Some of the best shooting advice I ever received is this (relates to what
Cap't. said); I used to shoulder my firearm, then lean my neck over to
look down the sights. Some one pointed out to me this technique; (this is
for a right handed shooter, reverse for lefties) think of yourself as a
canon carriage, the rifle is the canon barrel. Face your target. point
your left foot towards your target. Stand at a comfortable stance somewhat
sideways to the target. (left shoulder towards target) stand with right
foot somewhat perpendicular to the target. place butt of gun in the crook
of arm between shoulder and biceps muscle. firmly grasp wrist of gun with
right hand, and pull stock into place. The point is the right hand should
do most of the holding. rest barrel on left hand at balance point of gun.
now, standing erect facing the target raise right elbow so that right upper
arm is horizontal. this should bring the sight picture up to your line of
sight (while standing straight and true). Now, sight, then close your eyes
for a second while holding the gun true. Then open your eyes, if you have
swayed off target, adjust your 'carriage' (ie your body stance...feet). and
try the close eye, open eye thing again, until you continue to hold true.
Then you are ready to shoot. This technique improved my shooting ability
with a flintlock immensely. A couple of expert flinter shooters taught me
his technique. I hope my words convey a good enough mental image. When I
first started shooting flinters, I was terrible. Now, after expert
advise...I am quite mediocre. Hope this helps someone. hardtack
> [Original Message]
> From: rtlahti <rtlahti@msn.com>
> To: <hist_text@lists.xmission.com>
> Date: 2/15/02 7:03:38 PM
> Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Who shoots a Tulle?
>
> C.Kent,
>
> Off list works but on list and we have a fairly safe topic to discuss. <G>
>
> I found that shooting a Tulle' requires a more upright stance to the head
> rather than any tendency to "lean" into the gun/stock. Leaning in seems to
> lay one's self open for a "French kiss". A good friend gave up on his
Tulle'
> a number of years before I got one for that reason. His shooting style is
> more in tune with shooing an M1 Garand (getting in close). I didn't have
any
> problem because I tend to mount the stock and hold my head more upright
> (back away from the tang/comb etc. area). Just my experience and it may or
> may not apply to anyone else. I'm sure overloading will also contribute to
> that with excess recoil. It does not take a hot load to do good work with
> the Tulle'.
>
> As to wringing out good accuracy, I find that in my Centermark Tulle', a
.60
> ball patched with something as thin as bed sheet works ok. I have gone to
> making that combination into what is called a Jager patched Ball. The
patch
> material is gathered around the ball and tied off with a clove hitch at
the
> sprue. The excess is cut close to the knot. The patched ball is then
dipped
> in melted grease or olive oil to thoroughly prelude it. They thus can be
> carried in a ball bag and "tipped" out as needed. That combination seems
to
> go down fairly easily and comes out with surprising accuracy. I have no
idea
> whether the patching falls off or not but it doesn't seem to matter. I've
> hit a 9 inch gong at close to 100 yards off hand a number of times in a
row
> with that method so I'm convinced that it provides good accuracy.
>
> I usually use about 75/80 grains of 3f since I prime from the main horn
and
> 3f works fine for priming powder as well as a main charge.
>
> Another way to attain excellent accuracy if you have the time to go
through
> it all is to load powder, then a fiber cushion wad, then the ball, topped
> with a card wad. The procedure is as follows to keep the ball sprue up
which
> is usually conceded as desirable.
>
> Pour powder, start a cushion wad, push cushion wad down with the ball
until
> the ball is flush sprue up. Place a card wad on the ball and push all
three
> elements down with the ram rod onto the powder. I find this works
extremely
> well in any smooth bore in that it allows the use of a close to bore size
> ball which normally is hard to put down with a patch and the wad under the
> ball seals the gases behind the ball and does not allow blow by which is
the
> enemy of smooth bore accuracy or any muzzle loader accuracy for that
matter.
>
> All that is left is to practice with your sight picture until you "groove"
> it the same each time. There are no secrets to that other than practice.
> Hope that helps.
>
> YMOS
> Capt. Lahti'
>
> ----------------------
> hist_text lis
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Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 23:46:18 -0500
From: <ikon@mindspring.com>
Subject: MtMan-List: Mountain Trapper NOT!!
Did you ever feel like a greenhorn? Well I did today. Driving to Albany Georgia today I passed three vehicle hit coyotes. By the time I could turn around to go back and pick them up it was 20 miles, so I passed on them.
Well, I made myself a promise that if I see a beaver or bobcat, I'm gonna stop. 50 miles down the road I see a big black log with a pointy tail. I take the next exit (two miles) and go back and get in the medium. Whoa and behold, a monster otter. This is the king of all otters.
I threw him in the back of the truck (f-150) and I notice that his nose or what is left of it was touching one side of the bed while his tail is touching the other. Workers on the job site mention that this is the largest they have ever seen and tried to buy the darned thing from me.
Not being a trapper, at lunch I decide to case skin this monster. Not going to happen. I felt like I did the first time I ever gutted a deer. Duh, what do I do. I quickly learned that "I" could not case skin a critter that was this broken up on the inside. So I slit him down his belly and ran into a few things. Swamp oysters. This was indeed the King of Otters.
I managed to skin him okay, kept the feet on and started the hide right behind the eyes as the face was kind of torn up.
He is in the freezer right now. His weight was 35 to 40 lbs and he was well over 60" long. Is this a big otter compared to the otters found in the Rockies? I was going to make a blanket out of him, but that is a bit of an exageration. I am just going to make a cape.
Here is another project.
Frank V. Rago
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 13:24:44 EST
From: LivingInThePast@aol.com
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Who shoots a Tulle?
- --part1_fe.13cdae1e.299ffdec_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
In a message dated 2/15/2002 8:26:46 PM Pacific Standard Time,
rtlahti@msn.com writes:
> Pour powder, start a cushion wad, push cushion wad down with the ball until
> the ball is flush sprue up. Place a card wad on the ball and push all three
> elements down with the ram rod onto the powder.
This is the method I use in my Centermark as well, both for ball and buck 'n
ball, which may be wasteful but impressive when target shooting. There's
nothing like a whole bunch of holes appearing in the target at one time <GGG>
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 10:37:05 -0500
From: hikingonthru@cs.com
Subject: RE: MtMan-List: Mountain Trapper NOT!!
<I am just going to make a cape.
>Frank V. Rago
Frank,
Congrats on finding yoru otter!!! Don't hear of too many down our way trapping otters anymore so not much of anyone working their hides.
Tell me how the fleshing goes!!! Mr. T. Cissell of the GA CoHT has a brother who is a furrier and can really do wonders with pelts. He may give you a bit of advice to make that thing come out really prime since it sounds like a one of a kind find!!!
- -C.Kent
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Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 01:22:16 -0500
From: "WindWalker" <windwalker@fastmail.fm>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Learning some trapping skills
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Greets
I used to trap alot longlining. But have slowed over the years.
For fox I like the mound set in open country
I never would sell in carcuss.
cause buyer always deducted for that, I fleshed my own
That way I knew he would not try the ole "blue skin bit"
Trapped alot of Beaver once using the #330 conibear
I good trap indeed. Even wolf trapped up North, made good money at it, =
as was running a 35 mile long line. Also had some Martin cubbies set. =
Did fair at that.
Never caught a "Little Bear" i.e Wolverine.. nd really didnt want to.
I think I still got maybe 12 dozen traps left, packbasket ect.
Like trapping Beaver and roast beaver is good !
The tails cooked up like beef tongue and that is a treat indeed.
Made some good funds when the red fox was running $85 years ago and =
remember when muskrat was $9???
Them times shine..
We tryied to canoe a river as much as we could when up north except in =
winter then we used dogsled for most part
Later when we took on larger line we went snowmbile route
Did the longlines in 4 western states, did well, but alot of travel by =
road... so it offset profits
I always saved my castor for scent/bait.
Coons/Beaver/Otter used drowning sets
Wolf used drags.
The snares are ideal for wolf and fox, although as you noted one has to =
be careful indeed.
We also used a float set using regular rat traps for muskrats
did real well with them.
Think people nowdays have little interest in trapping or its =
rewards...{kids get allowances now days}
I still run lines from time to time..
At one time is was nothing to go longlining for 3 months straight.... =
really enjoyed it...
I get a regular Trapping magazine every month.. and prices have been low =
for years.
Wolf one time would bring $800 in northern regions..
And Beaver plew in hoop $90=20
Think Beaver is about 25 right now..
Am member of ATA CTA and Fur trappers of America
Used to attend the fur auctions every year in MN and St Lou
Every year looked forward to trap dying and waxing... getting ready ect, =
always tryied to combine hunting while running lines... sometimes it =
worked well.
Our daughter at 14 was running her own line and it was a overnighter.. =
she did well.
In Fl {our regular home} We still get called on to trap Gator from time =
to time. The rivers creeks are full of them..
Our area also has Panther, although we never bothered with them {we did =
some in AZ years ago.
Low water creeks, we use Scent sticks for Beaver and it works well, when =
used with drowning wire..
Under Ice is another matter, but can be productive..
Try squirrel trapping sometime, you will have a blast
lash a pole {small} between two trees bout ft off ground
place corn bait pan {ole pot pie pan} in center of pole.
Use Heavy nylon fishing line for snares.. place about 3 on each side of =
pan bout 2 ft apart use a small stick tacked to pole to help hold snares =
{popcycle stick works great}
along pole.. bait come back in morning... Ive had as many as 6 caught at =
a time...Then fall off pole in snare and thats it for them....Easy way =
to get squirrel stew...Sold alot of squirrel skins to Herters Co.. I =
think now they to are a thing of the past..
well enough of a ole mans ramblings....
Ps homemade snares from 1/8th in aircraft cable work great ! Use slip =
washer and small "L" sheet metal for lock..
Now wheres my fleshing board? <grin>
Sam
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Jon Towns=20
To: hist_text@lists.xmission.com=20
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2002 1:00 AM
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Learning some trapping skills
WELL WINDWALKER, YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT SNARES I HAVE TRAPED WITH SNARES =
AND HAVE CAUGHT FOX. COYOTES, AND DOGS. I HAVE NEVER KILLED A DOG =
BECAUSE THE HAVE BEEN TIED UP BEFORE AND MOSTLY DON'T FIGHT THE SNARE. =
I TRY NEVER TO TRAP NEAR HOUSES AND IF I GET A PET IS BECAUSE THE OWNER =
ISN'T DOING THEIR PART KEEPING THEM HOME. I RATHER TRAP BEAVER AND =
MUSKRATS. THEY WORK REAL GOOD. MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE DROWN. WHEN =
I GET THERE. ANOTHER WAY I LIKE TO TRAP FOX IS WITH MANY TRAPS SET =
AROUND IN A CIRCLE UNDER A HANGING RAT BODY AND WHEN THEY TRY TO JUMP UP =
AND EAT THE RAT THEY STEP IN THE TRAPS AND I HAVE CAUGHT THEM WITH ALL =
FEET IN THE TRAPS I CHECK THE TRAPS EVERY DAY AND USE A CLUB TO KILL THE =
FOX. THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE A HOLE TO HURT THE PELT. THE MOST OF THE =
TIME DIDN'T HAVE TO SKIN OUT THE FOX THE FUR BUYER WANTED TO DO IT =
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT HOLES IN THE HIDE. BUT THE SNARES I USE ARE GOOD =
ONES. NOT THE OLD KIND BUT THE NEW KIND MADE OUT OF SMALL CABLE AND =
BENT WASHERS WITH LOOPS. I HOPE THIS HAS GIVEN SOME PEOPLE A FEW IDEAS =
TO TRAP WITH OUT A LOT OF MONEY OUT PUT. FOR TRAPS. UNTIL LATER JON =
