Author Topic: Range report - 1:48" round balls (Read 1086 times)

roundball · « **on:** March 06, 2005, 09:25:22 AM »

FYI...stumbled across what appeared to be an unfired .50cal TC Hawken Flintlock at an estate sale, priced so low I HAD to buy it....standard TC Hawken with 1:48" twist.

I upgraded the lock with TC's redesigned flint lock parts and went to the range...began breaking it in with a few dozen target loads (50grns Goex FFFg, pillow ticking, Hornady balls) and it just ate out the center of the bullseyes at 50yds.

Then before leaving, I decided to try a couple groups at 100yds using my full power hunting loads I normally use in my 1:66" round ball barrels as follows:

90grns Goex FFFg (3F)
Oxyoke wonderwad (.54cal in a .50)
TC .018" prelubed pillow ticking
Hornady .490

Cleaned the barrel, shot two groups off the bench and measured the holes from center to center...one was 2+3/8" and the other was 1+7/8"...not too shabby for an off the shelf TC Hawken 1:48" barrel with max round ball hunting loads.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #1 on:** March 06, 2005, 10:06:40 AM »

Generally with the faster twist the patched round balls will shoot good if you lower the powder charge and velocity. Next time you get a chance try some of your target loads at 100 and see what happens.

tscott · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2005, 01:09:50 PM »

Tom, I'm about to go to the range this week. I will try a similar load...
90 Gr pyrodex in a CVA Hawken. Everything else the same, but .10
pillow ticking... What do you think? Should I get .18 before I go?
Others have recommended .18. I could only find .10 on a first pass...

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #3 on:** March 06, 2005, 01:35:22 PM »

I just use regular blackpowder and not substitutes, as I have a good source and supply of real black. Also not familar with the grove diameter of the CVA, but your patch thickness will be determined by the tightness of your ball and patch combination as it's going down the bore. You won't want it so tight it is difficult to get down. If you can get it down OK and the ball is soft enough to obtuate and examination of your patches down range shows no tears, then it should be fine. If you need to increase the patch thickness you could always double the patch to .20 with two .10's.

What I would try is 70 grains of FFg blackpowder in the 50 to start with and then play around with 5 grains difference till I find the load that shoots the tightest. Then adjust my sight to the point of impact I want. You may find that the Pyrodex with it's higher ignition tempature may be more difficult to ignite with a flintlock.

My flintlock is a 45 cal. T/C Hawken with 1:48 twist. The others are all caplocks.

roundball · « **Reply #4 on:** March 06, 2005, 01:35:47 PM »

Quote from: Thomas Krupinski

Generally with the faster twist the patched round balls will shoot good if you lower the powder charge and velocity. Next time you get a chance try some of your target loads at 100 and see what happens.

Yes, but actually, one of the main points of the post was to illustrate there's no truth to the old wives tales that 1:48" twists won't shoot powerful round ball hunting loads accurately...in addition to this one I just picked up, all my others are accurate as well.

The biggest challenge of tight groups at 100yds with open sights is simply being able to precisely set up an identical aim point the same way every time...for this range trip, I used a tip I learned on another board which provided significantly increased visibility for a repeatable aiming point.

I took a sheet of bright hot pink paper and cut a big triangle out of it, stapled the triangle to the target backing upside down, so there's a point at the very bottom...then just precisely set that point on top of the bead every time...worked great.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2005, 01:43:59 PM »

Actually I think you are doing pretty well, much better than I can now do with metalic sights. I have to hold on the center of the big blurry mass down range. I don't think I can see that triangle anymore, even with my glasses on.

harryo · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2005, 04:33:58 AM »

Quote from: Thomas Krupinski

Actually I think you are doing pretty well, much better than I can now do with metalic sights. I have to hold on the center of the big blurry mass down range. I don't think I can see that triangle anymore, even with my glasses on.

Try putting a piece of tape, with a small hole in the center, on the glasses' lens for your dominant eye. Position it so you look through the hole when aiming. It will bring everything into focus. If you are happy with the results, you can puchase optical peep attachments that clip on your glasses' frame or stick on the lens with a suction cup and then not have to mess with the tape, although the tape works just as well.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2005, 05:20:32 AM »

Thanks Harry, but I am past that now. Did that trick about twenty years ago and worked then when I was shooting some highpower competition. Now I just shoot iron sights on some of my muzzleloaders for the fun of the smoke, serious shooting requires a scope with my eyes.

Primer · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2005, 12:52:13 PM »

roundball,

Congrats on the great gun find...and on the great shooting with P&B on that faster twist. Encouraging, as all my T/C's are 1:48",but don't have much experience with P&B shooting. :roll:

Questions: You noted using .54cal wonderwads in the .50. Is your accuracy experience better using the oversized wads rather than a typical .50cal wad, with your "max" powder charge?
Does that larger charge flame your T/C .018 pillow tick patch(s) if used alone?
Thanks

roundball · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2005, 01:21:44 PM »

Quote from: Primer

roundball,

Congrats on the great gun find...and on the great shooting with P&B on that faster twist. Encouraging, as all my T/C's are 1:48",but don't have much experience with P&B shooting. :roll:

Questions: You noted using .54cal wonderwads in the .50. Is your accuracy experience better using the oversized wads rather than a typical .50cal wad, with your "max" powder charge?
Does that larger charge flame your T/C .018 pillow tick patch(s) if used alone?
Thanks

No science to back up the next caliber size wad...just my logic that if a wonderwad is good (and there's no challenging that) then it seems an even tighter fitting wad would be better by being squeezed out into the grooves themselves, providing an even better seal...and when I pick them up off the ground you can see the land/groove marks (almost like a miniature gear)...plus, the larger size should put a little more lube in the bore at the same time...so I figure, if I'm going to buy a bag, why not buy the next larger size, etc.

TC's .018" prelubed pillow ticking patches do OK by themselves, but show a little strain with strong loads...but they look like new when wads are used with them...I only use the wads with strong hunting loads...target loads are fine with pillow ticking patches alone.