flintlock accuraccy debate

[btkilla]

okay i plan on purchasing a lyman .50 cal flintlock plainsrifle, but i cant decide whether to get a 1 in 32'' twist and shoot modern projectiles or get a 1 in 60'' twist so i could shoot round balls. i would almost prefere the round balls because i am getting this gun so i can hunt in a traditional manner, but the bottom line is i dont want to be wounding game and round balls just dont sound all that accurate. i am a very good shot with my rifle though, so any thoughts from your experience would be appreciated

 

[jdkelly]

I don't have much BP knowledge...

btkilla,

I don't have much BP knowledge as I've just started shooting BP again after 10 or 12 years. I don't think that there is much difference in "accuracy" between a RB and conical. The advantage that the conical (275-350gr or so) gives you is a much heavier bullet then the RB (175gr).

That said I plan on moving from my RB percussion T/C Penn. Hunter (.50) to a RB Lyman GPR flinter (.54).


Respectfully,

jkelly

 

[Preacherman]

You might do better asking the same questions on the Blackpowder forum - they probably have more "technical" info on this sort of thing among their members.

 

[Cosmoline]

If you're going to rely on roundballs alone, you might look at the .54 caliber option. It seems to be the caliber of choice for roundballs, whereas most .50's seem to be moving towards longer bullets.

 

[BigG]

The Round Ball is as accurate as you will be able to shoot with the rudimentary iron sights on that flintlock.

The original Pennsylvania rifles were around 40 caliber, iirc, which was enough for deer. When the explorers went out after Louis and Clark opened the West they bumped it up to 50 and 54 for Grizzly bar and Buffalo.

 

[Starter52]

BigG is right. Round balls are plenty accurate. We shoot blackpowder matches up here each fall and allow round ball loads only. The T/C Renegade (flint) with a .490 patched round ball is a favorite at the matches.

You have a legitimate concern about killing power with a round ball. I shoot round ball at the target matches but I hunt with conicals.

 

[RCL]

The most accurate muzzleloader I own is my round ball gun (comparing apples to apples, in other words iron sights only). Shooting a .490 ball, tight pillow ticking patch and 90 grains of Goex 3F, she would cloverleaf three shots with the iron sights at 50 yards. (I say would, because that was "back in the day" when my eyes where younger. )

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The original Pennsylvania rifles were around 40 caliber, iirc, which was enough for deer. When the explorers went out after Louis and Clark opened the West they bumped it up to 50 and 54 for Grizzly bar and Buffalo.

Joe Kindig, in "Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age" catalogs and describes in detail 262 original "Kentucky" (in actuality, Pennsylvania) rifles.

About 3/4s of them are below .50 caliber.

The practice was to buy a small caliber rifle, and when it needed freshing out, you would have plenty of metal in the barrel for the larger caliber.

 

[btkilla]

thanks i think i will go with a .54 cal. in 1 and 60'' twist. hopefully that will poke a big enough hole in a deer or bear.:]

 

[Vern Humphrey]

thanks i think i will go with a .54 cal. in 1 and 60'' twist. hopefully that will poke a big enough hole in a deer or bear.:]

That ought to be just the medicine.

I have two Kentuckies, but I hunt with a Lyman Deerstalker Carbine in .50 caliber. The original carbines were 1 in 28" twist, and with a Lee minieball, this thing is deadly.