark instead of aspirin.

   But I can see the target better.

   Yesterday it was near 100 degrees out side yesterday. So is there heat waves inside the scope tube. I had taken ice water along and poured water over the scope tube.      Decided that subject needs more studies.

   I was working till about 2:30, then I needed a break. Put a new Ac compressor on our van yesterday. Needed to do something different.

  Walked down the road and tried the scope tube again. The larger diameter front sight insert does seem to work .   But will test in the next few days before I go to the range again.

   I did hear from Allen, he will be here in about a month. He said he has ordered a new barrel for his gun. But he did find some gold this summer.

[Wrknrvr]

This is the target I use at 300 yards.  While I had a spotter watching the target as I shot, he could see where the bullets hit. The first one hit under the target to the right. I adjusted the elevation and I was on target. It shows the two bullet holes that hit the target. The black dot is 13” across.

  So it is possible to hit the target at 300 yards. If I have all my stuff figured out. And can see the target.

  I am thing of making a new front sight that is maybe .200 thousands for a test.

   I also discovered that there is apparently a distance that the front sight diameter needs to get smaller. As looking at a 5’ square target at 1000 yards, the .162 sight seems like it would work.

   But more studies are needed.

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

Sometimes you can have things directly in front of you. And you cannot see it for (blank).

  This photo shows a great improvement in my sights. Since starting the muzzleloader build with Allen, they have been in front of me the whole time.

 

Edited August 26, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

    Last week I went to the range again. Fired 13 rounds total. At 100 yards I shot over the target. Three rounds wasted.

  So yea I can be dense at times. Elevation adjustment was still set at 300 yards, from my last time at the range. Adjustment was done for 200 yards.

  Fired a few rounds. Somewhat accurate. Note all of the grease bullets have of .459 diameter have never tumbled.

  So I adjusted my elevation to 300 yards. Now I did make a target that is 6’ tall and 42” wide I fired one round. It missed. Loaded another round. Low to the right of my 11” diameter bullseye.

  Wipe the bore clean and dry.

  So now I have calmed down, take my time for sighting the bullseye. Sitting there calmly I noticed my rear hole to see through on the scope now seams just a little big. 

   With the scope tube, one must center the rear sight hole, then at the same time center the target in the front sight ring. 

  So the week before Allen was at the range. He finally appeared from his winter travels. The last I seen him was near Santa Fa New Mexico.

  So I told him I had a new bullet for his rifle. We decided to try a few rounds.     But he apparently lost his primers. And did not have any.

 

   But something dawned on me at that moment. Where does the primer  go on a muzzleloader. The nipple dummy.

 

  So I have been try to figure out how to drill a small hole in metal since I started this subject.

  Yep muzzleloader nipples have a flash hole about .030 in diameter. Can you believe it. Right I font of me this whole time. So I made a adapter to fit a muzzleloader nipple on the rear of the scope tube.

  Yep really dense at times. So I will attempt to drill or polish different size holes in several muzzleloader nipples. I also made a .250 diameter front sight ring.

    Something else that seems odd is that a smaller diameter front sight ring works good at 50 or 100 yards.      But that same size ring makes the target get hard to see at 200 or 300 yards. Maybe even disappear.

  But that small front sight ring makes it possible to see a target say at 700 yards and beyond.

  Yep that gets confusing at the  least.

  Vern

[Wrknrvr]

     So things have been sorta slow on this subject.

 

  There are some good things have happened and a bad thing happened recently.

    With the willow bark treatment that I got on the Flathead Indian reservation, I have noticed several things that I did not do that affects the accuracy of my shooting.

    Since I can see basically as good as I did before I got sick. Still need closeup glasses to see small subjects. I decided to look at the scope tube idea? Why does it not work like I think it should. The first thing I noticed was the copper loop in the front of the scope tube needs to get bigger in diameter so that the light coming through the circle it makes register  in my eye.

    At 100 yards , that size of that front site will not work at say 300 hundred yards with a 11” target It almost works, but just causes the target to fade in and out of focus. So next time at the range I will have a larger diameter front sight ring. I think it will be .250” in diameter.

   But what really makes that confusing is that at a certain distance the bigger front sight loop will need to get smaller. Say at 600 yards it seams to be too big. And at 1000 yards it will probably be about .160” to start with. If that distance is even ever attempted.

   A long time ago I did say it may be like golfing. 3 300 yard shots could count?    You say no. Ok I will keep thinking.

   Well with the attention to the rear of the scope I checked all joints and connections that could affect. Fixed several minor details. But every one of them could affect accuracy.

 

   I can say that trying to make my own bullet molds were rather frustrating to say the least. But without being able to see and focus properly things just did not work the way I thought they should. I can get bullets to hit a 3’ square at 300 yards. But that is still my own bullet mold.

  So about a week ago I went to a trading post that was supposed to have some gun stuff. Well on the way there I was ambushed and scalped. It sure feels like.     Picture of scalp will follow in next post.

    But I finally gave in and bought two different bullet molds. So I have cast some bullets. Tried sizing them and hope to load some cartridges today. 

   Photo of bullets will follow in next post.

 

   So my eyesight is back to normal, although I still take willow bark every day. Two weeks ago I did have a cough that had brought up some not so good stuff. And my eyesight went crooked again. So I used a old moonshiners trick for 4 days and now a ramrod looks straight again.

   Allen was at that trading post also. He also bought a bullet mold.

  .  

[Wrknrvr]

Edited September 12, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

   This was from being scalped. Sure is tender. 

 

  Actually it is modern day chemotherapy for treating shin cancer on my baldness.

 

[Kirk W]

The hair looks like you go to my barber!

 

[Wrknrvr]

    The other week I decided to cheat, sorta on this subject.

 

  I went to a gun show and bought two different creedmore style bullet molds. I think of it as visiting a trading post. Actually it was.

 

   So I have to admit I really flunked making bullet molds. When I find time I will pursue that again.

 

   But this target is my 300 yard target. So I did shoot at 100 and 200 yards. The new bullet molds are copies from the Creedmore shooting competition from the late1800 hundreds.

 

  

Edited September 22, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

   So if you look at the lower right of this target there are 3 holes. The black target is actually a 11” painted pie pan. The target base is 42” across. And 6’ high.

    For the 3 bottom holes my elevation adjustment was at. 3 1/4 turns up. So I adjusted it to 4 1/4 turns. Fired 2 rounds. Did not see any marks on the target. So I adjusted the view I was seeing at the target to have the bullseye to the right of my sight ring, but still inside the sight ring. Fired my last round. And hit high above the bullseye.

   So yesterday I looked at the target again. I noticed the holes on the right side of the upper part of the target.

   So I think I am making progress.

 

   The last time I was there, there was another long range black powder shooter there. I have seen him there before. But never talked to him. He does hoot at 1000 yards competition. But he needs a scope to see the target.

[Wrknrvr]

    Yesterday I finally had a chance visit a Black Powder Cartridge Rifle shooting event. It is a silhouette rifle competition.

   I drove 3 hours to get there, North east of Atlanta Ga. that part of Georgia is fairly hilly. A good place for a shooting range.

   So after introducing myself, go place my equipment and rifle on the cleaning area bench. Then the match director and a shooting instructor inspected my rifle and asked several questions.

  They decided I could shoot yesterday as it was only a practice session. Today and tomorrow is the competitive competition.

  This range has 200, 300, 400 and 500 meter targets. They are a chickens at 200 meters. A hogs at 300 meters. Turkeys at 400 meters. And a Rams at 500 meters.

    They did have two white targets with black dots at 200 meters.    So the person that teaches shooting was my first spotter. Squeezed my first round off. High dead center about 12 “ from the center of the target. I asked if I could quit. I did shoot more rounds at that target. What i did learn yesterday was my eyesight is better than last fall when I was shooting. 

   I did learn more on my scope situation. Remember that the rear hole to look into is adjustable by putting a different muzzleloader nipple in the rear of the scope tube with different size holes in it. From like 31 to 61 thousands of diameter. I was missing one that is 42 thousands  Dia.

   So there was some comments about this rifle. Like what is it.  Are you kidding. All the other people there had spent a fair amount of money on there rifles. Twice I was asked about just buying a real rifle.

   But would take the fun and frustration out of this subject.

 

  I finally asked if I could shoot at 500 meters at a ram. The ram is 26” high. i adjusted the rear sight setting up 3 more turns. I don’t know if they used clicks back in the 1880’s. I have rotations on a 32 thread per inch adjustment. I squeezed a round off. Now there were two spotters watching. This is the first time tried shooting at this distance. 500 meters is about 542 yards. I missed the ram?     But I hit a Turkey at 400 meters, that was directly under the Ram. About 6’ lower. Yes I knocked it over. That counts as a score. Maybe 

   The one spotter was the match director. He looked both ways on the firing line. No one else fired when I did.

   I adjusted up another turn but apparently I was hitting in the grass below the Rams.

   I can say the match director was curious intrigued. 

  

[Darryl&Rita]

That sounds like a win, to me. Or, maybe a Disney movie, especially if you get a yellow dog. Good shooting, sir.