Preferred Side Lock Barrel Length

[BrownBear]

If you plan to shoot conicals you might decide on a 50 cal.

I've told this story so often, anyone who's heard it is welcome to yawn. But here goes anyway.

We had three guys come to hunt elk on our place in the Rockies- the two younger guys shooting 50 cals with conicals and the old guy shooting a 54 with round balls. End of the week, they had to track down and reshoot the two elk shot with 50 caliber conicals, while the elk shot with the 54 round ball virtually dropped in its tracks.

The real story is that the younguns shooting conicals felt justified in taking longer shots and did a bum job of it. The old timer respected his range limits and stalked to around 75 yards for a clean shot.

A few years later all three returned, and they were all packing 54 cals with round balls. Three shots after some fine stalking accounted for three elk with no follow-ups needed.

I'm sure the conicals would have done their jobs with better shots. But if they lead you to thinking you can shoot further than you can, strap on your tracking shoes.

Can't recall the book I was reading recently, but one of the characters summed it up nicely in another context: "Don't believe everything you think." :grin:

 

[nkbj]

Whether Flintlock or Percussion, Jaeger, Kentucky Longrifle, or Hawken, what barrel length do you prefer? Also, what barrel width do you prefer for your rifle's caliber and do you prefer it swamped?
Finally, what barrel length would you suggest for a wooded, Western mountain environment?

Was it me, I'd design the gun to be what I needed.
Running around in terrain with lots of ups and downs I'd prefer light weight with a sling.
To avoid chasing down game I'd want a larger bore than what's needed to kill the game. So the barrel would be octagonal to tapered round and have steel where it's needed for the strength of the rifle. And the sight radius would be as long as I needed it.
The stock would be designed to fit me standing up bracing on a tree.

 

[Vaino]

My son has hunted w/ a 50 cal. TC Hawken using 100 grs 2f behind a 410 gr Buffalo Bullet and the zero is at 60 yds because at 100 yds the mid-range height is excessive. He now shoots a .54PRB as I did w/ a 100 yd zero.

The 6 elk shot w/ the .50 BB didn't go far after the shots, but they were all w/in 50 yds when hit......Fred

 

[Elnathan]

I think swamped barrels are an answer to a problem that doesn't exist. They cost more and require more time/money to inlet. Balance is a function of mass and length past a balance point. A barrel can have a larger bore, be smaller across the flats, shorter, tapered or turned octagon to round to achieve the same balance point as a swamped barrel. A shorter stock will also change the balance.

I don't care if others want to spend extra to get a perceived improvement. It's really ok by me I just don't like seeing someone else dragged along only because some have fallen into a worship mode. Wouldn't b surprised if a new fad comes along w a pig belly or reversed swamp.
TC

Pretty much every rifle up until 1790, and most rifles for several decades after that, had swamped barrels. That, of for no other reason, is why we use swamped barrels...

 

[pab1]

If you plan to shoot conicals you might decide on a 50 cal.

I've told this story so often, anyone who's heard it is welcome to yawn. But here goes anyway.

We had three guys come to hunt elk on our place in the Rockies- the two younger guys shooting 50 cals with conicals and the old guy shooting a 54 with round balls. End of the week, they had to track down and reshoot the two elk shot with 50 caliber conicals, while the elk shot with the 54 round ball virtually dropped in its tracks.

The real story is that the younguns shooting conicals felt justified in taking longer shots and did a bum job of it. The old timer respected his range limits and stalked to around 75 yards for a clean shot.

A few years later all three returned, and they were all packing 54 cals with round balls. Three shots after some fine stalking accounted for three elk with no follow-ups needed.

I'm sure the conicals would have done their jobs with better shots. But if they lead you to thinking you can shoot further than you can, strap on your tracking shoes.

Can't recall the book I was reading recently, but one of the characters summed it up nicely in another context: "Don't believe everything you think." :grin:

I agree, no matter what you're hunting with you have to stay within its effective range. Going beyond that with any weapon usually doesn't end well. I'm not advocating anyone taking shots at long distances. That incident definitely sounds more like poor decisions by the hunters rather than their weapon/bullet choice. I've heard similar stories about a variety of weapons being ineffective. Upon further investigation it usually came down to poor shot placement and hunters shooting beyond their effective range. It shouldn't be a reflection of that combos effectiveness. I prefer larger bores and roundballs too. Keep in mind a lot of people spread incorrect negative info about roundballs being ineffective. I killed 6X6 300 class bull with a 50 cal conical at 60 yards with no problem. That combo has more than enough power for elk with proper shot placement at reasonable distances.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Factory guns have "factory" barrel lengths.. Custom guns have "custom" lengths....

Barrel width is usually governed by caliber.

I don't like "tiger" maple or overly embellished stocks...

Swamped or straight depends on the gun....

I have no problem navigating dense woods with a long rifle...

Best advice I can give is:
Find a club full of nice people and shoot some different guns so you learn what you like and what you want.... :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

The real story is that the younguns shooting conicals felt justified in taking longer shots and did a bum job of it. The old timer respected his range limits and stalked to around 75 yards for a clean shot.

Excellent point. I favor the .54 round ball even for our local 200# whitetail, but even if it will do 100+ yards my eyes no longer are as sharp as they were and I think 85 yards is about my limit nowadays with open iron sights. So I hunt accordingly and pass on any "iffy" shots. I get in the thick stuff and heavy cover where most shots are under 40 yards.

 

[Tom Compton]

Nope, not joshin ya, Fred. Just cause there were originals is not good enough reason for me. Like I said balance can be achieved with out the expense of a swamped barrel there fore why do it. Just because you want to is good enough for you but there is no advantage.

I started this game in '73 and have handled many fine guns even quite a few originals. I just haven't found an advantage to a swamped barrel and by the way many are too muzzle light. I don't want a shotgun that hangs like a rifle or a rifle that swings like a shotgun.
TC

 

[Tom Compton]

You are welcome to use swamped for what ever reason you like but there is no practical advantage to me.

No doubt the .40 in a 7/8x42 barrel is heavy - to some. That .40 was built in '83 and I won the flint agg in Texas with it in 2015 so I guess it's not too heavy, not yet anyway. I do feel more tired after an all day shooting session with it but hell I'll be 69 in a few weeks and I get more tired after most everything.
TC

 

[longrifle78]

My current rifle has a 48" 58 caliber barrel.

 

[Donny]

I read somewhere Pope said a rifle needed to be a little muzzle heavy to be a good one. Or maybe not just a little, something like that.

 

[Elnathan]

I read somewhere Pope said a rifle needed to be a little muzzle heavy to be a good one. Or maybe not just a little, something like that.

Maybe that is why our ancestors liked a heavy swamped barrel....

Not every swamped barrel is a featherweight. I've been moving towards C and D weight barrels for mid-range calibers, which is more typical of the average colonial and Revolutionary rifles than the rather light barrels which are popular today (but did exist). I haven't got one stocked up yet, though. I've got a 45" D-weight with a .54 caliber bore, weighs about 7 pounds. I estimate the completed rifle will weigh something like 10 pounds when completed.

 

[Swamp Rat]

One thing about the longer barrels of years gone by is the powder they had to use. I found out my barrel on my 40 cal is just perfect at 37-3/4" because I only hit the kitchen ceiling about 3 times so far with the ramrod cleaning it.

 

[Vaino]

Well...get a shorter RR.... :grin: ....Fred