was your first round ball rife a bad one?

[strong eagle]

my first one was a penn 45 long rifle from dixie. it was so bad that i had to find out why. that rifle taught me how not to build a rifle and i learned a lot from that rifle. sold it for a wall hanger over a fireplace. does anyone else have a story like that? a bad rifle made you the good shooter you are now and all the knowledge you have is from figuring out why it was bad. the list is too long to tell every one what was wrong with that rifle, but it sure gave me a lot of knowledge. strong eagle.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

I have been very lucky. I still have my first BP rifle after all these years. 
Dad gave it to me and I have fond memories of my Great Uncle Elmer 
and I puttering around with it. I still use it regularly. It is over 30 years old 
and one owner.

I have never had a bad one (knock on wood). But,
I have had some with distinctive 'personalities.' 
And, like a date, some worked out and some didn't. 

Ever had a date who could dance, but the two of you together
just did not move well as one? A few rifles have been like that. 
Good girls with whom I just did not mesh. 

But, the dancing was always fun. :queen:

Eagle, sounds like you had a bad girl that you learned to love. :joker:

 

[lighthorseman]

I started out with Maxi's out of my Lyman Plains Rifle....but quickly went to r.b........and no, never had a bad one until I bought a semi-custom officer's fusil that is jug choked and learned the hard way that it is a turkey gun rather than a deer gun......or if necessary best for dispatching French Marines or Huron warriors with buck and ball. :thumbs up:

 

[strong eagle]

glad every one got a good gun to learn on. i probably needed that bad one as i like to find out every possible reason for every thing i get into. this gun gave me that reason to figure it all out. the first shot fired against the british by one of andy jacksons men was at a distance of 216 yards. it was done by a long rifleman named morgan. he to the officer right through the head,off hand. then the battle started. none of the british got closer than 98 yards. those that went against the long riflemen were mostly shot in the head. i looked for the reasons their guns could do it and found most of the reasons. the closest i come to that kind of accuracy is on the northern border 25 years ago i took a white tail doe at 175 yards with a 45 round ball. shot a little high and put the ball through her heart. it wasnt off hand, i was resting on top of a fence post. she fell over her, nose touching the border of canada. sold that gun to a calif. shooter who wanted to win round ball contests. some day going to have to build me another 45 cal long rifle. one of the secrets i found out was pure linen patches. that all i use and it makes a difference on a good gun. hope to hear more stories, strong eagle.

 

[RonRC]

I visited a local Rendezvous on a whim. A fellow was selling several inexpensive muzzleloaders. It turned out he lived close to me and I stopped at his house. I bought an Army San Marco "Hawken" style rifle and an old, percussion "Kentucky" rifle. The Kentucky had a 2-piece stock and was made in Spain. Both shot quite well but were as ugly as aarvark's ass.
Ron

 

[strong eagle]

ron c, that was quite funny, thanks for the laugh. if the bore is down the middle of the barrel and the barrel is bedded right from the factory or your self, the rest is up to your to make it shoot. sometimes there is beauty in ugly. my first guns bore was off centered and after the barrel warmed up it shot every where but where you aimed it. i built 3 of the cva mountain rifle kits with the american 1/60 twist 50 cal barrels. those guns were tackdrivers. they also had maple stocks. gave one to my pastor and sold two to a friend. they would take the eye out of a snake at 100 yards with linen patches and .495 roundballs and 100 grains of real black powder. thanks for your comments. strong eagle

 

[RonRC]

The "Kentucky rifle`was maple, but had a grain like cheap pine. But it was just perfect for me as it was the very first muzzleloader I ever owned.
I have a CVA that Frontier Gander (Jonathan) worked on. It is very accurate at 50 yards using anything from 0.015 cloth patches, 50 gr of 3F and 490 balls to commercial 0.015 patches, 70 gr of 3F and 490 balls. It is impressive for an inexpensive muzzleloader.
Higher cost has landed me higher levels of aesthetics but not more accuracy.
BY the way, I made an error on the last post. The Aarvark's front end is just as ugly as its hind end, unless you are an Aardvark, of course.

Ron

 

[exMember]

That thing looks like my dog! Especially those ears lol

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Jerry does your mother-in-law know how to shoot muzzleloaders?

 

[Anonymous]

I originally thought my 1st muzzleloader was a subpar buy (CVA Plainsman 1:66 twist 24" barrel and all wood.
I sold it two years later and now wish I had never parted with it.

Now I have a Traditions Shenandoah 1:66 twist with 32" barrel and full wood stock. I've had that one for 13 years and wish I have never bought it.  I kick myself in the pants because at that time Cabelas just received a bunch of CVA Mountain Rifles (half-stock) in 66-twist and I bought the Shenandoah instead.

One of my dumbest ML purchases ever!!! My 2nd dumbest was my Pedersoli Rolling Block 54-cal. I had no idea the trigger guard was so small and that first winter with it saw below-normal temps in hunting season. My index finger was like a block of ice.... :x

Sold that gun for my T/C Omega the following summer. Bought a Knight Vision two years ago and no complaints with either one. Life is good once again..... except for that darn Shenandoah and it's pinned stock. :evil:

 

[Old Smoke]

Only ML I owned for the 25 years my wife gave me for my birthday:  Cabela .54 Hawken.  Has that awful 1 in 48 twist.  Still it'll throw round ball into a 1" circle at 50 yard, good considering my eyeballs and irons.  I have to keep the charge down to about 70gr of 777.  It's taken a doe or two and few hogs over the years.

I put on an upgrade rear sight.  Otherwise, all original.  I love that gun.  Named it Thumper.  She's a beauty (Hawken I mean) and so's the wife!

Recently aquired an Accura V2 so I could mount a scope. Improve my odds.

 

[exMember]

Nuttin wrong with a 1:48 twist at all!  Now the cabelas hawken IMO is not my favorite, my dad has one and if it were mine, I'd have bent that inconsistent barrel around a tree by now.

70gr 777 is a pretty good load, around 85gr 2fg goex if you compare them side by side.

I've never really owned a bad round ball gun, some had their stubborn areas, but overall, they were accurate and reliable, just each one has its pros and cons.