First shots with Parker Hale 1858 Enfield

[Gatofeo]

Was out yesterday for the first time with my Parker Hale-made 1858 Enfield.
Set up a target at a measured 50 yards and shot from a benchrest.
Didn't get a whole lot of shots off, because my buddy is a videographer and wanted to get video of me shooting it. He'd never seen a muzzleloading rifle, so for him it was a treat. Got some nice video with the camera set on a tripod, and me shooting to the side of the tripod.
But ultimately, I put 3 shots into a 1" group about 2 inches above the point of aim. This was with the Enfield's sight at its lowest setting, presumably 100 yards.
Theload was:
Kik FFFG black powder, 60 grains measured by volume.
Lyman 575213PH bullet of 566 grs., soft lead.
Bullet lubricated with Gatofeo No. 1 Lubricant, a homemade lubricant I've used for all blackpowder purposes for years.
CCI Musket cap

We also shot some plastic 2-liter bottles filled with colored water, my buddy brought along. He set his camera on a tripod about 20 feet from the jugs, turned it on, retreated to behind me, and we got some fun footage of the bottles exploding in a spray and mist.

My last shot of the day was to try to hit a desert rock at about 1,500 yards, with the Enfield's ladder-type sight set to 1,000 yards. Alas, we didn't see the bullet strike. The ground was wet. If it had been summer, we surely would have seen a cloud of dust erupt.

This was my first outing with the 1858 Enfield and I just love it. Got it in November, but it's been so dry this winter that I've been reluctant to take it out. We had a long, wet spring and summer and the dry, brown Cheatgrass and other grasses are high. I've been afraid of one spark starting a range fire.
We fired from an area that was bare ground for 25 or 30 yards ahead of the muzzle. Beyond that, the grass was damp from recent snow.

I was a little surprised at the recoil of the 1858 Enfield. I'd equate it with roughly a 20-gauge shotgun and upland loads. Not uncomfortable, but I guess I've been spoiled by my Hawken-pattern .50 caliber and its lead ball in a cloth patch.

Today is dreary, rainy and just above freezing. More snow is forecast through the week, but I hope this weekend will clear and I can get out again. I'm fortunate to live in the remote Utah desert, where I can shoot as far as the eye can see. Rather anxious to see what the ol' girl can do out to 500 yards or more.
But first, I need to practice at 100 and 200 yards.
I've been shooting cap and ball revolvers for more than 40 years, but this is my first .58-caliber Civil War era rifle. I think I just found a nice adjunct to my longtime hobby!

 

[ken.clements]

I took mine out on saturday, the first time shooting it.
used the same minie, but with 52,5 grains swiss at 50 meters...wasn't anything to write home about
gotta up the charge next time.

 

[Jason Lewis]

good group, too bad you didn't post the video.

don't waste your ammunition beyond 600yrds, the rifle wasn't designed to shoot beyond 800yrds let alone 1500yrds. in original tests between the whitworth and enfield, the enfield never hit the target beyond 800 yrds.

 

[ResearchPress]

We have a match here in the UK for Enfields; 15 shots at each distance 600 & 800 yards. Some shooters (not me) have placed all 15 shots on the 10ft wide by 6ft high target at 800 yards. This is prone with the only support being the sling.

The Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain also holds National Rifle Championship events for Enfield rifles at 200, 300, 500 and 600 yards.

From what I can gather long range competitive shooting with the Enfield is seldom practised outside of the UK. I'd be happy to be proved wrong though!

David

 

[Gatofeo]

I've read quite a bit on the internet concerning long-range (out to 1,000 yards) shooting with the 1853 and 1858 Enfields.
Impressive.
I've done quite a bit of long-range handgun shooting through the years, out to 300 yards. Some of it has been out to about 500 yards, just to see how close I could get to a distant rock or bush.
Strikes are easy to see: an eruption of sand and dust.
So, I have no doubt that a good Enfield design with a good load could "make life interesting" for an aggressor at very long range.
I've plinked with my Colt 1851 .36 revolver out to a measured 300 yards. It takes a few shots to get the range, but it's surprsing how consistently the bullets will land in the same area if you do your part and have a good, accurate load.

David, I've read your long treatise on the Enfield and am impressed with your knowledge and experience.

I've also read that during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, when British garrisons were armed with the newly arrived Enfields, they were delighted at the long-range accuracy of these rifles.
More than a few Indians, thinking they were out of range of British rifles, learned a hard lesson.

Tomorrow, I'll be out with the Enfield again, at a friend's range. I've had to be wary about shooting black powder here in the grass and brush-covered desert of northwestern Utah, because it's been so dry.
At the moment, there's a horrific range fire in New Mexico. It doesn't take much to start a fire out here, with dry grass two or three feet high and no rain in weeks.

Will the Enfield accurately carry out to 800 or 1,000 yards? I have no doubt it will, given a good load. And I believe I've found that load, as listed above.