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SQUARE CUT OR ROUND BOTTOM RIFLING?

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I have a .45 calibre TVM Mississippi Poor Boy. Bought that gun 12 years ago:

E4B49646-CA9F-4968-BFC7-A2CBA306370C.jpeg

It’s the lower gun in the above image. That gun would shoot pie plate sized groups at 25-30 yrds. So frustrating…after 3 years I was beside myself with frustration. I sent it back to TVM 3 times, and 3 times they returned it to me saying nothing wrong…fine shooting gun. It was a truly horrible experience.

This last year, I decided to try yet again to see if I could get it to be a shooter. At the range the guy at the bench next to me offered to look the over…he shot it a few times, and said, “Bring it by my house this week”

He re-crowned the barrel. It’s now a single hole gun at 50 yrds.

C4F68692-EDA1-4982-B18F-4FEA93E465D6.jpeg
 
Can any of you experienced shooters say what your experience was (if you've shot one) or predict what experience I might have with my barrel I haven't shot yet?

Colerain 0.58 1" straight, round bottom, 66 twist, 0.016 groove depth.

Probably a silly question. But now I'm worried 😉
Run a tight patch done the bore…minimal lubrication. If it glides smoothly…that’s great. If it hangs up or is rough…probably machining burs in the rifling.

Look the crown over…it should have a nice smooth uniform recess. If it’s not uniform, or there is no crown, or a minimal crown…you could have issues
 
Can any of you experienced shooters say what your experience was (if you've shot one) or predict what experience I might have with my barrel I haven't shot yet?

Colerain 0.58 1" straight, round bottom, 66 twist, 0.016 groove depth.

Probably a silly question. But now I'm worried 😉
Curious why you have not shot your new Colerain barrel, what exactly has you worried? I have a number of Hoyt and Rice barrels with radius bottomed rifling, in 58 and 62 caliber and I love them. No more or less accurate than square bottom rifled barrels, but with the thicker required patch I find I can easily ‘customize’ the amount of lube I use so they load easily and I can shoot all day without swabbing or other monkeying around. I have only owned two new Colerain barrels, and both bores required some simple polishing up before they became real shooters. I now polish the bores of all barrels I receive, new or used. Eliminates potential for loading and accuracy issues right out of the gate because of burrs or whatever at the muzzle or in the bore.
 
Curious why you have not shot your new Colerain barrel, what exactly has you worried? I have a number of Hoyt and Rice barrels with radius bottomed rifling, in 58 and 62 caliber and I love them. No more or less accurate than square bottom rifled barrels, but with the thicker required patch I find I can easily ‘customize’ the amount of lube I use so they load easily and I can shoot all day without swabbing or other monkeying around. I have only owned two new Colerain barrels, and both bores required some simple polishing up before they became real shooters. I now polish the bores of all barrels I receive, new or used. Eliminates potential for loading and accuracy issues right out of the gate because of burrs or whatever at the muzzle or in the bore.

I haven't shot it because I'm still working on building the gun. I haven't yet scoped or patched the bore, but the crown looks good.

I had planned to use lee shavers method of burnishing/polishing the bore prior to shooting, that way I can do it without the breech plug in.

When people start discussing accuracy of barrels, I get anxiety. I have been a modern bolt action shooter but this is my first ML... So the anxiety is likely completely unjustified!
 
I haven't shot it because I'm still working on building the gun. I haven't yet scoped or patched the bore, but the crown looks good.

I had planned to use lee shavers method of burnishing/polishing the bore prior to shooting, that way I can do it without the breech plug in.

When people start discussing accuracy of barrels, I get anxiety. I have been a modern bolt action shooter but this is my first ML... So the anxiety is likely completely unjustified!
I don’t know what your expectations are, but here is a 100 yard sight-in target (5-1/2” bull) for new sights on the flintlock (already had the load figured out). It was one of those windless good days when I could see the sights and the target. Mr Hoyt’s barrels (this is a 58 caliber, radius bottom rifling, 1-60 twist) are more accurate that me every day. The last 5 shots taken with my elbows on a table for support were right around one inch.
1639080694890.jpeg
 
I don’t know what your expectations are, but here is a 100 yard sight-in target (5-1/2” bull) for new sights on the flintlock (already had the load figured out). It was one of those windless good days when I could see the sights and the target. Mr Hoyt’s barrels (this is a 58 caliber, radius bottom rifling, 1-60 twist) are more accurate that me every day. The last 5 shots taken with my elbows on a table for support were right around one inch.
1639080694890.jpeg

My only expectation is to have accuracy reliable for 100yard shots on deer sized game.

I HOPE I can manage what you show in your last 5 :)
 
The best prb rifling, again just my opinion, for an all around rifle (hunting, targets, general shooting) is radius groove rifling. A strict target rifle should have the grooves cut square. But more, much more, important is a bit of muzzle heaviness. I'm talking an offhand rifle and not a bench rifle. A heavy muzzle causes the front sight to move with smooth, glacial slowness and not like a squirrel jumping here and there. That heaviness makes those front sight figure "8s" smaller too. I have three radius and two square cut barrels but any difference accuracy-wise escapes me. I can no longer see or shoot well enough to even settle on a "best" load; but that was not always the case either.
 
Last November , I finished a .58 , Colerain barrel longrifle for a hunter. .562 cast rb. , Lee mould. 85 gr.FFFG...014 grease patches. peep sight..tang mtd. . w/standard post front sight. Sighted it in off the bench @ 75 yards , 3.5 " group at 100.yds.. Shooting this rifle was almost a sensual experience. To kill a deer at 150 yds. , a top of spine hold would have done it. ... I consider a 100 yd, group like this gun did ,pretty good for a 75.5 yr. old guy , not bad........oldwood
 
Last November , I finished a .58 , Colerain barrel longrifle for a hunter. .562 cast rb. , Lee mould. 85 gr.FFFG...014 grease patches. peep sight..tang mtd. . w/standard post front sight. Sighted it in off the bench @ 75 yards , 3.5 " group at 100.yds.. Shooting this rifle was almost a sensual experience. To kill a deer at 150 yds. , a top of spine hold would have done it. ... I consider a 100 yd, group like this gun did ,pretty good for a 75.5 yr. old guy , not bad........oldwood
I like the way you describe…things.
 
Hello everyone,
Iv got a Colerain barrel.54 caliber with round bottom rifling.
I love it.
It’s easy to get the balls down the barrel and it doesn’t seem too get fouled up.
I can just keep loading and shooting it and it cleans up quickly and easily.
And I think it plenty accurate for off hand shooting.
I’m using 85 grains of 2f powder up to 125 grain with a .535 RB and a .20 patch.
Its really accurate with the 125 grain load.But it does kick like a mule.
I target practice with the 85 grain.
I plan too shoot a nice buck this season with it.
Cheers.
TH
 
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