Walker Hits The 135 Yard Gong--Again!

[Dave Rosenthal]

During a northern NJ club pistol shooting demo up in Vernon NJ, I hit the 135 yard gong three out of five attempts with my Walker. Used 50 gr. of 3Fg Goex, a wonder-wad & a .454 Hornady ball.

I'm glad to see clear enough to be able to do it again--haven't tried since February for a variety of reasons. The torso-sized gong is made of two joined air tanks and hangs from a support bar suspended in a tree.

I've tinkered with the idea of raising the charge to 55 grains, but I'm not sure. What do you fellas think? Should I just leave well-enough alone?

Anybody else on this Forum using a Walker for long-range steel?

Have a good & safe holiday weekend!

Dave

 

[jeepwj992002]

Congrats!! I'd have to say give the 55gr a try. It just might increase the consistency at that range.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I use 55 grains of FFFg as a standard load in my Walkers. Lots of lube on the arbor is a good idea, too.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

O-K, both of you have convinced me to try the 55 grain charge next time. I loaded 55 gr. once before and had to really push down on the lever to get the ball all of the way down into the cylinder so that it would clear and be able to turn. Friends of mine told me that the cylinder was designed to hold 60 grains back in the day. My guess is that the wonder-wad makes-up for the other 5 grains.

As to the use of a good lube on the arbor, Yeah I know what you mean. My Brother gave me some synthetic lube that we use on our .45 ACP's from Masters...works really well and keeps the big wheel-gun turning. Other oils caused the cylinder to hold more crud and lose it's ability to turn enough to go into battery. One of our BP League regulars uses toilet bowl ring grease on his and it too works!

Now I have to figure-out whether or not to get another Walker or to buy a Third Model Dragoon. Having one for each hand would be sort of like Josey Wales making smoke!

Let me know what you think. Have a good holiday weekend!

Dave

 

[bwhoffman]

I was on the understanding that you can putallthe proper powder in those you want as long as the ball can be seated enough for the cylinder toclear and turn. Fact or fiction???

135 yds with a Walker! :thumbsup: ...
and to do it 3 out of 5 attempts! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[rebel727]

That's true of any steel framed revolver. The walker will hold 60+ grs. of powder.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:wink: Well now I wouldn't do that as the gun may take a dislike to that much pressure---hay ya never know. As far as 55 gr. you aren't hurting a thing as long as your repro is from a good manufacturer. There a couple of Walkers I have seen I wouldn't trust my luck---mine is a Colt (Uberti) repro and yes I fire it and don't particularly care if the re-sale price gets lower---it's not my worry---my son will have to get rid of my stuff in the End :rotf: :rotf: :thumbsup:

 

[W T]

Yep, read that 60gr was the load somewhere when I first got it (Uberti Walker) with no wad but lube over the ball. Whole lotta fun; backed down to 45 to avoid too much battering, but still...for sheer smoke & flame - and still decent accuracy...

 

[jdixon]

I have a Walker but, I have not done any formal competition shooting with it. Last year I had it out, using the same load you quoted, at 115 yrds. I danced a coffee can around a plowed field with ease. Those Walker's can reach out and touch someone once you get 'em sited in. (That took a while I might add)

 

[muzzelloader69]

hey dave , ron here , great shooting , that's alot of powder to use , but if it works go for it , i'll be at the next shoot with the 54 hawken, see you there ,

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I've used full loads in my Walkers for years and none of them shows any sign of damage from battering. I have no idea how many shots each has had run through it, but the numbers are high. I don't have any trouble with the lever dropping either.

 

[W T]

Russ, are those Uberti Walkers you're shootin'? Dixie has 'em on sale now and I am sorely tempted...

The possibility of battering was raised to me on another forum by a much more experienced C&Ber than I, so I am glad to hear that you've seen no problems with yours.

 

[Zonie]

I'm willing to bet that a 60 grain powder charge won't increase the balls velocity much if at all.

Yes it will recoil more but that's because your shooting 60 grains of powder/gas weight out of the muzzle. It will also make a larger flash but that's only because there is more powder to be burned.

These black powder guns can only "use" so much powder and that is because of the barrel length. The extra powder that isn't used just makes more recoil, flash and smoke.

zonie

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

One is a Uberti, but it is really old--probably too old too compare to Uberti's current guns in any meaningful way. The other two are second generation Colts and don't really compare to anything out there now. My feeling is that the new Ubertis are fine guns. I think I may pick up the Uberti kit version as a winter project--can't have too many Walkers y'know.

 

[W T]

The extra powder that isn't used just makes more recoil, flash and smoke.

zonie

That's gotta be true - wonder if anybody's chronyed Walker loads lately to determine where the diminishing returns kick in?

Had to get outta the chair & look at Mike Venturino's data in Shooting Colt Single Actions (1995): he lists Goex & Elephant both at FFg & FFFg at 60gr and nothing else but Pyrodex P at 40gr (he also used a .457 ball, which is the only size I've tried in the Walker). He also mentions use of a wad - I ain't at all sure I could get a wad in there.

Got kinda startled when I looked at DGW's website 'recommended' load for the Uberti Walker of 25 gr triple-f and .454 ball!!?!

Now I'm new to all this; do corporate liability concerns really account for the difference?

(Oops! Sorry for the thread hi-jack!)

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Yes Zonie, this may be true. And the bang is so much louder too! Recoil in a Walker is pretty much unnoticeable anyway, but the smoke, the muzzle flash, and the big BANG!!!--it is like the Fourth of July each time you touch off a Walker. :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

IMO Dixie usually shows practical loads but not max loads probably for legal reasons.
For example, Dixie's catalog shows the Uberti Walker load as 25 grains of FFFg with a .454 dia ball and a .44 cal revolver wad.

Lyman's Black Powder Handbook shows the Walker loads with Goex FFFg as 25 grains=771 fps, 30 grains=873 fps, 35 grains=918 fps, 40 grains=950 fps and 45 grains=983 fps.

Using linear regression to get a rough approximation of velocities based on the previous data I get the following load estimate:
1000 fps=47 grains, 1050 fps=54 grains and 1100 fps=60.6 grains.

As folks were talking about more normal loads, the formula indicates that 50grains=1021 fps, 55 grains=1058 fps and 60grains=1094 fps (muzzle velocity).

Take these values with at least 1/2 grain of salt though because they are based on the data fitting nicely on a straight line graph and the data doesn't do that very well.
zonie

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Hey Guys,

This is a general post to all on this thread:

I've tried to get 60 grains with a wonder-wad and ball down the cylinder---had to take the gun apart cause the revolver she no revolve! That's why I said that I'd try the 55 gr. charge. Since I gave-up crisco a long time ago, I'm really not into greasing my cylinder face to avoid a chain fire situation.

As far as a diminishing return, the 50 gr. loading has won several target competitions, the last one was back on the first Sunday in July when she rang up a score of 95 x 100 at 25 yards. That day I beat-up all of the rest of the League, including all of the single-shot guns with adjustable target sights. Every once in a while even a blind pig finds an acorn or two!

Our Club is going to start an Official NRA Qualification BP Pistol Match in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking of using the Walker .

I'll be in a League shoot by 09:00 hrs. today, so it's time to pull the plug for now. I'll be back on the thread to let you folks know of the outcome. Talk to you soon!

Dave

 

[faw3]

Good shooting ! The Blackpowder Manual shows 2 Walker's and top loads are 55 3f and a MV of 1205 and V at 50 yards 964. Also it's a Navy Arms one and a note under it tell's us you may get a little more or less in chambers in different makes! :shake: Sounds like 55 is Good enough anyway, the 3rd Dragoon may have better sights some have a little flip up one, but I dont know if I ever shot a better hand gun than a Walker. (and I've shot a bunch of them) Fred :hatsoff:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

What's the Wonder Wad for? It just takes up space that is better filled with powder. Chain-fires are best prevented by using a tight fitting ball. The lube over the chamber mouth just keeps fouling soft and keeps the cylinder turning easily, as does the generous amount of lube on the cylinder arbor. Chain-fires will commonly occur when caps aren't tightly seated or fall off completely. Careful loading with properly selected components is the best way to avoid this sort of mis-hap. I would imagine that a chain-fire in a Walker would be a wondrous thing to experience though...