B weight 50 cal. loads

[freeloader]

I have asked this question on the gunbuilders bench, but it got bogged down due to(I think it was added on to another question) and too far down the list, but I would like to know from all of you guys that have B weight 50 cal. barrels, What your loads are for target and hunting.
Thanks Freeloader

 

[jbwilliams3]

Mine is a 42”, .50 cal Colerain B-weight. My particular barrel is particularly forgiving with charge variations, but my powder measure holds 50 grs. That is dead center at 50 yards. I prefer lighter charges.

 

[Dave K]

I have a "B" weight 42" Colerian in 50cal. You are going to get a ton of people telling you what to use. My hunting load is around 70-80gr. of 2F powder. It does vary somewhat with the brand of powder I am using as I have Swiss, Schuetzen and Goex here. My plinking/target load is around 10gr. less than that. Though I do up the charge a little for hunting, the most important thing for me is accuracy. I will take a slow, pin pointed shot to the boiler room, over a hot fast shot to the hams any day.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I have asked this question on the gunbuilders bench, but it got bogged down due to(I think it was added on to another question) and too far down the list, but I would like to know from all of you guys that have B weight 50 cal. barrels, What your loads are for target and hunting.
Thanks Freeloader

Loads shouldn't be any different than any other weight barrel. What's the breech on a B weight barrel? an inch? That should take quite a load if you are so inclined.

 

[J.D.]

What Mike said. Just work up an accurate load.

 

[mr.flintlock]

I've just got to show my ignorance once in a while. What exactly is a B weight barrel? I have never seen any reference to such a barrel in any catalog.

 

[wayne1967]

It is a differance in thickness and width on swamped barrels. I've got a colrain B .50 also. What size patch and ball are you using? I just got some .18 ticking because it seemed that the .15 I tried was not thick enough for a .490 ball.

 

[freeloader]

HI Mike,
If this is the Mike Brooks that is a well known builder, I would like to here more. The waist I believe is is .750 and with the barrel having 4 lugs pre inlet and a sight with a .625 base, well you can do the math and that leaves a net total of no error in the inletting of your dove tails. Even at best you have 1/16th" of meat there. And to me that makes for a barrel that would not be too forgiving in working up a load with (My preference of 3F powder) Not trying to be argumentative but out of all of the rifles I have owned all but two were 50's also a 45 cal. and a 54 cal. and the only one that had any preference for 2F was the 54 cal. So I would surely love to here more on the ups and downs of a B weight 50 cal.
Thanks too all,
Freeloader

 

[Mike Brooks]

HI Mike,
If this is the Mike Brooks that is a well known builder, I would like to here more. The waist I believe is is .750 and with the barrel having 4 lugs pre inlet and a sight with a .625 base, well you can do the math and that leaves a net total of no error in the inletting of your dove tails. Even at best you have 1/16th" of meat there. And to me that makes for a barrel that would not be too forgiving in working up a load with (My preference of 3F powder) Not trying to be argumentative but out of all of the rifles I have owned all but two were 50's also a 45 cal. and a 54 cal. and the only one that had any preference for 2F was the 54 cal. So I would surely love to here more on the ups and downs of a B weight 50 cal.
Thanks too all,
Freeloader

Makes no difference how thin the barrel is anywhere but the breech. As long at you have a thick breech the swamped waist near the muzzle can have a barrel wall thickness of 1/16". And be perfectly safe. All the pressure with a M/L is at the breech and rapidly dissipates as the ball travels down the bore.
My Carolina gun barrels are 1" at the breech in .62 caliber. With in about 9" or so they taper to the point where the round section is around 1/16" for the balance of the barrel. They are perfectly safe. Your "B" weight barrel is far more meaty than my Carolina barrels and my Carolina barrels are safe to shoot fairly stout loads.

 

[Samuel]

I use 75gr 3f in my (B weight)50cal. 44" Green mountain barrel , the 3 lugs are soldered on

 

[bioprof]

Here's some load information that is found on the Rice Barrel Co. website:

The sample loads listed below are for suggested starting points.




STARTING...........................................MAX


.32 cal.--15 gr----------------------40 gr 3F powder
.36 cal.--20 gr----------------------45 gr 3F powder
.40 cal.--30 gr----------------------50 gr 3F powder
.45 cal.--40 gr----------------------70 gr 3F powder
.50 cal.--50 gr----------------------80 gr 2F powder
.54 cal.--60 gr----------------------90 gr 2F powder
.58 cal.--70 gr---------------------100 gr 2F powder
.62 cal.--70 gr---------------------100 gr 2F powder

Recommended ball size is .010 under bore size.

EXAMPLE:

.50 cal. (.500 - .010 + .490)

Ball size is .490

Patch Thickness(Recommended starting thickness)

Square Rifling.......... .010 - .012

Radius Rifling.......... .016 - .018

 

[bioprof]

The wall thickness of the barrel isn't a factor in determining the load. It depends on the caliber of the barrel and whatever load gives you the best accuracy. Most modern barrels are made to withstand a pretty stout proof load.

 

[Old Salt]

HI Mike,
If this is the Mike Brooks that is a well known builder, I would like to here more. The waist I believe is is .750 and with the barrel having 4 lugs pre inlet and a sight with a .625 base, well you can do the math and that leaves a net total of no error in the inletting of your dove tails. Even at best you have 1/16th" of meat there. And to me that makes for a barrel that would not be too forgiving in working up a load with (My preference of 3F powder) Not trying to be argumentative but out of all of the rifles I have owned all but two were 50's also a 45 cal. and a 54 cal. and the only one that had any preference for 2F was the 54 cal. So I would surely love to here more on the ups and downs of a B weight 50 cal.
Thanks too all,
Freeloader

Did you mean to say the sight base is .0625" thick?

I can see a sight base being .625" wide but not
thick.

Keep in mind that the closest tolerance between the flat dovetail and the round bore will only be at one point on the diameter of the bore. On either side of the arc moving away from that point the barrel wall thickness increases rapidly.

Salt

 

[freeloader]

HI again Mike,
What you said about most of the pressure being spent around the first 12" is true enough, but I will expose myself here with a little embarrassment to my self. I am definitely a rookie when it comes to rifle building and the point I am most concerned about is the sight that was partly dovetailed in and I had to make the rest of the dovetail out. Before I got into building I had done no building of anything with my hands (all thumbs) I was a salesman. Anyway when I first shot a muzzleloader the bug got me, YAKNOWWHADIMEAN? and I started building everything 18th and 19th century.Back to the front sight dovetail, I was trying to get the sight its self to lay flat against the surface of the top flat and I got a little off and cut one corner too deep. I do not have any special tools, so as far as I can tell at the very corner it is about 3/32's deep. I called Jason at Rice barrels,(Nice guy) he told me to ship the barrel back to him and he would check it out for me and let me know if it was in his opinion,and I would think he would know, if it is dangerous to proceed with that barrel. Well now that I have :redface: exposed my greenhornishness I feel a lot better NOT!Thanks for all of the forum pals opinions, and if ya got any more I'll take em. Just please don't tell me to toss it in the garbage, my wife has.LOL
Thanks Freeloader

 

[Old Salt]

Referring to the front sight dovetail then depending on the barrel style and how far back from the muzzle you cut the dovetail the barrel dimension is probably > .800".

Give or take 1/32" at that point won't make much difference.

Salt

 

[Mike Brooks]

HI again Mike,
What you said about most of the pressure being spent around the first 12" is true enough, but I will expose myself here with a little embarrassment to my self. I am definitely a rookie when it comes to rifle building and the point I am most concerned about is the sight that was partly dovetailed in and I had to make the rest of the dovetail out. Before I got into building I had done no building of anything with my hands (all thumbs) I was a salesman. Anyway when I first shot a muzzleloader the bug got me, YAKNOWWHADIMEAN? and I started building everything 18th and 19th century.Back to the front sight dovetail, I was trying to get the sight its self to lay flat against the surface of the top flat and I got a little off and cut one corner too deep. I do not have any special tools, so as far as I can tell at the very corner it is about 3/32's deep. I called Jason at Rice barrels,(Nice guy) he told me to ship the barrel back to him and he would check it out for me and let me know if it was in his opinion,and I would think he would know, if it is dangerous to proceed with that barrel. Well now that I have :redface: exposed my greenhornishness I feel a lot better NOT!Thanks for all of the forum pals opinions, and if ya got any more I'll take em. Just please don't tell me to toss it in the garbage, my wife has.LOL
Thanks Freeloader

As long as you didn't break into the bore you'll be fine.

 

[bioprof]

Freeloader,

Most sight bases are way thicker than you need. You can file them down so they are thinner. It doesn't take but more than a few thousanths to hold a sight in place.

Also, you want to avoid putting the dovetail in the thinnest part of the barrel. If I remember correctly, even L.C. Rice doesn't recommend installing the barrel lugs in the thinnest part.

You do have to be careful though. I seem to recall a rifle that Zonie built that had a somewhat short barrel. :redface:

 

[54ball]

I have a Gillespie N.C. Mountain rifle with a 38"B barrel in .45. I have taken two deer with it, one at 92 yards the other at 70 with 70 grns of 2ffg with a .440 ball.

It is the most accurate firearm I have ever owned period. I may never make a 90 plus yard shot with that rifle again because I think that's pushing it for a .45. The deer went down quickly as it was a heart shot but I think from now on I'll restrict that rifle to 80 yards and in.

Now with a fifty which is a whole lot bigger animal than a .45, I would have no problem taking a 100 yard shot. I would even use close to what I use in the .45, 70-75 grains. I use 80 in my .54. I work up a load and stick with it. I plink and hunt with the same load. Each plinking shot is practice for a hunting shot.

Hopefully you'll get a good report on your barrel. Good luck.

P.S.
I have a Getz 42" lightweight 7/8 straight barrel in 54 caliber. Its pretty thin and is designed for flintlock only. I'm thinking of a .54 John Armstrong!

 

[freeloader]

Hi 54 Ball,
Ya I wish now that I would have gotten that barrel in 45 Cal., it would have given me a little more room to spare, the kit came with the lug and front sight mortises already cut, but on the front sight I got a bit too aggressive and cut one corner way too deep. Any ways if the people at Rice say it is unsafe, I may buy a 45 cal barrel, but I do not think they would be able to fit my original 50 cal.plug and tang to a 45 cal. barrel. A new plug and tang would not work for me because I already have the original one inlet. Maybe a more skilled rifle builder would be able to re-inlet another, but being a novice I just do not feel the job would turn out to well for me in recutting it. Thanks for your reply.
Freeloader

 

[Mike Brooks]

You worry over much. Your barrel is fine, quit worrying. :v