1842 Springfield .69

[Moloch]

Hello,

I am pretty new to muzzleloaders so dont be harsh with me and my stupid questions. :grin:

I week ago I ordered a new 1842 Springfield .69 percussion, smooth bore. Does anyone know what the standart load for that musket was when it was used? :hmm: Whats the max load?
I really dont know how much FF powder I should use to get decent results with the original powder charge + patched ball; or should I even use only F powder?

Are there any extremely important things I should know about loading a smooth bore .69 BP rifle? (Besides the standart rules for BP rifles)

Thanks for listening!

 

[rabjr]

Found this,

The Ordnance Manual published in 1860 calls for a load of 110 grains behind a .65 round ball, which was the standard military load for .69 smoothbore throughout the lifetime of that caliber in military service. Some of the powder was needed for priming the flintlock versions, but no change was made in the cartridge when the percussion model was introduced. The .65 roundball was wrapped with paper when loaded, so it could not be as large as the .680 ball that today's shooters use in the smoothbore. A more modest load to be tried is a .680 round ball over top of 80 grains of FFg. Patch the ball with a .010 or .015 patch for starters.

[url] http://www.civilwarguns.com/9605.html[/url]

 

[Moloch]

Thanks thats exactely what I was looking for!

So I was pretty close with my guess of 100 grains of FF as military load. I was also pretty close with my patched ball beeing .675 with 0.06 x2 patch. Good to know that I ordered the right stuff to have fun at the first day.

 

[rabjr]

I bettin your gonna have loads of fun Moloch. :grin:

Good luck with the new gun!

 

[Wes/Tex]

Remember that the powder used 150 years ago was less potent than current powders. Most smoothbore .69 to .75 bore sizes perform well with only 80 grains of FFg. Think you'll find a lot less recoil as well. Good luck.

 

[dlemaster]

Moloch
At one time I owned an original 1842 Springfield that loved 90 grs of 2F and the Lyman .69 mini bullet. My brother killed several deer with it, one at 110 yards. I regret selling it now.

Regards, Dave

 

[Moloch]

Thanks for the tip Dave,

which miné bullet weight did your 1842 like? There is a 600 grain a 7- and a 800 grain mold for .69 minés I could buy but I cant decide which one.

 

[dlemaster]

Moloch
At the time I had mine only the 600 grain was availble. I bought a Lyman mould.
When my brother killed deer with it. He said they went down like they had been hit by a freight train.

Regards, Dave

 

[The Dog Man]

I've had one for a little more than 8 years, now... I use it mostly for re-enacting, but have taken it out to the range for live fire with both round ball, buck & ball, and buckshot. I make my cartridges per the old 1840 Odnance manual, so it's 110 grains of FFFg, a .648 round ball, and three #1 buckshot. It's an impressive load... at 50 to 75 yards, a single round ball would penetrate a cement-block wall through-and-through. It's not that much of a precision load, but with a little bit of practice you can consistently hit a man-sized target out to 100 to 120 yards, and at anything less than that, buck & ball TELLS... just like the old rebels and the boys of the Irish Brigade used to say.

Tom

 

[Moloch]

. I make my cartridges per the old 1840 Odnance manual, so it's 110 grains of FFFg, a .648 round ball, and three #1 buckshot. It's an impressive load... at 50 to 75 yards, a single round ball would penetrate a cement-block wall through-and-through.

Yeah, .69 is actually more like a small shoulder fired cannon, its interesting that back in muzzleloader times they needed such power and such a big bore caliber.

I'll try your suggested load and see how it performs, I thought FFF is pistol powder only, isnt it too fine for that long barrel?! What about swiss F powder?

It's not that much of a precision load, but with a little bit of practice you can consistently hit a man-sized target out to 100 to 120 yards

And I was afraid that I wont be able to hit the broadside of a barn with it. Sounds like it will be be quiet respectable and fun rifle for 50 yds.

I hope powder fouling isnt that bad because I have a rather tight setup with a .675 bullet and a thin 0.06 patch - I only have around 0.03 left for powder residue. I guess I'll have to wipe it pefectly clean after each shot.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I've had my '42 for a long time now and have settled on 80 grains of ffg under a .672 ball and a .012 patch lightly lubed with with a bees-wax and tallow mix. Very effective out to sixty or seventy yards. 100+ grains of fffg strikes me as excessive and at 110 or more yards I might as well be throwing rocks. I haven't spent any time on buck and ball loads because they can't be used for hunting here--or in many other states, for that matter.

 

[Carteret Kid]

Buck & ball is a "kill or wound " shot . That is fine for war , but for hunting you don't want to wound game .

 

[Wes/Tex]

Buck & ball is a "kill or wound " shot . That is fine for war , but for hunting you don't want to wound game .

Exactly right. All those small balls flying around may not cause fatal wounds but any soldier who has to take time out to fix a wound is out of combat, at least till he finishes that one chore.

 

[varsity07840]

I shoot an original 1816 flint. I use 80gr of 2F behind a lubed cushion wad and a .672 ball with .010 patch. The relined bore mikes .687.

 

[BillinOregon]

I have long wondered how one of these performs with rifled barrel and the Lyman minie.

 

[varsity07840]

I also have an original '42 rifled with the long range sight, also relined by Bob Hoyt. I never tried the original type minie in it as the recoil is brutal on shooter and musket. I use the Rapine semi wadcutter and 60 gr. of 2F. It is very accurate. It shoots patched balls rather well too.