April 2026 (2) - Flipbook - Page 47
eighteen twist barrels. Twelve
pound guns can work, twenty-昀椀ve pound guns are max
weight. Iron sights and period style scope sights are used.
Using inexpensive components
and materials is a waste of time
and money. Anything worth
doing is worth doing well. Load
development alone may require
100 pieces of brass, hundreds
of bullets and 4-7 pounds of
powder along with a comparable
number of primers and wads.
Success at Long Range Black
Powder Target Ri昀氀e Competition is one hundred percent
shooter dependent upon developing a “Balanced Load” for a
particular shooter. The shooter is the major variable in the
equation. The challenge is to
compose a load for the ri昀氀e that
will propel a bullet to the 1,000
yard target that arrives where it
is aimed and is relatively stable throughout 昀氀ight. While
muzzle velocities of 13001330 feet per second are considered optimal, I have seen
outstanding results on the
target from a ri昀氀e shooting
a 535 grain money style grease
groove bullet 1275 feet per second.
How you practice determines how you may perform
in competition. Shooting in
the open while 昀椀ring a minimum of 20 shots in 45 minutes and maintaining bore fouling control with a load that does
not excessively recoil is the 昀椀rst
major step and you work from
there. Do not fear attending a
match. Everyone there essentially started the same place you
did. The point is to have fun
and enjoy the experience.
God bless Black Powder!
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