I have heard there could be an advantage to coning a barrel. I'm a bit nervous on trying it until I have heard from those that have. Do you experience less accuracy after coning? What tool did you buy?
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Coning Barrels
- Thread starter david w
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Johnny Too-Tall
62 Cal.
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I’ve had accuracy issues with modern firearms with poor crowning that after fixed Made the gun shoot better, if your Coning a muzzleloading for easy of loading that’s something different than crowning a muzzleloader - they should be crowned already. Coning shouldn’t effect accuracy
FWIW I've done at least a dozen ... 45s, 50s & a single 54, using tools by Joe Woods, and NONE lost any accuracy.
The only advantage is loading without a ball starter.
The only advantage is loading without a ball starter.
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There are many old posts regarding coning - likely hours of reading. Coning makes loading much easier & Joe Woods makes & sells a great tool (with detailed instructions) for the job.
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
The big advantage is once the barrel is coned, you can now ditch your short starter. I bought a coning tool from Joe Wood. Follow the directions, work slowly, and you'll have a nicely coned barrel.
HighUintas
40 Cal
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I'm sure there are others who have provided tips/tutorials but if you search through Herb's posts on here and on American Longrifle forum, you'll find hisethos of coning. It's very simple and uses easily obtained materials. I haven't done it and am just starting my first build but i do know that Herb knows what he's doing!
Getting rid of the short starter is the objective.
I have never used a coning tool, just a boring bar in the lathe. Have not seen any decrease in accuracy with hunting guns firing patched balls. It does make them a lot easier to load as well as allowing a slightly tighter ball/patch combination. I wouldn't cone the muzzle on a rifle I planned on firing bullets with, only balls.
Africa58double
50 Cal.
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That's really not a 'cone' ... that's ... to me, just a deep 'crown'. And somewhat to the topic at hand, I've seen more evidence to support that original longrifles were indeed coned, than were not. Both Wallace Gusler and Peter Alexander have displayed many an original rifle with coned muzzles.
A coned section extends a good 2X the caliber or so down inside the bore. And per the experts from the CLA over on the Contemporary Longrifles site, this now effectively moves the crown to be a good 1" to 1-1/2" down the barrel.
This is what a coned barrel looks like, from what it an admittedly UGLY photo of the 1st crown I did many, many years ago, but accuracy was not lost. Can you tell I cut patches at the muzzle there?
But a coned barrel also allows one to do extensive 'decorating' to the muzzle too, like this to follow, and that doesn't degrade accuracy either. IMHO if someone had a problem coning a barrel ... they did it wrong or had a bad tool or poor technique. I personally would only use a caliber-specific tool and not the multi-caliber one you just slap a cleaning jag onto ... due to eccentric run-out potential of the jag to tool interface.
Africa58double
50 Cal.
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Perhaps your correct- yet I don’t understand the 1st image you provided. Looks a lot like a shot out barrel with zero rifling. Regardless if mine isn’t A Coned barrel- certainly helps loading PRB
I love my Pedersoli KY after it was coned.
I never used a ball starter before hand and certainly don't for sure now.
The 3/4" he coned in the barrel didn't make any difference at all.
Here's the fun after it was coned:
I never used a ball starter before hand and certainly don't for sure now.
The 3/4" he coned in the barrel didn't make any difference at all.
Here's the fun after it was coned:
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
Precisely.
Can someone please help me with a link to purchase a coning tool?
David, I'm Joe Wood, maker of the tool, and you can find a lot of information about it by clicking on this link: MUZZLE CONING TOOL
You can also click on my "F" on the left side of this post and start a private conversation with me. I'd welcome hearing from you.
And THANKS to all of you who have bought the tool and found how much it helps loading!
You can also click on my "F" on the left side of this post and start a private conversation with me. I'd welcome hearing from you.
And THANKS to all of you who have bought the tool and found how much it helps loading!
I just ordered my coning tool from Joe Wood. He is a very nice gentleman to talk to. My next step will be to to be sure and thank him for not having to pound away with a short starter in my .62. If you leave a ring on your ball with a starter, you know you are deforming the ball. Who knows, my accuracy may even increase a bit.
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Don't be nervous, as here's a group I shot last weekend offhand @ 30-yards to win the smallest group contest. In the highest score contest all my shots were in the X-ring in the bullseye. Never missed all day, also went 15 for 15 on the woodswalk with novelty targets out to 80-yards, having used the Joe Wood tool on my 50-cal left-handed Issac Haines flint longrifle.
Yes ... coning doesn't hurt accuracy ...
I have a Hoppy Hopkins barrel that can't be replaced. It has been said, Hoppy made the strongest, and most accurate barrels, ever. I coned it, and went shooting. No degradation in accuracy! No more short starter!
Hello Joe. I’m trying to get ahold of you to order a tool. I can’t figure on how to private message you. Can you send me a message.Thanks
