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To Cone, or Not to Cone, That is the Question

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Joined
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Gang I've got some people telling me the old timers coned their rifles and never used a ball starter. They say starters are a modern invention.

I've got others saying coning was either just for decoration or is just from muzzle wear over the years, and that it was never used to make seating a ball easier, the old timers just used looser ball and patch than we do now.

Some say coning wrecks the accuracy, sends the ball astray. Others say it doesn't affect the ball and it flies as true as before the job.

Well guys, now just what do you make of that? And what am I supposed to make of it too?

Pards I'm all mixed up and confused on coning, it's origins, whether I should do it to my gun and ditch my starter?
 
Don't cone and ditch the starter (not necessary). An unconed barrel can still be loaded with a tight ball/patch combination which is started and seated with the rammer...
 
I can see None of the links.
For some reason,, when you do a "search" and share the link,, it doesn't work for anyone but you
 
I'm not sure about the history of coning and I don't much care.
I coned my son's 50cal rifle and a 50cal pistol only because a friend had a coning tool for 50cal, accuracy did not change,, It's still a fine shooter.
In hind sight, I'm not sure we really gained anything from it either.
We still have to load the ball and push it down,, being able to push it in with your thumb, the flat side of a knife, a starter or just your rod doesn't really matter,, get what I mean? Coning didn't change that much to our loading regime.
There was no significant gain to coning the rifle nor was there any detriment.
I don't think I'm going to run out and buy a universal coning tool and do my other rifles,
:idunno:
 
Smokey Plainsman said:
I would love to hear of anyone's personal experience with the process, and if they think it worthwhile. Thank you.

I have one that is coned...I'm sure there are some great guns out there with coned barrels...But, I don't want another...I would much rather carry a starter... than have a coned barrel....
 
I have coned several, using Joe Wood's (caliber specific) coning tool. Not hard to do but I can see where accuracy could suffer if one does not follow his instructions about turning both the barrel and the tool in order for the coned area to remain concentric with the bore. I did not see any change in accuracy but then I was not shooting off a bench either. To me the most useful coning was on a Jim Chambers pistol with a 12" barrel. Coning made it easier to load while standing with the pistol in my left & no bench to help support the butt. With a rifle, you can at least support the butt on your shoe or ground & use some left hand fingers to help load, so I think it less of an advantage that with the pistol. Personal belief is that short starters are mostly a 19th century target shooting thing (try looking up "buggy rifles") others like to believe that short starters were earlier & more common in spite of the lack of much evidence. You can start a pretty tight combo with the blade or butt of your knife & not need to carry a starter. Each to their own way - the balls all (hopefully) go downrange.
 
Thanks, gang.

To those mentioning they load with no coning nor a starter, can you explain?

Do you just use the ramrod and choke up and push hard on it? I'll admit I've never tried it with my trusty 28 bore plains rifle. It is currently bouncing around the back of a moving truck across the country and I should have it later this month. Moving on GI orders.

I'm starting to get black powder withdrawals, the struggle is real. Lots of open desert to shoot in out here.
 
Smokey Plainsman said:
To those mentioning they load with no coning nor a starter, can you explain?

Do you just use the ramrod and choke up and push hard on it?
Yes - You don't even need to push that hard...

If my hands are frozen, I just give the ball a whack with the handle of my knife then run it down the barrel with the rammer.
 
not everyone uses the same patch and ball thickness and this will impact how tight your combination is.

I tend to be in the middle. I dont have to use a hammer to load my rifles, but I can get by in a pinch without a short starter, but it works better with one.

I dont have any rifle that are coned, and I dont I have a need to have one coned that i can think of.

Fleener
 
I use the method that Zonie described. It uses thumb pressure and polishing paper. I do it until the slight cuts on the edge of patching dissappear. I'm a firm believer that anything you can do to help your patch do it's job is worth the bother. Thank you "Zonie".
 
csitas said:
It uses thumb pressure and polishing paper. I do it until the slight cuts on the edge of patching dissappear.
What you describe isn't "coning" (in the usual sense) - you are merely polishing the crown.
 
colorado clyde said:
I have one that is coned...I'm sure there are some great guns out there with coned barrels...But, I don't want another...I would much rather carry a starter... than have a coned barrel....

Can you please explain why you reached this decision? I am considering it for a rifle of mine.
 
No Deer said:
colorado clyde said:
I have one that is coned...I'm sure there are some great guns out there with coned barrels...But, I don't want another...I would much rather carry a starter... than have a coned barrel....

Can you please explain why you reached this decision? I am considering it for a rifle of mine.
If it isn't broken, don't fix it...
 
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