2010 hunting season

Got a phone message from Tom the other day about whether I'd gotten a deer yet or not. Tuesday night before Thanksgiving I got this little guy in the field behind the house. Not the biggest deer I've ever shot, but was pleased to see the points on the antlers when I came up on him. We are in a rifle zone now, which makes the hunting a bit easier. Muzzloading season starts Monday, and I'm planning on putting in as much time as I can during the nine-day NY mz season.

2011 Skirmish Schedule--New England Region

2011 Skirmish Dates

5/7&8 Hopkinton
5/18-22 Nationals
6/4&5 Glastonbury
6/18&19 Saratoga
7/9&10 Glastonbury
7/23&24 Saratoga
8/13&14 Chaplin, CT
8/27 Hopkinton one day recruitment
9/17&18 Hopkinton
10/5-9 Nationals
10/22&23 Saratoga

Looking forward to it!!

2011 Schedule

If anyone has even a rough draft of the upcoming 2011 schedule, I'd appreciate a copy. I have to pick vacations for next year soon.
Jon

2011 Dues

Does anyone know what the team dues will be for 2011, so I'll know what to bring to the team meeting next weekend? Thanks, Jon jonathan.faucher@verizon.net

Remembering Leo

Dottie Massei sent the following video to Denise to have us put on the blog. In honor of Leo.

4th Virg Inf the 2010 Regional Musket Champs!!

click on image to enlarge

Thanks to everyone for putting on a great shoot this weekend at Hopkinton. We received the news last night that the 4th Virginia took first place in the region for the musket team and second place for carbine team! Here are the season results--click on the chart above to enlarge.

Congratulations to all team members for making this season a success!

Hopkinton Skirmish Results, Sept. 18-19, 2010

From R. Pagano:

To: New England Region,

The last official shoot of the season went off without a problem at Hopkinton this weekend. The 4th Va were great hosts providing National targets, good weather and fine food.

They are also to be congratulated as the 2010 Regional Musket Team champs, while the 15th CVI won the Carbine team title (details attached):

Regional MUSKET TEAM:
4th VA Inf 7,127.6
14th VA Cav 7,141.3
15th CVI 7,141.6
14th CVI 8,858.0
Regional CARBINE TEAM:
15th CVI 4,846.8
4th VA Inf 5,621.0
14th VA Cav 5,843.0
10th Mass 7,268.8

HOPKINTON SKIRMISH RESULTS:

MUSKET TEAM:
15th CVI 761.3
14th CVI 786.3
10th Mass 911.6
14th VA 1,080.6
34th VA 1,149.1
42nd NY 1,338.3
5th CVI 1,403.6

CARBINE TEAM:
15th CVI 546.2
10th Mass A 595.1
42nd NY 644.5
14th VA 875.9
10th Mass B 878.9
34th VA 1,063.0
10th Mass C 1,293.5
5th CVI 1,315.8

SmoothBore Team:
10th Mass A 315.7
15th CVI A 353.3
10th Mass B 362.7
15th CVI B 489.5
Cherokees 648.8
14th VA 759.0
14th CVI 868.8

50 yd Musket "A"
Trovato, T 45
La Patra, A 45
Pagano, R 45

50 yd Musket "B"
Breidenthal, R 46-1x
Orzolek, P 45
Jewett, J 44-1x

100 yd Musket "A"
Jewett, M 45
Thompson, D 43
La Patra, A 44

100 Yd Musket "B"
Tackus, S 43
Occhi, T 40
Rohde, G 39

Musket AGG "A"
La Patra 86
Thompson, D 82

Musket AGG "B"
Tackus, S 85
Rohde, G 82-1x
Breidenthal, R 80-1x

50yd Carbine "A"
Rohde, G 45-1x
La Patra, A 44
Hines, T 44

50yd Carbine "B'
Pagano, R 47-1x
Smith, S 44-1x
Tackus, S 43

100yd Carbine "A"
Hines, T 48-2x
La Patra,A 44-1x
Kaprowski, M 44

100yd Carbine "B"
Orzolek, P 42
Womack, A 40
Occhi, T 29

CARBINE AGG "A"
Rohde, G 89-1x
La Patra, A 88-1x
Thompson,D 85

CARBINE AGG "B"
Occhi, T 60
Womack, T 51
Tackus, S 43

50 yd Breechloader
Rohde, G 46
Trovato, T 43-1x
Henshall,C 43

100 BL
Knopf, E 45
Rohde, G 44-1x
Orzolek, P 43

BL AGG
Rohde, G 90-1x
Knopf, E 86
Occhi, T 81

25yd Smoothbore
Occhi,T 48-2x
Hines, T 47-1x
Koprowski, M 47-1x

50yd SB
Jewett, M 45
Koprowski,M 44-1x
Occhi, T 42-1x

S'Bore AGG
Koprowski, M 91-2x
Occhi, T 90-3x
La Patra,A 76

25yd Revolver
La Patra, A 47-1x
Henshaw, J 46
Breidenthal, R 41

GRAND AGG
La Patra, A 221-2x
Breidenthal, R 202-1x
Womack, A 40

Leo Massei

As you all knew, Dad has been fighting Pancreatic Cancer for the last 20 months. Last night, approx. Midnight, that fight ended. Dad has crossed over the river, and is now resting in the shade of the trees.

All, or some of you know that this passing, triggers a solemn mission at this Fall's National. I hope to join you for this and will be in touch.

I enjoyed skirmishing with the 4th, and I really enjoyed skirmishing with Dad, once I talked him back in! But Dad, was a lifer when it came to skirmishing. I believe it has been his favorite thing to do for decades. Initially, a founding member of the Richmond Volunteer Militia in the 50s, to the 4th Virginia Infantry, Co. F. Grayson Dare Devils from the 90s until the end. He loved the team, he loved the history, he loved the sport.

with deepest regards,
Joe Massei

Joshua and Claire Wright

You might be a Red Neck if you are married in a barn and your cousins Cletis and Cornbread lead 250 people in the Virginia Reel dance. Yee Haw!! Joshua and Claire were marreid on Sat. Sept. 4, 2010.

Results from Middletown

Musket
14 Va Cav 1020.6
15 CVI 1086.8
4 Va Inf 1089.4
73 NYVI 1207.0
69 NYVI 1450.4
2 NJVI 1467.4
Tammany Regmt 1696.5
1 CVI 2006.0
Carbine
15 CVI 582.3
73 NYVI 618.6
2 NJVI 623.0
4 Va Inf 782.2
14 Va Cav 927.4
13 NJVI 929.6
Tammany Regmt 965.0
BL
14 VA Cav A 111.3
Tammany REgmt 191.0
4 VA Inf 232.8
14 Va Cav B 469.4
SB
4 Va Inf 315.5
15 CVI 406.5
XX 434.3
14 Va Cav 555.1
Musket
50
T Trovato 48-1
S Smith 47-2
D Smith 47-1
100
H Anagnostis 40-1
D Stedman 39
D Smith 38
Agg
D Stedman 86
Carbine
50
D Stedman 47-1
H Anagnostis 47
M Romano 46
G Rohde 45
D Smith 43-1
T Hines 42
Agg
D Smith 89-1
REv
H Anagnostis 49-3
D Stedman 46-1
W Clark 42-1
BL
50
G Rohde 47-1
W Clark 45
D Smith 44-1
100
G Rohde 42
W Clark 41
D Smith 38
Agg
G Rohde 89-1
SB
25
T Hines 48-2
W Clark 45-1
T Witham 44-1
50
A Torday 46-1
W Clark 45
G Rohde 44
Agg
W Clark 90-1
Grand Agg
H Anagnostis 222-4

You might be a red neck if you take your wedding pictures in the back of your pickup truck

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No Picket Line from Last Shoot...

Sorry guys--haven't been able to get the newsletter written from the last shoot yet...we started Michael's football practice 4 nights a week, went away to Lake George--and now I have the flu! Hope to see you in Glastonbury--at the moment it's "up in the air". Hope you all have a wonderful time at the wedding--Congratulations Katie and Chad!!!

Frustrating day at the range, advice welcome

Had a near perfect day at the range yesterday, not too hot, no wind, good light. Shot 40 rounds left over from two batches made before Glastonbury and Middletown. Of those 40 rounds, 7 keyholed. Bottom pic is a benchrest 50 yard 6 shot group. Very first shot with a clean bore keyholed into the frame off the paper. Middle pic is my best offhand 6 shot group at 50yards (1 shot keyholed off the paper). Top photo shows two keyholes that found paper (I particularly like the left keyhole showing a perfect profile of the Hodgdon bullet including grease grooves).

I'm pretty sure the bullet is sized correctly ( I even bought the next size up sizer, .577, to try it, doesn't fit). I'm also pretty sure the lead is pure or near pure. I don't have the ability to measure hardness, but I can easily dent the bullets with a fingernail. I weigh each bullet to eliminate voids in the casts, and use a sizing die on each round.

I have two theories, any input appreciated. First, I'm deforming the nose of the bullet during sizing or loading. There were a few early rounds that took a little extra effort to load. It actually got easier to load after those 4-5 shots that came early in the shooting cycle. Keyholes appeared randomly throughout, though, even with rounds that required only the normal effort. The lyman sizing die does leave an indentation on the nose in the sizing precess. Perhaps its making some of the noses slightly off center? Or I am during the loading process?

The second theory is problems with the barrel, either leading or the crown. I bought the barrel used last Fall, and have no idea of its history. James River Armory told me it was only slightly uses, and had been sitting around the shop, dirty with some light surface rust. The crown is a little rough, looks like it was rough filed, but does not have any dents or dings. Any ideas on where I could have it examined? I'm thinking of taking it to Bobby Hoyt after the Fall Nationals, but don't want to waste his time if its unlikely the barrel is the issue.

I'm going to try to carefully make another 100 rounds before the next Middletown skirmish, and see if I can't eliminate the keyholing in the manufacturing process. My process is as follows: Cast bullets, and cull any casting flaws, particularly problems with skirts. Cull again by weight to eliminate voids. Load powder charges into clean cap plugs, and seat bullet nose down into capplug, leaving the grease grooves showing. The bullets are then dipped into Walts formula bullet lube, covering the base. I have the finished rounds stored in an airtight case. Any recommendations or things to look for appreciated.

My goal by the end of the season is to have the musket and ammo squared away, and be able to work on my form next season.