New converts

[Alboy]

On last nights outing for pigs I decided to start hunting with BP again, for many reasons. One of which is it is just more fun.
 
So the boys were supposed to meet me at the house between 4 and 5 and head for Schulenburg. I am trying to get ready to go and realize I have no 690 balls cast. Well noting to do but melt some lead and hurry up. The pot is on the fire and gets a couple of the lead biscuits tossed in.
 
While waiting for that to melt I alcohol swab Beulah and pop a couple of caps on each barrel to dry her out.
 
Lead is still mostly not melted. Heck lets get the load started. Fished out the old possibles bag and measured up a couple of 90 grain 2F powder charges and get those down the barrels with retainer cards. Now where the devil are those prelubed patches, oh yea in the bottum of the tool box so I would not loose them again.
 
Lead is starting to puddle, good. I have had the dipper in the pot for a while too trying to get everything heated up. Wait where is the mould? Sitting in the batch with all the other moulds but not preheating in the pot like it should. Now I am beginning to believe that maybe I am getting old like the man in the mirror tells me every morning. Toss that in too.
 
Meanwhile I finish setting up the possibles. New shrade goes in, want to see if that folder will hold up and become a permanent part of the kit. Fresh caps in the inline capper. Go ahead and load two premeasured powder charges for reloading in the dark, optimistic fella aint I. Extra over powder thin cards, double check I have a nipple pick.
 
Powder horn is about half full, plenty as that is near a half pound. Gotta make myself a hunting horn like I have been giving to everybody else, only needs to hold 5-6 loads of powder for a big game hunt.
 
The boys show up giging me about not being ready to go what IS the problem old man. Well the biggest is I need some bullets to let fly kids but almost there.
 
Pull the mould out of the pot to knock off the cooled lead on the end of it, open it and take out the ball I left from the last time I was pouring. Sheesh I could have melted one perfectly good round ball. Stick the mould back in and start stirring the mix trying to get the dipper hot enough to work. This is driving me nuts. Tom, newest side kick, is getting excited as he has not seen this happening since he was a house ape and his uncle let him help some.
 
Finally the  the dipper works so I pour one into the mould, it still is cool enought that lead sets up on the outside while sitting in the pot. Lucks is with me a good ball on the fist try.
 
Want a coupl;e of back ups but that takes about 4 bad pours and then the mould gets warmed enough and I get 4 more good pours. Had to use pliers to set the balls in the muzzle. Ram them home. Drop the extras in the bag and turn off the fire.
 
Lets go.
 
Here is a picture of Beulah, SxS CVA BP. Bored cylinder and cylinder 12 gauge percussion and me holding a Ross goose.
 
More later as time to go to work this morning and need some pictures from the homestead any way.

[bowhunter 51]

Cool.!....Nice pc, Alboy.....................................BH51

[gitano]

Good story Al. I may be able to suply something to use for that hunting horn.
 
Paul

[Alboy]

Thanks Paul
 
Had been thinking of using the bison horn but hate to cut it down that far and also thought on the remains of the carabou antler I have left but I have promissed to do a knife handle out of that.
 
Those boar tusks are still sitting well protected on my long table. After I get all of my other chores done and both hands out of the casts, find my shoes and get a new eye patch for the left, seeing as I can't see out of the right ..............................................
 
I WILL GET THOSE IN THE MAIL.
 
Plus there is still more to this exciting adventure, tune in next week
 
same time same place

[gitano]

Don't cut up the bison horn Al, I'll send something else along that will work just as well. And I'm sending some caribou antler for knife scales. As a general rule, caribou isn't used for knife scales because it is very smooth. If you want texture in a caribou antler knife handle, you pretty much gotta add it yourself.
 
Speaking of the bison horn... The cutoff I have as a result of making my bison-horn powder horn is large enough to make a cup OR a small, "day-use" powder flask. It's not got the point that the 'big' horn has, but it would work nonetheless. Track of the Wolf has fixtures that could easily go into the side of such a 'flask'. My 'big' horn holds about three quarters of a pound or so... the cutoff could easily hold a third of that.
 
Paul

[Alboy]

Still have the first bison horn about 1/2 polished and trying to figure out exactly what it will become. So many possibilities. I did tell you the other horn became a goblet for my daughter who is into knights of the round table dress and re-inactments didn't I.
 
The piece you are describing sounds like a workable piece.