Got my Bob Hoyt rebore back!

[T-Bird]

I got my 54 cal GM barrel that I had rebored to 58 cal today. He said on the phone that he "would get to it when he could" that he was covered up. Turnaround time was 3 weeks and 2 days. I posted about this asking about twist rates etc, on this forum. Advice was to tell him what I wanted to do with it and let him decide, which is what I did. I told him that I wanted a rifle that I could shoot accurately with 70-100gr 2F with PRB mostly at targets, but occasionally for hunting deer. He sent me the barrel back with the following specs: .580 bore. grove depth .011. It is 1:66" twist rate. Shot it today at the range, shot great with .570 ball and .015 patch lubed with TOTW mink oil lube, 80 gr Grafs 2F at 50 yds. My experience with his work is great! Seemed to clean easier too.

[LAGS]

You think that is good now?
Wait till you break it in.
They usually improve even more.

[stubshaft]

Bobby has done a couple of barrels for me and if anything, they were more accurate than the original caliber!

[lead chucker]

I have been shooting my renegade barrel he made for me from 50 cal to 58, It shoots pretty good. I chronographed my round ball loads with 100 gr 3f with a .562 round ball and averaged 1500 to 1550 fps. Thats with home made powder. Really happy with it so far. Its a 1/60 twist with .010 deep rifling

[LAGS]

If that is Homemade powder?
Is that 100 gr by actual weight or volume ?
If just by volume , try upping it just a little and see if your speed goes up.

[lead chucker]

I weight it. Its a approximately 120 gr by volume. Im going to change my screening to what what you told me and see how it goes. If it goes threw a 20 and stays on a 30 its 2f and ges through a 30 and stays on a 40 its 3f. Hope to test some sunday.

[lead chucker]

Should give me better consistency. I hope.

[lead chucker]

When i got my barrel back and shot it, it was tearing patches a bit. The patches i found looked good but had a tare in them and they were all the same so i figure there is some sharp rifling from when he cut the new rifling. Last night i ran some 220 grit paste on a patch up and down a bunch then cleaned the gun and repeated the process with 600 grit and then 1200 grit. I can tell a difference when i run a dry patch down the barrel, its allot smoother now. Going to test to see if it helped tomorrow. I did the same with the 54 i had him make me. I think the patches were getting cut when loading the gun but not sure.

[Nobade]

Same experience here, I had him rebore a Renegade from 54 to 58. I'd shot it a few times and it did OK but not incredible. One day I went to the range and burned a whole pound of powder through it, looking for the best load. By the end of the day it was loading really slick, minimal fouling, and had become extremely accurate. I guess he doesn't lap his barrels when they're done but leaves that up to the customer. That's fine, it is just a good excuse to shoot more and get acquainted with your new barrel.

[T-Bird]

I forgot to say the twist he gave me, 1:66". I added that to my original post. My barrel is 36" long, maybe that's why he did the slower twist than the 1:60" he used for the shorter Renegade barrels. I may lap it with 4/0 steel wool, I really can't tell it's rough, but it couldn't hurt. I only tried one load, patch and ball combo and it worked so I didn't change anything- unusual for me, I usually don't stop with success, I try to find "better" lol. I will have to file the front sight some, it shoots a few inches low right now though.

[LAGS]

I always Lap the new or refurbished barrels for M L guns but not the new barrels for my center fire guns .
That is because,
The patches can get cut by the sharp rifling .
But my Center fire guns shoot Bullets with no patches.
Those barrels will quickly Lap themselves as you break them in.
But a ML using a patch ,
It could take longer to break in the barrel since the patch is such a cushion and lubed.

[Nobade]

Patches lubed with JB Bore paste will shine them up right quick.

[LAGS]

Yep
Bore Bright works very well to do Fire Lapping / Polishing

[T-Bird]

Noblade, do you just run the JB paste coated patches with a jag or do you fire lap with them?

[Nobade]

Noblade, do you just run the JB paste coated patches with a jag or do you fire lap with them?

When I did that, I used them for firelapping. Clean between each shot or you can't load the next one.

[T-Bird]

Yeah, I bet. How many did you run?

[Nobade]

Yeah, I bet. How many did you run?

I don't remember, maybe 20 or so. That was in my Dixie Squirrel, not the Hoyt rebore. In that one I just fired it a couple hundred times to smooth it out.

[T-Bird]

well, due to the cap shortage, I want to "speed" along the breaking in process

[Nobade]

well, due to the cap shortage, I want to "speed" along the breaking in process

That's certainly understandable. Scrubbing the bore with Scotchbrite on a jag for a while should work too, and be easier on your cap supply. Maybe do that first to see how it goes.

[AZ Muzzleloaders]

Bobby has done a couple of dozen barrels for us. Always pleased with his work.