sports_

outdoors ^ithJLou_Rodi^ j Get Advice on Black Powder Shooting

Nothing makes instant' < experts quicker than ^ something new And one of f the fastest growing ac- i tivities to hit the sporting < scene is black powder shooting and hunting. t There is nothing new about 1 the weapons in themselves. Black powder itself v predated today's modern i high pressure smokeless . < powder by generations. So I

did muzzleloading Breech-loading guns which use paper, plastic or metal cartridges along much later. The original black powder weapons were handmade. were works of art. A few years back, there a glimmer of interest . creating a black powder in several states. New Jersey was one of the

states to set aside some time for a black powder deer season. A few took advantage of it and between the glowing reports which came after the season and the appearance of loads of new modern muzzleloading weapons, the race was on. UNFORTUNATELY, the knowledge that is available is oftentimes not readily available to the hunter. Many of the stores selling the materia] used in black powder shooting are not always staffed by black powder shooting specialists. As a result, a lot of shooters have been getting their information second hand. And often it comes from people less than qualified to pass information on. Over half of my hunting club is into black powder shooting. Some of the members -Jiave hunted in Pennsylvania. Maine. New York. Virginia and New Jersey with their black ponder guns. The success^ has varied, usually according to how much timer the individual has spent on the range and in th£ woods with the weapon. We are fortunate when the State of New Jersey got serious about creating a black powder season. After one of our members got his first license and the necessary equipment, it became apparent that we needed help. WE KNEW several good instructors from Pennsylvania. One had been hunting with black powder for 30 years. He had killed elk. moose, bear, deer and even small game with black powder rifles and black powder shotgun.^ It was an easy matter to draw on his expertise He 'and two friends who were also long time black powder shooters agreed to do a series of mini-clinics for our club. After the first clinic" we all knew we had learned one thing for sure Thqt was that we had an awful lot to learn We found out that there was a lot of dif-

ference between the four grades of black powder The powder is graded according to the size of the granules and there are lots of difference in how they are used. Basically, here are how the powders are used: FG powder, the coarses, is used in ceremonial cannon and large bore guns. FFG black powder is used for bigger bore weapons. FFFG powder is used for small bore rifles and pistols. FFFFG powder is used for priming flintlocks. THERE ARE variations to the above and one should follow rigidly the instructions which come with the black powder firearm you purchase. If you have an antique weapon, get it checked thoroughly by a competent gunsmith before you fire it. There are a lot of old muzzleloaders out there which belonged to someone's great-great grandfather They have been in a corner or on a mantle for years. Quite a few were put away with a powder charge and projectile still in them and could still discharge if a spark ignites the powder. First rule with an antique, then, is to have it checked with a competent gunsmith. The second rule is to listen to what he tells you. If the gun is not fit to shoot, in his opinion, put it back on the mantle and leave it there. THERE ARE a lot of cheap foreign guns being sold, they are imitations of the antiques. Some look great, but they could be dangerous. Have them checked and if they are not safe, make a wall ornament out of them. Unless your weapon is from a competent manufacturer and you are sure it has been proof tested before leaving the factory, do not fire it until it is checked. Make sure you purchase the proper shot and the proper black powder for the gun you are planning to use for hunting or for target shooting. If the clerk in the store where you buy seems too non-commital about the right things to buy or if he does no* seem to have tJje proper answers to your questions, find another source of supply GET A GOOD book or magazine and read as much as you can about black powder shooting Here are some tips which came to us from Connecticut Valley Arms, one of the better suppliers of black powder shooting equipment. First, some Do's. Always wear shooting glasses when you fire a black powder gun. Use black powder only. Modern smokeless powder can cause excessively high pressures which will <•* damage the gun and perhaps injure the shooter. Handle a muzzleloader with respect. Keep all spectators well behind you when firing your weapon. Every time we have taken our flintlock or our percussion rifles out on the firing range, we gather a group of spectators. The loud bang and the flash of fire followed by a cloud of smoke apparently

holols a lot of people in awe and they have to get as close as possible to see it • all. Keep them back behind i you as there is a possibility that chips from the flint or from the percussion cap will splinter off and fly. TREAT A MISFIRE or a failure to fire as though the i gun will go off at any second. Always keep the gun pointed on the target for at least a full minute after a misfire. Here are some Dont's. Never fire a black powder weapon unless the projectile is seated tightly against the powder charge. Firing a black powder weapon with the projectile lodged partway in the barrel can cause serious damage to the gun and may injure the shooter. Never attempt to shoot out a projectile which is wedged in the barrel part way down. The projectile should be removed using a ball puller which is made for that purpose Once the ball is puiied. dump the charge, clean the barrel and start over with the loading process. Never exceed the manufacturer's recommended powder charge (and the style powder suggested). The suggested powder charge has already been figured for maximum efficiency. It will provide consistent ignition, consistent velocity and chamber pressure which is well below the maximum sale levels. DON'T SMOKE while using black powder. Never pour black powder directly from a large container such as powder horn or powder flask. It looks great on TV or in the movies to see the hero reloading from his powder horn while running through the woods, but it is a really dangerous thing to do. If the least spark is present in the barrel it could ignite the powder in the flask or horn. A dangerous explosion could result. Use a small measured charge or a smallHmeasuring device for loading your weapon. Never use plastic patches. Lots are sold and used but they are dangerous If the ball is loosened up from the patch and rolls up the barrel ahead of the i charge, dangerous pressures could be 1 generated. i When firing a black powder weapon always I clean the barrel after every few shots. There is a black powder residue buildup in ^ the barrel and if this residue is not removed, it can constrict the barrel so that at some point a projectile will get stuck part way up or down. IF YOU HAVE a projectile stuck in the barrel and

cannot remove it, it may take a breech plug wrench to get it out. Before transporting the weapon, soak the powder thoroughly with WD40, oil or even just plain water. Remove the nipple on a perucssion rifle or the touch hole on your flintlock to make sure you get the powder thoroughly soaked. If you do not have a breech plug wrench or do not know how to use one. this is a good job for a gunsmith. Using ordinary wrenches and a vice can mar the finish qn a good gun There iff~5 lot to know about bl&ck powder shooting. We like the sport because the hunting seasons follow the other big game seasons in most of the places we hunt. It is usually a lot quieter in the woods, with much lower hunting pressure. We have all but given up hunting the regular rifle season in Pennsylvania since the start of black powder hunting in that state. WE WOULD RATHER forego the regular season and a chance at a deer at that time of year because if we should bag a deer with a rifle, it would mean we had to miss hunting with black powder. In case you have a feeling that black powder shooting is excessively dangerous, dismiss the thought. It is as safe as you want it to be and only as dangerous as you make it. Treat your black powder weapon with respect and no harm will come to you. to others or to the weapon itself. Which brings up another point. Black powder is extremely corrosive. If you do not clean your gun thoroughly, the barrel will pit and the gun will rust. We like to clean ours with hot soapy water to get the powder residue out. After a thorough cleaning with hot soapy water, clean the barrel with clean, hot water Dry the barrel carefully ana coat it inside and out with a light film of oil or WD40. Store your gun in a dry, well ventillated place. To get additional information, you can write to Connecticut Valley Arms. Saybrook Rd., Haddam. Conn., 06428. Ask for a copy of the pamphlet on the do's and dont's of shooting a powder weapon. It is well worth reading.

Cape May County r— ^ ALMANAC I JANUARY. 19X6 MOOS PHASES/POSITIONS CORRECTION TIMES The Moon's effect on the Tide Is Compute approximate times greatest when closest- to Earth of high * low water for your I in perigee) and when in direct area by adding or subtracting alignment with Sun lc Earth the following number of I full A new moon phases) On minutes for each tide phase in and ubout these dates, low the Tide Table pressure systems and/or strong winds (depend ing upon direc - lion) may result in flooding and/or extremely low tides ^ Moon Phase* IOW HIGH '•»»« Quarter 3 Great Egg Harbor Inlet Nr» Mom ID pi^ n plusl0 Kir..!""".' i! OcAn City <9lh Si Bndgr' ►■I"—. = pliatt . Corson Inlet i bridgeJX >""" »"»' Sea Itle City 1 Ludlam Thoro Bridge - TIDE TABLE P'"** plus 43 Computed for Cape May City Sea Itle City Beach beachfront, for other areas, see minui2 minjs21 Correction Times Townsend Inlet DATE HIGH I.OH plus 21 plus 4 a m. p.m. a.m. p.m. Seven Mile Beach I Wed 10: 5W — 1 1 44 4 27 - 5 10 plus 15 0 I Thu II 50- 5:23 6:00 _ S,0ne H«rbor 3. Fri 12:35— 12:45 6:29- 7 01 I Great Channel Bridge i 4 Sat 1:34- 1:45 7:42 8:04 plu*43 plus40 5 Sun 2 36 2 53 8 51- 9 (H Hereford Inlet i Anglesea i tl Mon 3:41- 4 05 9:54- 10:00 plus 19 0 7 Tue 4 44 5 09 10 53- 10:57 Wildwood Beach 8 Wed 5:43— 6:09 11:51 — 11:54 Minus? _inl„ ,, 9 Thu 6:34- 7 02 -12:47 Wesl W.ldummt 10 Fri 7:25— 7:52 12:51- I 40 West II Sat 8:14- 8 41 I 46 2:28 < Grassy Channel bridge. 12 Sun 9:00- 9:29 2:36- 3:14 P'us46 plus43 13 Mon 9 48- 10 20 3 23- 3 58 Cape May Harbor . 14 Tue 10:37—11:07 4 09- 4:41 plus I minus 4 1 15 Wed M 23- 11:55 4 58 5 23 Five Fathom Bank 16 Thu -12:08 5 49- 6:08 nlos M , , 17 Fn 12'40— 12:53 6 42 - 7:00 p w D . ^ i 18 Sat I 27 I 43 7 42- 7 51 , < «P* May | 19 Sun 2 16— 2 38 8 41 — 8:42 plus4S plus34 , 20 Mon 3:12—3:38 9:35- 9:33 McCne Shoal 21 Tue 4 10- 4 39 10 27- 10 23 plus28 plus22 ' 22 Wed 5.03— 5:32 11* 16 — 11 : 10 Delaware Bay I 23 Thu 5 51- 6 20 12 06 Bayshore Channel ] 24 Fn 6:33- 7 U2 II 58- 12 53 , Bay Canal Junction. 25 Sat 7:13— 7:42 12:43— 1 35 . _ y Junction. , 26 Sun 7:52 - 8:22 1:30- 2:16 P „ plus 36 , 27 Mon 8 31- 9:03 2 11- 2 53 *M is mi Beach 28 Tue 9:13- 9:45 7:52- 3:29 P'us75 plus 61 ' 29 Wed 9:55-10 31 3:34- 4 06 Dennis Creek Entrance 30 Thu 10 41- 11:18 4:17- 4:45 plus 1)4 plusy? ; 31 Fri 1130— 5:10— 5:31 Brandywine Shoal Light < plus 77 plus 52 * -* V— ■— — — — MM— eS

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