At Last...shot the chunk gun

[Wobblyshot1]

Was able to finally get out to the range and play with the chunk gun. The top 3 shots were the last I fired after I upped the charge to 65 grains 3fg goex. Distance was 60 yards...open iron sights....Teflon coated .018 patch and .447 ball. Top 3 group measured 5/8". I think a good start but have a way to go.

 

[Matador]

Nice shooting. I think you have a very good start. Nice day to shoot a little too.

 

[MUP]

Daaaang...nice shootin' with the chunker!

 

[451LRML]

No doubt is shoots - it just looks like it should..

 

[Wobblyshot1]

No doubt is shoots - it just looks like it should..

It's a Rice match grade .45, 66 twist, 1 1/8 x 44" long. Rice barrels, as you probably know, have a reputation for accuracy. Being able to see your sights and their placement on a spotter is one of the biggest challanges. I'm accually shooting at a spotter target which is about 8" above this one.

 

[Matador]

Ok couple of questions. Not being familiar with it, what is that flat long piece that looks to be about an inch thick on the back? I assume it is some type of tempary sight since you are shooting at a target higher than the one you are hitting. On the top target, are you aiming dead center or a 6 o'clock hold? Always enjoy learning about shooting a muzzleloader.

 

[Wobblyshot1]

That's a sun shade commonly referred to as a shader. The front sight is with a sort of built in shader and is a Lyman 17a globe with a pin head insert.
In this game one is basically trying to hit center of ball as close to the X as possible at 60 yards. Scoring is distance from the X center to center of ball hole and is measured with a caliper to the thousands of an inch. Your X target is a small rectangular piece of paper with lines corner to corner to form your X. This makes for a very difficult target to see at that distance so a target you can see is allowed as a so called spotter. Different folks like different shapes for spotters and is generally what suits you. At present, I'm experimenting with 8" black circle with a 4" white center...imagine a "doughnut". I try to align my sights so that the pin head is centered in the white circle or dead on which will allow for very precise sight placement from shot to shot with your group being somewhere away from the spotter. Post your X centered on your group then fire away. If you've done your part perfectly you might end up with a "spider"....or dead center X shot....This type of shooting grew out of real old timey matches that were once very popular in the Appalachians.

 

[Matador]

Ok I follow you now. I shot some very informal matches probably 25 year ago. They were two shot relays prone off of the log at 50 yards. We could use a spotter if we wanted to. After the first shot was fired, range was secured and we could move our spotter if we needed to. I did have a stiff folder piece of leather I could sit over the rear sight as a shader. It was a fun thing to do on a Sat. morning.. my eye sight has went south a little since those days. Still good enough for minute of deer, but not for hitting that x. Didn't hit it many times before glasses.

 

[Smo]

Good looking group!