A few muzzleloading questions.

[marvelshooter]

First, I have never fired any muzzleloaders and know very little about them. I recently inherited an old English percussion rifle shotgun combination set. I posted in the single shot forum by mistake asking about it and a member was able to fill me in a little bit about who made it and when - about 1850. I would like to try shooting the rifle and that is why I am here. It has an octagon shaped bore that measures about .330 across the flats and about .350 across the corners. What would be a suitable projectile? Also the nipple measures about .172 where the cap would go - is this a normal size? Thanks for any info that might point me in the right direction. Dan

[SamTexas49]

Im sure you will get some good info here once others read this but my best suggestion is to find a few reputable Smoke pole shooters and ask them these questions, let them examine the rifle. Ask around at your local gunshops for contacts or next gun show ask/look around for a local shooting group/club.

[waksupi]

Could you get us a picture of the muzzle?

[mooman76]

I'd try a .320 ball to start out with. You may be a ble to go with a slightly larger ball but you have to start somewhere. You can try different thickness of patch until you find what you need. I don't know about the cap. I'd have to measure mine. If you have a hard time getting the right size cap(usually #11 or it even could be a musket cap) you could get a different nipple for it. I'd also start out with 15-20 gr of fff powder.

[fouronesix]

Those type rifle bores just take some experimenting to see what ball diameter/patch thickness works best. But, I think a .320-.330 ball is as good a place to start as any. FYI size "0" buckshot is about .320 and size "00" is about .330. I'd use about 35 gr of real BP as starting charge.

If you haven't already, inspect the barrel and breech plug assembly carefully then clean the bore really well. Change out the nipple to a new one. Make sure of the correct thread dia. and pitch for the nipple. Sounds like an interesting project- the most fun I have is shooting old originals.

Keep us posted

[marvelshooter]

Could you get us a picture of the muzzle?

Here are a couple of pictures.

[waksupi]

Very nice old rifle. As was stated, try a patched round ball. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to find this rifle twist was made for an elongated boolit.

[5shotbfr]

that is one neat rifle/ combo , i for one cant wait to hear how it shoots

i got to look at an origonal whitworth rifle once , and it was rifled in the same manner .

for those in the know .. would that be henry rifling or ?

[mooman76]

I have an old ML that the rifling looks like that and the bore size is really close to what he stated. I only shot it once but it took a .320 ball very nice and I was surprised how good it shot for such an old piece. I think it's just they way they cut some of the rifling back then. If you like I could send you some .320 balls to try in yours. Let me know.

[725]

Sounds like a Whitworth design. I'm no help at all but the thiing looks neat. Clean it good befoe starting. make sure it's not already loaded.

[fouronesix]

I'm sure there is a name for that style rifling because it's seen on many old originals- some of them being VERY old. Almost like the rifling cutter head was a sharpened hex spud.

[mooman76]

Since we were discussing the type of rifling it got me thinking on mine and the rifle twist. I like to know the twist rate on my MLs and hadn't done this one yet. When I checked it, it turns out it is 1/48. This is fairly normal for this caliber for round balls but probably won't stablize a conical. If you want to figure out your twist rate take your ramrod and put tape on the jag end and another piece 2' up. Mark them both in the same spot. Mark the top of your barrel and insert the rod with a good tight patch. When you push it in if it goes half way around you have a 1/48 twist and so on.

[marvelshooter]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_2043650846a45a0eba.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=7115)
I finally got to shoot the rifle today. I tried a couple of different loads. The target in the picture was shot at about 30 yards with .330 diameter balls over a charge of 20 grains of Pyrodex P - exactly a .357 case full. I have got to get a powder measure soon. I was filling the .357 case with a plastic spoon out of a butter tub and then using a plastic funnel to get it into the rifle. Go ahead and laugh but is what I had available to get me started. I am very pleased at the results considering everything and I like to think my father in law is smiling in approval. Thanks to those who generously sent me supplies and projectiles to help me get started. Dan

[mooman76]

Nothing wrong with that. I think most of us been there. That's one of the great things about MLs. You can improvise allot. My first powder bottle was a a chalk bottle that you use to fill a carpenters chalk line. 32's a little tougher because you have a smaller hole to fill but you got it covered.Glad it worked out for you.