kentucky rifle?

[steve hill]

What can any one tell me about this style of gun and what
ranges would it be effective to with patched round ball
in 50 cal I believe it is 1 in 48 and seems to be made by pendersoli sold by cabelas also would it be a similar quality as the blue ridge or does one offer any advantages
thanks

 

[Wes/Tex]

Now there's a loaded question...chuckle, chuckle. As for "Kentucky Rifle", it'd take several volumes to describe them thoroughly. In a nutshell, they're mostly made in Pennsylvania though makers have been identified throughout the the original 13. Although the style went through many changes over the 100+ years, you could say they were basically long barreled rifles with either brass or iron furniture with bore sizes from .60" early to .40" or smaller late. The name "Kentucky" came about as a result of troops from that state using them with some good resluts during the War Of 1812 and having a popular song named for them.

As for the current crop of commercial rifles, the best that can be said is they 'resemble' the originals. The 1-48" twist bugaboo actually came about as a result of the rifling style rather than the actual twist rate. Us greybeards got bad results back in the 60's when the first replica muzzleloaders came out with that twist rate but with the shallow and wide rifling style of original Civil War era Minie ball rifles. The shallow rifling was made for the hollow-based conical projectiles used by the military. When attempts were made to use patched balls with that style of rifling the results were 'wild', at best.

A couple of guys named Hawken got really good results using 1-48" twist with heavy charges but they used deep cut-rifling required for patched balls. The commercial rifles mentioned have more traditional depth rifling, though usually done with button rifling machines...close but still usuable. I've only shot the Blue Ridge from Cabelas which is the trade name used for Pedersoli-made rifles sold through Cabelas. Pedersoli sells the same rifle with a number of options, usually fancier furniture or American maple stocks in an attempt to court the U.S. market. We use a Blue Ridge and 60 grains of RS Pyrodex for a state run function to introduce highschool kids to muzzleloading. The Blue Ridge has done very well. When we play with the rifles before the kids show up, I've doubled the load and had no problems but have gotten some rather high-pitched CLANGS off the 100 yard iron ram! Wouldn't use it as a steady diet, but the rifle handles it on a limited basis. Hope this babble helps. Good luck. :yakyak:

 

[shmrck1]

Wes/Tex,
i don't know about traddawg but it was'nt babble to me. thanks
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
snake-eyes eace: :thumbsup:

 

[Rebel]

The Kentucky sold by Cabela's doesn't even come close to the quality of the Blue Ridge. I have had both. I couldn't get my head down on the stock of the Kentucky without it digging in to my cheek bone, Also the lock is real small, about pistol size, takes a 5/8" flint where as the Blue Ridge has a large, good sparking lock and uses a 7/8" flint. If you are thinking about a caplock then the small lock may not be a problem, but the stock design with the Roman Nose may not be all that comfortable. Only way to know would be to handle one of each and see which you like the best. One thing about Cabela's is if you aren't satisfied they will take it back.

 

[Stumpkiller]

A Kentucky Rifle (aka Pennsylvania Longrifle) is the ultimate (IMHO) of muzzleloading style and function. Barrels are long, 38" to 46", originals were usually swamped (the barrel is thinnest in the middle and flareing at either end, improving balance and reducing weight) and they are often decorated in fantastic carving designs.


This one was built by a member here: Terry Zboril.

As far as range goes, with a patched round ball and practice you can get out to 100 yards on deer, and farther on woodchucks, targets and gongs.

The guns called "Kentucky" and produced by CVA, Traditions and Pedersoli (an improvement) have a hole in the end of the barrel, a trigger and a wood stock in common with the originals. ::

Few people know it, but the Kentucky rifle did not originate in Kentucky, it was not solely used by Kentuckians, and survived long after the Kentucky frontier was well established.

The "Kentucky" rifle was first developed in Pennsylvania by Germanic settlers who had emigrated from their homeland. Initially the riflesmiths made rifles similar to the hunting rifles they had made and used in their homeland. These were big, heavy barreled, large calibre guns with the innovative rifling cut into the bore. They were either very plain or very fancy. They usually had sliding wooden patchboxes. They were relatively short, being about a 30" barrel length. The frontiersman loved the accuracy of the rifle, but were not warm about the weight, the few balls they could carry per pound, nor the amount of powder it took to drive such balls. They asked for and received from the riflesmiths a rifle which was longer in barrel length for greater accuracy and more efficient powder burn, smaller in barrel width and calibre to reduce weight and allow more shots per pound of lead balls and powder.

This then finally developed into what we know as the Pennsylvania Rifle which was such a necessity to our early forefathers in pushing back the country's frontier. A rifle of about 40-50 calibre, about 42" or longer in barrel, slim, carved for enhancement as were the German hunting rifles but not to the finesse. They were WORKING guns, NOT sporting guns. They were used for defense as well as for food gathering when it was necessary to bring meat down with one shot or starve.

The Pennsylvania Longrifle

(better known as the Kentucky Rifle)

This gun, as discussed on my other page(s) was a purely American development deriving from the German hunting rifle. Various attempts had been made to impart upon the fired ball a spin so as to stabilize it in flight. Grooves were cut into the barrel in various ways until the right formula had been found. In the beginning, straight grooves were cut, then rounded bottom grooves, spiraling grooves of various designs until the Germans, among others, had developed a rifled barrel which, when combined with a leather, linen, cloth or paper patch, fit the grooves tightly enough to take a good spin and become more accurate. Also, the accuracy was aided in no small part by the patch performing two purposes: it served as a gas seal imparting greater velocity, and it allowed the ball to fit tightly into the bore without having to drive it down with a mallet. This alone aided accuracy as a musket ball sort of "rattled" down the barrel pushed by the gasses until it left the muzzle face and generally took the direction of its last bounce! The gunsmiths of Pennsylvania first developed the true American longrifle in response to requests from frontiersmen and hunters. There were many schools and derivations of style but for the most part these guns were made of curly maple or plain maple, had iron, silver or brass fittings, and were made in both the flintlock and percussion era. Some were profusely carved and engraved. This is the rifle seen in movies of Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, and more recently, Last of the Mohicans.

http://www.palongrifles.com/home/LongriflePages/Longrifle_history.htm