69 caliber

[tcsmokepole]

I don't hear a lot about 69 caliber guns. I would guess that a rifled 69 caliber shooting a round ball would be a real killer. I don't imagine anyone makes a 69 caliber drop in barrel. Do any of you guys shoot 69 caliber?

 

[Enfield1]

I've wanted a repro 1842 Springfield Musket for a long time, but I would like it to be the smoothbore so that I could pattern some buck'n ball loads. The rifled version of this musket would be quite a piece of artillery.

 

[Runner]

I think most folks use 69 caliber balls in their 12 guage barrels if they shoot roundball out of them.

 

[Homesteader]

That's a fact. It's what I use out of my SxS when I'm not using shot.

 

[Rebel]

I use .690's and a thick denim patch in my Bess carbine.

 

[Deadeye]

A friend has a Green River Hawken in .69. It's a wonderful rifle, as accurate as any rifle in any caliber. He's been shooting it in all our matches for several yrs. It's a dandy.

 

[spudnut]

I have a 69 1717 French musket ,Never miked it but a .680 goes down tight patchless and I can't get a patched one down so I use a .640 with a thick patch,My Bess takes a .735 with a paper patched cartridge or flannel...Mark

 

[bpesteve]

Looking through a bunch of current catalogs and web sites seems to indicate that a lot of earlier French muskets were .69 caliber (14 gauge). I've just picked up a modern-made 14 gauge fowler to try after having an original 14 gauge percussion double rifle for a while. Round balls --> bigger is better! :grin:

 

[tcsmokepole]

Thanks for all the info.