Flintlock accuracy Colerain barrel

Psquint · November 2, 2009, 09:18 AM

Hi everyone,

Anyone have experience with colerain barrels? 32 inch swamped barrel on a jeager-style stock.

I've titrated a load that gives a ~four inch group at 50 yards (swiss FFg) but is worthless at 100 yards. Anyone have suggestions on how I might improve precision, especially at 100 yards?

DougP · November 2, 2009, 09:48 AM

Psquint--- sounds like a nice gun -- I hope it is a good squirrel killer, or deer killer. Try going to, start with about -- Oh yea -

- you didn't say what Cal. or what ball size you've tried or patch thickness, and lube. It all makes a diference. And how long have you been shooting, and shooting black powder ? Shooting from a bench or off hand. Flint or cap ?

Then we can get you going correctly.

Psquint · November 2, 2009, 12:20 PM

That first message was mostly throwing bate and seeing if anyone bit!

It's a .58. I've been shooting it for three years now and it has taken one deer in its short life. I've been shooting flintlocks for 5 years now and was shooting caplocks before that for several years. When I'm getting my current groups I rest it on my shooting bag. It's a full stock, BTW.

I load with a brass tube straight down the barrel and weigh loads to within 100 mg, which of course means that when I load 60 grains it could actually be 59-61 grains.

I use a hornandy .57 round ball and a 0.01 oxyoke prelubed patch for a super tight fit since, with the radius groove rifling, it's like loading a smoothbore. Then I swab the barrel with both sides of a saliva moistened patch every 4 shots. Anyway...there's a little bit more.

PQ

arcticap · November 2, 2009, 12:42 PM

I would experiment with increasing the powder charge to see if the PRB will stabilize for a longer distance.
Maybe you should see how the load is doing at 75 yards and whether you can fine tune it at that distance before moving out to 100.

How are the fired patches holding up, have you examined any?
I've mostly thought that .010 patches were a little bit too thin for a lot of guns.
Use a mallet if you need help to load balls using a thicker patch or maybe first try using a wool wad or an overpowder wad to serve as a gas check.

DougP · November 2, 2009, 12:55 PM

throwing bate and seeing if anyone bit! = we are not fish :confused:

I use a hornandy .57 round ball = good, may be try .575

0.01 oxyoke prelubed patch = try .018 to .020 pillow ticking with spit lube
cut off at the muzzle.

swab the barrel with both sides of a saliva moistened patch every 4 shots =
swab after every shot==use simple green, and a dry patch or water
then a dry patch
I load 60 grains Swiss == try Goex = good for 50 yards
= 70 grains 2F for 100 yards
Swiss is very good but very hot, maybe to hot for your gun.

Try this out and let me know how things go --

Psquint · November 2, 2009, 01:49 PM

Thanks, guys, I'll give these things a try.

I haven't tried an overcard...the patches are black but usually not torn. When the load goes much above 70 grains I start seeing patch damage. I'll give the over card a try. I like using an overcard for my gibbs rifle with paper patched bullets and have decent to very good results that are probably better than no overcard (meaning I need to shoot more to get real data but with kids, job, the need to stay fed and hydrated, etc. it's tough!)

I'll let you guys know what happens!

PQ

DougP · November 2, 2009, 04:26 PM

I haven't tried an overcard = most round ball gun don't shoot as well with them. Try the .020 patch first . I think you'll like the results. Remember a 4" group at 50 off a bag is nothing to brag about.. trust me, you and that rifle can do better. Keep trying.

roklok · November 2, 2009, 05:38 PM

I used a Colerain barrel for my last build. I am still trying to find a load that I am satisfied with. It seems a bit more finicky than my Green Mountain barrels. It is shooting well enough at 100 yards for deer hunting, but not for competition. I can get 4-5 inch groups at 100 yards, it is a .54 flintlock.

Psquint · November 2, 2009, 10:35 PM

I ain't braggin'...it was like being at a support group meeting getting that off my chest like that!

I was glad to hear about the 4-5 inch groups at 100 yards and your dissatisfaction with that...means that I can achieve much greater precision. I will likely get out to the range again this week...I will post my results!

Thanks again!

PQ

arcticap · November 2, 2009, 10:54 PM

I realize that 100 yards is a standard distance at shooting ranges but it's really just an arbitrary length.
It not like 100 yards is a magic number that every gun must shoot well at although it's a fun challenge to try.
The groups of some guns and loads simply break down after 75 yards or so for whatever reason.

November 2, 2009, 09:18 AM	#1
Psquint Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Posts: 5	Flintlock accuracy Colerain barrel Hi everyone, Anyone have experience with colerain barrels? 32 inch swamped barrel on a jeager-style stock. I've titrated a load that gives a ~four inch group at 50 yards (swiss FFg) but is worthless at 100 yards. Anyone have suggestions on how I might improve precision, especially at 100 yards?

November 2, 2009, 09:48 AM	#2
DougP Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Location: Ohio US Posts: 54	Psquint--- sounds like a nice gun -- I hope it is a good squirrel killer, or deer killer. Try going to, start with about -- Oh yea -- you didn't say what Cal. or what ball size you've tried or patch thickness, and lube. It all makes a diference. And how long have you been shooting, and shooting black powder ? Shooting from a bench or off hand. Flint or cap ? Then we can get you going correctly.

November 2, 2009, 12:42 PM	#4
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	I would experiment with increasing the powder charge to see if the PRB will stabilize for a longer distance. Maybe you should see how the load is doing at 75 yards and whether you can fine tune it at that distance before moving out to 100. How are the fired patches holding up, have you examined any? I've mostly thought that .010 patches were a little bit too thin for a lot of guns. Use a mallet if you need help to load balls using a thicker patch or maybe first try using a wool wad or an overpowder wad to serve as a gas check. Last edited by arcticap; November 2, 2009 at 10:45 PM.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

November 2, 2009, 12:20 PM	#3
Psquint Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Posts: 5	That first message was mostly throwing bate and seeing if anyone bit! It's a .58. I've been shooting it for three years now and it has taken one deer in its short life. I've been shooting flintlocks for 5 years now and was shooting caplocks before that for several years. When I'm getting my current groups I rest it on my shooting bag. It's a full stock, BTW. I load with a brass tube straight down the barrel and weigh loads to within 100 mg, which of course means that when I load 60 grains it could actually be 59-61 grains. I use a hornandy .57 round ball and a 0.01 oxyoke prelubed patch for a super tight fit since, with the radius groove rifling, it's like loading a smoothbore. Then I swab the barrel with both sides of a saliva moistened patch every 4 shots. Anyway...there's a little bit more. PQ

November 2, 2009, 12:55 PM	#5
DougP Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Location: Ohio US Posts: 54	throwing bate and seeing if anyone bit! = we are not fish :confused: I use a hornandy .57 round ball = good, may be try .575 0.01 oxyoke prelubed patch = try .018 to .020 pillow ticking with spit lube cut off at the muzzle. swab the barrel with both sides of a saliva moistened patch every 4 shots = swab after every shot==use simple green, and a dry patch or water then a dry patch I load 60 grains Swiss == try Goex = good for 50 yards = 70 grains 2F for 100 yards Swiss is very good but very hot, maybe to hot for your gun. Try this out and let me know how things go --

November 2, 2009, 01:49 PM	#6
Psquint Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Posts: 5	Thanks, guys, I'll give these things a try. I haven't tried an overcard...the patches are black but usually not torn. When the load goes much above 70 grains I start seeing patch damage. I'll give the over card a try. I like using an overcard for my gibbs rifle with paper patched bullets and have decent to very good results that are probably better than no overcard (meaning I need to shoot more to get real data but with kids, job, the need to stay fed and hydrated, etc. it's tough!) I'll let you guys know what happens! PQ

November 2, 2009, 04:26 PM	#7
DougP Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Location: Ohio US Posts: 54	I haven't tried an overcard = most round ball gun don't shoot as well with them. Try the .020 patch first . I think you'll like the results. Remember a 4" group at 50 off a bag is nothing to brag about.. trust me, you and that rifle can do better. Keep trying.

November 2, 2009, 05:38 PM	#8
roklok Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2008 Location: Fort Yukon, Alaska Posts: 735	I used a Colerain barrel for my last build. I am still trying to find a load that I am satisfied with. It seems a bit more finicky than my Green Mountain barrels. It is shooting well enough at 100 yards for deer hunting, but not for competition. I can get 4-5 inch groups at 100 yards, it is a .54 flintlock.

November 2, 2009, 10:35 PM	#9
Psquint Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Posts: 5	I ain't braggin'...it was like being at a support group meeting getting that off my chest like that! I was glad to hear about the 4-5 inch groups at 100 yards and your dissatisfaction with that...means that I can achieve much greater precision. I will likely get out to the range again this week...I will post my results! Thanks again! PQ

November 2, 2009, 10:54 PM	#10
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	I realize that 100 yards is a standard distance at shooting ranges but it's really just an arbitrary length. It not like 100 yards is a magic number that every gun must shoot well at although it's a fun challenge to try. The groups of some guns and loads simply break down after 75 yards or so for whatever reason.