Load development for a flintlock smooth-bore pistol

[@CrimsonSurvival]

I have an old custom made .72 Cal flintlock pistol. Good video, brother.✝️👍🏻

[@The-Armed-Pacifist]

Very scientific approach. As always, the human factor is the most difficult part of the equation.

[@snapshotscorner5542]

You`re absolutely right, and I hope to do something with the nut behind the butt! As I hope I can get more range time this year!

[@garyjones3023]

I enjoyed this video on the pistol. I gained a couple of pointers that should prove helpful with my smoothbore pistol. Great tutorial as I see it. Keep it up with the flintlock firearms! Great looking pistol too,

[@snapshotscorner5542]

Thanks, they are a joy to shoot.

[@johnndavis7647]

In smooth-bores you need enough fast burning powder to "bump up" the ball so the ball fills the bore for good acvuracy. Check your patches to see that they are not getting burned through. If they are try changing to a different lube. Youre getting good quick ignition. Your hold and follow through look good. If the ball loads too easy you might try a little larger ball so it doesnt take as much powder to get the ball to bump up and fill the bore. I would go up 5 grains at a time and see if the groups tighten up. If it doesnt get where you want to go with a reasonable powder charge i would try a larger ball. Thanks for the video.

[@snapshotscorner5542]

Thsnk you for watching and for you construktive vomments.

[@chrisbrown4002]

Hello, thanks, another very good video. My observation is, I wish I could hold a pistol as steady as you do !! I don't think you need more range practice but your wife doesn't need to know :) For that pistol at that range, the different powder and small change in powder load didn't make much difference. If you are using wet patches you need the filler so the things to change are the ball, the patch or the Lube. Patches are probably easier to change than ball calibre (especially if home casting) so I agree with Gary below ...slightly thicker patch or maybe try a thicker lube, maybe animal based, Tallow in US Lard in UK mixed 50-50 with Beeswax ? Its all part of the fun Home Brew Lube :) Good luck experimenting

[@snapshotscorner5542]

Well my wife already know, she is a shooter as well. We do enjoy time at the range together! She is actually the person people turn to when they need to know if their firearm is accurate, because she always is..! She some times out-shoot me! But unfortunately she do not shoot Black powder.! You`re right about the home brew lube. After about 30 years shooting Black powder you should think that I`ve tried everything, not so. Next I will try out Whale oil and beeswax. 3 part Whale and one part beeswax. It sure is period correct, and I am curious to see what it does. Thanks for commenting and watching.

[@chrisbrown4002]

​@@snapshotscorner5542 That's great having a wife who shoots, she is probably a good driver too as if you are not, driving in a Norwegian winter you won't stay on the road very long !! I was going to explain one thing about UK Gun Laws, you may already know. There is a list of UK "Obsolete Calibres" this means if the firearm official calibre is on the list you can own it as an antique but you can't shoot it, that does require it to be licensed. So Snider's .577 and Martini-Henry .577-450 are classed as antiques. Now Krag-Jorgensen's 1889 Danish model at 8 x 58R is an antique but Norwegian 6.5 x 55 & USA 40-40 are not. So I'm obviously keen to find a Danish 1889 Model so I was going to ask you about possible "Scandinavian" sources where I may be able to find one as I have no knowledge of them so any help would be much appreciated.

[@snapshotscorner5542]

@@chrisbrown4002 I had a Danish Krag only rwo years ago.

[@chrisbrown4002]

@@snapshotscorner5542 Ah that's interesting, what did you think of it compared to the Norwegian model ? So are there a few Danish Krag's that come available now and then ?

[@chrisbrown4002]

@@snapshotscorner5542 Have you ever travelled to another European country and taken a rifle with you ? is it easy or very hard. I was thinking about travelling to collect the rifle myself if I had to, if special post was not allowed to transport the rifle ?

[@garyjones3023]

Upon a second watch of the pistol video, it came to mind that I used the next up thicker patch for my musket and groups became much tighter. Hopefully that helps. Good luck in all your MLAIC tournaments.

[@snapshotscorner5542]

Thank you.

[@stephenfields6236]

In America the best muzzleloading pistol shooters have good success with the lower powder charges. The lock time is plenty fast. Swiss is good powder. Smooth bore might be your accuracy problem. They were not designed for pinpoint target shooting.

[@stephenfields6236]

That’s a nice flintlock pistol but you really need to get yourself a “loading stand” to assist in loading it on the range. Makes it a safer process too.

[@johnndavis7647]

Guns need to be cushioned on your hand or a folded cloth. It will always recoil away from a solid object. Thats why its shooting high off the bench. When you go back to shooting off hand, the groups will be back in the black again. Thanks for the video

[@snapshotscorner5542]

I put a link to the Muzzle loader content playlist in the end!

[@nikitamckeever5403]

30gr fffg , ditch the semolina , damp the patch with your spit , put in mouth flat on tongue . Ditch the fancy shooting glasses . Practice , practice , practice but have fun . Beautiful country you live in , did my cold weather training there many years ago 🥶👍

[@snapshotscorner5542]

Consistensy is key to accurasy, it is my humble belief. With or without filler, does mot realy matter. Thanks for watching, and your good comment.

[@rgbgamingfridge]

can you also do a video on smoothbore muskets?

[@snapshotscorner5542]

That is one of the videos that I have planned in the future!

[@brianthomson6896]

I noticed that you installed your flint without any lead or leather to hold it more securely in your lock.

[@snapshotscorner5542]

There is a pice of leather in the jaw to hold the flint in place. Thanks for watching.

[@Dimwit_the_last_mountainman]

Morro med flintlås! Jeg har noen jeg også. Både lange, og korte. Men ingen flintlås video enda. Det fikk jeg lyst til å gjøre noe med! Hilsen John Løken.

[@snapshotscorner5542]

Bare elsker å skyte med flintlås. Rifle, muskett, pistol og hagle! En kan få like rask om ike raskere tenning med en godt tunet flintlås som med perusjon..! Ser frem ti dine flinlåsvideoer, for det blir vel flere?

[@Dimwit_the_last_mountainman]

@@snapshotscorner5542 Joda, jeg har planer om flere flintlåsvideoer. Antikke våpen.

[@snapshotscorner5542]

After seen my own video and thinking a bit. I have to settle for 21 grain Swiss FFFg or 25 grain of the tad different Polish powder in FFFg. If you think different please let me know!

[@joearledge1]

Why are you using filler in a muzzleloader? Does it just produce tighter groups than only powder patch and ball? Kind of like how a lot of guys put a card wad or felt wad on the powder?

[@snapshotscorner5542]

It was done not to contaminate the powder as I in this case used a wet lube. I have done away with it as I now more make my own lube.

[@joearledge1]

@@snapshotscorner5542 oh ok. Not sure how much it applies to pistols, but I've seen a few guys on YT(Duelist1954 and 11BangBang) showing that bare ball on powder(no patch) with a wad on top(paper or card or whatever) to keep it from rolling out, shoots tighter groups than any other combination of wads, balls and patches. Their theory is that the gasses "float" the ball keeping it centered in the barrel, similar to floating a ping pong ball on a stream of air. They said it works best with hotter loads(150 to 200gr of F powder in a .72 cal Fowler with .69 or .70 cal bare ball). You may have tried it before or it might not be applicable to pistols because of barrel length, I'm not sure, but thought I'd mention it just in case. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to see more videos!

[@snapshotscorner5542]

@@joearledge1 yes that is good for longer barrels smoothbore and it makes for easyer loading, and it is the most period corect way. The best precision you will get with a patched round ball..! Patch and round ball is what is used in the MLAIC shootings. Some dent their balls, roll balls between sand paper. Works in aprox 50% of combinations. My friend does that and he is the reining world champ with an original musket. Thanks for good questions and for warching my videos!

[@joearledge1]

@@snapshotscorner5542 oh ok cool. Yeah I've seen some experiments with the "chewed balls" (dented/knurled) with mixed results. I'd love to see a video on how he does it (as long as it's not a secret) so other shooters around the world can see and experiment with his method. I love seeing how others do things around the world, I think it helps our shooting community grow by spreading information on what works and what doesn't, and it seems like it benefits the creators because they get subscribers, views, likes, and comments from a broader audience. Keep up the good work Sir!

[@snapshotscorner5542]

@@joearledge1 I will see if I can make a video on chewed balls vs rolled between steelplatrs øoke I do.