Offhand Rifle

[Chunker119]

I plan to start a new build this winter and it will be an offhand style rifle to shoot at Friendship.

What type of attributes should it have? I'm thinking of architecture similar to a Vincent-style but with a rounded schuetzen cheek piece.

Any pictures, tips and advice would be appreciated.

MM119

[Bob Roller]

Forget the crescent butt plates and stock it like an English long range rifle
with a shotgun butt plate. It can be made either as a flint lock or caplock
and with or without set triggers.

Bob Roller

[smylee grouch]

I like a slightly tappered barrel about 34-36" long with what Bob calls English style. Every one who shoots alot will have a slightly different preference in guns/cal,etc.

[Bob Roller]

Smylee,you're right. A tapered barrel is an advantage on an offhand rifle.
 Bob Roller

[Chunker119]

Just to clarify, I will shoot this rifle on the offhand line at Friendship.

Thanks,
MM119

[volatpluvia]

I like the Lancaster style long rifle for off hand.  42 inch tapered and flared barrel.  I prefer flint, but do what you like.  .54 will give you enough heft in the ball to carry little eddies of air movement, but will get right out there with a reasonable charge. 
volatpluvia

[Don Getz]

Since this is going to be a target rifle, I would use a straight sided barrel to give me some muzzle weight.  The size and weight
would depend on your stature.   As to calibre, I'm not sure you would want a 54 cal., over a period of time and a number of
shots with it I think you would agree.  I think I would probably shoot a 50 cal., which over the years that I was making barrels
I found that it was the most popular calibre.    I also had several chunk guns and found that I shot my best scores with the 50
...........Don

[Dphariss]

I plan to start a new build this winter and it will be an offhand style rifle to shoot at Friendship.

What type of attributes should it have? I'm thinking of architecture similar to a Vincent-style but with a rounded schuetzen cheek piece.

Any pictures, tips and advice would be appreciated.

MM119

Off hand rifles are very personalized rifles. I would go with a rifle in the 10-12 pound range, straight barrel as long as possible. Longer is ALWAYS better since is dampens the wobble. So I would want 40-44".
15/16" or 1" 45 caliber straight, no taper, lock that transmits as little jar to the gun as possible if a FL. L&R 1700 or a small Siler. Percussion is less important.
Crescent butt with enough "hook" to keep the rifle on the arm when shooting off hand if possible this reduces the work load on the trigger hand and should help trigger control.
Since the rifle is heavy a little Vincent BP will be OK in 40-45 caliber.
How heavy YOU want the rifle is up to you. I can't tell you how heavy the rifle needs to be some people like light offhand rifles. I do not.

This is a Vincent with a GM 42" 1" x 45 caliber. I no longer have the rifle, I sold it with only a few test shots. But its a serious contender in our turkey matches, target use is what it was made for.



Cheekpiece height, drop at the heal and comb  and cast are up to you.
This was built using a TOW precarve stock back in the late 1990s IIRC.

Dan

[Kermit]

I can't seem to locate a photo, but I'm doing well with a Rupp in .50 cal with a straight 7/8" barrel that's 48" long. Small siler and Davis double set. I'll admit the muzzle weight felt strange to begin with, but my other rifles are beginning to feel a little twitchy by comparison these days. It's longer and a little skinnier than Dan suggested, but works for me. The length allowed for a goodly sight radius while putting the rear sight out far enough to work reasonably with my older eyes.

[Dphariss]

I can't seem to locate a photo, but I'm doing well with a Rupp in .50 cal with a straight 7/8" barrel that's 48" long. Small siler and Davis double set. I'll admit the muzzle weight felt strange to begin with, but my other rifles are beginning to feel a little twitchy by comparison these days. It's longer and a little skinnier than Dan suggested, but works for me. The length allowed for a goodly sight radius while putting the rear sight out far enough to work reasonably with my older eyes.

Barrels much over 42-44 are hard to load under covered firing lines in some places or indoors in winter where i shoot matches. 44 is about as long as I want, if fact longer than this is a PITA to load in any event. I have a rack in the tool box on my pickup and about 45-46 is all that will fit  .

Dan

[Majorjoel]

I have found my 54 caliber Hawken rifle with a 1 1\8" straight sided 36" barrel to be the most accurate off hand rifle I have ever shot. It has actually amazed me on the line. I have never weighed it but estimate it to be around 12 lbs or so. It may even be a bit heavier than that.

[stuart cee dub]

I recently built an offhand rifle in a .40 cal with a 15/16th straight barrel 35'' long in a halfstock .

In retrospect I should have built at least a .45 cal with the same outside dimensions on the barrel .The buttplate is an Armstrong cast brass curved buttplate as I personally prefer the repeatability of a large curved buttplate,with a bit of cast off .I like double set triggers and the elaborate Vincent triggerguard as there is a place for all my fingers which end up at the same place every time .
Recoil is nil.The sights are adjustable open irons  with the option of mounting peeps for any metallic sight matched .
The basis for this was my standard offhand gun percussion that was ohio-esque I had shot for 10 years .

The other design I have seen at the Territorials used by the really good shooters is a tapered barrel half stock with a much more modern stock with a pistol grip much more like the English style ,half stocked with a barrel under 40'' .Other than the sidelock you would swear these were modern cartridge rifles without optics and no ramrod.This style has already been mentioned in this thread and definitely worth looking at

Because I often shoot at more traditional matches I rationalized that I wanted something that would be dual use and that was of a pattern with which I was already comfortable .
 
The caliber question is as important as the style, .50 will reach out to 100 yds better than the .45 and leave a bigger hole on the standing bear target that seems to hide bullet hole better than just about any other kind of target .Bigger calibers will beat you up. .40 cal gets blown too easily at 100 yds and the holes are just to small to see without a really good spotting scope.Some .40's like lots of powder too .

Interesting thread .
Best of luck,
Stuart
 
 
   

[Chunker119]

Does anyone else have any photos of your offhand rifles for ideas.


Thanks,
MM119

[Acer Saccharum]

Yeah, this kind of gun has always fascinated me.

If flint, go with a fast reliable lock, like the Chambers late Ketland, or the L&R Bailes. Hefty barrel, but short, to reduce barrel time, say 32" or so. A set trigger, maybe a single set would be the right match.

I had thought I would use a hook buttplate to force consistent shoulder placement. But this kind of BP would be more appropriate with a perc lock, like a back action and patent breech.

Oh, you can have a lot of fun designing this one.