1816 "hybrid" 1st range session

Tried out my rifled 1816 the other day for the first time. For once, there is little to do as far as sight adjustments. The windage is about perfect(at least at 25 yds) and the front sight needs some filing. My standard load for my rifled 1842 was tried first. 70 gr of 2f GOEX and a 500 gr. Rapine minie sized .686. Shot one big hole, center, 3" low. For a roundball load I tried
80gr, a lubed 14 ga. cushion wad, .672 ball and .018 patch. As with most rifled muskets a good rap with the starter was necessary, but then
the load seated easily. Same size group and slightly higher point of impact. There happened to be a spackle bucket down range at 100 yards and I couldn't resist taking a few shots at it.
I had to hold high on it but hit it every time. The best part was hearing that "thunk" when that big ball nailed it. I think it'll be my deer gun this year.

Duane

Man oh man, that sounds like a fine piece. Did you get three groove rifling put in it?

And I thought this was going to be a post about an electric firelock.

GoodCheer said:

Man oh man, that sounds like a fine piece. Did you get three groove rifling put in it?

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Yes. The barrel was made by Whitacre. He takes one of his rifled
1842 barrels, modifies it for flint with the correct breechplug, and contours it to fit an 1816 stock.

Duane

What do you figure your max charge of FFg is with round ball? 80 grains with round ball seems to do the trick for my Fremont but I really never have had a definitive answer for max load except for conscience.
The only complaint I could have about it is that it's percussion. Oh, yeah, and there's that factory trigger I've yet to rework!

GoodCheer said:

What do you figure your max charge of FFg is with round ball? 80 grains with round ball seems to do the trick for my Fremont but I really never have had a definitive answer for max load except for conscience.
The only complaint I could have about it is that it's percussion. Oh, yeah, and there's that factory trigger I've yet to rework!

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I can't honestly say what a max charge would be. I know lots of
shooters use 100gr and more in a Bess which has a bore not that much bigger than the 1816 or 1842. For me 80 to perhaps 90 grains is what I consider a comfortable load to shoot, and I know it's more than enough for whitetail, having taken them with an 80 grains in my 1816 smoothbore. I'm sure the barrel could take more but I don't need it and I don't want too much stress on the stock, which is original up to the rear barrel band. I have read posts on this forum from a guy that shoots 75gr of Swiss behind a 700 gr minie in his Fremont. He said the recoil was killing him.
It probably did because I haven't seen a post from him in quite a while.

Duane

The recoil of 730 grain minies! :rotf: Ever wonder if the look in the eyes of the soldiers persuaded the officers to push for the adopting of smaller bores?

GoodCheer said:

The recoil of 730 grain minies! :rotf: Ever wonder if the look in the eyes of the soldiers persuaded the officers to push for the adopting of smaller bores?

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Heavier recoil was the paramount reason for the decision to use the .58 cal., along with the added weight of carrying the ammo.
Accuracy tests actually showed that the .69 to be superior.

Duane

Yeah, I have read about it. The .69 minie accuracy results were impressive. I am still working with the Fremont to see what works "best" and have some tricks I'd like to try. Because of the .696" bore diameter I am tempted to have the Lyman mold (.685") altered to fit this bore to see how it would work.

Something that I have tried and I have almost got right is a .58 minie mold altered to produce a hemi-nosed smooth sided trash can minie for paper patching to match the bore. It will work almost most of the time but will still produce tumblers no matter the length setting on the mold. Good ol' Greenhill says it's fine but apparently it's not yet good enough. Work and time will tell.

How does one get in touch with Whitacre? I have an 1816 that really needs a rifled barrel.

Cheers, Bill

Waterman said:

How does one get in touch with Whitacre? I have an 1816 that really needs a rifled barrel.

Cheers, Bill

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Bill:
www.whitacresmachineshop.com.

Duane

GoodCheer said:

Yeah, I have read about it. The .69 minie accuracy results were impressive. I am still working with the Fremont to see what works "best" and have some tricks I'd like to try. Because of the .696" bore diameter I am tempted to have the Lyman mold (.685") altered to fit this bore to see how it would work.

Something that I have tried and I have almost got right is a .58 minie mold altered to produce a hemi-nosed smooth sided trash can minie for paper patching to match the bore. It will work almost most of the time but will still produce tumblers no matter the length setting on the mold. Good ol' Greenhill says it's fine but apparently it's not yet good enough. Work and time will tell.

Click to expand...

Just about everyone I talk to who has a Fremont says the same thing about oversize bores, which I guess is why so many of them try patched roundball in them. I don't know what the cost would be to enlarge your mould, but another option would be to have Bob Hoyt reline it to .687, or buy a new barrel from Whitacre(also .687 but more costly). Any route you take will bring you back to shooting that monster minie. If you do go with a new barrel or reline, you might want to look for a Rapine 500gr/.685 mould that is alot less punishing.

Duane

Actually I had once upon a time given some consideration to having Mr. Hoyt reline it to round ball rifling rather than the three groove pattern. And, I like the Fremont so much that I would have if I didn't already have plenty in the way of round ball rifles. Have since figured out the proper way to feed it round ball but still play with the minies. With round ball it is a close cousin to a 45-70...serious gun.