Black powder fan

mykeal

mykeal

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Aug 4, 2025
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Former member of Iosco Sportsman's Club. Grew up in Gaylord, retired to Tawas area, now living part time in Brighton area. The other part of the time we live in the Sarasota, FL area, which is the legal home for tax reasons. Mostly black powder shooter. Favorite handgun is Ruger Old Army, favorite long gun is Lyman Great Plains. Carry is S&W 60.

Also a member of Muzzleloadingforum.com and rugerforum.com.
 
mykeal said:
Former member of Iosco Sportsman's Club. Grew up in Gaylord, retired to Tawas area, now living part time in Brighton area. The other part of the time we live in the Sarasota, FL area, which is the legal home for tax reasons. Mostly black powder shooter. Favorite handgun is Ruger Old Army, favorite long gun is Lyman Great Plains. Carry is S&W 60.

Also a member of Muzzleloadingforum.com and rugerforum.com.
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I grew up near Gaylord as a kid staying at parents and grand parents cottages on Otsego lake all summer and weekends during other seasons. Resided in SE Michigan tho. Probably why I spent so much time there when possible. Thought eventually I'd retire there one day but this never came to be. Still time I guess. I'll say welcome but I've only been here a week maybe so I'm sure we'll have a few outdoor discussions.
 
I mostly bow hunt. But if I do go out during firearm season it's with my TC .50 cal Pro Hunter. Sure, it's a modern day In-line ML but it's still one shot, one kill. Kind of like a long-range bow. I've dropped a lot of deer with that rifle. 2 T7 Magnum Pellets, T7 209 Primer, TC 250 gr. Shockwave bullet. and topped off with a Leupold VXIII 3.5x-10x scope. It puts the bullet where it's supposed to go every time. I never had anything go much farther than 50-60 yds. before dropping. A few just dropped right where they stood. Best shot to date was 178 yds. (off the ground) right through the ticker on a respectable 8 pt. Most shots though, are usually between 80-125 yds. and usually out of my ground blind.
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Many yrs. ago I went in a Target store for something & saw a CVA Kentucky Rifle ( 45cal ) on an aisle end cap , with a big "SALE"sign on it.
Was priced @ $50.00 ( as I remember) & since I had no BP firearms, I thought I should give this a try. I was satisfied & a little impressed in how it came out. Bought a CVA "Shooters Kit" somewhere, ( maybe @ Target ?) had a powder measure, , ball starter, nipple wrench, some patches, patch lube, instructions. Don't remember if it came with BP & percussion caps, but I got some to test fire it. Went out in the bush in east San Diego co. & shot @ a can lying on the ground about 75 yds away.. Hit it 1st shot!
Had fun finishing that CVA kit, went back to same store & bought a nicer kit, a CVA "Squirrel rifle" 32 cal ( .310 ball) for about $80 ?
Had nicer hardware, adj. rear sight, & a set-trigger. Kit came out nicer than my 1st.. still have them both & shoot them 1 - 2 X / yr..
found an old pic of the Kty. rifle
Ky r 45 B.webp
 
Handsome rifles, Joe. About 10 yrs ago I bought my wife an EUC/like new factory-finished TC Cherokee in .45 cal. Spent the next year or so acquiring all the necessary supplies and accroutrments. And still, there it sits in the gun cabinet lookin' good but never fired. Reading this thread reminds me that it's high time to bust it out and make some smoke.
 
Good idea, polychoke. I used to joke ( though not really much of a joke) that I could spend a few hrs @ the range with my BP rifles, and end up shooting maybe a dozen shots.. Lots of cleaning involved , when shooting real BP.. the "synthetics" like Pyrodex isn't nearly as dirty as actual BP, though "purists" insist that "real" BP should be used. I've shot both & if you want to spend more time shooting & less time cleaning, the synthetic BP substitutes are the way to go...in my experience.. & as always, YMMV ( your mileage may vary)
 
Actually my muzzleloaders are in a display case in my finished basement, beside my loading bench.. I store my bolt rifles there, w/bolts removed & locked up in a safe. Since I have so little $ in my smoke poles, I don't worry about anyone stealing them.. besides if anyone breaks into our home, our guardian Corgi would tear into their ankles..
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