I just bought a Pietta 1860 army revolver and I am curious just how much and what tweaking can one do to get the most from it? I've been shooting a flintlock (rifle) and I experimented with different patch material, kinds of lubes and ratios to get the best groups. Does it come down to just trying different caps, ball size, load size and wads? :idunno: I appreciate any and all intell...
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revolver accuracy
- Thread starter Gotspark
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If you intend to leave the gun stock then that's what it comes down to. If you want to max out accuracy it will need a complete action job, trigger stop, forcing cone, new nipples, possibly reaming the chambers to match the bore size.
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Good accurate information in the previous post!
Now days the reproduction guns are so much more uniform in fit and finish than from even a decade ago that most have more accuracy potential from the factory than their owners will probably be able to take advantage of.
Now days the reproduction guns are so much more uniform in fit and finish than from even a decade ago that most have more accuracy potential from the factory than their owners will probably be able to take advantage of.
drobs
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Pietta 1860 Army - 21ft group, two hand hold, 30gr of Graf's FFFg, wonder wads, Hornady .454 ball, and Remington #10 caps. Point of aim is the base of the 5 ring.
Modifications - fitted the bolt to the locking notches and polished the trigger and hammer screws.
My only experience w/ a cap and ball revolver was at the range a few yrs ago. First off a guy about 25 came over and was having trouble grouping his .45 Seneca and asked if I could help. I looked at his patches and they were polyester from old shirts. Used some of my cotton patches and his groups closed down nicely.
An hour later he came over w/ a Cap and ball revolver and was having trouble grouping it also. Took 3 shots at 25 yds and the group was 2" but the 4th shot was 6" away and the 5th was 6" away but in the opposite direction. The 6th shot was errant also.
After a few more cyls of shooting , came to the conclusion that 3 cyl holes were not lined up w/ the bbl.
When home, I used the internet and found that many shooters used only 1 cylinder when target shooting...so the misaligned holes in the cyl were a reality w/ C & B revolvers.
Don't know the brand of the revolver , only that it was made in Italy and had an all steel frame....Fred
An hour later he came over w/ a Cap and ball revolver and was having trouble grouping it also. Took 3 shots at 25 yds and the group was 2" but the 4th shot was 6" away and the 5th was 6" away but in the opposite direction. The 6th shot was errant also.
After a few more cyls of shooting , came to the conclusion that 3 cyl holes were not lined up w/ the bbl.
When home, I used the internet and found that many shooters used only 1 cylinder when target shooting...so the misaligned holes in the cyl were a reality w/ C & B revolvers.
Don't know the brand of the revolver , only that it was made in Italy and had an all steel frame....Fred
.36 Pietta steel frame '51 Navy rescue project. 12gr. T-7, Remington #10 caps, .375 Speer ball, 30', one hand hold aim point 6 O'clock midway between the edge of the plate and the orange paster.
Pietta "1858 Remington". 30 gr APP 3F, Remington #10, .451 Hornady ball, 10 yards, 2 hand hold Aim point 6 O'clock, conventional sight picture.
Pietta "1858 Remington". 30 gr APP 3F, Remington #10, .451 Hornady ball, 10 yards, 2 hand hold Aim point 6 O'clock, conventional sight picture.
Carrying on a bit about what flehto said.
The guys who shoot target competition take their unknown revolver to the range after marking one chamber on the cylinder. A dab of nail polish or something similar can be used.
They then fire several cylinders loaded with all 6 chambers full, making notes about what the marked chamber and all of the other chambers did.
More often than not they will find one chamber that causes a "flyer" out of the group.
Once they know which chamber does this, when they get home they will remove the paint that was first put onto a random chamber and then mark the "bad" chamber with a dot of paint.
This chamber becomes the "unloaded" chamber whenever they are competing in future shoots.
(Most target shooters only load 5 shots and some competitions have a rule saying only 5 shots are to be loaded.)
Like flehto said, it can happen to several chambers but usually it is just one that causes the problem.
The guys who shoot target competition take their unknown revolver to the range after marking one chamber on the cylinder. A dab of nail polish or something similar can be used.
They then fire several cylinders loaded with all 6 chambers full, making notes about what the marked chamber and all of the other chambers did.
More often than not they will find one chamber that causes a "flyer" out of the group.
Once they know which chamber does this, when they get home they will remove the paint that was first put onto a random chamber and then mark the "bad" chamber with a dot of paint.
This chamber becomes the "unloaded" chamber whenever they are competing in future shoots.
(Most target shooters only load 5 shots and some competitions have a rule saying only 5 shots are to be loaded.)
Like flehto said, it can happen to several chambers but usually it is just one that causes the problem.
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Got one Pietta that you can sit the cylinder down on a table, look into the open chamber mouths and see which are reamed the deepest.
You're really shallow! --> :slap:
You're really shallow! --> :slap:
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Try different ball sizes. Don"t go smaller than recommended, but try .454 if .451 is recommended, or .457 if .454 is recommended.
Try 2F as well as 3F powder. All of mine but one shoot WAY better with 2F. 2F want's a bit more compression than 3F
Your max ACCURATE load will be all it will hold of 2F and still allow a wad to be seated on the powder deep enough to not interfere with the ball centering itself in the chamber mouth. You can work back down from there to try for more accuracy.
Try 2F as well as 3F powder. All of mine but one shoot WAY better with 2F. 2F want's a bit more compression than 3F
Your max ACCURATE load will be all it will hold of 2F and still allow a wad to be seated on the powder deep enough to not interfere with the ball centering itself in the chamber mouth. You can work back down from there to try for more accuracy.
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