Coning

[BJHabermehl]

Probably depends on the quality of the work. I've never coned or had it done. I do rework the crown on all my barrels and find the idea of coning intriguing but don't want to risk doing it.

I’m in agreement with LC here. Most of my guns have conventional crowns. I own two that are coned. One that was done by Getz barrel co. One done by me useing a lathe and four jaw chuck with a carefully ground boring tool. All my guns shoot as good as conditions and my eyesight allow. I still use a short starter as I like to use prelubed seated ball blocks and paper cartridges of powder for hunting. BJH

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Here's a group I shot one weekend offhand @ 30-yards to win the smallest group contest. In the highest score contest, all my shots were in the X-ring in the bullseye. Never missed all day, also went 15 for 15 on the woodswalk with novelty targets out to 80-yards, having used the Joe Wood tool on my 50-cal left-handed Issac Haines flint longrifle.

Yeah ... coning doesn't hurt accuracy one bit ...

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

So the reason to cone is easier loading. Guess what? Loading a muzzleloader is not as fast as a semi auto loads itself, BECAUSE IT IS A MUZZLELOADER. Not supposed to be fast. I'd need proof that coning was done in the 18th century before I'd consider it. Is coning not another modern crutch? Like plastic speed loaders? Scopes? In-lines? Recoil pads? Cartridges? Stainless barrels? Fiber optic sights? Synthetic stocks? Etc, etc.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/b8db3c95-29d0-42f7-a224-6b170dbb0107

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

One thing I did discover is

50 to start. I need to wait a few weeks until I have the $$ then later, I have a 32, 2x 36, a 45, 54 and 2 58’s.

I’ve watched Mike’s videos. Looks good. Just need to get money together

PMed you.

 

[Terry Lightle]

Did not effect my 54,used a Joe Wood tool

 

[LANEY REECE]

Did not mess with my .32 with MR. JOE WOODS coning tool. Made it easy to load.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Just for the sake of argument, let's see some documentation that the early hunters, explorers, or pioneers carried a short starter with them. I don't recall seeing them in paintings of the period equipment or reading about their use. Target shooters excluded.

 

[French Colonial]

Just for the sake of argument, let's see some documentation that the early hunters, explorers, or pioneers carried a short starter with them. I don't recall seeing them in paintings of the period equipment or reading about their use. Target shooters excluded.

They did not use them.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Here's a group I shot one weekend offhand @ 30-yards to win the smallest group contest. In the highest score contest, all my shots were in the X-ring in the bullseye. Never missed all day, also went 15 for 15 on the woodswalk with novelty targets out to 80-yards, having used the Joe Wood tool on my 50-cal left-handed Issac Haines flint longrifle.

Yeah ... coning doesn't hurt accuracy one bit ...

View attachment 262516

dang thats a good group

 

[Rich44]

Doesn’t hurt my groups! Albeit only 25-yards, but at least was shot offhand … 50-cal IH rifle.

View attachment 211043

That's not a group, that's a swarm.

 

[DuncNZ]

The British Pattern 1776 rifle was ordered with a coned barrel . From De Witt Bailey's book "British Military Flintlock Rifles: pages 199-200 " Lands .630" Grooves .650" The muzzle is relieved for about 1" with .690 grooves and .650" lands .
The fact that the Military ordered these rifles with coned or relieved barrels shows that the concept was in use and well proven by 1776

 

[8Ball]

Just finished coning my little Pedersoli Frontier in .36 caliber. I made myself a coning tool from a dowel that I angled using a drill and a flat sandpaper and then slowly sanding the rifling with 320 to 3000 grit to complete the work.

 

[grey8833]

I’m in agreement with LC here. Most of my guns have conventional crowns. I own two that are coned. One that was done by Getz barrel co. One done by me useing a lathe and four jaw chuck with a carefully ground boring tool. All my guns shoot as good as conditions and my eyesight allow. I still use a short starter as I like to use prelubed seated ball blocks and paper cartridges of powder for hunting. BJH

Coned a Rice barrel last week. Shot dead on yesterday. Love the thumb start. Great instructions Joe (Woods), wish all tools came with such nice directions. Same tool (slightly modified) fixed the no crown 44 cal Japanese wonder I rebuilt - actually shoots nicely now that I don’t have to beat the ball into the barrel with the short starter, no longer makes a hash out of the patch.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I coned a TC that had GM barrel with very tight bore, when I test fired it, I found I couldn't thumb start a ball deep enough to cut the patch at the muzzle easily, I would take a little sliver of lead off with my patch knife. As per Mr. woods instructions I tested the dept of my cone with a dry patch and ball, I found that a heavily lubed patch is much thicker than the dry patch so in actual use I needed a little deeper cone.

The rifle shot great after the coning, the two shots on the right were real, I pulled the shot in the bull. The sun was setting behind me, illuminating my rear sight and blanking out my front sight so I quit shooting. I needed to adjust the windage but with problems seeing the sights I put the final adjustments off for another day. This at 50 yards, 85gr of 2F, a dry wool wad and a .530 ball wrapped in an .017 piece of cotton drill cloth soaked with TOW mink oil.

After shooting I got out my coning tool and ran three more pieces of 220 paper through the bore and followed up with one piece each of 320 and 400 to finish the polishing. I have the cone just right for cutting a lubed patch at the muzzle now, I don't expect any change of impact but will shoot the rifle to be sure.

 

[Mike in FL]

Doesn’t hurt my groups! Albeit only 25-yards, but at least was shot offhand … 50-cal IH rifle.

View attachment 211043

Nice shooting. Multiply that group times four to get an idea of 100 yard groups..

 

[Mike in FL]

They did not use them.

That's kind of a flat statement. But how do you know?

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

That's kind of a flat statement. But how do you know?

I believe the reply you will get most often to your question is "because it couldn't be".

 

[Uncle Miltie]

That's kind of a flat statement. But how do you know?

Short starters are not found with original bags and shooting equipment.

 

[Mike in FL]

Short starters are not found with original bags and shooting equipment.

As in NEVER found? So that must mean ALL barrels were coned? I'm just saying what is NOT found is not proof of methods. Maybe, probably they used patch/ball that would have been using not as tight fitting than we have as today's standard. And why is it that most new rifles today are not coned? Why would makers today do ish their guns with no cone? Don't they know how those originals were made? I find the issue similar to a jug choke in a smooth bore.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

As in NEVER found? So that must mean ALL barrels were coned? I'm just saying what is NOT found is not proof of methods. Maybe, probably they used patch/ball that would have been using not as tight fitting than we have as today's standard. And why is it that most new rifles today are not coned? Why would makers today do ish their guns with no cone? Don't they know how those originals were made? I find the issue similar to a jug choke in a smooth bore.

I've known people who collected original bags and accouterments for many years. I have collected them too. Starters don't turn up with outfits known to be original.

I believe the tight ball and patch combinations used today are largely the product of the gamesmanship at Friendship and other places since muzzleloadings revival in the late 1920's. When old rifles are found with original molds the balls they cast are not as tight as those used today.

Was coning done in the old days? I don't believe so. It wasn't needed to load the patch and ball combinations used back then.

Coning is used today to allow shooters the ability to load tight fitting ball and patch combinations without the use of a starter. FWIW I have yet to hear of or see an original coning tool used in the old days.

The round ball was made obsolete for target work in the 1830's with the advent of patched bullets at which it was known a choked bore was best for the most accurate shooting.