vent size to fix slow ignition

[ffffg]

i have a chambers .62 rifle with white lightning vent.. its placed perfectly and i do use 4f in the pan.. its now is about .066 of an inch.. im hunting deer and its seems to lag a little when powder is in the barrel for a while or maybe just bad luck. it seems to be plenty fast most of the time but i want it fast all the time.. how far can i open up the flash hole before loosing velocity?.. im using 2f..this size hole doesnt give me a problem on my other guns or it doesnt seem so anyway, but ime using 3f alot on the other guns usually.. im checking all aspects and this aspect i need some advice on.. ..thanks dave..

 

[Larry Pletcher]

I wrote an article for Muzzle Blasts (Feb 2000) about vent holes sizes. Two previous posts on the forum summarize the results (289112 and 289142). I would recommend trying a no. 50 bit (.070) first and following that with a 5/64 (.078) if necessary. I would use a counter sink spun by hand to remove any burr and to provide a vey slight exterior cone. Don't go overboard on the cone.
Regards,
Pletch

 

[montanadan]

Pletch-I did this and what birddog 6 recomends and it really works.I used 1/16 on my 40 with a slight cone,#50 drill bit on my 50,slight cone,both flints are amazingly fast.I shoot 3fg swiss,so the granule size is smaller.Pletch thanks for that article...Respectfully montanadan

 

[DrTimboone]

Yep. I followed Pletch's advice and opened the hole on my .54 to .070 and the hand cone deal...Instant ignition!! Did the same on my new fowler, but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet.

fffg and being sure to pick the main charge when loadinig seem to contribute to the success. This year hunting with the .54 I have been amazed at the ignition speed...sure makes follow-though easier.

 

[ffffg]

went out hunting today and at the the end of the day finally got to try the new vent size.. shot off the load and was very impressed with the .070 hole and micro cone on the vent exterior.. 2nd shot was just as fast..probably fastest ive had in a flint.. hard to tell the difference between fast and fastest... sometimes when the gun has been loaded for half a day and the oil in the barrel etc etc, it can be pretty slow, but hopefully not any more.. i hope i dont have to resight it in... this gun is really comming together to be a fantastic rifle... thanks for your hard work Pletch... dave

 

[paulvallandigham]

Why would you load a gun with oil in hte barrel? That is going to create a misfire, or hang fire. Use your vent pick to poke a hole through the vent into the main charge before priming. That will aid in making the gun go off " fast " every time. It should sound like " kBOOM " when you fire, not " KaBoom ", or " Clatch--Pht-t-t-t BOOM ", or anything slower.Fast means that there is no time to flinch, or otherwise react to hearing the flint hit the frizzen, before the gun fires.

I know many shooters are impatient, and really want a flintlock to shoot as fast as a semi-automatic rifle. It does not work that way. But, when you consistently get the gun to fire " FAST ", as I have described, you will do excellent shooting and hit your target more than you miss. Other shooters on the line will admire you, not only for the excellent shooting, but because you have taken the few extra seconds in loading and priming your gun to make it fire fast every time. The real benefit of setting the gun up properly is that subconscious mind is not always wondering, " Is thing going to fire this time?" Instead, you can concentrate on the that front sight, and get into the zone, knowing that the gun is not only going to fire, but its going to send that ball where you have your sights aimed, just like any modern gun.