Range Report

[Capt. Fred]

I got my two muzzleloaders out to the range for the first real shooting of either of them. For those that haven't followed the thread on the builders bench I built a Don Stith 54 cal full stock and a TOTW Jim Bridger this winter. Anyways, I got to the range and had some reporting to do and a couple of questions.

I haven't shot side hammer ML's for a long time so this is kind of re-learning some stuff for me. I trying to work up hunting loads so I'm planning on some pretty stout charges eventually.

I was using .530 balls, .015 and .020 lubed patches, 70 grns of FFF, 80 grns of ff, (both goex) and a lubed wad for my various loads. All shots taken at 50 yds. Probably fired 20 shots out of each gun of various combinations of the above.

The barrels are a deHaas on the Stith and a Colerain on the TOTW.

I found that the .015 patches worked real well in both barrels in terms of accuracy but were getting pretty beat up going down the tube. The Colrain barrel definitely tore them up worse than the deHaas. I tried the .020 in both guns the they were too tight. I'd need a hammer to get those combos down after the first shot.

I thought I had some .018 ticking in my box but couldn't find them so I just ordered some of those.

The 70 grns of fff seemed to work best in the Jim Bridger. Pretty much one big ragged hole a little low at 50 yards after about 10 shots.

The Don Stith gun seemed to prefer the ff but was a little less accurate with the load I was playing with today.

So here's my questions:

1) It may have been my imagination but the ignition seemed faster with both guns when using the fff. Is that common?

2) I didn't fiddle with the sights yet because I know it can take a while to break these barrels in. What is an average number of shots you guys would take before you think the barrel seasoned?

3)The Jim Bridger is super heavy as it has the straight 1 1/8 inch barrel. Even with 70 grains of fff it was like firing a .22 Is it worth trying to work up a higher velocity hunting load for it and if so what would be your recommendations for fff? What about ff? It is a 36 inch barrel and I'm wondering if there is a point where I'm just burning powder outside of the barrel and not gaining anything usefull.

4) Is it worth trying to smooth out the rifling in the Colerain barrel? It was really shredding patches.

Thanks.

 

[bingo1952]

1. 3F is quicker to light off than 2f but I doubt the human ear can hear the difference.
2. 100-200 shots is usually enough for break-in.
3. There is a formula that calls for 11.5 grains per cubic inch of bore. This will give you an efficient load. More powder will push the ball faster but the law of diminishing returns comes into play. Your bore is roughly 8.248 cu. in. so about 95 grains is your most efficient load. It may not be the most accurate however.
4. I would wait for a couple hundred shots and if it is still shredding patches then look to lapping the bore.

 

[R.M.]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is not that formula for the maximum that the barrel will burn efficiently? There is a difference as to most efficient load. It might burn all the powder efficiently, but give poor groups, right, or am I way off base here?

 

[Capt. Fred]

Regarding the 11.5 grain formula: Does it make any difference if it is ff or fff? Thanks.

 

[bingo1952]

I think that is what I said.

 

[bingo1952]

3F as a general rule burns a little cleaner than 2F with any given charge. Your guns may like either one or show a distinct preference for one over the other. Only the shooting of both will determine that. In your Hawken with that 1-1/8" barrel the limiting factor is going to be how much recoil you are able to tolerate.

 

[Capt. Fred]

Got it. Thanks.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I think you need to polish the colerain barrel. If its got such sharp edges that your patches are being shred, you are just wasting money shooting lots of shots down that barrel. You can get there a lot cheaper, if you wrap 4-0 steel wool around a bore brush and give the bore a good scrubbing. The steel wool should take off most of the burrs on the lands. and perhaps polish the grooves some, too.

Then get some lapping compound, or polishing rouge like that sold to use with cotton buffing wheels. Using a jag on your range rod, use one or two patches( for a tight fit) that are dampened with oil, and then put the lapping compound on liberally. Now, work the patched back and forth in the barrel. As the compounds remove steel, the patches will turn BLACK. This is the oxide of iron that is being removed with those remaining tiny burrs. YOu want to do at least 100 strokes, changing the patching and adding more lapping compound every 20 strokes.

The formula for how much powder your barrel will burn efficiently does not matter if you are shooting FFg or FFFg, conicals, or RBs. If you add more powder than the max, half the weight of that added powder becomes recoil energy and half gets pushed out the barrel. That is the law of diminishing returns.

I recommend that you use FFFg powders in percussion rifles. These guns burn the main powder charge faster when the powder is compacted.

When you load the gun, hold the barrel vertical, so that the powder drops all the way to the bottom without hitting the sides, if possible. Gravity will compact the powder very well for you.

When you run the PRB down, either directly on the powder, or, as I prefer, now, on top of an OP wad, that will seal the bore from gases far better than any fabric patching can do, just make sure the ball is down snug against the wad.

Don't bounce the rod, or lean on it, or hammer it. All that does is distort the shape of the RB, and that contributes NOTHING to accuracy.

Because of the smaller granule size of FFFg, there is less air between the granules than if you use FFg. A percussion cap INJECTS flame into and through the powder charge, igniting the charge from the flash channel to the OP wad, or cloth patch, if you don't use the OP wad. If there are air spaces in the powder, ignition is delayed a fraction of a second.

That is probably what you were sensing when you think the FFg ignition is slower. Actually, if you screen your FFg powder to get rid of both clinkers, and "fines", you can compact it the same way, and it will burn so fast you won't hear or feel the difference in ignition time, either.

Not every shooter is prepared or equipped to do these extra steps. For most casual shooting its rewards are not worth the effort. These kind of things are done by Target shooters, Where every little bit matters.

Understand that FFFg burns faster, and will generate more pressure, and more recoil. The recoil with FFFg is more of a bite, than a shove. But, you don't have to constantly shoot heavy loads.

A nice target load for 25 and even 50 yard targets can be found using about 30 grains of FFFg powder in that gun. For targets further than that, you probably want to be shooting between 70 and 80 grains. Hunting loads are about 90 grains. YOu are shooting a 230 grain round ball. That is about half an ounce of lead. It probably represents a heavier bullet than you have fired in modern cartridge guns. Only the heavy .44 and.45 pistols and revolvers shoot bullets that weigh as much.

That ball goes through a lot of flesh, and you don't have to try to send it out the barrel at high speeds for it to penetrate. Rather work on finding the most accurate load for YOU to fire, so that you can place the ball where you aim it. The weight of the ball will guarantee penetration on any light-skinned animal that walks this continent. It works fairly well on large wild boar, black and brown bear, too.

You sound like you made two very good rifles there. Congratulations.

 

[Capt. Fred]

Very good info. Once again, thanks Paul.

The patches were REALLY shredded so I think I am going to try some gentle polishing.