Parker Hale Volunteer advice

[Rookie55]

I just got one of the new P-H Volunteers but need help figuring out how to shoot it. I have some black powder shooting experience but only with revolvers. Hope to shoot it for fun/target shooting and hunting. Would love advice on bullets, wads, primers, size and loads for pyrodex (I assume that'll be better than true BP), advice on loading in the field, slings, any other pearls of wisdom, and sources for where to get components. And what's the unattached piece at the end of the forestock that the ramrod goes through? And the threaded end of the ramrod is to allow me to attach a ball jag? Something else? Any help greatly appreciated!

[Tatume]

Good Morning,

The first thing you should do is get Lyman mold # 451-114. It is made for the Parker-Hale Volunteer and the bullets cast of pure lead shoot wonderfully in it. It also is deadly on game.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/497427/lyman-1-cavity-bullet-mold-451114-45-caliber-451-diameter-450-grain-volunteer

Use black powder, never Pyrodex. My P-H Volunteer likes 90 grains of FFFg.

Use the bullets as cast of pure lead. The unsized bullets are tight enough in the barrel that they will not migrate off the powder charge. It is very important that the bullet be in contact with the powder at the moment of ignition. No air space should be allowed.

I use SPG lube, and sometimes (especially in cold weather) use T/C Bore Butter on my bullets. The lube is applied by hand. Just use your fingers to fill the grooves.

My P-H Volunteer uses musket caps. I get them from local stores and buy a bunch when I find any. They can be hard to come by.

The plastic piece is a muzzle protector.

I'm unaware of any *NEW* Parker-Hale Volunteer rifle being produced. Are you sure you don't have an Italian copy? The Italian guns have some minor differences from the British guns, such as the thread count on the nipples.

As I'm sure you know, the rifle was built as a target arm. My Parker-Hale Volunteer is an absolutely wonderful hunting rifle. I'm a fan of British rifles anyway, and this one is an excellent representative of a "small-bore" British rifle. While not originally intended for hunting, it fills that role with aplomb.

Good luck with it, and let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Take care, Tom

[fgd135]

Pedersoli is manufacturing a new Whitworth and Volunteer; and although DP is selling the rifles under their name, NA is also selling them as Parker Hale rifles, since NA owns the PH name.(?). The Pedersoli rifles come equipped with good Vernier target sights.
http://www.navyarms.com/ParkerHaleWhitworth.php
https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/scheda-prodotto.asp/l_en/idpr_411/rifles-1860-volunteer-1860-volunteer-a-british-target-rifle.html

Best advice I can offer is to use a platinum lined nipple from Buffalo Arms--regular musket nipples burn out quickly when shooting a high pressure rifle--as quickly as 10 or 20 shots perhaps. A platinum lined nipple will last many times longer.

[junkbug]

There is no reason not to use Pyrodex, other than arrogant elitism. Some people simply cannot get real black powder. Pyrodex and other substitutes have their disadvantages, but can be used just fine with a side-lock percussion rifle. It is more corrosive than black powder, so clean obsessively.

Also, since this is your first post, WELCOME!

Enjoy your new rifle.

[junkbug]

Yes, I have used Pyrodex in a flintlock. Just as you say, it needed a booster charge of priming powder, about 5 grains of FFFG. This was when I had to drive many miles for black powder, and they were out of everything but priming powder, in real black powder.

I have no doubt the real stuff works better. But I have seen with my own eyes newcomers driven from the sport because they cannot economically find black powder, and are warned so strongly from Pyrodex that they believe it will blow up their guns.

Few people want to spend the $27 hazmat fee to mail order 1 or 2 pound of black powder. And they don't want to stockpile 7 or 8 pounds of it. Pyrodex will get the new enthusiast started, with decent results. Fine tuning loads, and hunting for the best powder can come later.

[Standing Bear]

So you and 2 locals order 15 lbs. the hazmat used to be $25 but at $27 is $9 per 5 lbs.

Powder Inc the was competitive last i bought.

[Tatume]

There is no reason not to use Pyrodex, other than arrogant elitism.

This is rude and uncalled for.

[junkbug]

OK. Perhaps it was. So I will ask you,

Why would you caution someone to NEVER use Pyrodex in an application it was specifically developed to be used for?

[Pavia]

No one said it was dangerous to use Pyrodex. The thread is about advice. If the advice is that the Volunteer rifle works better/accurate with black powder, than so be it. These small bore rifles shooting long heavy bullets at higher pressures are a bit different than a hawken Or Kentucky...

[Rookie55]

Hi Tom et al,

Sorry to leave everyone hanging. New to this kind of back and forth and I work too much. Didn't see quick responses when I first posted and then got buried in work only to see the new posts and then never found time to respond. I really appreciate the help and guidance. Will get me that mold. Suggestions for the rest of the molding process? I used to mold bullets with my dad's old Lyman setup when I was a teenager a hundred years ago. Something like Lyman's big dipper casting setup work or is there a better alternative? Recommendations for where to get BP (pyrodex?), caps, lube? I live in Indiana and haven't found much locally but presume I could find stuff in Indianapolis or order the nonexplosive stuff online? Recommendations for how easiest/best to measure powder in the field? No need for a wad? Saw some you tube video talking about using a cardboard wad but wondered if that was necessary. Do you have a sling on your PH (yes, you're right, mine's a DP version)? How best to clean the thing? Again, I'm really sorry to go deep cover on everyone but do appreciate the advice you all may have. Too cold today (-8 this morning) but looking forward to shooting it once things warm up some. I'll keep a closer eye on the posts. Mark

[Boz330]

If you are close to Indy you can run down to Waldron IN (just off of I-74) to Deer Creek products and buy real BP. It can also be shipped but is not cost efficient unless you get several pounds of it. Personally I never found Pyrodex to be near as accurate as the real thing but that is just me.


Bob

[fgd135]

Hi Tom et al,

...1) Something like Lyman's big dipper casting setup work or is there a better alternative?
2) Recommendations for where to get BP (pyrodex?), caps, lube? I live in Indiana and haven't found much locally...
3)Recommendations for how easiest/best to measure powder in the field?
4)No need for a wad? Saw some you tube video talking about using a cardboard wad but wondered if that was necessary.
5)Do you have a sling on your PH (yes, you're right, mine's a DP version)?
6)How best to clean the thing? Mark

1) IMO, ladle casting works best with these very heavy bullets. That Lyman mold warms up rapidly, so after casting 10-12 bullets you should be in the range of consistent wt and good fill-out. Use pure lead, not a harder alloy, and size the bullet to .450".
2) Mail order BP and caps from Graf's or Powder Valley, or other suppliers. Yes, there are shipping and hazmat fees, but by ordering 8-12 pounds or so at a time you can still end up paying much less per pound. Maybe another shooter in your area could split the costs. 1Fg or 1 1/2Fg works better in this rifle than finer-grained powders.
3) I pre-measure powder for my Volunteer at home, using a powder scale, placing charges individually into small vials clearly labeled as to amount. Small vials can be ordered from many places, ebay, medical supply houses, etc. I carry them in plastic cartridge boxes.
4) Many shooters use wads over the powder and under the bullet. I use wads punched from milk cartons but then again other wads like lubed felt, thin cork, and plain cardboard are popular. And some shooters don't use wads at all. I'd experiment a bit to find what works best.
I load powder thru a drop tube, seat the wad on the powder, then seat the lubed bullet. I don't want the wad to stick to the bullet so I make sure to wipe the bullet base clear of lube before loading. On subsequent shots, I load the powder charge w/the drop tube, seat the wad, wipe the bore with a lightly dampened patch, a dry patch, and finally seat the bullet. Don't wipe before loading powder, as that only pushes debris from the previous shot into the patent breech and can cause misfires.
5) Yes, if you're shooting prone or sitting.
6) This is a precision rifle, so whether you clean it using hot water or just some kind of solvent, try not to take the barrel out of the stock, as that will affect the bedding. I think there must be dozens of threads on this forum regarding different methods and concoctions to clean barrels...the patent breech is smaller in diameter than the bore so it's good to use a slightly smaller diameter nylon bore brush or mop to clear it while you are cleaning the rest of the barrel.

[Newtire]

I got together with a few of the guys and ordered a few pounds of "holy black" from Graf's. They had several kinds and granulations, so ordered some "house brand" (Wano) as well as some Swiss. By the time we split up the hazmat fee, it wasn't very expensive. This coming spring, I plan on doing some comparison shooting using black as well as the cursed Black MZ. I learned the hard way how corrosive Pyrodex was back when it first came out and before the original plant blew up-killing the inventor. The advertising claimed it was great stuff to use if you couldn't get around to cleaning your gun right away. What I found was that it was more corrosive and I made it a habit to check the gun a week later to get the rest of it out (otherwise I found rust again!). It also seemed to be more hygroscopic than black and at that point, a switch to musket caps solved the ignition problems I was having. I then discovered MZ Black (due to Sportsman's Warehouse having a price drop to $9.99). It gave the same velocities as 2f black and while it is coarse ugly looking stuff and clumped up something fierce, a few shakes of the bottle takes care of that. So, I say, the only way to know for sure what works or not is to try it out yourself. That's one of the things about this board that made it great when I first signed on in the days it was part of Aimoo. While there were a few people who were too opinionated to get them to allow anything else other than their opinion, the majority of the people were very helpful. Having used Pyrodex, several brands of black, 777 and Black MZ, I could see a reason for using any of them if that's all I had or could get my hands on. So, I'm curious about how well this Black MZ works in flintlock guns and I'm going to try it out. Will post results when my new bionic knee allows me to get out to the range and make it down & back to the 100 yard mark. Only a few more months to go they say, we'll see about that by finding out myself. I do appreciate the advice of those who have more experience than I . It's why I like this board.

[yeahbub]

Rookie55, welcome to the sport of aromatic smoke! . . . Never to be confused with exotic fragrances.

As regards BP purchases, if you are a member of the NMLRA, you could drive a few miles past Deer Creek in Waldron down to Friendship in June or September and buy BP at the Spring or Fall shoot. A good array of powder types and makers is generally on hand. And while you're there, compete. I haven't made any of the top scorers the least bit nervous in a few years, but I sure enjoy my time on the round ball offhand line and the "at home" atmosphere of like-minded company.

BTW, I also shoot a .40 cal fast twist underhammer using paper patched boolits of 320gr. I can claim no experience with the Whitworth or Volunteer, but Tatume's loading/shooting commentary agrees very closely with my experience, but for a couple of details which may present some food for thought. As he mentions, wiping the bore after charging and seating the wad, hence, not fouling the breech is the better approach, but I have had my best results after charging w/wad and damp-patching to clean, then anointing the bore with Ballistol on a patch, smearing the patched boolit with a bit of Bore Butter and seating the boolit last with an unpatched rod - which also assures solid contact with powder and wad. Unpatched, to keep from sucking the boolit up off the powder. :shock:

The other consideration is nipples - they do erode quickly. Barrel time at pressure and all that. My answer to this was to go with an Accra-Shot nipple which takes a small pistol or rifle primer and eliminate the inevitable blow-back through the nipple. I don't know how dedicated to historical realism you may be, or even if there's a version which will work on the Volunteer, but it was a relief to have removed this issue. I heard the Accra-Shot is no longer in production, but I do see them available on occasion. Others could probably weigh in here with info/experiences they have with switching to sealed ignition.

Since your experience is with revolvers, a caution may be in order. The boolit must be of a diameter which provides resistance to being pushed down the bore. Of all the other "routine" errors you could make, rule number one is NEVER touch it off without verifying the boolit is seated. Nothing will more surely bulge or burst a barrel. Just replacement alone is an expensive proposition.

[Col4570]

A small tip you might use is to wipe the bore after loading rather than wipe prior to loading.I have adopted this method to avoid sweeping damp residue down to the Breach area.The small amount of residue present at the bullet nose is of no consequence since the bullet Lube will take care of it.This method is suitable for any Muzzleloader and has proved its worth in my case with a Whitworth match Rifle.Not saying it is gospel but it works for me.

[heelerau]

Rookie55, congratulations on your Volunteer. As suggested do get a platinum lined nipple from Buffalo Arms, also wipe between shots, I do it after putting the powder and both greased felt and card wad on top, a damp windex patch then a dry one. Weigh your bullets into groups that are within 1/2 grain, same with powder charges. These will depend on what bullet, I use 90 grains of FFg Goex Black powder. Getting your first shot away can be tricky, you may need to unscrew the nipple and prime with a little FFFg, seems rifles with a patent breech, even the Gibbs long range rifles can be a little difficult for the first shot. Get a .22 or 223 brush and mop to clean the patent breech. There is a good Video or two on u tube regarding shooting these rifles.

Cheers and good luck

Heelerau

[Fly]

Make your own like many here do. We have the best tread on the net at the top of this form. It is so much cheaper to make than over the counter
powder also.

Fly

[Rookie55]

Hi Bob,

Taking me a while to figure out how this posting thing works plus I'm still working too much.... I live in West Lafayette but the next time I can escape work, I think I'll road trip to Waldron just to check it out. Any thoughts on molding my own bullets versus buying them from Track of the Wolf or some other such place?

Thanks for the tip.

Mark

[heelerau]

Best off moulding your own, bullets for this type of rifle are quite straight forward to cast.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Rookie,

How is that .451 Volunteer working out for you? I have my eye on the Dixie website.

I have some questions for the group.
Why is it difficult getting the first shot off with the patent breech? Is it different than a T/C or Lyman patent breech?
Can you use .452 pistol boolits with a little less powder behind it?
Would using 1F or Swiss 1-1/2F help reduce the nipple erosion?
Can you get a nipple adaptor to use #11 caps, or #209, or metallic cartridge primers? musket caps are about the least easy-to-come-by.

[Tatume]

It is not difficult to fire the first shot. I hunt with mine, and have nothing but 100% reliability with it.
Excellent accuracy will be had with the Lyman 451114 mold designed especially for the Parker-Hale Volunteer. Bullets should be made of soft lead, pure lead if available. The barrel is made for long bullets. Pistol bullets made of soft lead might work; try some and see. I doubt they will be as accurate as a longer bullet such as the Lyman.
Nipple erosion is not an issue. Just buy a new one every few years. My best load uses FFFg powder.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

The manufacture of your rifle is quite important when you need a new nipple. The British made rifles have a 5/16 - 18 thread, but the Euroarms ones have an 8 - 1.75mm. I wouldn't totally dismiss the possibility that some early Euroarms Volunteers used British parts or tooling. You would be better to use a proper micrometer and thread gauge to measure a nipple, and not to place yourself in the situation of having to measure a nippleless hole.

They do indeed have a tendency to lift the hammer and therefore erode the nipple. A solution if you were designing a rifle (You wouldn't modify a PH Volunteer, would you? No, nobody would), would be to use a particularly powerful mainspring and a double set trigger to avoid an unacceptable trigger pull. You might affect some improvement by checking that the hammer contacts the cap equally all around its circumference. Track of the Wolf make both kinds of nipple to fit the No11 CCI cap. The smaller internal area of those caps, and perhaps also a smaller hole, might also reduce hammer lift and thus erosion.

I have also heard of a tiny transverse hole being drilled through the nipple to reduce this tendency. Actually I doubt this, for high-pressure gases moving quickly are reluctant to change direction - which is the reason why your revolver doesn't lost a lot more power through the cylinder gap than it does. A stainless nipple, like a stainless barrel, should last better, and after a little use will be grey, not obtrusively shiny. There is no doubt about a platinum lined nipple being beneficial, though -at a price. I dabble in gold and silver work, and my suppliers do small bore platinum tube which could probably be silver soldered into a steel nipple at considerably less cost. Those suppliers are in the UK, but there must surely be some in the US. Gold (you may not want to hear this) is cheaper, but softer with a lower melting point. The nipple ought to be rehardened and tempered after silver soldering.

The Volunteer should be far superior to a round-ball rifle for long range accuracy and killing power. It was designed in the belief that Napoleon III could be dangerous (as he proved but to somebody else), in order to encourage military rifle shooting. So the rules limited the weight and required different shooting positions and an unset trigger. It is better suited to hunting than the two types of American rifle which I find most interesting - the very heavy bench target rifles, and the Scheutzen rifles with extreme hooked buttplate, suitable only for standing shooting with the rifle on the upper arm.

[Tatume]

Hammer lift is an easily recognized sign that the nipple is eroded. I suppose even a good nipple could allow enough pressure to lift the hammer if very stiff loads were used, but my load of 90 grains of FFFg with a 450 grain bullet does not do it. Only when the orifice is visibly enlarged will this occur in my gun.

[Good Cheer]

On the fast twist .52 Renegade there's now a 209 adapter installed to eliminate back flow and nipple wear.
Looking forwards to tests when the ice stops.

[Tatume]

I should add that my 16-bore rifle does not lift the hammer either. This gun shoots a patched 435 grain ball using 120 grains of FFFg. When the hammer starts to lift I'll replace the nipple, which I last did about three years ago.

217014

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I should add that my 16-bore rifle does not lift the hammer either. This gun shoots a patched 435 grain ball using 120 grains of FFFg. When the hammer starts to lift I'll replace the nipple, which I last did about three years ago.

217014

All perfectly true, I'm sure. But just try using the same bullet weight (the .451s often used more) with the same powder charge, much the same energy and half the bore cross-sectional area.

[Tatume]

All perfectly true, I'm sure. But just try using the same bullet weight (the .451s often used more) with the same powder charge, much the same energy and half the bore cross-sectional area.


I suppose even a good nipple could allow enough pressure to lift the hammer if very stiff loads are used, but my load of 90 grains of FFFg with a 450 grain bullet does not do it.

In earlier posts in the thread I indicated I'm using a 450 grain bullet in a Parker-Hale Volunteer. I followed with the post about the stalking rifle, using a similar weight bullet with 120 grains of the same powder. I am aware that the 120 grain charge would likely lift the hammer of the Volunteer, and said as much.

The amount of force applied to the hammer is directly proportional to the pressure in the chamber times the cross sectional area of the orifice. If either one is increased, the force on the hammer is increased, and enough force will overcome the down force of the hammer spring. With a given bullet and powder charge, the orifice gradually enlarges until the hammer lifts, signaling the need for a new nipple.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

OK. So hammer-lift needs new nipple. But it appears that it is on the order of every year or so, not every 10 shots. That would stink if you had to have a stockpile of nipples in your shootin' bag. It would also stink if you had to spend lots of money every year for platinum nipples.

[pdgh59]

I have been reading this thread with interest. I have just acquired a 2 band Parker Hale Volunteer with Rigby rifling with very little use. Hopefully I will get to test it out on the weekend after Easter. Have cast a quantity of projectiles from a CBE 530 grain mould. The projectiles will be sized to .45. Thinking of starting off with70 grain of FFF.

[Tatume]

My Parker-Hale Volunteer was a prize gun that my friend Larry won in a championship match in Germany. When he traded it to me he said the most accurate charge was 86 grains of FFg with a 450 grain bullet, but he didn't include a mold with the gun. He did give me a coffee can full of the bullets he was using. I purchased the Lyman 451114 mold, and shot comparison groups with Larry's bullet and load and the Lyman bullet with 90 grains of FFFg. There was no measurable difference in groups. While it would appear there should be a velocity difference, again I found none (slightly more of a finer grain of powder, but the difference is so close and black powder is so inefficient, the noise overcomes the effect).

Did you read about my experience with sizing? I use 0.450" for target shooting, and unsized bullets for hunting. There is no difference in accuracy or point of impact. The smaller bullet loads with minimal effort, the larger is tight enough to stay in place during a day in the field.

Anyway, all that said, I'm confident your 70 grain charge and 530 grain bullet will be wonderfully accurate. I hope you enjoy your Parker-Hale Volunteer as much as I do mine.

[pdgh59]

Hi Tatume, I had read your experience on sizing to .450 plus have spoken to a few people who shoot muzzle loading target rifles. I would rather have a projectile that is easy to load. Will have to make do with a copper beryllium nipple until I can organise a platinum nipple from BACO.

[Rookie55]

Well, Black Jacque (any relation to Shellacque?), it's slow goin'. Remember how I said there was just too much work going on...I jinxed myself and it got worse. Did escape to Waldron - nice little drive down there - guy was super helpful and pleasant - got me powder and lube. Still need to get musket caps, bullets, and accouterments - platinum nipple, wrench, wads of some sort, drop tube, powder scale/volume measure tube for my powder horn, sling (any suggestions?), maybe something else I'm forgetting at the moment....baby steps but there's another insane week of work coming up and it's snowing outside anyway....spring and some breathing room will come....

[Rookie55]

And what about wad diameter - .451 like the bullets or larger? thickness? composition? And if I buy buklklets ('cause I don't see myself shooting large nough volumes to warrant buying molds, lead smelter, etc. - where best to buy them? Track of the wolf?

[Tatume]

Track of the Wolf is an excellent source for most stuff related to shooting muzzleloaders. Try shooting without wads. You may not need them. I don't use a drop tube either.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Rookie,

Yes, while I'm not "related" to the Shellacque family the moniker is inspired by the character. On other forums I use him as my avatar.

wads may or may not be necessary. If you don't have quick access to wads or a wad cutter, you can raid the kitchen pantry for cream of wheat, grits, or whatever similar grainy material an drop a small quantity of that on top of the powder charge.

TOW should be able to supply you with boolits. I would imagine there's probably someone here on these forums that would be willing to ship you some for a just exchange. I am interested in how things work for you. I can't get myself to pull the trigger on the four-digit price of a volunteer rifle.

I can't quite understand the idea of getting a gun that you don't plan on shooting enough to warrant casting equipment. How strange? Is that like buying wine to keep in your basement? Or a car to put up on blocks? :bigsmyl2:

[Rookie55]

LOL! Loved watching BJS Saturday mornings as a kid. Who knows...I may get hooked and then run to casting equipment. I certainly had a blast as a teenager doing it for my dad's smokeless pistols and rifles. I may try it without wads and a powder tube and see how it goes. Can always buy them later. What happens if you don't use anything between bullet and powder? Is that a bad thing?

[Rookie55]

anyone have a thought about slings? I'd like something functional but fairly traditional. I found slings on a website called Regimental Quartermaster that look pretty nice. Sling for P-1853 seems about the right width but maybe too long given it's made for a 3 band musket? then there are M1842 and M1861 Springfield slings that may be shorter(?) but may be too wide for my 1.25" wide swivels? Other options?

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I don't know about slings. I was hesitant to get my first flintlock deer rifle which tips the scale at 10.5 pounds with no sling. To my surprise I do not get exhausted from carrying it (and I do put on a lot of miles deer hunting). Rather, I notice that after several days it is the shoulder that holds my shooting bag and powder horn that gets sore - which is far less than 10 pounds. I think what happens is, since my flintlock is so long, I use it as a walking stick up hills, or rest the butt on the ground whenever I pause. So a long gun has its advantages.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

OK. So hammer-lift needs new nipple. But it appears that it is on the order of every year or so, not every 10 shots. That would stink if you had to have a stockpile of nipples in your shootin' bag. It would also stink if you had to spend lots of money every year for platinum nipples.

Hammer lift is indeed progressive, but it shouldn't require replacement anything like every ten shots with any kind of nipple. Admittedly it will erode a lot faster than the bore, and yet black powder rifle bores wouldn't last anything like as well as they do, if nipples lasted no longer than that. If they required to be replaced that often, you would surely wear the threads and permit fouling to enter and cause rust there.

I still think stainless steel nipples are a pretty good compromise, and after a few shots they don't look bright and shiny, any more than carbon ones look inky black. There is also plenty of stainless hypodermic needles and tubing on eBay, in various sizes - if the law doesn't need to protect you from them. I don't trust myself quite so much on silver soldering of stainless steel (though it usually works when it is where I can see it better.) There is no danger in it, though, since if it loosens, it will loosen when the inertia of the hammer is just coming to a standstill, and it can't get out.

[Tatume]

Nipple erosion is not an issue. Just buy a new one every few years. Post #21

I rarely need to replace the nipple in my Parker-Hale Volunteer. Although I have a new one in my kit, I can't remember when I bought it. Nipple erosion is not an issue. Just replace it every few years when the hammer starts lifting.

[Rookie55]

Does anyone know what the thread pitch is on the ramrod of these new Volunteers? I check mine at a local home improvement store and swear it was 12-24 but don't see any bullet pullers, etc. with that thread pitch/count. Second question - where best to find bronze brushes and wool mops for cleaning? Thanks!

[newrib]

Hello, I never looked at the threads on my ramrods until I saw your question. I use a brass range rod for loading and cleaning my frontloaders.
I am not sure who made your new Volunteer rifle. Is your rifle a new Pedersoli Volunteer ? Or is it a Euroarms or Parker-Hale ? In any case I checked the ramrod threads on my Pedersoli Whitworth rifle and they are 5mmx.8. I also checked the threads on the end of the ramrods on my English made Parker-Hale Volunteer rifles (and muskets, the ramrod threads are the same). The thread appears to be 12-28, however the thread is not a true American thread this was determined by trying to thread Dewey 12/28 cleaning rod adapters on to Parker-Hale ramrods. The Dewey jags and adapters thread on to the ramrods about 1/4 of a inch, that tells me they are not quite the same.
Buy or make a brass or Derlin range rod for 10/32 jags and your ramrod issues are fixed.
Good Luck !

[Rookie55]

Hi guys, remember me.... Hard to believe but I actually finally shot my Volunteer and it was great. Thing's a tack driver. Can't wait to get it in the woods this winter. One little challenge - the 450 gr .451 bullets I ordered from Buffalo Arms were REALLY HARD to load. Do I need to re-size to .450 (and, if so, how do I do that?) or do i need to buy a bullet starter or Plan C? Really appreciate all the insight I get from everyone!

[fgd135]

Hi guys, remember me.... Hard to believe but I actually finally shot my Volunteer and it was great. Thing's a tack driver. Can't wait to get it in the woods this winter. One little challenge - the 450 gr .451 bullets I ordered from Buffalo Arms were REALLY HARD to load. Do I need to re-size to .450 (and, if so, how do I do that?) or do i need to buy a bullet starter or Plan C? Really appreciate all the insight I get from everyone!

Maybe your bullets are over-sized? I use a .451" Lee push through sizer on the bullets I cast for my PH Volunteer, which works great. I've never needed a bullet starter, but I also use a range rod and not the ramrod.
Are you loading the usual way, that is, powder dropped thru a long tube into the patent breech, then seating a wad, wiping with a damp patch, then seating the bullet? Any powder fouling makes it tough to start a snug bullet in that gun.

[newrib]

Hi Rookie55,
I agree with fgd135's post. Your barrel should be wiped after charging and seating a wad. The bullets you ordered from Buffalo Arms may be cast with 20 to 1 alloy, which is the alloy I use, 20 to 1 is harder than pure lead (much). Anyway the proper bullet fit for target shooting is one which just slides down the bore, the loading rod just makes sure the bullet is seated on the wad. Pin Gages are the best way to check diameter of the bore, however another way is to force a oversize lead bullet in the muzzle about 3/8 of a inch then grab the part of the bullet sticking out of the muzzle with pliers and give it a full turn. That portion of bullet which was turned down is the bore size. Measure it and get a Lee push-thru sizer which is a .0005 to .001 smaller than bore diameter. I use a .450.
Good Luck
Tony

[bigted]

I should add that my 16-bore rifle does not lift the hammer either. This gun shoots a patched 435 grain ball using 120 grains of FFFg. When the hammer starts to lift I'll replace the nipple, which I last did about three years ago.

217014

Oh that is very nice! I would like to see many more pictures of your rifle.

[Tatume]

Oh that is very nice! I would like to see many more pictures of your rifle.

Thank you. Here's a few. If the Photo Bucket advertising is too distracting, I can re-post the originals.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?161519-Rigby-hunting-rifle

[Rookie55]

Thanks Tony and fgd135. No, I didn't use a drop tube or wipe down. Was tight from the first shot but I'll try those two tricks as well as your insight to proper sizing. Is there a better source of bullets? I'll let you know how it goes.

[milcol]

what is the suggested length of the drop tube for the Volunteer rifle,I use a drop tube when loading BP Cartridge but think it is to short.
Thanks