72 caliber roundball

[kkmemmott]

I have always been interested in the big bore roundball, meaning 62 cal and larger. I have shot a 10 bore Jeager flintlock with 180 grains of 2f and a 670 grain ball. It was a lot of fun to shoot and it put three roundballs almost in the same hole at 50 yards. I have heard that the big roundballs are not as accurate at longer range, say past 100 yards. Has anyone found this to be true and do you feel it is due to the heavier recoil, or something else. Also, does anyone know what kind of velocity can be obtained in a 12 bore rifled barrel with 200 grains of 2f black powder (Barrel length 36")?

 

[Rifleman1776]

what kind of velocity can be obtained in a 12 bore rifled barrel with 200 grains of 2f black powder

It is "OUCH" :shocked2: feet per second.

 

[kkmemmott]

I have found that the way to deal with heavy recoil is to not make long sessions at the bench. A flinch can be developed when shooting 15 - 20 shots at a time. I shoot maybe two groups of 3 and then come back another day and shoot a few more. Once my group is found. I don't go back to the bench. I shoot from hunting positions (standing, sitting, and not prone with a big gun).

 

[okawbow]

My 62 Hawken with a 1 1/8" x 1" tapered barrel is the most accurate longrange rifle I own. The barrel is 1 in 72" twist, and I use a tightly patched round ball. With a sliding leaf rear sight, at the top notch, I used to hit a frying pan at 200 yards every shot. I won a lot of offhand matches with that gun. It's not one to shoot from a bench, however. I shot best from a sitting position with my elbows on my knees. Even the heavy loads were tolerable then.

 

[kkmemmott]

my barrel is a swamped barrel, 37" long with a 1:72 twist. How heavy of charges were you using?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

For Forsyth the smallest bore that he liked was the 14 bore. He recommended a 1:104 twist, and especially liked his 8 bore. His absolute max range was 200 yards in a hunting rifle, and acknowledged that he wanted to be able to shoot out to 150 yards without worry, but that the vast majority of his shots in the jungle in India were at 100 yards or less. He supposed the same was true for forest hunters the world over.

LD

 

[okawbow]

I used up to 180 grains 2f, which is 1/2 the ball weight of powder. My Barrel is 36". That is a maximum load, and would be too much for many guns and shooters. But, if I were hunting big dangerous game, I would load that way. 120 grains 2f will shoot almost as good in my rifle.

 

[ohio ramrod]

My nephew has a 72 caliber fourty inch barrel length rifle and won't shoot over 120 grains in it due to heavy recoil.Accuracy is very good , but you have to know your range as the ball has considerable drop due to slower velocity. :idunno:

 

[kkmemmott]

Thanks for the info. I can't wait to finish my gun and work up some loads.

 

[Amikee]

I guess I'm a wimp since I'm debating .45 vs .50 and you're saying .72? :rotf: That's got to kick!

 

[MSW]

well, I've fed my fifty some pretty heave loads (when I had not yet come to understand that, although having a projectile pass close at a high velocity may be pretty scary, having the selfsame projectile actually strike the intended target will result in a substantially more discussion ending outcome).

putting lead on target gets it done, and putting lead near the target does not.

bambi doesn't notice the extra fifty feet per second, or the extra however many extra foot pounds. bambi notices a large hole through the 'boiler room,' after which he feel pretty poor and decides to lie down and rest for a bit.

so, to cut the rant short: don't get all wrapped around the axle about extra velocity - get the load which will provide the best accuracy for that particular rifle.

OK - i'll climb down off my soapbox now before I fall and hurt myself.

:wink:

 

[nkbj]

Recoil isn't bad with .62 Rifle .600RB 120 gr FFg at 1533FPS.

 

[kkmemmott]

So your saying that the increased recoil due to the higher powder charge is why the accuracy is not as good at the longer ranges? The reason I asked this question, is that where I hunt there is a lot of open mountain canyons where the oak brush is thick and getting within 50-60 yards is not real possible in some situations. 100-150 yards is more realistic, so I wanted to know how accuracy with the big bores could be out to 150. A little flatter trajectory is what I'm looking for. Recoil is really not a factor for me for the first 6 shots or so. That is why I don't shoot long sessions at the range. Field shooting is where the fun is.

 

[kaintuck]

i had a 2-1/4" smoothbore cannon...shot a couple pound ball....3oz powder....would hold a 3ft circle at 100yds....but would also penetrate 12" trees :shocked2:

now when you put rifling to a projectile, holding a good 12" at 250yds with cannon sights will be possible......and then the penetration factor is still WAY up there......and talk about your ft pounds of power.... :surrender:

so...is bigger - better??? only if you can afford the powder these days!

 

[oletymepreacher]

My load of 90 grains of 2F goex and 72 cal round ball killed a buffalo at 100 yards using a short barrel Kodiak double rifle.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have found that the way to deal with heavy recoil is to not make long sessions at the bench. A flinch can be developed when shooting 15 - 20 shots at a time. I shoot maybe two groups of 3 and then come back another day and shoot a few more. Once my group is found. I don't go back to the bench. I shoot from hunting positions (standing, sitting, and not prone with a big gun).

I actually had a .72 cal. rifle at one time. It was an original CW rifled musket that was a limited experimental production. I could never find a mini mould for it. It had a nock type breech that required a minimum of 120 grains of bp to fill. I did "limit" my shooting sessions because after the third shot my battered shoulder could not take any more punishment. And I wasn't able to shoot it again for about two weeks until the black and blue and pain went away. But, it was accurate with those three shots. For the record, it had 12 lands and grooves with round top and bottom rifling. Dunno the twist.

 

[kkmemmott]

That is excellent! could you give me some details like did the ball exit, where did you hit it, how far did it run etc. I always like to here about the effect a large roundball has on very large game.

 

[Paul_R]

I have found that the way to deal with heavy recoil is to not make long sessions at the bench.

I've found the best way to deal with heavy recoil is with a lead sled. I have a dft model though I have yet to even think I need it with my paltry .54 :grin:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

100-150 yards is more realistic, so I wanted to know how accuracy with the big bores could be out to 150. A little flatter trajectory is what I'm looking for.

Which is the whole point of Forsyth's observations and conclusions. In the woods, 100 yard or closer shots, but in an open area he wanted to reach out to 150 yards, and perhaps on very rare days, 200 yards using a very large bore rifle, hence the heavy powder charges to eliminate any trajectory problems. His standards for accuracy when hunting are the same as those of us today, and he expected to be able to place the ball in a spot that would drop the animal, not wound it or miss it.

LD

 

[varsity07840]

My 30" flint .72 has an 1 1/4 Forsythe. 150 gr of 2F Goex is not that bad off the bench, obviously
due to the heavy weight. My 16 bore English Stalking rifle is a featherweight and felt recoil is worse than the .72 even though the charge is only 70 gr of Swiss 2F.

Duane