Range report Walker

Ok....what a blast to shoot! I just wish I would have prepped the gun better for the trip.

This was my first time out with it and I did a pre range cleaning because it was new and had all that manure on it from the factory. I put a dab of crisco on the spindle when I put it back together, but I didn't use enough. After three full loads (18 rounds) the cylinder did not want to rotate any more. Really after the first shot it did not want to rotate with just a pull of the hammer. When clean, everything is very smooth so I am certain this is due to my failure to set up the gun correctly.

I was using 40 grains of pirodex fffg over a wonder wad. At 25 yards I was shooting about 5-6" high. I wish I had more to report, but the gun got all jammed up real fast and I didnt bring supplies along to break it down :nono: I spent the rest of my time with my Hawken.

Any advise on pre range set up is very welcome! Thanks.

About 18 shots is what you can expect before things start to get gummed up. Just drop the loading lever, pull the cylinder pin, May be easier said than done if the fouling is too bad, and wipe the pin off and put some fresh grease on it. Crisco, beeswax and grease, high temp wheel bearing grease, any can be used on the pin. If you use the wads and then put a little crisco over the ball it will keep the fouling softer. You might also drop down to 30-35 grs of powder or even 25 for target work.

Rebel

If I drop to 30 grains or lower wont I have to use some sort of filler so there is not a gap between the load and ball?

Just realized you are shooting a Walker. I thought we were talking about a '58 Remmy. Sorry, the Walker is a whole nuther beast. In that case dont drop the loading lever and pull the pin. :grin: Pull the wedge and the barrel then the cylinder and then regrease the cylinder pin. And yep, you may need to stay up around 35-40 grs of powder unless you use a filler like Cream of Wheat.

LOL when you said pull the pin I figured you were referring to the wedge.

I am guessing the parts all need to be broken in. Once I pull everything apart, it is real tough getting the wedge back in and everything tight.

Rebel,

You really had me worried there for a minute - 30 gr in a Walker???!!

My Walker groups best around 45 gr of 777, so I'd suggest at least 50 gr of real black and probably a bit more would be good.

mykeal said:

Rebel,

You really had me worried there for a minute - 30 gr in a Walker???!!

My Walker groups best around 45 gr of 777, so I'd suggest at least 50 gr of real black and probably a bit more would be good.

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Does yours shoot high at 25yrds?

I've got three of them and they all shoot high at 25 yards. They are on at 75 yards with 55 grains of GOEX FFFg.

Rikeman said:

mykeal said:

Rebel,

You really had me worried there for a minute - 30 gr in a Walker???!!

My Walker groups best around 45 gr of 777, so I'd suggest at least 50 gr of real black and probably a bit more would be good.

Click to expand...

Does yours shoot high at 25yrds?

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Yep. I use a 6 o'clock sight picture with my horse pistols. Makes dealing with trifocals much easier, too.

Point of aim is juncture of neck and shoulders

That guy is DEAD!!

James

Or at least has a mighty powerful headache! Nice shootin!

Whoah!
:shocked2: Next time I watch "Pale Rider", Maybe I shouldn't laugh so much at Clint Eastwood's shooting.

I cant wait to get back out to the range and put more rounds through mine.

Lube the cylinder pin with animal grease (like lard)mixed 50/50 with bee's wax. This will
keep black powder fouling from locking up the cylinder. Use the same grease over the bullets. A good load for the Walker is 45 grains of Goex fffg (or a similar measure of Pyrodex "P")Fill each chamber to 1/4" of full with Cream of Wheat (original) and seat a .454 ball flush with the cylinder face. Top off with grease and blast away. Set your cylinder/barrel gap at .006 with an automotive "feeler gauge" by tapping in the wedge and checking the gap. This will provide maximum powder burning efficiency/pressure and accuracy. Anoteher good load is the same powder charge and 2 (!) .454 round balls(loaded one at a time) but no cream of wheat filler. This kicks some but is surprisingly effective at 25 yards. Don't forget the grease over the balls if you want to continue shooting!

Thanks for the load advise. 2 lead balls?! It actually sound like fun. Are you sure that it is not bad for the gun?

As far as the adjustment goes that is exactly the information I need.

You can shoot two balls if the powder charge is kept low. Accuracy will be pretty open though. I had both a Uberti and a Colt and shot 60 grains of FFFg in both. Just liked the big BOOM! Accuracy was good and yes, the shots were a little high. The repos copy the originals that were set up to be sighted at 75 yards...military has their own reasons now don't they! The Uberti never dropped the ramrod at all and the Colt did at first till I filed the pin a bit to give it a better bite. In the for-whatever-it's-worth category, when some serious testing was done a few years back, the Walker wiht a full load was found equal to the .41 Magnum with the 175 grain hollow-points...not bad, huh?

I think I have to get it in to my head that these walkers are tough guns and can take serious loads and still last forever!

The original guns were used and abused and still held together, not that abusing is what I am getting at, but I need to put lots of rounds through this thing!

Original Walker's were notorious for blowing up, both cylinders and barrels, poor metal in them.

TANSTAAFL said:

Original Walker's were notorious for blowing up, both cylinders and barrels, poor metal in them.

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TANSTAAFL - Do you have a reference for that? I've been doing some reading about the early Colt horse pistols but haven't come across much about Walkers blowing up. Would appreciate a link if you have one.

Thanks.