Thinking about another rifle for hunting,probably a .54. My question is which barrel to you guys use? I know alot of it is going to be personal preference. I know that the swamped barrels balance well and are lighter but if you are on top of the mountain and the wind kicks up would the straight barrel hold better? I have only hunted with straght barreled rifles. Just wondering what you all thought? Dew
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Straight or Swamped for hunting?
- Thread starter DEWB
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If I packed a straight 54 cal, 42" long barrel up a mountain, I would be too winded to hold it steady. :wink:
IMHO, a swamped barrel will hold as well as a straight one, especially if you are using a rest. I am willing to bet that once you hunt with a swamped barreled gun, the straight barreled guns will stay in the closet.
God bless
IMHO, a swamped barrel will hold as well as a straight one, especially if you are using a rest. I am willing to bet that once you hunt with a swamped barreled gun, the straight barreled guns will stay in the closet.
God bless
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Actually I do like my tapered barrels. :thumbsup:
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I am going out of the norm here maybe. I like the straight barrels. And when I say straight, I mean 1 1/8" Straight.
They hold extremely well offhand or in position. I do a lot of offhand shooting competition. When I am holding on a target, I am holding ON the target, not swaying around and touch the trigger when it passes the target. I choose where to hit the target.
Although they are a tad heavier, you kinda get used to packing them around. A 10 or 11 pound rifle isn't bad. I doubt I would take it sheep hunting, but for normal situations and mountain hunting I feel there is no better. I have seen no problem using Straight barrels.
Norm and Rocky Chandler did an article some time back in Guns & Ammo discussing the.......
Lightweight VS Standard weight rifle argument with a pros and cons list. The Standard to heavy rifle proved tops in head to head competition, in combat, hunting, and practical use.
Headhunter
They hold extremely well offhand or in position. I do a lot of offhand shooting competition. When I am holding on a target, I am holding ON the target, not swaying around and touch the trigger when it passes the target. I choose where to hit the target.
Although they are a tad heavier, you kinda get used to packing them around. A 10 or 11 pound rifle isn't bad. I doubt I would take it sheep hunting, but for normal situations and mountain hunting I feel there is no better. I have seen no problem using Straight barrels.
Norm and Rocky Chandler did an article some time back in Guns & Ammo discussing the.......
Lightweight VS Standard weight rifle argument with a pros and cons list. The Standard to heavy rifle proved tops in head to head competition, in combat, hunting, and practical use.
Headhunter
Protrucker
45 Cal.
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That's what happened in my case. I haven't even hunted once with my straight barreled guns since I got my swamped barrel.J.D. said:
They'd be great for hunting ground hogs, if you had to hold them offhand for very long! :haha:Headhunter said:
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Mr. Bald Mt Man,
MEET MR GROUNDHAWG.
Headhunter
MEET MR GROUNDHAWG.
Headhunter
Normally a straight bbl of the same length as a swamped bbl would be muzzle heavy and possibly weigh more but a lot depends on one's physical build as to one's preference. My squirrel rifle has a .45 cal., 7/8" x 42" bbl and is definitely muzzle heavy but squirrel hunting is much less strenuous than say elk hunting. Advice on this topic is subjective w/ a lot of unknowns as far as other's preferences and only your personal experience can answer your question, I would think.....Fred
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Wanna bet! Try sitting down in a chair with no waist muscles that work to help hold you up, then have someone hand you that 10, 11 lb gun. Unless you were smart enough to use a rope around the back of the chair and tie you in, you'll end up falling out of the chair and onto your nose, not fun. :wink:
Onojutta
45 Cal.
This is just an opinion here because I don't have experience yet shooting or hunting with a swamped barrel, but my hunch is that the swamping becomes more of an advantage with longer rifles.
For instance, I refer to my Lyman TR as a carbine because it is so short. The barrel is straight and I have no problems shooting it off hand. I notice that when you step up to the Lyman GPR, it feels much more muzzle heavy. I believe in the old days when longrifles with barrels >40" were common, the swamping helped reduce excess weight from the long barrel.
Of course, the muzzle weight of a rifle is strictly a matter of personal preference. Some like a lot of weight up front for shooting off hand, while others like myself prefer a more balanced feel. When I shoot off hand, I place my left hand very close to me, just in front of the lock. That tends to add more weight to the muzzle, so that is why I prefer a gun without the extra muzzle weight to begin with.
Of course then there is the whole issue of style with regard to a swamped barrel. I also like a swamped longrifle because it is more in line with the originals.
For instance, I refer to my Lyman TR as a carbine because it is so short. The barrel is straight and I have no problems shooting it off hand. I notice that when you step up to the Lyman GPR, it feels much more muzzle heavy. I believe in the old days when longrifles with barrels >40" were common, the swamping helped reduce excess weight from the long barrel.
Of course, the muzzle weight of a rifle is strictly a matter of personal preference. Some like a lot of weight up front for shooting off hand, while others like myself prefer a more balanced feel. When I shoot off hand, I place my left hand very close to me, just in front of the lock. That tends to add more weight to the muzzle, so that is why I prefer a gun without the extra muzzle weight to begin with.
Of course then there is the whole issue of style with regard to a swamped barrel. I also like a swamped longrifle because it is more in line with the originals.
Thanks for all the replies. The reason I am pondering this is because I'm planning a backcountry hunt next year out west. I was out there a couple years ago with a buddy who has horses but I don't, so we are going to have to pack everything on our backs. So weight is an issue. I had a swamped rifle for awhile but the pull was to long for me so I got rid of it but it did balance nice and was under 8 lbs. in a .54 with a 38 in. barrel. I'm in the middle of building a Don Stith hawken in .58 and I might take it but it will probably over 10 lbs. when done. Something lighter would be nice going up the mountain.
The long barrel length even on a swamped barrel still gives weight out front which helps minimize muzzle wander...and remember that the muzzle end of the barrel flares back to regular size putting weight back you want it...my .58cal Virginia weighs 9.5lbs with its 39" swamped barrel, is well balanced and more accurate than I can shoot.
Besides, if you're on the top of a mountain with wind blowing that hard, worries about muzzle wander might be a moot point...the deer will probably be down in the ravines out of that wind :grin:
Besides, if you're on the top of a mountain with wind blowing that hard, worries about muzzle wander might be a moot point...the deer will probably be down in the ravines out of that wind :grin:
Snow on the Roof
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A swamped barrel on a hunting rifle is much like a pretty girl. Once you've held one in your hands you'll wonder why you even looked at the others...
John :wink:
John :wink:
Thanks guys for the input. Hey Roundball, I was wondering how the recoil on that big virginia was? Also was wondering how much that ball drops at a 100 yds? How fast the ignition is? Don't mean to ask to many questions but Iv'e been considering one. Thanks Dew
The forte of the MLF is to ask/answer questions...lost count of all that I've asked.DEW said:
The Virginia is a powder puff to shoot...long barreled, has some weight to it, and a wider butt plate than normal (2" wide instead of 1+3/4", etc)
Didn't have time to do that particular testing with the Virginia before the season opened...but knew the same hunting load in my 33" GM barrel zeroed at 50, dropped 4" at 100, so I figured it would be close enough for deer season if for some reason I could even SEE a deer at 100yds where I hunt.
(90grns Goex 3F, Oxyoke lubed wad, Oxyoke .022" patch, Hornady .570")
If the term "instantaneous" can be applied to Flintlock ignition, its instantaneous...not only due to fast Goex powder and an excellent Chambers deluxe siler lock, I also had a "patent breech" style breechplug made for the barrel.
DEW said:
Tell us more about this planned rifle. Barrel length? Desired all-up weight? Style?
My .54 cal 44" barrelled early Lehigh weighs 9-3/4 lbs with a "C" profile swamped barrel. Pretty beefy tube even with the swamp. Not bad to carry, nice to shoot but would be awkward from horseback. Our mountains ain't much hereabouts, but I lug my by hand for miles. It's a half-mile walk each way to my favorite spot to park my butt and watch plus some still-hunting when I get cold.
How about a nice, light English sporting rifle?
Evidently by their design, patent breeches are self-cleaning...pretty much all the modern mass-produced rifles like TCs have them...all the T/C Hawkens I've used for the past 18 years have them...don't own a vent pick.DEW said:
My experience with them was so good that I wanted to have that same (T/C type) patent breech plug design on the Virginia...Track of the Wolf referred me to a custom breeching shop and they made/installed it. (Dennis McCandless, New Mexico)
