Very very nicely done!!!!!  I like them a bunch.  I want to do a plunger starter for mine, probably turned out of exotic hardwood.

I got down here to TN and spent the last four days working on the airplane, today is a paperwork day,  have to drive 15 miles in to a library to get the amount of access I need to get my detail work ready for resuming regular work next monday.   
I hope to get some casting done and maybe a couple shots off tomorrow or the next day.  Problem is its SO dang cold. Usually its shorts and light jackets weather for us northern boys when I'm down here in Jan.  NOT thihs year.  Its not real conducive to a lot of outdoor shooting, at least for me.  I shake enough as it is in hot weather--blue crispy fingers and chattering teeth are not a real motivational factor.
  the locals are going into shock--down to high single digits overnight and hasn't been up to the sunny side of freezing since I got here on the 29th.   I brought the normal cold weather/survival kit bag I keep in the Jeep GW during the winter.  glad I did. 
But at least there no snow.  Back home the "lake effect" dumped 26 inches over the last 36 hours and more is on the conveyor belt.

Take heart! If you problem is simply "old eyes" there are a number of inexpensive options. All you need is local "Dollar Store" or something
of that type. Purchase a variety of diopters; 1.00, 1.25, 1.50,1.75, 2.00, etc. Invest 5 or 6 dollars. I shoot a variety of barrel lenghts with
irons from 24" to 40". Select the glasses that give you a sharp front
sight. If the target is not discernable time to try differant size rear sight aperatures. If you are really frugal try this. With the glasses that
give you a clear front take black electrical tape and try differant horizontal strips that are in line with you eyes iris. What you are doing
is looking through a horizontal slit. Then, if you are right handed, tape
a piece of tape vertically on the left side of the slot. Tape it lightly until
you get it in the correct position for your eye. You then have a horizontal slit with a left vertical boundry. It only takes a three side "iris" to change your focal length. The goal is to give you a sharp
front sight with enough light coming thru to give some definition to
the target. You can get these materials at the Dollar and hardware store or I can send you a kit for $49.95 plus shipping and handling.

fred

Hi Joe,
I think you have to have short slugs, maybe short Minie like bullets. Because of the fast twist the shorter the better. I have a kentucky and shoot these hollow base slugs. Works good. bema.

Hi Joe,
You know me, I'm the guy from The Netherlands. We have had a lot of mails and thoughts about guns. My experience with picket type bullets is to shoot a minie like slug. If possible use  a quit burning powder like Swiss #2 to give that slug a kick in the back to perform good. My gun is .41 cal. and shoots well with about 38 to 40 gr.#2. 
Happy shooting Bert.

Hi Fred,
The European guns didn't have the gain or progressive twist  these American made guns had. This twist was the answer(trial) of barrelmakers to get rid of the round ball and have a slug to shoot at longer distances. Your Swiss federal was intend to shoot at 200 mtr. or more. In the old days they shot most of the time OH.  Bert.

bema wrote on Jan 11^th, 2010 at 5:39am:


Hello Bert!  I didnt recognize you! Nice to see you posting. 

I picked up some linen fabric yesterday. Now I need to get busy and make the correct bullet mold for this rifle. It is most certainly rifled for a picket bullet. I'm done fooling around with the wrong bullets. I would prefer to load this rifle just as it was intended to be. Once I have it working I'll post some pictures.   
Is it cold in the Netherlands? Can you skate on the canals like in the movies? My daughter is in Baumholder. She reports cold weather there. I told her to keep practicing her jodeling. 

                                      Joe. 

Great picture Bert!  

My second wife had a broom like that. She didnt sweep snow with it 

I made a picket bullet mold last night. This time I hope to have it working. 

According to the Greenhill formula and my good friend Ted Thoreson who is a old hand with picket rifles, these bullets should all go into one ragged hole!     All onto one target will be a big improvement anyway.

    Joe.