Patched round ball loads for an Enfield Musketoon

[gjkershul]

I hope this is the right part of the forum.
One of our local shoots has imposed a patched roundball only requirement.
I have been shooting my Bess with paper cartridge to comply.
As the weather improves I would like to use a rifle sometimes but I find that I cannot see the traditional sights well on my round ball guns for the first time-28 to 32 inch barrels. This will be eventually corrected by moving the sights and/or using a pin hole piece of tape on my glasses but I have a shoot this Sunday and no time to do the work and work up before the shoot.
I have an Enfield Musketoon that I can see the sights on. It has a 24 inch 1-48 five groove shallow rifling barrel.
Years ago I had a JP Murray 1-72 three groove carbine that shot patched .570 round ball well with 80 grains of 3f. Got my first ML deer with it.

Anybody have any experience or ideas what patched round ball load would shoot well in the Musketoon?

 

[jdstrang]

Hamkiller:

Talk about shooting a pig in a poke...

Seems like 80 gr. is a lot for a 24-inch barrel to digest, but if it worked in the JPM it might work in your musketoon as well. Will you get a sighter shot or two to find out??

My instincts, such as they are, would favor about 60 grains, but I have absolutely NO factual basis for saying that, so I'll just sit down, shut up and see where this thing goes.

We will, of course, anticipate a full report after the fact...

 

[Bob Gular]

I use a .562 with a .015 patch ahead of 60 grains of 2F in my Armi Musketoon. That's for target work. I would probably use 80 grains for hunting.

 

[theDuck]

I use a .575 ball with a .005 patch with 60 grains of 3F Goex in my P-H Musketoon a my target load.

 

[ronrryan]

Never shot a musketoon but shot a Buffalo Hunter some, pretty similar setup. That thang would shoot into a raggedy hole from the bench at 25 yds with 65 gr 3F and 570 ball, and not a whole lot worse at 50. I couldnt see any futher. Good smoke, Ron

 

[longcruise]

I had, at one time, a .58 with a 1/48 twist. It did not have the type of rifling that you have, but it was very accurate with a .570 ball and a fairly tight patch (your patch would vary to your actual barrel). The rifling was very shallow and designed for conicals.

That's all I can offer, except to say "go do it" nothing to win by staying home and nothing to lose by coming in last. Just have a good time!

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Your musketoon will shoot round balls very well, but you'll have to test loads to find the ONE. I once had the PH two band musket with the same rifling pattern and it would hold five balls in a 3" group at 100 yards. That was many moons ago and I sure don't recall the specific load. I'm currently shooting a Zouave with .570" ball, .018 pillow ticking patch and 80 grains 2f for an elk rifle, but that's a three groove barrel with 72" twist.

 

[gjkershul]

I unexpectly got to try round ball in the Musketoon today.
They shot great- and more importantly with the Enfield- to point of aim at 50 yds.
I used .570 Hornady ball,.010 Oxyoke prelubed patch, and a 24 ga fiber wad between the patched ball and powder because of the thin patch. 55 grains of Goex 3f was the sweet load. The group was about 3 inches off hand.

Thanks for the direction everyone. :hatsoff: