Trapdoor load

What’s interesting about this trapdoor is it belonged to my grandfather who homesteaded in Saskatchewan Canada from Iowa in 1903. I had the serial number traced by a trapdoor site and this is what they found. How my grandfather got it is still a mystery as I never knew him and no one in my family can remember.

“Your rifle 194210 is listed as issued in 1898 to company L 3 rd. Texas volunteer infantry. A search
shows 3rd Texas never left the United States getting as far as Florida and Georgia. Lost men to disease and desertion.There are a number of rifles in this number range all listed to co.L. 194201,04,05,06,09,10,14,15,20, and up to 194500. all to Texas infantry It would look like they opened case's of rifles that were new. I have NEVER seen this many numbers this close together.

Nice you have a hit, this does not often happen. Hope this helps.”

I finally got out to shoot the trapdoor with these loads and all went well. Except for two things. My shoulder feels like it’s been hit 20 times with a sledge hammer and my right eye is so much worse than I thought it was.
I’ve had to switch to my left eye when shooting handguns for several years now and all my other rifles have scopes on them.
So I ether had to not see sights and see target with my glasses on or see sights and see a big blurry blob of a target with safety glasses on. Really sucks getting old.
Did this at the inside range I use which is only 27 yards long. Groupings were well rather large but not that bad considering my eye issue as they were in the one to three inch range. It looked like it was probably hitting about 8 inches high from where I was aiming at.
Has anyone put some kind of slip on recoil pad on their trapdoor as even with these light loads the steel butt plate hurts like hell? I have a bad right shoulder that needs a operation soon and it can’t take much of this.
Going to cast, powder coat and load some more and get my son to try them as his eyes are only 35 years old.

ArchAngelCD said:

I feel your pain about old eyes, hate it!

Put a Pachmayr slip on decelerator pad on the buttstock, your shoulder will thank you over and over.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...celerator-recoil-pad-slip-on-3-4-thick-rubber

Click to expand...

I dug through my safes and found a old 12 gauge coach shotgun I forgot I had which has a slip on recoil pad. It’s a pretty tight fit but looks like it will work. Ugly as hell but will do until I can find a nice leather more period correct one to put on it.
Also tried setting a red dot and Bushnell on it to see how they would mount but figured I’d better stop before some black powder god struck me dead.