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Post by Black Hand on Mar 17, 2023 7:49:11 GMT -7
Wads are squishy (precut bore sized discs) to differing degrees, cards are hard(er)...
Tow, grass, other fibrous material such as bark and even wool blanketing have been used for smoothbore wadding.
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Post by spence on Mar 17, 2023 13:11:16 GMT -7
I said, "What is your "faux-tow"?"
Never mind, I did a search and found it.
Spence
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RyanAK
City-dweller
Once scalped…
Posts: 979
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Post by RyanAK on Mar 17, 2023 13:21:02 GMT -7
My interest is peaked... now looking for period accounts of loading civilian arms.
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Post by Black Hand on Mar 17, 2023 15:19:36 GMT -7
Smoothbores are fun! Far easier in a candle shoot than a rifle.
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Post by bushfire on Mar 17, 2023 15:37:09 GMT -7
Smoothbores are fun! Far easier in a candle shoot than a rifle. What's a candle shoot? |
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Post by spence on Mar 17, 2023 16:53:21 GMT -7
Audubon and His Journals. Vol. II by Maria Audubon
pg. 461 “The snuffing of a candle with a ball, I first had an opportunity of seeing near the banks of Green River, not far from a large Pigeon-roost to which I had previously made a visit. I heard many reports of guns during the early part of a dark night, and knowing them to be those of rifles, I went towards the spot to ascertain the cause. On reaching the place, I was welcomed by a dozen of tall stout men, who told me they were exercising, for the purpose of enabling them to shoot under night at the reflected light from the eyes of a Deer or Wolf, by torchlight of which I shall give you an account somewhere else. A fire was blazing near, the smoke of which rose curling among the thick foliage of the trees. At a distance which rendered it scarcely distinguishable, stood a burning candle, as if intended for an offering to the goddess of night, but which in reality was only fifty yards from the spot on which we all stood. One man was within a few yards of it, to watch the effects of the shots, as well as to light the candle should it chance to go out, or to replace it should the shot cut it across. Each marksman shot in his turn. Some never hit either the snuff or the candle, and were congratulated with a loud laugh; while others actually snuffed the candle without putting it out, and were recompensed for their dexterity by numerous hurrahs. One of them, who was particularly expert, was very fortunate, and snuffed the candle three times out of seven, whilst all the other shots either put out the candle or cut it immediately under the light.”
Spence
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Post by Black Hand on Mar 17, 2023 17:40:54 GMT -7
A candle shoot is an exercise in patience and sometimes frustration. One is loading by feel in the dark and attempting to extinguish a lit candle without destroying the candle in the process. A fun exercise...
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RyanAK
City-dweller
Once scalped…
Posts: 979
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Post by RyanAK on Mar 17, 2023 18:20:18 GMT -7
Spence, great quote. Thank you. Hand, I like your kind of fun.  |
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Post by brokennock on Mar 17, 2023 19:28:03 GMT -7
I said, "What is your "faux-tow"?" Never mind, I did a search and found it. Spence I apologize sir. I truly meant no disrespect. I completely missed your response and question. When I get a chance to test the paper more thoroughly I will certainly report back. After all,,, I wouldn't know to try it if it weren't for you. I wouldn't have tried loading roundball with wadding if it weren't for some of your writings. I refer folks to your website quite frequently. Thank you for all the knowledge you have compiled and made available to so many of us. |
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Post by spence on Mar 17, 2023 22:24:21 GMT -7
My interest is peaked... now looking for period accounts of loading civilian arms. I can get you started with a quote from J. J. Audubon. Describing a hunter loading his rifle before a raccoon hunt: “He blows through his rifle to ascertain that it is clear, examines his flint, and thrusts a feather in the touch-hole. To a leathern bag swung at his side is attached a powder-horn; his sheath-knife is there also; below hangs a narrow strip of homespun linen. He takes from his bag a bullet, pulls with his teeth the wooden stopper from his powder-horn, lays the ball in one hand, and with the other pours the powder upon it until it is just overtopped. Raising the horn to his mouth, he again closes it with the stopper, and restores it to its place. He introduces the powder into the tube; springs the box of his gun, greases the “patch” over with some melted tallow, or damps it; then places it on the honey-combed muzzle of his piece. The bullet is placed on the patch over the bore, and pressed with the handle of the knife, which now trims the edge of the linen. The elastic hickory rod, held with both hands, smoothly pushes the ball to its bed; once, twice, thrice has it rebounded. The rifle leaps as it were into the hunter’s arms, the feather is drawn form the touch-hole, the powder fills the pan, which is closed. “Now I’m ready,” cries the woodsman." Episode - A Raccoon Hunt in Kentucky, pg. 492 Spence |
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Post by spence on Mar 18, 2023 8:31:08 GMT -7
One more, a little earlier:
"Travels Through the States of North America and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, During the Years of 1795, 1796 and 1797", by Isaac Weld, Jr., a young Englishman.
"The rifled barrel guns, commonly used in America, are nearly of the length of a musket, and carry leaden balls from the size of thirty to sixty to the pound. Some hunters prefer those of a small bore, because they require but little ammunition; others prefer such as have a wide bore, because the wound which they inflict is more certainly attended with death; the wound, however, made by a ball discharged from one of these guns is always very dangerous. The inside of the barrel is fluted, and the groves run in a spiral direction from one end of the barrel to the other, consequently when the ball comes out it has a whirling motion round its own axis, at the same time that it moves forward, and when it enters into the body of an animal, it tears up flesh in a dreadful manner. The best of powder is chosen for the rifle barrel gun, and after a proper proportion of it is put down the barrel, the ball is enclosed in a small bit of linen rag, well greased at the outside, and then forced down with a thick ramrod. The grease and the bits of rag, which are called patches, are carried in a little box at the butt-end of the gun. The best rifles are furnished with two triggers, one of which being first pulled sets the other, that is, alters the spring, so that it will yield even to the slight touch of a feather. They are also furnished with double sights along the barrel, as fine as those of a surveying instrument. An experienced marksman, with one of these guns, will hit an object not larger than a crown piece, to a certainty, at the distance of one hundred yards. Two men belonging to the Virginia rifle regiment, a large division of which was quartered in this town during the war, had such a dependance on each other’s dexterity, that the one would hold a piece of board, not more than nine inches square, between his knees, whilst the other shot at it with a ball at the distance of one hundred paces. This they used to do alternately, as often as they were called upon. Numbers of people in Lancaster can vouch for the truth of this fact. Were I, however, to tell you all the stories I have heard of the performances of riflemen, you would think the people were most abominably addicted to lying. A rifle gun will not carry shot, nor will it carry a ball much farther than one hundred yards with certainty."
Spence
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RyanAK
City-dweller
Once scalped…
Posts: 979
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Post by RyanAK on Mar 18, 2023 12:54:42 GMT -7
Great quotes, Spence. Interesting that they're both quotes for rifles... maybe because a rifle was a curiosity to the writer. I'm attempting to make a list of supplies... in my extreme fatigue I've gotten as far as: BALL
SHOT
It's a start.  |
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Post by Black Hand on Mar 18, 2023 13:28:29 GMT -7
If you have other black powder arms, that's all you really need. Cards/wads and/or wadding can be made at home or collected from the wild.
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Post by spence on Mar 18, 2023 16:37:38 GMT -7
Black Hand said, "Cards/wads and/or wadding can be made at home or collected from the wild."
True, true, and with good effect. I started experimenting with shredded bark off our eastern cedar tree as a substitute for tow and wound up taking all my usual game...squirrel, rabbit, dove, groundhog, turkey and whitetail deer...with it over a couple of seasons. UP SMOOTHBORES!!
Spence
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Post by spence on Mar 18, 2023 17:01:12 GMT -7
brokennock said, "I apologize sir. I truly meant no disrespect. I completely missed your response and question." Nock, I'm sorry you didn't know that was absolutely not a problem, could not be. Missing posts is just a normal part of these forums, and you and I are far better friends than for me to think poorly of you for such a simple thing. BTW, we both come here to share our experiences, equally, there is no hierarchy. You and I need to put our heads together and come up with a plan to light a fire under this forum. We both would like for it to be far more active, I think, but I've run out of ideas for making that happen. Promptly getting engaged in threads to which we have something to contribute and starting threads to lure them in don't work. This is the only BP interaction I have, these days, and it's not usually very exciting. Sorry for going on so.  Spence |
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