Expected accuracy from Efield rifled musket

[SwanShot]

Yeah mate, I'm in the SSAA. I'm just collecting information where I can find it. Thanks Guys.

 

[SwanShot]

OK did that 577. Too easy, thank you.
Actually I just went and did that again, and two out of three gave me 578.

 

[TFoley]

Fortunately we have a class, "infantry issue" to shoot competition in. This distinguishes it from things like the 45 Henry, and Hexagonal bored Whitworth which while military issue, were very much a snipers rifle. They get to shoot in a "sniper" class.
edit:
Sorry Dan, I didn't even say hello :redface:

The word you seek is 'sharpshooter'.

'Sniper' is from another era of shooting.

Just sayin'.

tac

 

[TFoley]

Service load was 60 and you can try heavier loads too. But the thin skirt minie will start to loose accuracy with loads that are heavy enough to over pressure the skirt at the muzzle.
One must note that these were military arms. That the service load was making about 1000 fps. As a result of the very high trajectory, even to 100 yards and some other factors, like the SB musket that it sprang from, they were never very useful in the civilian world. Nor were they particularly accurate.
I have no information right now as to accuracy but based on the accuracy of the 1870s-80s Trapdoor Springfield with issue ammo 2-3" at 50 is likely ball park for a rifle musket. Fine tuning the load. Bullet design, lube, powder charge may help. Wiping between shots will produce the best accuracy.
It will likely shoot better with a tight fitting patched round ball since Euro Arms shows a 78" twist for the Enfield rifle musket. But, again, the shallow grooves generally found in these will require a tight ball/patch fit.
Dan

Wow, where to start? The service load for the P53 Enfield was 2.5 drams - that's 68.5gr.

As for accuracy, Mr Minshall and I shoot P53 out to 800 yards - he with astounding accuracy [he IS an international BP long-range rifle shot with acres of silver to prove it] and me with less success, but as much fun.

In the Crimean War ,as you can read from the post 'Notes From a Crimean Rifle Pit' on ths very site, the poor Russians, used to being safe at 300 yards or so from muskets, found that their gun teams at 800 yards were being slaughtered by the Miniés of the British and French.

tac

 

[rmark]

'After a few wrong directions I got this thing shooting my own cast Lyman .578" 530 grn conical minies into a 3 inch group at 50 yards.'

I wish I had this problem - instead I have a 2nd generation Parker Hale 2 band musket shooting a 8-10" group at 25 yards with both Lee .575 and .578 soft lead minies charged with 50 to 60 grains Pyrodex or Goex 2f. Barely a scratch from the rifling on the .575 minies, haven't recovered a .578 to look at. I suspect the barrel is a bit oversize.

 

[SwanShot]

'After a few wrong directions I got this thing shooting my own cast Lyman .578" 530 grn conical minies into a 3 inch group at 50 yards.'

I wish I had this problem - instead I have a 2nd generation Parker Hale 2 band musket shooting a 8-10" group at 25 yards with both Lee .575 and .578 soft lead minies charged with 50 to 60 grains Pyrodex or Goex 2f. Barely a scratch from the rifling on the .575 minies, haven't recovered a .578 to look at. I suspect the barrel is a bit oversize.

Oh dear---I hate it when that sort of thing happens and I have to decide whether to try and correct it, or leave it and move on.

 

[rmark]

Current plan is cast a few more .575 minies and paper patch them. Maybe a miracle will occur.

 

[SwanShot]

Current plan is cast a few more .575 minies and paper patch them. Maybe a miracle will occur.

Please let me know what happens, because I am considering swaging down minnies to about 560 then paper patching them back up. Serious, I really am gonna try this.

 

[rmark]

I'm going to try some .580 minies from Track of the wolf. I ran across an old thread in a forum that some of the barrels ran .580-581.

 

[SwanShot]

Ok, I tried paper patching and it worked a treat.
What I did was swage em down by wrapping them in three wraps of standard printer paper and pushed em through a 580 lube die. When I unwrapped em i had 565 minies. Wrapped em back up to 577-578 with lightweight writing paper and dipped em in beeswax and lard lube. I also filled the cavity with lube. Bit of a laborious way of doing it, but I just wanted to see if it would work.
It did indeed work.:thumbsup:
The paper patched bullets were a bit tight to load, but slipped down easy once started.
On firing the paper blew down range in shreds, and the barrel stayed clean and easy to load over the ten rounds I had prepared. I managed a group of 7 inches at 90 yards.
I can live with that for now.
Next time I will take the camera with me.

 

[nkbj]

The phrase "improvise, adapt, overcome" comes to mind!
:hatsoff:

 

[rmark]

The .580 minies from Track + 60 grains pyrodex RS + excessive amounts of TC bore butter = 4 shots touching at 25 yards.

I'm still going to try paper patching some .575 minies up to .580 since I already have that mould.

 

[SwanShot]

Just today, half an hour ago, received a Lee 580 REAL mould. Just waiting on the lead getting up to heat and I'll start casting a few.
If I'm lucky I just might get to shoot em over the weekend. :grin:

 

[Pistoleer]

Swannie, hello. If I may be allowed to relate my experiences with the shooting the .577 Enfield, it might be of interest.

I have two Enfields, a Euroarms 3 band and a Parker Hale two band. The PH Enfield gave me problems from the go as to grouping. At fifty yards, it would group 3-4 inches for three shots, with the zero constantly changing or wandering on the target. I glass bedded the first 5 inches of the barrel/stock area from the tang forward. Problem solved. Both the PH and the Euroarms will group 1-1.5" off a benchrest for three shots @ 50 yards using a Lee mould original Minie and the Parker Hale mould Enfield Minie, 60 gr. FFG Goex.

Groups are 6 inches high @ 50 yards, normal for the trajectory/sights of these rifles. My 100 yd groups from a bench rest run 4-5 iches for three shots when I do my part. As you know, the original sights take some getting used to!

In the day, some rifles were "bedded" with a rag soaked in varnish or shellac and pressed in between the stock mortise and barrel.

One word of advice when shooting these rifles, is to practice proper follow-through and hold after the shot. Due to the low velocity compared to modern arms, one needs to stay on the target before, during and after the shot, as the dwell time of the slow moving bullet is long. It simply takes a milisecond longer for the slug to exit the barrel compared to modern rifles. Stay focused on keeping locked in on the rifle and sight picture until well after the shot is taken.

I have since in a moment of weakness sold my PH 2 band Enfield. I still regret that error of judgement. I still have my 3-bander, but wish to get another Parker Hale!

Good shooting to you!

 

[SwanShot]

I knew it was there, I just knew it.
Turned out to be a REAL bullet, lubed with beeswax and lard on a dry felt wad,(yes dry surprized me too). All of that sits on 60 grns of ff. Easy when you know how. I'm as happy as a pup with two tails. Range is 40 metres. just call it yards, y'll be fine. Thanks for the advice Pistoleer. I Shoot modern rifles, but I reckon these thing have more in comon with shotguns