1866 Uberti Yellowboy all over the place

[Sheridan64]

Bought a used Uberti 1866 Yellowboy in .45 Colt. Carbine, 19in barrel.

It is patterning like a smoothbore musket at 100yds. Actually, that's unkind...my Charleville patched does better.

The rifling seems really thin. It's there, but you have to look for it. It's not even close to what I would call deep.

Loads tried: .452 250gr coated LRN...with 25gr 2F Pyrodex, 35gr 2F Pyrodex, 9gr Unique.

It goes from 5in at 50, to larger than a trashcan lid at the 100.

I'm drilling 3in groups at 100 with an original 1881 Trapdoor carbine, so it ain't me...

Any insight appreciated.

[cwtebay]

What does the bore slug to?

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[Sheridan64]

Haven't slugged it.

I've got some softer lead on order, but lowest I can find in a commercial cast is Brinell 12. (Missouri, non coated, Cowboy #1)

[snowwolfe]

Could the barrel be badly leaded?

[Sheridan64]

Could be, but I've worked it over pretty good. Butches, old Rem Bore Cleaner, Ballistol.

That makes some sense though. If previous owner was a CAS, it's probably full.

Brake Cleaner and Copper scrubby I guess. :-(

[Der Gebirgsjager]

There're so many things it could be.....is there a nick in the crown at the muzzle? Is the barrel band too loose or too tight?

DG

[Sheridan64]

Crown looks OK. Just had a Trapdoor re-crowned. It was bad. Even so, it still did ok. (does even better now)

Barrel bands factory spec. As with all Ubertis the biggest problem was initial screw removal. Nothing odd regards the bands.

[pworley1]

It could be many things, but my first thought is under size bullets and leaded bore.

[Sheridan64]

It could be many things, but my first thought is under size bullets and leaded bore.

That's easy to check. Start there.

It's a good looking gun, and it's gonna get some tack work so I'd really like to be able to hit something with it.

[cwtebay]

I guess I would start with a righteous cleaning and slug the bore. Definitely keep the barrel band in mind too!
I'm with the undersized bullets theory.

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[HWooldridge]

Try some jacketed bullets with smokeless as a test. If those shoot well, you probably have a size or BHN issue.

[Castaway]

Count your lands and grooves and post the number of each

[missionary5155]

Get a fishing sinker of pure lead and use that to check your bore.
Marlin Micro-groove barrels ( very shallow thin lands) will shoot cast with tight cast. Groove +.002 works in our 45 Colt.
Your experience reflects why many reloaders think cast cannot shoot well. You must size the "piston to the cylinder".

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Sounds like undersize boolits and leaded barrel. Maybe you know someone with a bore scope to check for leading. Serious barrel cleaning might be in order. New brass brush wrapped with Chore Boy or brass wool, there is product called Lead Out that helps.

[Castaway]

Deleted, double post

[Castaway]

Wow, a new record, a triple post. Sorry

[Castaway]

pworley1, many of the older Henry's had micro-groove rifling. That’s why I suggested counting your lands and grooves. If that’s the case, they can still shoot cast, but you’ll want them 0.454 or larger. Where do you get them, other than a custom mould, I don’t know. As HWooldridge suggested, try some jacketed bullets. If not micro-grooved and it doesn’t shoot jacketed bullets, that maybe the reason you got it on the used market.

[DAVIDMAGNUM]

.....but you’ll want them 0.454 or larger. Where do you get them, other than a custom mould, I don’t know..........
Desperado Cowboy Bullets
good people, good product

[HWooldridge]

I bought a 92 Rossi several years ago from a guy who was having similar problems. He was shooting CAS using factory loads with 250 gr lead bullets and said they shot all over the target. I got it home and saw streaks of lead in the bore - so I loaded a box of jacketed 250 gr Hornady XTP pills with 16 grs of Blue Dot. Groups now run about 1-1/2” at 50 yards. I’m going to work up a lead bullet load but I know there’s nothing wrong with the rifle.

[saguaro]

When I shot BP through my 24" barrel Marlin I put a grease cookie in for good measure to keep the fouling soft. Seemed to work.

[Geezer in NH]

pworley1, many of the older Henry's had micro-groove rifling.
Read the OP post it is an Uberti not Henry

[Sheridan64]

Count your lands and grooves and post the number of each

6 grooves, 6 lands.

[Sheridan64]

I bought a 92 Rossi several years ago from a guy who was having similar problems. He was shooting CAS using factory loads with 250 gr lead bullets and said they shot all over the target. I got it home and saw streaks of lead in the bore - so I loaded a box of jacketed 250 gr Hornady XTP pills with 16 grs of Blue Dot. Groups now run about 1-1/2” at 50 yards. I’m going to work up a lead bullet load but I know there’s nothing wrong with the rifle.

I chore boy'd the hell out of it the other day. Have some jacketed round nose. Will run a few through for good measure.

[Castaway]

Oops, got stuck on the yellow part

[indian joe]

pworley1, many of the older Henry's had micro-groove rifling. That’s why I suggested counting your lands and grooves. If that’s the case, they can still shoot cast, but you’ll want them 0.454 or larger. Where do you get them, other than a custom mould, I don’t know. As HWooldridge suggested, try some jacketed bullets. If not micro-grooved and it doesn’t shoot jacketed bullets, that maybe the reason you got it on the used market.

he said its a Uberti 1866??????????? we have two quite old ones and they conventional rifling (both shoot good too)

[jaxondog406@gmail.com]

Try some Chore Boy copper scrubbing pad. Wrap some (doesn't take much) around your selected bore brush so that you struggle a little to get it to go in the end of barrel. O
nce it's in, give it about 100 strokes and if it is leaded, it will get it out. It has worked for me for years.

[Sheridan64]

Ran Chore Boy and some jacketed 230gr through it and hey, I can really see the rifling now!

Got in some Missouri cast 250s and will try them tomorrow and see what happens.

Kind of an off question, but in addition to the regular wax lube they come with I'm coating them with Lee Alox. Any insight on that?

[Sheridan64]

Ok, it aint the gun. Deep clean and it's now shooting 1in with jacket xtp on 8gr Unique. Doesn't like the missouri cast @ 12 brinell. Bit better with the srs 16 brinell.

[cwtebay]

Nice! Well done!

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[Sheridan64]

Ok, it aint the gun. Deep clean and it's now shooting 1in with jacket xtp on 8gr Unique. Doesn't like the missouri cast @ 12 brinell. Bit better with the srs 16 brinell.

It was the gun...to correct myself. It was leaded up bad. I've never had a gun that had that bad an issue.

Running jacketed and chore boy through it solved this problem. Now it's dialed in pretty decent.

Long, lovely day at the range with the hand press and the Marty Robinson play list.

Now to doll it up with tack work.

[Sheridan64]

Oh, another "Discovery" if you will....Triple 7 was outperforming the Pyrodex and 8gr Unique on the XTPs was phenomenal.

[HWooldridge]

Another thing I've done is wipe the bore with Johnson Paste Wax after every session. Seems to help slick up the bore for lead boolits.

[Thundermaker]

Another thing I've done is wipe the bore with Johnson Paste Wax after every session. Seems to help slick up the bore for lead boolits.

good to know.

[Sheridan64]

299179

Running like a beauty now. Many thanks to all.

* Took off the Uberti Soviet Orange finish, re-did with linseed oil and turpentine. Slicked up some internal parts, got the leading sorted out, then did the tack work. Replacing buggered Uberti screws and adding a saddle ring.

[Andy45]

I am glad I came across this thread. Have the same rifle with the same accuracy issue.

[Baltimoreed]

299471
The 1866 is a very pretty rifle. I have a uberti musket version. Glad you got yours figured out.