Coning a barrel?

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

Does anyone have good reference material on how to do this correctly?

I'm scared of trying it and stuffing things up on my hawken, but hunting will be much easier if I don't have to use a short start for quick reloading.

I've heard accuracy is not affected at all, is this correct?

 

[Tumbledown]

There are threads on these forums discussing the pros and cons of coning, or relieving, a muzzle. If done right, accuracy won't be impacted. A few people make specific tools, others do it by hand with files.

There is debate about its authenticity, but there are definitely examples of it being done, and it certainly makes loading easier.

 

[EC121]

I do a micro-cone by just rounding the sharp edges of the grooves and lands using a round or oval needle file or sandpaper on a stick. Hobby Lobby sells some small plastic sanding sticks in their plastic model dept. that work well.

 

[Coot]

Do a search for "Joe Woods coning tool"

 

[akroguy]

The Woods tool is excellent! I did a .50 and a .54, went pretty deep so there is smoothbore about 1/4" back from the muzzle then the rifling starts coming in. It's a very gradual taper...like 1 degree I think. I can load a PRB and push it below the muzzle with firm finger pressure. If you have a really tight ball/patch, it still might be tricky to go straight to the ramrod. Accuracy and POI did not change for me. I recommend the procedure.

 

[tnlonghunter]

I didy .40 and .54 barrels with this one from Ed Hamberg:

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=4375.0
I went far enough with it to start a patched ball with relative easy but still needing the butt of my patch knife to really seat it properly before cutting the patch. Accuracy was not affected in the slightest.