Muzzle filing to adjust POI

[Kansas Kid]

38” thin wall barrel LH NW trade gun .24ga. Done with trying barrel bending to correct windage problem. .550 ball .018 patch 55gr 3f. Shooting at 35 yards it groups good and consistent. Problem is at that range it shoots 12” to the left. So going to try filing the muzzle at an angle. I assume I need to file on the left side to steer the ball to the right? And about how much do you think would need to be removed in degrees?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Just bevel the left side.

The last one I did I used a good file and probably three or four strokes then tested it. Finish it smooth when happy.
Out of interest where does it throw a shot pattern?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Left side from breech! Right side as you look at the muzzle.

 

[Kansas Kid]

I’ve never patterned it with shot. So you’re saying a little goes a long ways on the filing? I will be filing the face/ end of barrel and not the bore/crown since it’s pretty thin at the muzzle. 12”at 35y seems like quite a bit.Thanks

 

[Britsmoothy]

Just take 30thou off at first then test.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Okay I done about .020 before your last post. I’ll have to get out and shoot it when this hopefully last heat wave of the year quits. Probably late this week. I’ll take the big double cut flat file and some emery paper with me. Hopefully get it shootin straight. Got a couple trade gun matches coming up and tired of compensating for old cross eyed Jack. That’s what I named it.

 

[woodsnwater]

Report back and let us know how it worked.

 

[Ballshooter]

.550 ball and .018 patch seems small for a 24ga I have a Kibler Colonial smoothbore and I have had good luck with a .562 ball and 0.15 patch as well as a 1/8in felt over powder wad with packaging paper as a patch. Maybe try a bigger ball ?

 

[Kansas Kid]

I have a 565 mold and have already tried it and it’s too tight and didn’t shoot any different other than a PITA to load. 550ish works well for me. Gun groups good just way left.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Got out to try this out and it did not work for me. Ended up with an almost ridiculous angle on the muzzle with no change in POI. Was shooting from a bench on sandbags at 25 yards and got good groups but all in the same area about 6- 8 inches left. This was all while changing the angle of the muzzle.

Ended up filing the other side to match so it looks like a widows peak at the muzzle, looks kind of cool on a trade gun. Shot it some more and still hits in the same place. Looks like it will keep its name of cross eyed Jack for now.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Okay I done about .020 before your last post. I’ll have to get out and shoot it when this hopefully last heat wave of the year quits. Probably late this week. I’ll take the big double cut flat file and some emery paper with me. Hopefully get it shootin straight. Got a couple trade gun matches coming up and tired of compensating for old cross eyed Jack. That’s what I named it.

That is a great name. Cross Eyed Jack... Love it.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I am saddened it has not worked out.

That is one troubled barrel, or something else is upsetting it.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Me too, it’s very reliable with fast ignition and groups well.
Maybe a seance or something like that will work. I’m The Booshway at our Rendezvous next weekend and advertised a challenge to anyone that can beat me with a NMLRA legal trade gun. Oh well I’m not too concerned

 

[david58]

How did you bend the barrel? 12" off is a long way.

David
NM

 

[Kansas Kid]

Bent it once between two blocks of wood and the latter times in my 14x46 engine lathe.

Yep 12” is a foot at 35-40 yards.

 

[Ballshooter]

Just a thought have you tried a bare ball ? My kibler shoots good with powder thin card bare ball and a 1/2 in well lubed felt wad.

 

[Sun City]

So much for smoothbores!

 

[Ballshooter]

So much for smoothbores!

Lol I love my smoothbore, I will take my smoothbore over any one of my rifled front loaders any day!

 

[Kansas Kid]

Have not bare balled it. Can’t really see that moving the POI much but I wouldn’t swear to it.

 

[smoothshooter]

Just bevel the left side.

The last one I did I used a good file and probably three or four strokes then tested it. Finish it smooth when happy.
Out of interest where does it throw a shot pattern?

When you say “ bevel “ do you mean sticking the file down in the bore and removing a little metal from the inside edge of the bore, or just laying the file across the outside of the muzzle perpendicular to the bore and removing metal there?