Brown Bess at the range,

[Bryan James]

So my wife got me a Brown Bess for Christmas, the 3rd model, east India pattern. and on Sunday finally got out on the range, the hitting 70 on Sunday after being in the 20's earlier this week was nice too. The gun was a lot of fun to shoot (first flintlock I've shot), did manage to hit an inch above target once at 50yards, but that was luck, have got to learn to hold steady with the powder flash, have no idea where the other 8 balls want but was a fun day at the range, and definitely got a lot of attention and a crowd watching.

 

[BigG]

That is really cool. That .75 ball must be visible traveling down range.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

LOL

Well actually Sam Fadala did some velocity tests with a .75 caliber musket shooting a .715 ball and I believe he got about 800 fps. So it's a ball about the weight of two .45 ACP-Ball rounds moving at about .45 ACP muzzle velocity.

Acuracy improves greatly with a cloth patched ball vs. a ball and a paper wad.

LD

 

[BigG]

That is a big hunk o lead.

I too have a Brown Bess and bought a box of balls for it but haven't fired it as yet.

The balls are about the size of what we would call a boulder when we used to play marbles years ago. Do they still have marbles?

 

[Bryan James]

I should have a bunch of patches, shot cards and wadding and more balls coming in this week from an order placed at dixie. for sunday I just picked up some .735 balls at cabela's since that's what they had and wanted to shoot, they were out of any patches above 50, so any input of different loads welcome.

 

[Macmac]

I traded a short sword i made for a bess, the sticker, the frog for the stiker, and a ball mold at 0.735". This bess is japanese made for the Bi-Centenial.

Mine seems to shoot pretty well with round ball. I did break off the lug stickin punkin's, so mig welded a new one I made on. Mine seemed to have had that lug soldered on and that won't do if you plan to use a toad sticker.

One hint might be making a brown paper bag gasket soaked in linseed oil and trapped under the barrel from the tang to just forward of the lock plate.

Another might be pull the bolt and the top jaw and with folded leather punch a hole in both sides of the fold and install it, so you can't loose that leather, not even on a bet. Once installed trim to fit.

 

[Chawbaccer]

Old blue jeans make a good patch, behind the leg they seem thicker than on front and the seat. Don't fill the pan up past the touch hole and you may get quicker ignition.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Concentrate on the bayonet stud on the barrel. It's where the front sight is at. Look at it, concentrate, and you won't even notice the flash. I do this and I'm a southpaw shooting a right handed flintlock. BTW, kudos to your wife.

 

[Macmac]

Gary me too! That flash is like the "A" Bomb to me if I pay attention to it.

 

[Misfire99]

Do they still have marbles?

I think there is a set in the Smithsonian. But I'm sure the Italians will start making reproductions very soon.