1,000 yards

[fred t]

This is my first post other than hello post.
I hope I get it right! Could a person build
a muzzle loader with the parts available now
that could shoot 1,000 yard targets using conicals
and fast rifling??
What do you think!!
Fred

 

[Freedom]

You sure can...you can make them shoot just like a sharps rifle :thumbsup:

 

[Larry Pletcher]

Every spring and fall a shoot like this is held in OakRidge TN. They shoot 300, 600, and 1000 yards. A typical barrel is .45 cal, 1 turn in 18", and shoots a 530-540 grain bullet. The bullet may leave the muzzle at maybe, 1350 fps. Both paper patch and grease groove bullets are used. These fellows are VERY good.

The rear sight elevation at 1000 yards is such that my cheek is too high to contact the stock without some elevated pad attached to the stock.

Don't confuse this with roundball shooting - a whole different ball game. Pretty cool too.
Regards,
Pletch

 

[Bubba45]

Holy Crow :shocked2: How big is the target to be able to see it at 1000yds ?

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

You could also just buy a used Parker Hale Whitworth or Volunteer rifle to get started. The English built guns bring a premium but they're worth it.

 

[grey8833]

Longshadow:

Petonica River has an English Rifle kit (Rigby muzzleloader) for long range (1000 yard) shooting. The kit is a good price but when you go looking for sights be prepared for sticker shock. The molds and sizing dies for the "bolt" will set you back too. I am about a 1/3 of the way through my kit, which is pretty much as described by Pletch. If you want proof of black powder accuracy, look on youtube under "Long Range Shot" about the third or so video down. 10 inch bull at 1000 yards, three shots, three bulls. Its a breechloader, but you will get the idea. By the way, the drop at 1000 yards is something like 40 feet, which is why the vernier sights are cranked up so high.

Mike F

 

[ResearchPress]

If you want to build there are kits available as have been identified. See also Joe Hepsworth's site at www.jcunard.com . He supplies a lot of long range shooting items.

In September the World Long Range Championships will be held in the USA at Camp Butner, North Carolina. There wil be matches at 300, 500, 600, 900 and 1000 yards. In the UK we hold the Metford Trophy Match which is the aggregate of 15 shots at each distance, 1000, 1100 & 1200 yards.

Long range shooting as a major sport really started in 1860 with the first NRA(GB) rifle meeting, where the finalists of the Queens Prize fired Whitworth rifles at 800, 900 and 1000 yards.

David

 

[TANSTAAFL]

LRML News

Oak Ridge is just 6 weeks away! I wanted to go ahead and send this out even though the International Match is currently underway in South Africa. Let me know any questions and please note my change on gun weight, I think it worth a try. Shooting is at 300, 600 & 1000 yards.
http://www.lrml.org/news/index.htm



Perhaps the best known MLAGB meeting is the Schützenfest. Here traditional hand painted wooden schützen targets supplement more conventional targets, while a hefty programme covers a variety of arms from matchlock muskets at 50 metres through to percussion match rifles at 1000 yards.

http://www.sports-1-link.co.uk/muzzle_loaders.htm

 

[fred t]

Thank you all for the replies. Long range
shooting is what sparked my interest in muzzle
loading. I have been to the LRBP site and that's what got me going. I am not a hunter but I have
a renewed interest in shooting. I will go to the Pecatonica site and see what they have. Oh, I
think the targets are 6' square.
Fred

 

[Mad Professor]

You can buy a Pedersoli Gibbs that will do what you want.

GM made a run of 1-18 45 cal barrels a while ago, those should also reach out and touch things.

There were also some whitworth copies, I'm not sure of the source.

A member here participates in long range matches, he'll chime in soon. can you hear me david?

 

[Idaho Ron]

He already did. Ron

 

[fred t]

Yes I did receive a PM from David. It seems
that the fast twist and the heavy bullet are
the main rifle changes, I wonder how much
powder it takes? And the techniec means a whole
lot also. Fred

 

[Dphar]

This is my first post other than hello post.
I hope I get it right! Could a person build
a muzzle loader with the parts available now
that could shoot 1,000 yard targets using conicals
and fast rifling??
What do you think!!
Fred

People do it all the time, but the bullets are generally 500-560 grains in 45 caliber and are not called conicals, these are too short for LR work. The bullets are cylindrical and usually 3 calibers or so in length. About 1.375 to 1.5" long for a 45.
If you read Ned Roberts "The Muzzle-Loading Caplock Rifle" you will read accounts of the first longrange match in the US which pitted the Irish Champion of the world team with MLs against the Americans shooting Sharps and Remington breech loaders. The underdog Americans beat them both years in America and convinced people that the breechloading rifle really was viable as a longrange competition gun. The British developed a cartridge for this purpose that was almost identical to the 45 2.4" Sharps LR cartridge.
Pedersoli makes a recreation of a similar ML longrange rifle that does very well indeed in 1000 yard matches.
Anyone who shoots ML guns and has not read Ned Roberts book is not properly informed. Roberts grew up shooting MLS.
Roberts is better known in some circles as the man who invented the 257 Roberts CF.
If you build one you need the 1 1/4" english breech with a 32-34" rapid taper barrel preferably full round, in 45 caliber with a 16 to 18" twist. The pressures involved dictate careful breeching, a QUALITY barrel of alloy steel 4140-4150 CM, platinum lined nipple and several hundred dollars (600 probably) in sights.
Its all out there. But do your research.
The Pedersoli costs about 1000-1100 bucks. Can't make one for that. I would make my own but to do this as I stated one must do his homework, pressures are far higher than with a round ball or the typical ML conical. The originals used 90-110 grains of powder.

Dan

 

[dlimoges]

In responce to a black powder rifle that can shoot at 1000 yards. The Parker Hale Whitworth reproduction is sold euroarms.I shot conical out of it but nothing at that range.I bougt a used one at auction and they had any parts that I wanted.

 

[Bountyhunter]

If you ever attend any of the Long Range Black Powder Cartridge events at Whittington Center, you will see them poking the 1000 yard bull shot after shot with .45-70's. As the guys say 500 to 535 gr bullets over 70 grains of very highly compressed powder. The mid range trajectory on them is something like 140 feet. A lot of the guys lay on the back edge of the shooting burm with their bodies downhill to get the necessary elevation. Lemme see if I have a pic of one of those bullets. If I do, it will be the one on the left.

Yes, I found it. This would be typical of one of the bullets. .45 cal-500 gr. The hollow based .405 next to it doesnt carry the mail at that ranges.

 

[fred t]

I certainly got what I ask for! I Thank you
all for the info, and I will continue to pursue
and let ya'll know if It happens.
Fred

 

[greyghost]

David,
They just had that shoot on the outdoor channel this past wednesday night. The winner who has won twice before shot a 91 with 2 x's at 900 yds. He explained that with the arch of the bullet at this slow speed topped out at about 55' above ground. They were all shooting prone position. He was shooting a whitworth and others had rigbys and sharps etc.