Shot my first Woods Walk

I've been shooting muzzleloaders for over 40 years. However, yesterday I shot in my first ever woods walk match and had a lot of fun. I've been wanting to try one for a while and watching the videos from the Folk Firearms Collective certainly spurred my interest even more.

I'll definitely be doing it again.

The walk was held at the Boyertown Rod and Gun Association. The fellow there were very welcoming to this newcomer. The course of fire was 20 shots at varying distances. Each station was 3 shots, except for #1 and #20. The first target was an easy gong at maybe 15 yards, while the final target was a pushpin at about 10 yards. I missed that one.

The turnout was pretty good, around twenty shooters. I was pleased to see a group of Scouts participating, working on their muzzleloading merit badge.

The guns used ran the gamut from custom flintlock rifles like mine, to Investarm Hawkens, and one T/C Seneca .36 caplock. In order to help prevent the targets from being excessively damaged, Boyertown has a rule to keep calibers at .54 and below. Being in Pennsylvania, I expected to see flintlock predominate but the field seemed pretty evenly split between flinters and caplocks.

The last couple of trips I made to the range at my club with my flintlock longrifle, I did most of my loading from my shooting pouch but doing a woods walk provides a better shakedown for your gear.

My patches were lubed with 100% pure neatsfoot oil. I've used this in the past and was able to run over 20 shorts through my rifle without swabbing, but that may have been with a lighter powder charge. The air may have been more humid as well, which helps keep fouling soft.

Yesterday, I wound up swabbing between shots and a little extra between stations, to keep the crud down. Normally I use pillow ticking patches with .490 balls. I have some .480 balls I may try in the next shoot to ease loading. I got decent accuracy with them at 50 yards. The looser fit may allow me to load more times between swabbing.

Here is what I carried:

• My George Dech flintlock longrifle. One thing I did at home so I didn't have to do so at the range was run a couple patches down the bore to remove the oil I use when it's being stored. I then ran a patch with October Country's Bumblin Bear Grease patch lube down it.
• I brought a range rod with me but left it in my truck. I might bring it along with me the next time I do a woods walk.
• Powder horn containing FFFg black powder. At 70 grains per shot I went through most of my powder. I need to see if I can get suitable accuracy and a similar POI with a lighter charge.

Shooting pouch contents:

• Antler measure holding 70 grains of black powder, dummy corded to the bag.
• Priming flask, dummy corded to the bag. I may just move this to my pocket.
• Ball bag containing 25 round balls. I might replace this with a ball flask that can more easily dispense balls. E.g., https://www.octobercountry.com/hard-leather-bullet-bag-flask/ 
• A screw top tin containing 25 lubricated shooting patches. They were lubed with neatsfoot oil.
• Small, hand forged pliers (can also be used to reshape a flint but the Boyertown rules require you to use a brass instrument to do so if the gun has a charge in it. Today I ordered a brass knapping hammer from Track of the Wolf.
• Short starter. Even though my muzzle is coned I still used it because it gets a crud ring a few inches down the bore after a shot or two.
• Vent pick and brush hanging from bag strap (I never used the brush but picked the vent before each shot.)
• Rag, used to wipe down the flint, frizzen, pan, and my hands.

Inside the pouch I had tool wallet containing:

• 3 spare flints.
• Two or three pieces of leather for holding the flint in the hammer.
• Hand forged turnscrew.
• Ball puller.
• Patch worm.
• Two lens wipes with alcohol on them in case the frizzen really needed cleaning, but the rag was sufficient.

In a jacket pocket I carried a cleaning kit so I could swab the bore:

• Small bottle of rubbing alcohol.
• Altoids tin containing:
• Cotton flannel cleaning patches (I mostly used these instead of tow.)
• Hemp tow
• Cleaning jag
• M1817-style worm with tow pre-wrapped around it

Next time I might bring a ziplock bag or a tin with pre-moistened cleaning patches in it.

I recently joined the Pennsylvania Federation of Black Powder Shooters. In looking at the booklet they publish with match schedules in it, it looks like there are a few clubs within reasonable driving distance.