-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
barrel length
- Thread starter rfcbuf
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Actually, 38" isn't all that short. The T/C Hawken is only 28" and the Lyman Great Plains is 32", so yours is fairly long compared to them. You should be able to use 80-90 grs with no problem. Most of it will depend on what load shoots best out of your rifle.
rfcbuf,
Do you know how much your gun weighs? I am planning to get an Isaac Haines parts set to build for my 14yr old. Was thinking of a B weight .50, but think it is probably too light, and tending towards a .45 cal.
I also think 70gr 3f would be fine. You might be able to burn more wuith a nice tight patch ball combo, or wad of some sort under the ball.
Gregg
Do you know how much your gun weighs? I am planning to get an Isaac Haines parts set to build for my 14yr old. Was thinking of a B weight .50, but think it is probably too light, and tending towards a .45 cal.
I also think 70gr 3f would be fine. You might be able to burn more wuith a nice tight patch ball combo, or wad of some sort under the ball.
Gregg
like rebel[url] said....in[/url] my T/C hawken using 70 grains with PRB with the 28" barrel at the range there was almost no powder on the snow in front of the bench.............bob
Last edited by a moderator:
70gr. of 3F, should be NO problem. As far as powder on snow. I too heard that story looong time ago and tried it. I found that what I was seeing was not powder but carbon/ash from the actual shooting. Not unburnt powder :results:
The last I. Haines I built with a maple stock & B50 Colerain of 38" weighed 7.5#. Usually they go 7.5 to 8" depending on the density of the wood with that barrel & also depends on how trim you make it. It is IDEAL for the 14 yr. old & definately not too light. It balances Wonderfully also with that combo. Plus the .50 cal. has more energy at 100 yards & larger hole than the .45 if deer hunting is a possibility. Also ideal for shooting steel plates in sihoulette shooting as it has the umph to knock the 100 yard plates over easily.
You can load it light til he gets used to it (50 grains of 3F) and break him in to it & then bump the charge a li more later. It is a Great combo.
You can go to 90 grains in the 38" barrel & it will burn ALL of the powder.
:imo:
You can load it light til he gets used to it (50 grains of 3F) and break him in to it & then bump the charge a li more later. It is a Great combo.
You can go to 90 grains in the 38" barrel & it will burn ALL of the powder.
:imo:
Thanks Birddog,
I talked to a supplier over the phone, and he weighed a nice stock wityh the bbl, @ 4.5#. He said that would make a 6.5# rifle. That IS too light for a rifle that will get used mostly for target shooting. If it came out 7.5# or more, then I agree with you completely. He'll be at least 14 1/2 by the time its done anyway!
Talked to another guy who uses 60gr 3f for target and hunting in his IH .50cal.
Hope I did'nt take this thread too far off topic.
Gregg
I talked to a supplier over the phone, and he weighed a nice stock wityh the bbl, @ 4.5#. He said that would make a 6.5# rifle. That IS too light for a rifle that will get used mostly for target shooting. If it came out 7.5# or more, then I agree with you completely. He'll be at least 14 1/2 by the time its done anyway!
Talked to another guy who uses 60gr 3f for target and hunting in his IH .50cal.
Hope I did'nt take this thread too far off topic.
Gregg
I have never had one that light. However, when I pick stocks I pick dense stocks as I don't like soft wood & one that light would have to be really soft & more subjective to breakage.
Also this is the first time I have had anyone concerned about the rifle being too light ... Usually they want them as light as possible. Unless he is one hoss of a kid, a rifle over 8# will normally wear wear a kid that age down quite promptly.
I just weighed a .50 cal Haines that is "In the White" here in maple & it weighs 7.5# right now & all I have to add is the patchbox. (all brass trim)
I have another Haines here in .40 cal. I am building in Walnut, it is pretty much trimmed down & lock in it, don't have the sideplate & buttplate mounted, but I took the rifle & all the parts & put them on a digital scale all at one time, weighs 8.5# It will loose about 1/2# when I finish it. (All brass trim also)
Both rifles have Rice barrels but weight wise they are both "B" swamped barrels & weight same as a Colerain in B weight..
:results:
Also this is the first time I have had anyone concerned about the rifle being too light ... Usually they want them as light as possible. Unless he is one hoss of a kid, a rifle over 8# will normally wear wear a kid that age down quite promptly.
I just weighed a .50 cal Haines that is "In the White" here in maple & it weighs 7.5# right now & all I have to add is the patchbox. (all brass trim)
I have another Haines here in .40 cal. I am building in Walnut, it is pretty much trimmed down & lock in it, don't have the sideplate & buttplate mounted, but I took the rifle & all the parts & put them on a digital scale all at one time, weighs 8.5# It will loose about 1/2# when I finish it. (All brass trim also)
Both rifles have Rice barrels but weight wise they are both "B" swamped barrels & weight same as a Colerain in B weight..
:results:
Yes, several reasons.
1: Availability & you can get the twist of choice most of the time. Also, it is a PITA trying to get a Getz barrel when you want it. (The last Getz barrel I received that they said was "In Stock, In Hand, all we have to do is ship it", I received it 5 months after ordering, which was 2 months after the rifle was built & shipped. Took a long time to pack it I guess ....)
2: The Rice barrel has better machining of any barrel I have seen to date, inside & outside . (Other than a Goodoien match grade barrel)
3: Wonderful availability of the Rice barrels.
4: Both customers requested a Rice or a Getz.
5: LC Rice is a great guy to deal with & usually will ship the barrel when he says he will, if he don't have one in stock.
As for the difference in a Colerain, Getz, Grn. Mtn, & Rice, most will never know the dif. in shooting them & all 4 are more accurate than shooters most can hold.
:thumbsup:
1: Availability & you can get the twist of choice most of the time. Also, it is a PITA trying to get a Getz barrel when you want it. (The last Getz barrel I received that they said was "In Stock, In Hand, all we have to do is ship it", I received it 5 months after ordering, which was 2 months after the rifle was built & shipped. Took a long time to pack it I guess ....)
2: The Rice barrel has better machining of any barrel I have seen to date, inside & outside . (Other than a Goodoien match grade barrel)
3: Wonderful availability of the Rice barrels.
4: Both customers requested a Rice or a Getz.
5: LC Rice is a great guy to deal with & usually will ship the barrel when he says he will, if he don't have one in stock.
As for the difference in a Colerain, Getz, Grn. Mtn, & Rice, most will never know the dif. in shooting them & all 4 are more accurate than shooters most can hold.
:thumbsup:
Birddog,
My Son will be 14 in August. He's about 5'5" and about 130#, and lean but strong. He's shooting a TC Hawken .50 right now, with no problems. It weighs ~8.2#. An 8# rifle won't too heavy for long, and with a 38" swamped bbl, most of the weight is back where its easy to handle anyway.
And too light a gun in a larger caliber is a recipe for long term issues, for a young man with his first flinter. :imo:
We'll see next week, when we go to the MI State Shoot, and shoot all day long. :hmm:
Thanks,
Gregg
My Son will be 14 in August. He's about 5'5" and about 130#, and lean but strong. He's shooting a TC Hawken .50 right now, with no problems. It weighs ~8.2#. An 8# rifle won't too heavy for long, and with a 38" swamped bbl, most of the weight is back where its easy to handle anyway.
And too light a gun in a larger caliber is a recipe for long term issues, for a young man with his first flinter. :imo:
We'll see next week, when we go to the MI State Shoot, and shoot all day long. :hmm:
Thanks,
Gregg
Guest
If your son develops long term issues over recoil it will be due to the size of the powder measure you hand him!
Just because a rifle will burn 100 grains dosen't mean you have to load 100 grains.
:hatsoff:
Just because a rifle will burn 100 grains dosen't mean you have to load 100 grains.
:hatsoff:
Ghost,
I agree with that completely. :RO:
I like to use about 50gr 3f for target shooting, or whatever close to that, that shoots well. Provides close to same hold for 25 and 50yds, and does not beat you up too bad. Then bump it up a bit for 100yds.
Thanks,
Gregg
I agree with that completely. :RO:
I like to use about 50gr 3f for target shooting, or whatever close to that, that shoots well. Provides close to same hold for 25 and 50yds, and does not beat you up too bad. Then bump it up a bit for 100yds.
Thanks,
Gregg
