accurate rifle?

[Dr.Doug]

I'm looking for an accurate side hammer or underhammer muzzleloader to shoot patched round balls.

I have a Great Plains with the slow twist barrel, but 3" at 50 yds is all the better it'll do for me or my buckskin-clad buddies.

Alternatively, is there a drop-in aftermarket barrel that's worth looking at?

Thanks for your ideas.

Doug

 

[frosty]

Accurate Rifle

Dr Doug: Have you experimented with all the different patch and ball combinations? I have yet to this day to see a barrel I could'nt get to shoot...When I was a kid, my first gun was a cheapy Kentucky rifle kit I found at a yard sale. The bore and rifling were very rough , so bad that the patches got chewed up while going down bore. You could cover 4 shots up at 100 yds. with a silver dollar! In my experiences as a gunmaker, most all my smooth-bore guns I built would shoot as good as a quality rifled barrel out to 40-50 yds. or so. Before buying a new barrel or gun, maybe try some different loads again, to be for sure. Sometimes it takes a great deal of lead & powder to get'em to shoot, and its happened to me that way more times than few. I must admit, there have been a few instances when the bore was of center to the outside flats . A 40 cal. Douglas barrel I bought in the old days was off center to the outside by .042! this does'nt seem like much, but it accumilates in 42". Good luck, I hope this helps.

 

[turkey45]

..i have one>>

..i got a real round-ball shooter,4 sell T/c hawken,32 inch factory
round-ball barrel,1-66 twist garantee to drive a tack,minty
$230.00 to your house..for the whole gun..

 

[arcticap]

Why Not?

Personally, I wouldn't complain about shooting into 3 inches @ 50 yards, but then I like to shoot more than I like to religiously clean between shots.
Every gun has it's limitations, particularly considering the style of the sights and the design of the stock to fit the individual. Lots of people like the Green Mountain barrels for their match grade accuracy and overall value, but then specific caliber and twist rate may have something to do with the results too. I don't know what you would have to do to fit one on to your GPR, but they are very popular and reputable, no matter what rifle you may decide to buy, build or install one on.

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/

 

[huli]

Turkey45 s round barrelled Hawken

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/huli35rem/dad089.jpg

 

[Poppy270]

Hey Dr,I have a great plains rifle with the slow twist also,got it a month or so ago.I,m also dissapointed in the accuracy with a patched ball.Three inches at 50 yards is not acceptable,and I,m not getting that!!I like to hit what I shoot at.My old CVA Hawken .50 with 1:48 will do a lot better at 100 yards with balls or bullets.

 

[arcticap]

Higher Velocities Needed?

I've heard that the 1 in 66" twist barrels often prefer higher velocities and larger powder charges to obtain better accuracy. I'm used to shooting with smaller powder charges and lower velocities in my 1 in 48" twists. I have a Traditions Hawkin with a 1 in 66" twist that I've started shooting lately and I feel that it may end up being a little more finicky about swabbing between shots and/or requiring more powder.

 

[sundowner]

GPR

I just got a GPR with both barrels . On the slow twist barrel if you are looking for tight groups then you have to find a tight fit with the patch and ball . Bench shooter's will use a mallet to start the ball . For 50cal. try .490 or .495 with .015 or .018 patches and start with a powder charge of 60 gr. In general the tighter the fit the smaller the group . By the way it may take 200 or 300 rounds the break in the barrel .
Charlie

 

[Dr.Doug]

I've experimented with heavier and lighter charges, with 3f, 2f, pyrodex RS, and 777. I've used .490 and .495 balls, with patches ranging from REALLY tight (.018 pillow ticking + .495s) to Granny's old cotton nighty (<.010). I've used Lehigh lube (best so far), bore butter, Hornady's version of bore butter, SPG, and half a dozen home brews.

Virtually all the patches I recover are badly damaged. The patches are not damaged during the loading process, only after firing. I'm sure the patch damage is the red flag for this problem, leading me to suspect a poorly finished barrel. I hoped it would "break in", but after 600+ rounds, I still have the same issues. I'm leaning toward lapping the barrel, but haven't found the time.

Frosty- what's the best way to measure a barrel to determine if it's centered? If it isn't, what change would it make in accuracy?

Arcticap- I'd heard they liked heavy charges, too, but not in my experience so far.

BTW- several of my firends have GPRs of older vintage (12+ years) that shoot wonderfully- even when I'm behind the trigger. Mine is an '04. This makes me wonder even more about the quality of the barrel finish.

Thanks for your ideas.

 

[Manyirons]

Dependin upon WHERE that patch damage is, ya might try tha old solution for it. Wasp nest paper. Failin that, a nice hard card wad between tha patch&powder.

Now ifin yer cuttin through tha patch on tha LANDS, different story! So wheres this damage at on yer patches?

 

[arcticap]

mec is right about trying to seal off any gases that may be blowing by first. If what he suggested or Wonder Wad bore buttons don't work, then maybe you will need to work on the sharp edges and interior finish.
Can you notice any unusual tool marks or interior finish problems at the muzzle using the strongest magnification available?

 

[Dr.Doug]

I may have a fast (if not cheap) solution to my Great Plains problem. Track of the Wolf has drop-in Green Mountian barrels in stock now for $199. I received mine today. I'll let you know how it shoots.

I'll work with the old one when I have time- it still may be a shooter.

Doug

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Exactly what Sundowner said, the slower twist is more accurate for round ball and the faster twist for both R.B. and Maxi ball. Like the T/C Hawken ids 1:48, My Tennesee Mountain Poorboy is 1:56 twist. All that's needed is the best combination fo patch to ball size plus powder charge to dial it in.
Hell, believe it or not I hit a Qual out of a covey at the 100yard berm while sighting in that .50 Poorboy...it was good too...HeHe!

 

[Poppy270]

My GPR 54 cal,is now shooting much better.After reading the post by Articap,about the sights and stock configuration,I inspected the rear sight more closely.I found that it was quite unstable when adjusted to high.I tightened it down and filed down the front sight to raise poi.My first three shots will usually be touching,making one large hole,after that they start opening up a bit,but I can still keep seven or eight in a four inch circle.I haven't got to try it at 100 yards yet,but I'm hoping for the best.

 

[Dr.Doug]

My new Green Mountian barrel shoots very well. Loading and cleaning are much easier, too. After sighting in and firing about 40 rounds, I took it to a small Rendezvous last weekend- 2 firsts and 2 thirds out of 6 targets. I haven't even had time to play with charges, patches, lubes, or ball diameters yet! I'm impressed; money well spent.

Doug

 

[oneshooter]

My .50 bore flint longrifle has a 1-72 Sharon barrel. It likes a .495rb w/.020 patch, bore butter, 100gr (volume) of Goex 2fg Black. Will shoot 2 1/2" at 100yds off the bench. Velocity is a measured 2100fps. The barrel is 44" long. I clean with one wet and one dry patch between shots, even when hunting.

To "read" patches a rule of thumb is that if the patch is burned on the outside the ball/patch combo is too loose. If burned on the bottom the powder used is too fast, if torn on the outside the barrel needs smoothing(lapping). Be sure there is a rounded radius on the crown, this allowes the patch to "gather" and not cut as on a sharp edged crown.

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas