Loads for an English Park Rifle

[Heelerau]

Gentlemen, wondering if any of you ever use the above type of rifle. I have a .72 with forsyth style rifling. Just the rifle no case and gear to go with it. It has a ver slow twist. I have been using 90 grains of Fg but the ball I am using at this stage is two small and I have been patching it with leather from old riggers gloves. It will hold on paper at 50 yards and group to some degree. I have been told smaller charges work better, but that seems counter intuitive to the rate of twist. I have tried looking up loads but there does not seem to be any thing about them on the net. I imaging that a few of you out there are in fact using these English hunting rifles for deer etc so any thing you may have learned would be a good start.

Cheers
Heelerau

 

[Grenadier1758]

What's the size of the barrel across the flats?

That is a very good looking gun. Meant to hunt big game.

That slow twist Forsythe rifling and large caliber is meant for large charges of powder to stop large game. 90 grains is probably on the light side. Try loads in the 150 grain range. I think there has been threads on the subject of Forsythe rifling and the very large charges of powder to move that big round ball.

 

[Heelerau]

Mate an 1 1/4 inch at the breech, 1 inch at the muzzle.

 

[Feltwad]

Try the MLAGB webpage there are some top riflemen on there which may be able to help .
Feltwad

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have a .72 with forsyth style rifling. Just the rifle no case and gear to go with it. It has a ver slow twist. I have been using 90 grains of Fg ..., I have been told smaller charges work better, but that seems counter intuitive to the rate of twist.

Mike (Grenadier1758) is correct. IF it has Forsyth rifling (and not just a slow twist) then it really was meant for large powder charges. How do you know it's actually Forsyth? Also, what twist rate does it have?

In Forsyth's book, The Sporting Rifle and It's Projectiles, in paragraph 204 he includes a chart, listing "ordinary" powder charges for a 14 gauge at 4 drams, and for an 11 gauge at 4.5 drams, which would be about 110 grains to 125 grains. So 110 grains might be where you'd start, and work upwards from there.

Forsyth wrote in paragraphs 6 and 7 (he numbers each paragraph in his book)...,
"..., my experience is that a 14 or 16 gauge is large enough for any of the deer tribe. Smaller game, such as antelopes, wolves, hyenas, &c., can be equally well disposed of by a smaller ball, 18 to 24. Bears and tigers are sometimes very tenacious of life, and I think perhaps the best size for them is 12, although they may be killed almost as well with 14. It is when we come to the more ponderous brutes that large gauges begin to tell. Less than 12 should never be used for bison or buffaloes...,
..., As a rule, a rifle should be able to drive its ball through and through the animal fired at."

So you have perhaps a bison/buffalo gun also for lions, tigers and bears (oh my), and fine for anything in the deer family.

LD

 

[Heelerau]

Loyalist Dave my rifle has ver wide grooves and extremely narrow lands, and looks to have a rate of twist at 1/4 turn in the length of the barrel. I am looking forward to getting a better fitting ball mould than I currently have. I also recently picked up a nice powder flask that starts off at 3 drams and finishes at 4 1/2 drams. That should cover the range of charges needed.

Cheers

heeler

 

[Heelerau]

I finally cleaned up the stock today, removed the varnish with acetone and gave it a good whisking over the steaming kettle and cut back with fine steel wool. I did not bother about removing dents etc as its part of the rifles story, gave it a few coats of pale boiled linseed and gum turpentine, hand rubbed, which I will continue with over Summer There are the faintest traces of chequering at the wrist, not on the for end. The stock is pretty thirsty as I suspected. The timber is plain but in good order and a lovely colour. She has been used hard and has not doubt a long and interesting working life, if only she could talk. P1020812 by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr

[/url]P1020810 by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr

 

[52Bore]

Park rifles for shooting Roe deer within actual parks. What I've learned from a former Westley Richards employee - small bore rifles of light weight and small loads for Roe/Park deer weighing no more than an average dog.
I have a percussion one made by Charles Piper that I acquired in somewhat poor shape and restored..

 

[Heelerau]

Finally got the j hook type sling swivels and a nice elk hide and webbing sling. ver pleased with the quality of both. P1020843 by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr

 

[Heelerau]

Charge 4 1/2 drams of FFg, greased hard felt wad over powder, thick denim patch ballistic 1 part 7 parts water and allowed to dry. Poi =POA. Suspect she has been set up for short range jungle work in India , tiger hunting. Doubt I will get much better than this which is pretty well minute of tiger head.

[/url]P8180057 by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr[/img]