777 advice

[tacfoley]

Hi Tac,

I am very new to this muzzle loading and if you go back and read the thread it was not I who pi***d in your hat. Thanks for the contact for black powder, I imagined this would not be something you could post. Now I know different I will order some.

A guy at my club who has been shooting black powder since he was 12 years old (more than 50 years experience I would guess) told me not to weigh the charges but to get myelf a flask and load direct from that. Since I have scales for re-loading my .303 I will take your advice and weigh the charges out.

Many thanks,

Apologies for p*ssing in YOUR hat.

Your friend with 50 years experience who advocates loading straight from flask into gun has obviously NOT read the rules on muzzle-loading published by the MLAGB and NRA, or taken any notice of the Health and Safety usage of live explosive substances with regard to the use of loose black powder - itself a Class 1 explosive.

Respectfully remind him that loading direct from flask to barrel of a rifle or musket is actually prohibited on every range in Europe and here in UK, and has been for quite some time. Try it at Wedgenock and see what happens.

Passing the powder from flask to a loader, such as the one I mentioned, IS acceptable, and indeed recommended as one of the safe methods of loading a rifle, but doing as he tells you will get you thrown off the range everywhere that I have shot.

Needless to say it is also dangerous.

But, as ever, I add my proviso - he can do as he wants, that is his prerogative, but in doing so he might recklessly endanger bystanders. True, he might get lucky, and just end up with an instant flame-thrower in his hand, but he could also just as easily end up with a half-pound black powder bomb. Call me a wimp if you like, but I still have all my orginal eyeballs, fingers and thumbs - even the eyebrows are as issued. Remember that they can make pretty convincing rubber hands these days - you can even pick your nose with them, and perform other wondrous feats of dexterity.

But so far they have failed utterly in their attempts to make a working rubber eyeball, or to re-attach a head.

He has been extraordinarily lucky so far - but I wouldn't want to be anyplace near him when his luck finally runs out.

tac