Enfield and round ball?

[scott taylor]

Will an Enfield musketoon shoot a round ball worth anything? This one is an old Birmingham Parker Hale. Any idea as to a good ball diameter?

Scott

 

[scott taylor]

Will an Enfield musketoon shoot a round ball worth anything? This one is an old Birmingham Parker Hale. Any idea as to a good ball diameter?

Scott

 

[54ball]

The rifled muskets usually had slow twists. Some had gain twists where they start slow at the breach and increase toward the muzzle. They should shoot a round ball very well.
I would start with a .570 patched ball and go from there.

 

[54ball]

The rifled muskets usually had slow twists. Some had gain twists where they start slow at the breach and increase toward the muzzle. They should shoot a round ball very well.
I would start with a .570 patched ball and go from there.

 

[TFoley]

The rifled muskets usually had slow twists. Some had gain twists where they start slow at the breach and increase toward the muzzle. They should shoot a round ball very well.
I would start with a .570 patched ball and go from there.

Seems that they can do good work at 50yds with PRB - something I was advised about on this forum last week. The use of a PRB is to avoid over-damaging the target [according to the information I was given].

Here in UK we shoot them rather further than that since we don't have a mirror organisation to the N-SSA [wish we did] to practice live-firing competitions like you guys do.

Keep loads on the gentle side - around 45gr of FFg does the trick, so I'm told. That is the load I use with a Minié at 100yards, does just fine, too. Out to 300 I up it to 50gr, and often hit the target.

tac

 

[TFoley]

The rifled muskets usually had slow twists. Some had gain twists where they start slow at the breach and increase toward the muzzle. They should shoot a round ball very well.
I would start with a .570 patched ball and go from there.

Seems that they can do good work at 50yds with PRB - something I was advised about on this forum last week. The use of a PRB is to avoid over-damaging the target [according to the information I was given].

Here in UK we shoot them rather further than that since we don't have a mirror organisation to the N-SSA [wish we did] to practice live-firing competitions like you guys do.

Keep loads on the gentle side - around 45gr of FFg does the trick, so I'm told. That is the load I use with a Minié at 100yards, does just fine, too. Out to 300 I up it to 50gr, and often hit the target.

tac

 

[ihuntsnook]

I used to shoot PRB out of my Japanese Springfield rifled musket. The .575 balls shot better than the minies at 50 yards with 50 grains of powder. One of my better offhand targets ever came with that load. I don't know how the rifling would compare as to depth and rate of twist, but they I would think they are similar.

 

[ihuntsnook]

I used to shoot PRB out of my Japanese Springfield rifled musket. The .575 balls shot better than the minies at 50 yards with 50 grains of powder. One of my better offhand targets ever came with that load. I don't know how the rifling would compare as to depth and rate of twist, but they I would think they are similar.

 

[junkman_01]

Those are pretty much mouse fart loads for a .58 Rifle-Musket whether shooting minie or RB. No offense intended. I use 60 gr. 2f with the minie and 70 gr. 2f with PRB.

 

[junkman_01]

Those are pretty much mouse fart loads for a .58 Rifle-Musket whether shooting minie or RB. No offense intended. I use 60 gr. 2f with the minie and 70 gr. 2f with PRB.

 

[tiger13]

Original loads for the Enfield were 60 grains of powder.

 

[junkman_01]

Original Army loads for the Springfield were also 60 grains of musket powder (2f). :wink:

 

[bangfxr]

Using .570 PRB will work well in your Enfield and you can go 50g of 2F or standard military charge of 60 g 2F. I use .570 PRB in my japland 1863 type 1 Springfield and she doe well with military charge of 60g of 2F. Happy shooting.

 

[Zonie]

Although I agree that the original loads were in the 60-70 grain powder loads, those loads were used with Minie' balls which had thin skirts.

A patched roundball should be able to be shot with heavier powder loads without having a problem.

That said, the only way to find out which load gives the best accuracy and power is to experiment.

As a side note, the Lyman Black Powder Handbook and Loading Manual shows powder loads for a .58 caliber, 24 inch, 1:48 twist barrel shooting a .570 diameter roundball patched with an Ox-Yolk .010 thick patch ranging from 60 to 140 grains using 2Fg powder.

I'm sure the hotter powder loads were not producing great accuracy but it does indicate that patched roundballs aren't limited by the Minie's design weakness.

The only way to really know is to try it.

 

[damron]

I had the same rifle and shot a .570 ball/.014 patch with 70-80g of Goex FF.It shot 2" at 50 yards.The sight had to be built up to get a zero that close though.

George

 

[ResearchPress]

Some had gain twists where they start slow at the breach and increase toward the muzzle.

I'm not aware of any original Enfields like this. What they did have though was progressive depth rifling, where it starts deeper at the breech and gets shallower towards the muzzle.

The Parker-Hale made rifles replicated this progressive depth rifling. The shallow grooves at the muzzle may not be compatible with patched round ball and large charges - I guess there's potential to jump the rifling.

David

 

[scott taylor]

Well...alas all of this has been for moot. Got the gun delivered today from a reputable company up north.(no name will be mentioned) Ran a rag down the barrel and lost it, wormed it out along with the skirt off a minie ball. Tried to take out the nipple, it's siezed more than I am willing to force. Luckily "postage is my only risk" It will go back so they can sell it to some other naieve goober.
Caveat Emptor I guess.

Scott

 

[ken.clements]

Well...alas all of this has been for moot. Got the gun delivered today from a reputable company up north.(no name will be mentioned) Ran a rag down the barrel and lost it, wormed it out along with the skirt off a minie ball. Tried to take out the nipple, it's siezed more than I am willing to force. Luckily "postage is my only risk" It will go back so they can sell it to some other naieve goober.
Caveat Emptor I guess.

Scott

If the barrel is ok (no bulges or rust), and the only thing is a siezed nipple, try wd 40 overnight....if it comes out look at the threads (stripped or forced)and the bottom hole in the nipple (could be drilled out)...if those two things are ok :idunno:
It could even be that someone put in a nipple with the wrong threads...maybe a call to the seller first :idunno:
a Minie skirt isn't that bad...a badly poured Minie for example :idunno:

 

[damron]

Some had gain twists where they start slow at the breach and increase toward the muzzle.

I'm not aware of any original Enfields like this. What they did have though was progressive depth rifling, where it starts deeper at the breech and gets shallower towards the muzzle.

The Parker-Hale made rifles replicated this progressive depth rifling. The shallow grooves at the muzzle may not be compatible with patched round ball and large charges - I guess there's potential to jump the rifling.

David

Mine is an English Parker Hale Muskatoon and it would seem like it wouldn't work but it does reasonably well.I have never shot above the stated load.Maybe towards 100g there could be a problem.

 

[scott taylor]

Update...got the nipple out, all is well. Ran some Kroil down barrel and let it soak for a while and found that a 7mm wrench fit best. That don't seem right. Tried some .562 ball that I ordered by mistake with my standard patching, an old Wah shirt that looked like mattress ticking dipped in 50/50 bee wax and mutton tallow and squeezed the excess off. Just short started and pulled back out. Pretty snug fit however.
Something is still not "right" about this carbine. I can't tell if has been refinished, the varnish or lack there of is not what I remember from one I had back in the old days. I will get a fellow I know to look at it, he's forgot more about these things than most of us will ever know.
I just get the feeling that it's some kind of counterfiet.

Scott