Coning a smoothbore?

[brazosland]

Anyone have any experience here? I have coned my rifles with no issue.

But as I hunt more and more with my three smoothbores, I dislike using a starter on patched balls.

Both my .62’s like a .600 ball and a .015 patch. 3” groups at 50 when I hold my mouth right.

Any reason I can’t use the coning tool on these as well? Opinions are welcome, experience is appreciated.

 

[2 shots]

like a mini blunder buss ? thinking it might open up your shot pattern... maybe not. any one know for sure??

 

[waksupi]

Use a thinner patch. Smooth bores don't need loaded tightly.

 

[brazosland]

Thinner patch just requires me to press a little less hard with the starter.

Staying with the .600 ball since I have two other rifled .62s

 

[Bushfire]

You could always play around with no patch.

 

[brazosland]

You could always play around with no patch.

Yup! Done that also. Accuracy drops off just a bit, not a lot. In fact I bare balled my second shot on some hogs and cleanly dropped a second one at about 40 yards.

I rammed a hunk of wasps nest I keep in my bag down on top of the ball to hold it on the powder (I tear them into bore size chunks) and it works very well.

Just looking to get every bit of accuracy out of my smooth rifles with the patch load. I hope to compete with them and run with the big dog rifles in the tall grass.

 

[CapPopper]

I shoot a loose enough combo in my .58 I can easily thumb start it. Tighter doesn't shoot any better so I figured why bother?

 

[Rató:rats]

Anyone know of an original smoothbore with a coned muzzle?
I’ve never needed a short starter. Always thought of that as a rifle tool.

 

[ord sgt]

I rough-up roundball for my .69 smoothie. Roll the ball between two rasps (I have two farrier rasps) and raise some small burrs and dimples. I got fairly good accuracy at 50 yards with no cloth patches.

 

[brazosland]

Hunting with Abigail this evening. Pennsylvania ish .62 smooth rifle. Shot pouch is deer skin and was made by Cutfingers, the antler powder measure was a gift from Longpine. Horn is an old one I rescued.

Didn’t see anything this evening.

 

[11th corps]

Brazosland
How much powder charge are you using?
I mentioned in another thread Duelist 1954 runs over 100 grains of powder under his bare ball. He thinks the cone of gases gives more accuracy then lighter charges.
I haven't tried this to the extent he does it in his video's.
Most I have tried in my Northwest Trade Gun with .600 ball is 80 grains and it boots me pretty good.

 

[brazosland]

80 of 3F. I’m able to stack balls on top of each other at that charge at 50 yards, so I stopped going up.

So with bare ball he likes even heavier charges? I guess when you figure you are losing a lot of velocity to blow by, maybe that makes sense. Speed helps the smooth bore ball stay strait for longer…

I run a 1/4” dry card over powder, a hunk of wasp nest (I do it in all my guns to keep the lube from the patch away from the powder since my hunting guns stay loaded for a while) and then my patched ball. I like to think I’m getting a pretty good seal behind the ball which increases pressure and velocity.

 

[Bushfire]

He was using 110gr 2F in his fusil for good results.

I've had good results using bare .600 ball over powder card and 90gr 2F

 

[brazosland]

Define “good?”

It’s a relative thing, particularly with smooth bores. I’m getting what I consider rifle like accuracy at 50 yards (2.5”) groups. Not bragging, more like stunned. But I also had the barrel bedded full length, every inch.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

Hunting with Abigail this evening. Pennsylvania ish .62 smooth rifle. Shot pouch is deer skin and was made by Cutfingers, the antler powder measure was a gift from Longpine. Horn is an old one I rescued.

Didn’t see anything this evening.

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Nice lookin outfit! I have a .54 Kibler smoothie that I coned when I was putting it together, I get 3" groups at 50 yd.s+_ maybe I could get better if I had a better bench, shoot off the side of the back stop at out range. I'm like you, if I don't have to use the starter ....!

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

View attachment 179739

Beautiful rig!! I really dig that pouch and...medallion? Is it called something else? I call it SWEET!

 

[brazosland]

Borromean rings. They were a gift from a very special friend.