Range Day with Original 1861 Colt Special Musket, with Chrono Results

[PastorB]

Took my deer rifle, an Original 1861 Colt Special Musket (mfg. 1862) to the range today. Brought five different powders to test, and all bullets were 510 grain Minies (from Pat Kaboskey the Civil War Bullet Man) sized to .580. Got some interesting results, especially with the Pyro RS. All other powders resulted in very good groups @100 yards, while only one bullet even hit paper using Pyro RS. I figure it failed to expand the Minie and engage the rifling. Even so, Pyro RS was still consistent, velocity wise. Check out the extreme Spread for 777 and Swiss, 6 and 5 fps, respectively. All powders were quite good in that respect, guess that 40 inch barrel burns it all up. The 777 load went hypersonic, and had a very distinctive crack that the other loads failed to produce. I will not be using 777, at least at 60 grains, for future shooting in my original Musket. I am sure it is safe, but I'll error on the side of caution. As in all my other guns, Swiss 3F and Pyro P are very similar in performance, within shot to shot variance of one another. My standard hunting load for years has been 60 grains of Pyro P. Groups are at 100 yards, 8"-10" high, which this gun has always shot to. It is dead on at 150 yards, which I really reckon was the intent to maximize point blank range on a man size target. Here is the data, just copied and pasted from my notepad.

1861 Colt Special Musket, mfg. 1862

510 gr. Traditional Minie, sized .580

All loads measured volumetrically.

60 gr. Pyro P

1045
1073
1089

1069 avg. Ext. Spread 44 fps

60 Pyro RS

849
882
895

875 avg. Ext. Spread 46 fps

60 gr. 777 3F

1151
1157
1156

1155 avg. Ext. Spread 6 fps

60 gr. Goex 3F

992
1010
974

992 avg. Ext. Spread 36 fps

60 gr. Swiss 3F

1083
1086
1088

1086 avg. Ext. Spread 5 fps

 

[11th corps]

Cool.
I have an Armi reproduction of the 1861 Springfield musket. It's a fine shooter, issue now is I can't find musket caps. I have a few I'm saving. A nephew wants to shoot it.
I used it in the monthly members shooting match, firing round balls at 25 yards this last winter.

 

[PastorB]

Cool.
I have an Armi reproduction of the 1861 Springfield musket. It's a fine shooter, issue now is I can't find musket caps. I have a few I'm saving. A nephew wants to shoot it.
I used it in the monthly members shooting match, firing round balls at 25 yards this last winter.
View attachment 171594

I have used PRB's before in my musket, and they were very accurate. I'm talking golf ball size groups at 100 yards. The problem is they are 28" high at they distance. I can hold for six to eight inches and still get my buck using a minie ball, but would struggle trying to hit anything while holding 2.5 ft. low. Wish i could use round balls for plinking and hunting, they are certainly more pleasant to shoot, cheaper and readily available. Not messing with my sights though to get prb's on target.

 

[smoothshooter]

I have used PRB's before in my musket, and they were very accurate. I'm talking golf ball size groups at 100 yards. The problem is they are 28" high at they distance. I can hold for six to eight inches and still get my buck using a minie ball, but would struggle trying to hit anything while holding 2.5 ft. low. Wish i could use round balls for plinking and hunting, they are certainly more pleasant to shoot, cheaper and readily available. Not messing with my sights though to get prb's on target.

You can build up the front sight with some JB Weld and dress it down to the height you want with a needle file.
I believe medium heat with an acetelyne torch will let you remove all the JB when you want.
Someone else here will have specific information on removal. Verify that first.

 

[TDM]

Very good information. Thanks for posting.

 

[earlwb]

I have used PRB's before in my musket, and they were very accurate. I'm talking golf ball size groups at 100 yards. The problem is they are 28" high at they distance. I can hold for six to eight inches and still get my buck using a minie ball, but would struggle trying to hit anything while holding 2.5 ft. low. Wish i could use round balls for plinking and hunting, they are certainly more pleasant to shoot, cheaper and readily available. Not messing with my sights though to get prb's on target.

I would have likely reduced the powder load with PRBs. It shouldn’t be reduced too much.