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Old 01-09-2020, 08:44 PM   #31
Agemegos
 
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by Varyon View Post
You might even have the ramrod in its own compartment to make it more obvious, but that's certainly optional. By cartridges, I assume you mean filled paper cartridges?
Actually, I was thinking of cartridges harvested from a cartridge-bush. "Sunnyhill Farms hand-picked pistol cartridges, №1 prime quality"

The biotech in FLAT BLACK does a few slightly unexpected things.
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Old 01-10-2020, 07:19 AM   #32
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by clu2415 View Post
Here’s something to consider. Scopes with bullet drop markings or trajectory computers are going to be extremely hard to use with a muzzleloader. Without a chronograph to measure your velocity, i don’t know how you would calculate your bullet drop accurately. A trajectory computer needs to know exactly what ammunition you are using: bullet weight, velocity, and aerodynamics. There’s a vast difference between TL 7-8 bullets and round shot or Minie balls. The values would have to calculated and programmed by the supplier.
Maybe a TL9 or 10 scope/targeting comp could build up a flight profile for any particular rifle and ammo combination by firing a number of test shots and monitoring them. It wouldn't even need to be perfectly aligned on the rifle as it would compensate for that as part of the calibration, and it would only need recalibration if it was removed.
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Old 01-10-2020, 08:24 AM   #33
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
Maybe a TL9 or 10 scope/targeting comp could build up a flight profile for any particular rifle and ammo combination by firing a number of test shots and monitoring them. It wouldn't even need to be perfectly aligned on the rifle as it would compensate for that as part of the calibration, and it would only need recalibration if it was removed.
This might help with the first one or two shots, but not after that until the black-powder weapon gets cleaned.

I don't know nearly as much about weapons as some of the people who frequent this forum, but I have shot a muzzle-loader, before.

Even with smokeless powder, the fouling is significant enough to noticeably impact re-loading times, after a half-dozen shots, or so.

That means the trajectories of the shots are probably affected enough, randomly enough, that most modern optics wouldn't help much.

With the crap spewed by black powder -- even black powder manufactured to modern standards -- I think it would be a lot worse.

I wouldn't think that much more than glowing sights, and muzzle weights to reduce recoil, would help.

I'd also think that the importation of good solvents to help clean the things might offer a nice growth market.

Somebody here, at some point, posted a description by Laura Ingalls Wilder, from the Little House books, of Charles Ingalls cleaning his muzzle-loading rifle. That looked pretty tedious.

So, in the case with the bullets and molds and stuff, include a spray-can of something labeled as an industrial solvent. :)
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Old 01-10-2020, 09:23 AM   #34
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by Agemegos View Post
Actually, I was thinking of cartridges harvested from a cartridge-bush. "Sunnyhill Farms hand-picked pistol cartridges, №1 prime quality"

The biotech in FLAT BLACK does a few slightly unexpected things.
A consequence of this is that the propellant quantity and quality will vary depending on growing conditions (wind, sunlight, water, available nutrients, stress due to herbivores and parasites) and genetics (although this later part can be avoided if the plants are all clonal, like modern apple varieties). This will introduce a fair amount of shot-to-shot variability in the long distance ballistics.

It is unclear from your initial post if propellant is covered under the import ban (does it count as ammunition?). If not, consider importing smokeless powder and carefully measuring out the powder charges if you want a sniper or marksman type gunner.

Luke
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Old 01-10-2020, 10:56 AM   #35
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by Varyon View Post
So, something like laser propulsion for a guided bullet? That may be a bit too advanced, but may potentially be doable. I strongly suspect any laser powerful enough to vaporize the coating at range (particularly considering the coating stood up to burning black powder) isn't going to be available for importation, however - too weapon-like.
Just steering. The bullet is fired.

As for the laser, the idea is the coating is one of those explosives that is very resistant to shock but is triggered by a particular frequency of light, so the trigger laser does not need to be strong wither.

All that said, this is not something useful for a cover illio, so we can let it die quietly without further discussion.
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Old 01-10-2020, 10:59 AM   #36
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by Agemegos View Post
Ooh. Good idea. Nice clean image. /what about one of those aluminium attaché cases with a foam liner with compartments for everything, containing a muzzle-loading pistol, a screw-on suppressor, a demountable sight, a box of bullets, a box of smokeless-propellant cartridges, a box of percussion caps, an oil-bottle and bore brush, and a bullet-mould?
For the purported mission, an aluminum case might stand out. Maybe tooled leather with weird cultural referents?
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Old 01-10-2020, 11:12 AM   #37
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by Agemegos View Post
Actually, I was thinking of cartridges harvested from a cartridge-bush. "Sunnyhill Farms hand-picked pistol cartridges, №1 prime quality"
It's probably more reliable to just have smokeless powder bushes (and primer bushes); you'll still get variance in quality, but less dramatic than if growing complete cartridges, and you don't have to deal with using biotech to build metal components.

Also, potentially exploding bushes sound like an excellent terrain feature for a fight.
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Old 01-10-2020, 12:04 PM   #38
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by lwcamp View Post
A consequence of this is that the propellant quantity and quality will vary depending on growing conditions (wind, sunlight, water, available nutrients, stress due to herbivores and parasites) and genetics (although this later part can be avoided if the plants are all clonal, like modern apple varieties). This will introduce a fair amount of shot-to-shot variability in the long distance ballistics.

It is unclear from your initial post if propellant is covered under the import ban (does it count as ammunition?). If not, consider importing smokeless powder and carefully measuring out the powder charges if you want a sniper or marksman type gunner.

Luke
I figure that serious marksmen would cut open agricultural cartridges, extract strands of propellant, cut them up, weigh out precise loads, and make up hand-loaded cartridges.

The shrubs are deep-rooted perennials, and designed by ontogenic engineers as solar-powered nanotech chemical engineering plants — with more of an eye to QA than prolific reproduction. Nevertheless yes, soil fertility and weather will affect yields of nitrocellulose, nitroguanidine, or whatever; good brands will be irrigated etc.
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Old 01-10-2020, 12:05 PM   #39
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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Originally Posted by tshiggins View Post
This might help with the first one or two shots, but not after that until the black-powder weapon gets cleaned.
Good point, but I don't think it'd be much more of a stretch for the targeting comp to update the calibration profile with each shot. You might need to inform it when you clean the barrel so that it can go back to an initial profile.
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Old 01-10-2020, 12:18 PM   #40
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Default Re: High/ultra tech sights/accessories on muzzle-loaders

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It's probably more reliable to just have smokeless powder bushes (and primer bushes); you'll still get variance in quality, but less dramatic than if growing complete cartridges, and you don't have to deal with using biotech to build metal components.
Yeah, the bushes would be best designed to yield high-purity strands of propellant in a waterproof capsule for easy for industrial harvesting (e.g. with a header). Using the capsules as pistol or musket cartridges would be a dodgy expedient for underdeveloped colonies where the extent of the markets etc. did not justify a processing factory. However, the original capsules would have to be waterproof, so it would make a lot of sense to distribute propelllent in intact capsules. You.can bet that vendors would label them as high-quality hand-selected pistol cartridges.

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Also, potentially exploding bushes sound like an excellent terrain feature for a fight.
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