Questions

[Jester896]

i shoot turkeys in the head with a shotgun . I remember when the Turkey Guillotine broad heads came out...always wanted to try one...but gave up the bow. My Grandfather didn't want shot in squirrels or quail so we has the shot them in the head with a .22 and trap the quail. I am not fond of the crunch sound on deer.

 

[NCHillbilly]

It has always been a wonderment to me that head shots were OK on turkeys and squirrels actually greatly preferred by some but were not ever OK on the much more majestic pine goat. LOL

Because the head on a squirrel isn't near as big or the same shape as the head on a deer. A .22 anywhere in the head will drop a squirrel. The bullet is proportionally huge compared to the head size. A .300 mag in at least half of the head area won't kill a deer, but may just blow its jaw or nose off.

 

[Darkhorse]

I frown on head shots on deer myself and won't attempt one for any reason. As NCHillbilly sez you must hit an exact spot to kill the deer if your aim is off just a little the deer is horribly wounded and destined die a terrible death. I have hunted deer for around 60 years and respect them too much to inflict such misery on any of them.
But as for turkeys ; I know I have the skill to make the headshot (talking flintlocks here) and I know my rifle has the accuracy to also make the headshot. But sometimes those birds are so hard to call in I just hate to take the chance on losing one by missing the head. A .395 round ball through the wingbutt puts most of them down right there. The most I've had one get up and leave only went around 15 yards. And it's not a question of ruined meat either, that round ball at the speed pushed by 60 grains of 3fg just punches right through leaving a clean hole just a little larger than ball diameter. While doing this it imparts terrific energy into the turkey and the shock just knocks them flat.
I don't know the effect of hitting one at longer ranges as all my gobblers have been in effective range of a smoothbore. I use a decoy most of the time and just enjoy the process of getting that gobble back to my call, then coaxing him to seek me (the hen) out, often from a long distance, then bringing him right to the decoy and watching him interact with it from close range. The last one while circling the decoy came within5 yards of me several times before I decided it was time to shoot. Then the rifle must be moved to the correct position, aimed, then the trigger is pulled and a follow through while trying to see through that cloud of white smoke to be sure I hit him.
That's the way I like to do it.

 

[JustUs4All]

Because the head on a squirrel isn't near as big or the same shape as the head on a deer. A .22 anywhere in the head will drop a squirrel. The bullet is proportionally huge compared to the head size. A .300 mag in at least half of the head area won't kill a deer, but may just blow its jaw or nose off.

That argument is very thin. But rebutting it does not derailing the OP's thread which is a good one.

 

[NCHillbilly]

That argument is very thin. But rebutting it does not derailing the OP's thread which is a good one.

I guess it's opinion, but I have shot loads of squirrels and a few deer in the head over the years. I have had excellent results with killing squirrels with headshots. Half the few deer I've headshot, I had to shoot again. I just consider it a low-percentage shot nowadays, especially under hunting conditions. If deer stood stock still, there were no twigs or leaves in the woods, and you had a lead sled in the stand to rest your rifle on, yeah.

 

[Jester896]

This fell off da truck today…. Come on Goex FFg

 

[trad bow]

If we were within driving distance of each other, I’d loan you a lb to tide you over till your order arrived.

 

[Jester896]

If we were within driving distance of each other, I’d loan you a lb to tide you over till your order arrived.

Thanks! I intend to use it in the Hawken when I get the issues worked out.

I found these 2 at my LGS and they were about the same price as if it was shipped with haz-mat. I haven't been able to find all three in one place. Hopefully the Select will be a little better than the standard Pyrodex from what I read about it.

I ordered a rod adapter from 8-32 to 10-32 to use in my short 30 cal coated rod to clean the Goex out of the Hawken...had to wait until PG wasn't around to use her kitchen sink and my Dawn I use for brass tumblers

 

[NCHillbilly]

Thanks! I intend to use it in the Hawken when I get the issues worked out.

I found these 2 at my LGS and they were about the same price as if it was shipped with haz-mat. I haven't been able to find all three in one place. Hopefully the Select will be a little better than the standard Pyrodex from what I read about it.

I ordered a rod adapter from 8-32 to 10-32 to use in my short 30 cal coated rod to clean the Goex out of the Hawken...had to wait until PG wasn't around to use her kitchen sink and my Dawn I use for brass tumblers

I've ran lots of regular Pyrodex RS through percussion guns when I couldn't get Goex, and killed a lot of deer with it, too. It's not as good as real black powder, but it works with percussion rifles. Not with flintlocks. I'm not a fan of the triple 7.

 

[Railroader]

In my experience T7 is hard to light off in a cap gun. I use it in inline 209 guns with good success...

 

[Jester896]

In my experience T7 is hard to light off in a cap gun. I use it in inline 209 guns with good success...

I got it to see what the difference in the 2 were. The fella I picked up the Ruger from said it was about the same as Pyrodex in it. I have Musket cap plugs for it as well as #11.

I'm ready to do some testing anyway when the weather changes a little.

 

[Darkhorse]

When pyrodex first came out I shot some in a caplock. I couldn't tell much difference. They said it wouldn't rust your gun but I found out the hard way it would. Then the plant blew up and I never bought anymore.
If you can't ignite that T7 you can put a little real black powder down first then the T7 and it should ignite. Which I personally think is ridiculous. If you must use black powder to make the fake stuff go off then you might as well use the real stuff to start with.

 

[Jester896]

there is light rust toward the muzzle in the grooves in the Ruger All Weather that should brush/wipe easily...thinks it's from cleaning though

 

[Railroader]

When pyrodex first came out I shot some in a caplock. I couldn't tell much difference. They said it wouldn't rust your gun but I found out the hard way it would. Then the plant blew up and I never bought anymore.
If you can't ignite that T7 you can put a little real black powder down first then the T7 and it should ignite. Which I personally think is ridiculous. If you must use black powder to make the fake stuff go off then you might as well use the real stuff to start with.

I agree wholeheartedly with just using BP in all muzzleloaders and be done with it. I've tried em all, and have found no advantage to any substitutes. None are any easier to clean up either, to my notion...

I have a couple pounds of T7, and a couple pounds of Pyrodex, bought when BP was hard to source. They will be used in inlines with 209 primers, but I don't intend to buy any more.

I'm sitting on about seven pounds of BP, and added all up I should have enough powder to last forever at my current usage rate...

 

[Jester896]

the 3 shots of Goex was pretty dirty in my view. Maybe it was the amount of the loads? Even after swabbing with a cleaner it took 8-9 draws of water to get it out and that is clean? There still appears to be some in the bottom looking at the patch I used to dry it.

 

[Railroader]

Few drops of Dawn, in a bucket of warm water, use the ramrod with a jag and patch, and pump it thru till it come clean.

Spaying the barrel full of glass plus works pretty good too. Let it set a few minutes, and pump that out.

If you leave any residue, it will rust. I absolutely DESPISE a dirty/rusty muzzleloader, which is why I don't shoot em much. Keeping one nice requires attention, and a bit of work...

I LOVE shooting them, but I don't like the clean-up...

 

[Jester896]

@Railroader I waited until Purdy Gurl wasn't looking and ran hot water in the sink and put some of my Dawn (for brass), she uses Palmolive, and dipped the nipple hole in the hot water and ran the patched jag in and out until it was squirting clean. Then dried it with patches. There still seemed to be a little mud in the bottom that I wasn't able to flush out from the looks of the patch if it touched the bottom. Otherwise the patch was clean. Do I need one of those scrapers I see to get that out?

 

[Railroader]

@Railroader I waited until Purdy Gurl wasn't looking and ran hot water in the sink and put some of my Dawn (for brass), she uses Palmolive, and dipped the nipple hole in the hot water and ran the patched jag in and out until it was squirting clean. Then dried it with patches. There still seemed to be a little mud in the bottom that I wasn't able to flush out from the looks of the patch if it touched the bottom. Otherwise the patch was clean. Do I need one of those scrapers I see to get that out?

There is a little recessed portion in the bottom of the barrel, that is rounded off instead of flat. I usually wad up a patch and push it down with just the rod which will fit the recess where a jag won't....

Give it a good twist, and then dig the patch out with a worm.

Not familiar with a scraper...

And you can also remove the screw beside the nipple to allow a more vigorous flush...

 

[NCHillbilly]

There is a little recessed portion in the bottom of the barrel, that is rounded off instead of flat. I usually wad up a patch and push it down with just the rod which will fit the recess where a jag won't....

Give it a good twist, and then dig the patch out with a worm.

Not familiar with a scraper...

And you can also remove the screw beside the nipple to allow a more vigorous flush...

Also, those copper bushes usually get most of that crud out if you get one that's designed right.

 

[Darkhorse]

If your breech face is flat a scraper will absolutely get that residue out. Scrape it before cleaning while it is dry.
I have scrapers for all my muzzleloaders.
Using a wadded up patch will get most of it off but if it is baked on from shooting it will need to be scraped off.