Smoothbore vs Rifling

[Stantheman86]

I have some .670 balls and patches but I haven't used them yet. .648 balls either dropped down with wadding on top or a paper cartridge makes ragged holes at 50 yards.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I have never owned a long rifle, though I would like to get one. What I am familiar with is .75 cal and .69 cal smoothbore’s, I have a repros of military weapons. Pretty easy to load and shoot

It’s obvious that the rifles are slower than the smoothbore (to load), my question is why? Is the procedure different? Is it harder to pack a ball in a rifled muzzle? What differences are their?

Here's a video with a fairly tightly patched (0.017" in a .54 using a 0.530" ball) and you can see I do multiple short pushes with the rammer. In a hurry I can do more than twice as many shots in that time with my smoothbore flintlock . . . with paper cartridges.



Back when I used to overthink things I had one ball in my loading block with 0.010" patch material. I figured if I needed a fast follow-up on a deer I could load that faster. But now I know slow is smooth and smooth is fast. ;-)

 

[TheTyler7011]

Nice

Here's a video with a fairly tightly patched (0.017" in a .54 using a 0.530" ball) and you can see I do multiple short pushes with the rammer. In a hurry I can do more than twice as many shots in that time with my smoothbore flintlock . . . with paper cartridges.



Back when I used to overthink things I had one ball in my loading block with 0.010" patch material. I figured if I needed a fast follow-up on a deer I could load that faster. But now I know slow is smooth and smooth is fast. ;-)

nice, what rifle is that?

 

[Stumpkiller]

John Donelson Lehigh style (Rupp inspired, lines from a rifle in Kindig's collection/book) but in flame cherry with iron furniture he forged from silo hoops and a 44" L.C. Rice swamped barrel in .54 cal with a Jim Chambers lock assembled and tuned by Tip Curtis. Long story (search "Cherry Girl" - may still be in the archives).

Third one down on this page.
http://www.donelsoncustommuzzleloaders.com/longarms.html

 

[TheTyler7011]

John Donelson Lehigh style (Rupp inspired, lines from a rifle in Kindig's collection/book) but in flame cherry with iron furniture he forged from silo hoops and a 44" L.C. Rice swamped barrel in .54 cal with a Jim Chambers lock assembled and tuned by Tip Curtis. Long story (search "Cherry Girl" - may still be in the archives).

Third one down on this page.
http://www.donelsoncustommuzzleloaders.com/longarms.html

Dude that’s a nice rifle !