O.K., ......so now what?

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Well, most of the muzzleloading deer seasons are over...at least for the northern states.

So, what traditional muzzleloader plans do you have while waiting for the next BP season to roll around?

I hope to do some more shooting/hunting with my .62 cal trade musket.....Lord knows, I need the practice! I hope to get it out after some rabbits/squirrels (still have a couple of months of season left), even though our rabbit population is extremely poor. I also have plans to try and pattern it and come up with a good turkey load for it. I will put in for a turkey permit this spring....whether or not I use the musket will be another story; a lot of variables still out there yet.

Hope to spend more time on the range this spring/summer with all my BP guns......practice makes perfect, and I hope to be ready if the chance presents itself for a deer next fall. Also, I really would like to be able to consistently hit flying targets with a load of shot out of the trade musket......if I can successfully do that, then I plan on maybe trying to take a duck or two this fall with it.
Also have a few traditional projects in various stages of completion (knives, knife sheaths, shot bags, gun cases) that I will try and do off an on as a spare hour or two presents itself.

Anybody else?

[Adam Helmer]

Mr. 16 gauge,

I spent 4 hours this afternoon in my 3-bay tractor shed casting ML projectiles of ball and maxis for the .45, .50 and .54. I still have a month of small game hunting here and will take the smoothbore .50 flintlock and shot loads afield.

After hunting season, I plan on shooting ball and maxis over my chronograph on my backyard range to see just what speed my accuracy loads generate.

I shoot just about everyday here on the farm on one of my 4 ranges. The chronograph is another reason to "shoot and see." My loyal hound, Lori, loves guns and gunfire and is my constant range officer. She is also my co-pilot aboard the Polaris Ranger as we run down field to change targets.

Adam

[Okie Hog]

Oklahoma's last deer season ended on 26 December. OK rabbit season is open. Squirrel season is also open. Hogs are my thing and i'm thinning them out on one of the places i hunt. i've killed nine hogs since the first of the year. Will go check a hog trap tomorrow morning.

[Johnny Reb]

For my winter project I will be refinishing the stock on my 54 cal. Renegade. I'm going to sand a few dings out and and apply several coats of tung oil for a lighter look.
I will be taking my son Tim out in a couple of weeks for some squirrel hunting.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I'm going to sand a few dings out and and apply several coats of tung oil for a lighter look.

You may want to try and pop those dings out with heat.....any book on stock work or gunsmithing should be able to tell you how to do it, and that way you won't have to sand away wood you can't put back

[Johnny Reb]

Originally Posted by Mr. 16 gauge

You may want to try and pop those dings out with heat.....any book on stock work or gunsmithing should be able to tell you how to do it, and that way you won't have to sand away wood you can't put back

Mr 16 guage
Thanks for the advise, I will try that. I will try and get some before and after pics