Minnie... PRB heresy

[tenngun]

I have a .50 1/66 twist that has a sharp spot in the rifling that cuts patches. Not all but maybe one out of three shots is a flyer.
I’ve recrowned, I’ve scrubed with steel wool I’ve changed patch/ball sizes. PRB what goes in the gun. PRB what this pre Minnie rifelmans shoots.
Then looking on TOW site I see this tiny .50 minnie. It says it was designed for a 1 /66 twist. It weighs in at 220 grains. Less then a .54 ball. Shooting my same 60 grain 3f load I got 1.5 inch groups at fifty yards, about an inch low slightly to the left. Increased charges increased the group. For sure it would be a Bambi buster at that charge.
Mea culpa mea culpa this dedicated PRB shooter liked this minnie... but I did wash my hands afterwords :haha:

 

[CapPopper]

Well sometimes the gun speaks for itself lol mine won't shoot prb good enough to kill deer at 50 so minies it is

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I always took care of cutting patches by using a piece of 3M Scrubbie, in fact a full piece, cut into pieces, ten passes per piece, and continue until the full piece is used.

LD

 

[Grimord]

To get rid of rough spots in a bore, I have used JB bore paste on a tight fitting patch. the scrubbie patch works well too, but you need to use a smaller jag size as it is hard to get those green scrubbies started in the muzzle.

 

[F.G. Ford]

If I may add.
I have used valve grinding compound obtained from NAPA auto stores.
A really tight fitting patch coated with this valve grinding compound will clean, remove sharp spots, and break in a new barrel quite easily.
To use it well you should make complete strokes to keep the barrel consistent.
You can work on a problem spot, by scrubbing but don't get carried away or you will create another problem.
Every new gun I make, I use this method to break the barrel in.
Twenty five to thirty full strokes will break in a new barrel. A hundred and fifty strokes will give you a smooth bore barrel :shocked2: Not really.
Note! DO NOT attach a drill to the rod holding the patch and valve grinding compound.
Fred

 

[tenngun]

I’ve tried a lot of stuff on the gun, will have to try valve compound. I can’t find where the sharp area is. I fit tight to the jag and run slow and can find nothing. Shoot a bit then them little cuts appear. :cursing: Two three four shots right on target, then next a flyer.
It shoots then as well as a smoothie. The flyer is two inches or so out of the group, so as a hunter it turns Bambi French. But... it’s one of those saddelburs.

 

[tenngun]

I should say I’ve always been a round ball faithful, thinking that if Minnie’s were not the spawn of the devil they were at least the spawn of one of his demons. However I have to say these little guys, 9/16 long, did give me a fifty one x target and I was impressed.

 

[CapPopper]

My 50 cal will shoot one hole groups at 50 yards with a minie ball. And it doesn't like prb at all at least not with a charge id feel comfortable shooting deer with. But if im getting 1/2 inch groups at 50 yards I don't see any reason to shoot a prb to hunt with.

 

[tenngun]

Well I’m a fan of ball for hunting and it’s what the type of guns I shoot shot in the old days. I’ve killed elk, antalope and more then one deer with ball, intact I have never hunted anything with a minnie. In terms of hunting with a ml in the ranges I feel comfortable with I can’t see any advantage to a minnie.
You might get one hole with this rifle and this load, but my sights are pretty primitive, a low blade and a wide v, and my 60 year old eyes sure ain’t the best combo. My in the white barrel also puts a lot of glare in my sight picture.
For sure I ain’t the shooter I was thirty years ago.
My deer load is sixty grains 3f.

 

[CapPopper]

I would love to have been able to use a ball but my gun was picky.... I was getting 8 inch patterens at 50 yards no matter what I did with a ball more powder less powder this patch that one 4 different lubes and it didnt make one bit of difference.... 360 lee minie and 100 grains of 2f one hole at 50...not my choice but the gun had the final say

 

[CapPopper]

Its not even remotely pleasent to shoot more than a few times either so im going to buy a new gun soon and let that be my deer gun

 

[tenngun]

You gotta shoot what shoots. That’s why I was happy with this load. I don’t know if there is a magic twist, but if your fast for sure you will have a harder time with a ball. I do have to chuckle at the 1:66 or 1:72 that’s a round ball gun, originals are often closer to the 1:48 that we call a compromise twist today.
I was surprised to see a 1:66 minnie but was super surprised how good it worked.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I don't see any reason to shoot a prb to hunt with.

Small game hunting

Tradition

Economics

Fun.

There's four reasons.... :haha:

 

[F.G. Ford]

IF you are shooting one hole groups with a minie, by all means don't change.
Don't let Bubba touch your sights, don't let Bubba do anything, other than sitting on his hands.
Some guns shoot ball very well, others do not. That is life, leave it that way.
If your rifle bucks hard with one shot & gets the job done well, leave it alone.
If you want to shoot target with a round ball gun.....get one. Life is great!
For my best groups ( which I have posted several times) I load BP ( black powder ) one tight fitting felt wad dry soaked in bees wax & olive oil over the powder, ( my choice ) olive oil & bees wax lubed patch and ball.
After each shot wipe bore with alcohol soaked patch, dry wipe. Then load again.
It sounds complicated, but it is not.
This method of loading & shooting will keep you in the 10X ring all day.
Your patch is there to give good grip on the ball, and seal gases, but a felt wad over the powder protects the patch that holds the ball and prevents gas cutting, which is often identified as patch failure.
PS: I'm not sure if the bees wax does anything other than the patch being too oily or not.
But bees wax mixed with olive oil does not harden or become too wet with heat. But it works.
Who knows, perhaps grannies denture cream might work just as well.
Good shooting!
Fred

 

[azmntman]

I don't see any reason to shoot a prb to hunt with.

Small game hunting

Tradition

Economics

Fun.

There's four reasons.... :haha:

EFFECTIVENESS theres 5

 

[CapPopper]

I agree fully but my gun just doesn't like them... And I meant for deer mainly anyways. But since my gun does not like prb im going to buy another intended for it

 

[rodwha]

Easy to lop off the first half of his sentence to say what you wanted. It's not at all in the context as you make it seem, which I had to check.

Were I in his place I wouldn't try to hunt with a ball either, though I would likely keep trying others patches/ball sizes/lubes if the twist should work.

For deer I feel a conical is a overkill unless one is using the higher BC to shoot further. But I'd feel more comfortable with a conical in my .50 cal were I hunting large game.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Easy to lop off the first half of his sentence to say what you wanted. It's not at all in the context as you make it seem, which I had to check.

Ok! I changed it...

But if im getting 1/2 inch groups at 50 yards I don't see any reason to shoot a prb to hunt with.

Small game hunting

Tradition

Economics

Fun.

There's four reasons.... :haha:

It still doesn't change what I was conveying....Especially the laughing imogi... :haha:

 

[BigBoreBLR]

You did your job. find the loophole to justify you buying another gun. Besides, the need for another caliber is an easy excuse.

If funds are tight, most commercially made guns can swap out barrels. 45 prb barrel is a great compromise.

 

[CapPopper]

Thinking about a 32 or 36 flinter and im not done trying to get it to shoot prb im going to try some real light loads and see if they will be more consistent. Then at least I can use balls for smaller critters. Was thinking about starting at 40 grains and seeing if that does better in my 1:48