New Englander .458 Long Range Rifle

[nkbj]

If you were going to make a .458 bore long range shooter out of a TC New Englander, how would you go about it?
Barrel length, rifling twists and geometries, sights, what would you want to use?

 

[Bad Karma]

I’m doing that right now. Using a t/c white mountain stock and a 28” .45/.458 blank with a 1-20” twist. I took it in trade but I’ve seen blanks like that on EBay from time to time. (There are a few badger barrels like it on eBay right now.)So far it likes paper patched 450 grain spitzers and I’ve even shot a few maxi balls through it. I’m waiting for a mold for 530 grain paper patched bullets as well. I’m using a post front with a skinner peep right now. That’s going to change after I get the barrel bedded and everything dialed in a bit. I also have a .40 caliber 40/408 1 in 16” that Bobby Hoyt lined and bored for me. It currently resides in a Hawken stock with a Williams peep and a Shaver globe front sight. I love that combination, a muzzleloading .40-70-400.

oh yeah. Barrel should be as long as you can find up to 32” or so. Unless you think that would be too unwieldy. Given iron sights, you’ll want all of the radius you can get reasonably... you might search for threads by @Idaho Ron. He’s been down this road...

 

[Stumpkiller]

Bore it out for a .54 round ball with a 1:60" twist and toss in a 110 gr load of FFg.

I have a .50 New Englander with the tight 1:48" twist and I have stretched it to 110 yards (which is about my limit with iron sights regardless of projectile) with a round ball on top of 90 gr FFg on whitetail. How far are you hoping to "stretch" the sweet little carbine?

 

[rodwha]

Were it me I’d be along the same lines as woodnbow. I’d think you’d want some barrel length for sight radius since you mentioned sights. I’d think 1:20 or so should be close enough to ideal all depending. The lighter 300 grn bullet does well (overkill?) on medium game, and the 405 does well on larger game. I wouldn’t want a heavier bullet due to the serious rainbow trajectory, but then thats because I like the simplistic point blank system aiming to achieve a +/-4” from zero so very little needs to be done and there’s less room for error and need for situational input. Decreases the range but I’m ok with that:

 

[Bad Karma]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Badger...543824?hash=item4da9666cd0:g:WvoAAOSw4oJedwII
this is one of the barrels I had considered for this project.

Bore it out for a .54 round ball with a 1:60" twist and toss in a 110 gr load of FFg.

I have a .50 New Englander with the tight 1:48" twist and I have stretched it to 110 yards (which is about my limit with iron sights regardless of projectile) with a round ball on top of 90 gr FFg on whitetail. How far are you hoping to "stretch" the sweet little carbine?

Every so often you find one of the T/C caplocks with nice wood. That’s a beauty you have there.

 

[fleener]

NKBJ

What do you consider long range? 100? 200? 300? 500?

Fleener

 

[nkbj]

Far? As far as I can.
Might end up having to put glass on it.

My .458 New Englander that's currently running has a Hoyt liner and TC tang peep.
Lyman #457124 cast of soft lead was found to shoot very accurately. With 90 grains of FFg it was at 1285FPS and recoil wasn't significant. I'd like to try a longer barrel.

 

[Bad Karma]

BX4518-1 35" 45 Cal 1.27" OD 4140CM 1:18 Single Point Cut Rifled BBL


this is a green mountain bpcr barrel but it’s long enough and... round... the reason I used the Hawken barrel for the .40 Caliber was that it’s easier to source tangs, stocks and ribs for the octagon barrels.

 

[fleener]

I would use a green mtn barrel and fit it to the the stock.

I have an unmentionable ML custom made with a green mtn barrel and 4 x 12 glass. IF you want to discuss that rifle, please PM me. It will shoot a .5" group at 200 yards.

Fleener

 

[nkbj]

I will get a barrel made to my specs.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Every so often you find one of the T/C caplocks with nice wood. That’s a beauty you have there.

Thanky. It was a 12 gauge kit and I put an oil finish on it. Added the rifle barrel later. I don't know why these were not more popular. Sweet little carbines. I have an unmentionable (T/C Contender carbine) that also has a very nice bit of figured walnut.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Have an original new englander rynite stock .50 would not trade it for the world

 

[Cattman]

when i made builds like this i used douglas .458 1/18 twist barrels. they make them 35 and 1/2 long if you want that. i did. tack drivers with a 451 paperpatched bullet with 100 grain of powder behind the bullet with a 60 thousands wad between bullet and powder. will shoot as far as you want and accurate all the way out their. i put mine on renagade stocks and hardware.

 

[fleener]

Just be careful with accurately judging the distance of a deer. Bullet drop is huge with one of these rifles. I use a range finder and usually have the sight settings taped to the side of the stock for easy access.

I have shot a lot of deer with a .451 bullet. The bullet I am using currently is a very deep hollow point and pure lead around 500 grains. I still have yet to recover a bullet. They all pass through and not a lot of expansion. I am using 86 grains of 2F swiss, with a fiber card under the bullet.

For my hunting peep sights are tough to use, I shoot 90 percent of my deer at the end of the day in very low light.

Good luck with your build.

Fleener