Finding the Right Load for my Kibler Southern Mountain Flintlock Rifle | 50 Yard Roundball

[@ronrobertson59]

I have a 40 cal build from the 1970s. It has a short barrel 32 inches. My best load for it is 50gr of FFFG much over 55grs my group starts to spread. I plan to buy a Kibler rifle later this summer. (2023)

[@flintymcduff5417]

So many variables to consider: powder type, powder charge, ball size and type (cast or swaged), patch thickness, material and lube. One of the the challenges and one of the funnest parts too.

[@stevenwagner9205]

Judy Morgan at Kenockee Trading Post told me about your channel. I'm glad she did, you're doing great!

[@srkwixdraw]

A good time to find some of your shot patches and see if they are shredding or burning through. Gives you more information to make load decisions on.

[@peterrussell798]

Belated Happy 2023! Enjoyed the sighting process. Been shooting BP off/on for 25 years and it’s amazing the number of variables involved: size of ball, thickness of patch, powder type, powder granulation (2F or 3F) powder charge, cold bore or fouled bore, etc. That SMR is getting dialed in, congrats. Good-looking rifle with an excellent lock. Enjoy!

[@markkotwica1382]

Really enjoy your videos. One thing I noticed though is your front rest is rocking. When I sight in I anchor my front rest and put my hand between the rest and the forestock as if I was holding it standing. I learned from shooting x-sticks if they move it'll throw your shots up or down. Keep up the good work

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks Mark! I noticed the same thing. I've got some clamps I'll be adding to the bench to hopefully help that.

[@blackpowdermaniacshooter]

Congrats on the 2K subscribers! Very impressive! Schuetzen & Swiss is my "Go to" powder too!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks Mark, you are an inspiration!

[@Paul-t4p]

Nice overloads.....caplock indication of higher pressure is when hammer blows back off of nipple and gas blows back around seam of breach plug......both of which i have seen at range over the years !!!!!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

This is a flintlock

[@tedpfenninger4972]

Ethan, I'm really enjoying your muzzelloading videos. I appreciate the thought and quality of your presentations! Keep up the great work! Thanks

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thank you kindly!

[@larryreese6146]

I've been interested in muzzleloading since the late 70s and have built a couple caplocks, mainly leman style and southern mountain from hardware from Track of the Wolf, Log Cabin Shop, and some others. Just now starting on putting together my first flintlock from spare parts I've had for years. Just wanted to let you know I appreciate your channel and the good information you've been putting out.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks so much Larry, I really appreciate it. Just trying to do my part to share the sport and get more folks involved

[@adriancibran2202]

And now you’re at 7.85K subscribers at the end of 2022! Congrats Ethan!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thank you!

[@howardwinter3455]

Your group is good with the .40. It's time I think to start lowering the front sight . File gently about 1mm. at a time until the group is elevated properly. You have the option of windage adjustment using either the front or rear sight. I have always used the front for elavation and the rear for deflection/windage. good luck with it.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks Howard!

[@jasonwright285]

That’s a really good tight group with 50 grains. If those are your consistent results, then you should try filing down the front sight - very, very lightly - which will raise your point of aim.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thank you Jason!

[@Blackpowderdad]

Very cool, I can’t wait to work up a load for my hawken

[@bkauffman0390]

Looking for the cabin fever online challenge? Good vid! Looks like you just need to file that front sight down a little and youre ready to smack some skurls!!!

[@blackpowder-bulgaria]

Happy New Year from Bulgaria!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

The same to you! Wishing you a good year!

[@Mr3311957]

My main charge is 35 grains of 3f in my .40 with a patched .395 ball. It's good out to 80 yards / but really drops at 90 & 100 yards. Now my .40 is a bit different - as it's a custom Ed Rayl barrel (.010 depth round bottom rifling w/ 1 in 72 twist - and it will handle "3f, 2f, and 1f Goex " without swabbing between shots. I've shot 10 consecutive shots of each grade powder without swabbing between shots... Of course, I live in a low humidity area - and I think that helps. Just have to keep searching for a load(s) you like.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks for your comment Candle Snuffer! That custom Ed Rayl barrel sounds nice, I've heard a lot about them over the years.

[@mrdinme.4768]

Hey Ethan! Happy New Year to you and yours as well! Don’t be so surprised about viewer ship increase, you work hard put out a bunch of useful info! The 55 looked promising. Maybe do a three way interview? BPMS has done a few woods shoots w/ Tammy from S&S powders, having him on might not be a bad thing? Just me spitballing an idea is all. Congrats on 2K!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

That sounds great! Maybe I can make that happen!

[@daleweller5193]

If you are going to use that for squirrel I would start at 30 grains.

[@rudyzaleta3716]

I enjoy your video's You do a good job & shouldn't be surprised at the # of your subscriber's I just now subscribed I have yet to see any of your podcasts

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thank you so much! You can visit ILoveMuzzleloading.com/podcast to see them all in one place.

[@clifflee7461]

Nothing better than shooting Flintlocks ,Congrats on the 2k Subscribers .Cheers from Australia

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks Cliff! happy new year!

[@kevinroberson1985]

Hey my friend I enjoy watching your videos! Hey I was wondering have you ever fire lapped a muzzle loader barrel? I myself fire lap my barrels with very fine polishing paste on my patches and clean them really well and I have found out years ago that my shot groups are really tight after polishing my barrel and removing the tiny scratches and little Burr's from the rifleing. And I have less powder fouling and easier loading. And cleaning my rifle bore is way easier! Just wanted to let you know about polishing the rifle bore because all top end rifle boxes are lapped and that's one reason they shot so accurate. I have a Lancaster long rifle 40.cal and with the bore polished I'm getting half inch and three quarter inch groups at fifty yards. And my barrel is a green mountain barrel one and eighth inch across the flats and 42 inch long with Lyman front aperture sights and Lyman peep rear sight and they work very well...

[@alanparadis5061]

Your videos are fun to watch Ethan, you have a great presentation and make muzzle loading look like at of fun! Great job Sir!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks Alan!

[@kevinroberson1985]

P.s I forgot to say fire lapping is shooting a patch round ball through the barrel with polishing paste on the patch and patch lube. This takes serveral shots and clean the barrel after four or five shots and repeat the process of up to 12 shots cleaning and repeat every four shots and your barrel should look like a mirror with very nice rifleing.

[@markgoostree6334]

I'm ready to shoot some! Things have been s-l-o-w and I'm looking forward to some get togethers, woods walk shoots, and more range time. I ordered powder as soon as I heard Goex was going away. It came in mid-Nov. I'm OK for powder, primers, and lead for a while. Time to make some smoke and thunder!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

It's about time we have some fun!

[@GO_OutDoors]

Almost 1 year latter and go from 2k subs to over 10k congrats and keep it up!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thank you kindly!!

[@BlackPowderTherapist]

I have an idea who you should have on the podcast :)

[@eljeffe1815]

Happy New Year! Had my TVM Southern 45 out a while back and shot a real good group at 50 yards with 60 grains 3f. Been meaning to get out and shoot this rifle off hand but cold weather has intervened.

[@markfair7648]

That's looking a lot better Ethan. 55 gr a. The 60 was just no good. If you want to get real fussy weigh the powder. I'm not worried about Goex. The demand is there. Someone will fill the demand. It will just cost us all more like every thing else. Triple 7 is my go to powder . I only use black powder for the pan .

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Yeah, If the 55 grains didn't perform well I would definitely start weighing charges haha. Might get there though when I start working up a target load.

[@barrygraber9776]

Happy New Year Eathan. Great video. Making smoke great way to start”2022”

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks Barry!

[@miketoombs627]

Beautiful rifle. Keep posting the sight in process.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks Mike, will do!

[@timlee5260]

Did you do a video on how you finished the cherry stock? Has it darkened any in the last couple years?

[@southeastohiooutdoor]

Surprising we love muzzleloading

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Everybody should!

[@IsaacsonSeth]

I’ve been drafting a little intro to this subject for our blog as well.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Loving your writing dude, keep it up

[@IsaacsonSeth]

@@ILoveMuzzleloading thanks man. I appreciate it. I’ll probably through a link to this video into the post if you are good with that.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

@@IsaacsonSeth That'd be mighty nice of ya! I hope it's informative. Sometimes I breeze by stuff.

[@donschutte1418]

I once built a 54 cal percussion gun sitting in a snowbank shooting 100 yrds off my knees 9 rnds in 1.75 inches tall 1.5 in wide it wasn't anything special so they do shoot. Wish it was in the days of cel phone cameras I would still have a pic, anyway u can use cigarette papers against the ball to test for patch thickness use biggest ball smallest patch combination for target shooting, tight loading hunting slightly smaller ball more patch easier loading. Grease Crisco for hunting in cold I never used better than spit patch for targets make sure to wash patching bleach taste terrible and you will run out of spit lubing 9 patches likely. 5 grain increments in powder and caps make a difference and Learn to set a proper size and shape flint with as little prime as needed explosions under the nose not conductive to best accuracy, and a little masking tape rolled up and burned will blacken sights to stop glint. I found flint to be 100% reliable in rain if you are smart and a reward unimaginable when u shoot your meat with a piece of art recreated with your own hands from a firearm some 200 years old sorry long winded it is a passion

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

No apologies needed! I appreiciate you sharing your passion!

[@Man_Cave]

Your accuracy is decreasing with the higher loads because you're anticipating the additional recoil and flinching. I shot 60 grains with my 50 cal. flintlock with no issues whatsoever. Flintlocks take some time to get used to.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks!

[@johnvaness8445]

Great Video. Happy New Year!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

The same to you John!

[@SuperSneakySteve]

That's good root beer! Find something crappier to shoot!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Corn syrup bad 😅

[@algentry1]

You can edit out the reloading and it looks like you have a repeater. Still, it's plenty interesting the way you're doing it now. Look at the Duelist channel if you have the time. He is pretty knowledgeable about historical methods of using front end loaders.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks for the tips!

[@StevenMMan]

It's a beautiful rifle, consider trying to shoot your group's with varying degrees of fouling. My favorite competition rifle shot much better with a fouled barrel and slightly wetter patches. No 2 rifles act of react the same. I did not catch if your using ffg or ffff? Everyday shooting is good day. Enjoy the new year

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Good idea, definitely something I need to try out. I'm using 3F in the bore and 4F in the pan.

[@kirkethridge2500]

you need to be looking at your "shot" patches too make sure they are not tearing up, (patch material selection is important too)

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Great point Kirk, I should have mentioned it but my patches were looking good

[@stanleydudzik2023]

Where is that MLRA education center located ?

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

It's in Friendship, Indiana. You can find out more at NMLRA.org/education

[@franciswashack89]

You should try making your own powder.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks, but I'm not sure I'm skilled enough

[@stephenfields6236]

How thick is your patching? Try some .400 balls. Try using Murphy’s Oil Soap diluted with rubbing alcohol about 10% for patch lube. 55 grains of 3fg is a good powder charge.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Thanks Stephen, my patching is .015- I think I could stand to try a thicker patching or like you say the .40 balls. I'll definitely try some of that patch lube! Thanks for sharing!

[@joshuaduck1631]

Are going down to Florida this January?

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Sadly can’t get away from work right now. Would if I could!

[@kirkethridge2500]

who's ramrod is that,,, bore guide is a great idea!

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

This is one I made in my shop, but many suppliers like Flintlocks LLC, Log Cabin Shop, Track of the Wolf, and Dixie Gun works all have ramrods like it with the bore guide. Hope that helps!

[@IWatchedWhat]

So, I have to ask, bevel up or bevel down? A question all flintlock shooters have to ponder.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

I usually rock the bevel up! How about you?

[@IWatchedWhat]

@@ILoveMuzzleloading Bevel up on my T/C Hawken, bevel down on my Lyman great plains. No idea why they like it different ways.

[@danh966]

What implement are you using to swab the barrel between shots, and what lube are you using on the patches? Thanks.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

I use spit or bear grease on my patches. To swab the barrel I'm using a stainless ramrod with a cleaning patch soaked with moose milk or Shenandoah Valley cleaner.

[@TripleAAA53]

40 grains brother works GREAT in my .40

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

40 grains works okay in this rifle at a closer distance, but I was really having trouble with it at 50 yards.

[@flintymcduff5417]

But it isn't YOUR .40. Every rifle is a law to itself. I'm still dialing in my .36. So many variables.

[@millertyme4114]

Nice group...so there is probably no adjustment for rear sight...so if you're wanting to hit the bull are you just aiming 6 inches or whatever higher...or how does that work...??

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

I’ll file down the front sight to bring my group up, I have some room to file my rear if I was shooting high though. I can also move the rear and front sight left or right

[@millertyme4114]

@@ILoveMuzzleloading thank you..enjoy your videos and work..would love to see you do something with BPMS..

[@scoper04]

Hello, great video. I was wondering where you got your range rod from?

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Hey James, I made this one myself, at the time I couldn't find one for sale. Log Cabin Shop, Dixie Gun Works, Track of the Wolf, Deer Creek Products and Flintlocks LLC (in indiana) are all great options for range rods.

[@scoper04]

@@ILoveMuzzleloading oh okay I'll check them out. I thought I've checked out some of them before and couldn't find any but maybe they do now. Thanks for your reply. And again great videos.

[@williamkoppos7039]

Nooooo what a waste of Root Beer! Shoot some Mountain Dew, man. Nice riffle-gun.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

I've got a jug of that too! Maybe next time.

[@tomslongguns443]

I got a question for you . What year would you consider the first southern mountain rifle was first used ?

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

To my knowledge, they gained popularity around 1810, I believe this on in particular was modeled after one from 1820.

[@tomslongguns443]

@@ILoveMuzzleloading OK but would one have been used around the time of the American Revolution ?

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

@@tomslongguns443 I imagine there are some early examples out there from around 1800, but I"ve not seen any originals myself that indicate use that early. The originals I've seen from the late 18th century are much bulkier usually. That's not to say it won't fit in at a reenactment or event, depending on the strictness of the event, but historically I don't believe them to be around during that time. I could be wrong though.

[@tomslongguns443]

@@ILoveMuzzleloading okay , what I thought I do more of a 1810s to 1830s style decor then . Kind of like it better .

[@missourirebel9669]

Old timers said the amount of powder to cover the ball was the right load

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

And I bet that works great!

[@jameshagerman7681]

Swiss powder is very good, though where I grew up and where I live now Pyrodex is a fair bit easier to get my hands on and I know what loads my rifles like with it RS or P depending on the rifle.

[@flintymcduff5417]

Not a lot of help for a flintlock rifle.

[@kirkethridge2500]

what velocity would 50 grains generate?

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

I'll be doing some testing videos on that soon

[@jamesgenovese7319]

Well, couple things. I have a coecum way to " Find the right load.." for any front stuffer you have. And a way to not have to spend so much time wiping the barrel after every shot. Both are tricks I "loint" after 65 years in the game I will send you if you " Messenger" me ... Free... I also have a shot video on cleaning so you don't have to wipe between shots.

[@flintymcduff5417]

Those "tips" are available everywhere. You aren't legitimate.

[@atv55803]

no not rootbeer thats gold dont waste it

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Sorry! 😂

[@Rumblestrip]

Lol... Nah... I think the word your looking for is "relaxing" at least when its going right. Lol if a muzzleloader shooter cant handle being a little slow, theyre not a muzzleloader shooter. Lol

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Relaxing is the right word!

[@w.p.moorecompany]

Anyone from mass looking to shoot? I just built a beautiful traditions .50 cal percussion Kentucky.

[@ILoveMuzzleloading]

Congrats! I hope you can find some friends to shoot with. If you are on facebook, try the "I Love Muzzleloading" Group.