Last Day

[Eric Krewson]

Yesterday was the last day of deer season in Ala, a friend lets me hunt his 50 acres that adjoins my 4 acres. It is not unusual to see 20 deer come out of the woods into the fields in the evening. I usually setup behind his barn and use the pile of old cinderblocks for cover unless I drop down into the woods to catch the deer coming to the fields.

This is a ridge top with very steep slopes down to a creek on either side, if I shot a deer and it gets off the ridge top it is going to the creek bottom 150 yards straight down.

I had knee surgery a little over a month ago so going to the creek bottom to retrieve a deer would be a problem. Yesterday evening I thought I had a guy lined up to help me, I planned to give him any deer I shot but he backed out. I let three deer walk the evening before from the same spot because of having no help.

I decided to go sit in the pile of cinderblocks behind the barn and make the decision to shoot or not shoot when the deer appeared like they always do.



I use the cinderblocks for a rest if the deer come out of the SE hollow and cross sticks if they come out of the NW hollow.



It was a beautiful evening but the deer just didn't move, I usually hear several shots from the surrounding hills and hollows but it was quiet yesterday evening,  I didn't have to make the shoot or not to shoot decision.

I gave thanks for being able to go hunting one more time as I watched the peaceful darkness come over the land I was watching.

For my gun nut friends; my rifle is a replica of a rifle made in 1790 and the first rifle I ever built. It is .54 caliber with a 42" barrel, a worn and battle scared old friend that has filled my freezer more times than I can remember. As my eyes have deteriorated with age I had to make a peep sight for the rifle to be able to shoot it accurately.

[Stoker]

A good day indeed.
Thanks Leroy

[Eric Krewson]

I am going to fess up on this one, it is about distraction and loading. I was working on the TC overhaul, really mulling over how to install the bushings to turn the tang screws into tang bolts and getting everything to line up. I took a break and decided unload my rifle that has been loaded since Nov 14th. I went to my shooting bench and shot the rifle, my shot was way off the mark.

 I decided to shoot again to to see if it was the rifle or me. I went back to the shop with the bushing instillation consuming my mind and loaded my rifle. I missed the entire target with that load so I went back to the shop to load again, I missed the whole target again so back to reload I went, this time I started the ball down the bore and realized I had only short started the two shots that missed, dang, never daydream when you are loading.

The third ball went about 2ft down the barrel and hung up, I couldn't drive the ball home with a sledge hammer on the range rod.  I pulled the barrel, unbreeched it and tried to drive the ball out from the breech, it wasn't moving so I squirted some motor oil down the bore and gave it another try, this time the ball came out after I got it to move into the oily bore just a fraction. The fowling from those two squib shots was so bad that it blocked the bore.

I had short started and fired this same rifle about 10 years ago with 90gr of 2F and had no barrel bulging or damage. This time I was shooting 80gr with a loose ball/patch fit, a close inspection showed there was no damage or loose spots, again I got lucky.

I tore the entire gun down and found a few issues that needed to be corrected. The rear lock bolt that had always been loose in the hole and was now way to tight, looking into the hole  toward lock plate with a light I could see the barrel had moved back a fraction over time and lot of shooting just enough to impinge the lock bolt, I corrected this by drilling a larger clearance hole through the tang lug.

I always install barrel pins so they are a loose fit that I can push out with my fingers, when I disassembled the rifle I had to drive the front pin out, it was VERY tight. It is my understanding that a tight front pin will have an adverse affect on accuracy, this is from a top B/P competitor friend of mine.  I got out my Dremel and the appropriate sized diamond bit and slotted the lug hole much more than I had done the first time, I could slide the pin in with my fingers after the adjustment. 

A good cleaning and the rifle went to my gun safe to be shot when I am not working on any other project that may cause those all to frequent "senior moments" that crop up more and more lately.

[Hawkdancer]

Any time you can get to the field is good!  Good to hear you got those corrections made and didn't have any damage!  As for "senior moments", I make a list and then have to remember why, I came out to the shop, and what was Doing there!
Hawkdancer