Choked rifle bore!

[Roger Fisher]

I'll put this out there for your entertainment and maybe a little education!

Refering now to my Getz offhand barrel that has over 60,000 rds thru her since 88 or 89 (89 I do believe) # of rounds fairly well documented I might add! This rifle gets cleaned and cared for (more so and better than I do)  I noticed that on the very rare occasion that I dry ball her I cannot usually get the ball out of the muzzle of this 39 1/2 in .45 barrel she stops part way out with the CO2 cylinder. I end up dribbling in some prime and popping it out thata way after reseating the ball of course.  Pondering the matter I am assuming that since the cleaning stroke very seldom gets out anywhere near the muzzle and I do wonder if I ended up with a slight choke in the bore.  Has anyone else out there noticed such a result of thousands and thousands of cleaning strokes or am I hallucinating (again)! She still shoots!

btw I 4/0 wooled her when new and once since (as I can recall)

Anybody?

[northmn]

I had a Green River barrel that was supposed to have a slight choke.  About the only thing I would say I noticed different was that it liked about 140 grains of 2f for a 58.  I did not and sold the rifle.  The older Numrich barrels used to smooth out after a 100 shots or so and take a tighter patch ball combo.  If you are wearing out your barrel you should have noticed this also.

DP

[erdillonjr]

Roger, all Getz barrels are choked. I doubt yours has any left after all those rounds. LOL . Ed

[Roger Fisher]

I had a Green River barrel that was supposed to have a slight choke.  About the only thing I would say I noticed different was that it liked about 140 grains of 2f for a 58.  I did not and sold the rifle.  The older Numrich barrels used to smooth out after a 100 shots or so and take a tighter patch ball combo.  If you are wearing out your barrel you should have noticed this also.

DP

I started the ol gal off with a .451 ball and .015 spit patch and over the years moved up to a .454 and a slightly tighter spit patch and have stayed with that 45 3 f goex at 25 yds 55 at 50 yds 70 at 75 and 80 at 100.....

[Roger Fisher]

Roger, all Getz barrels are choked. I doubt yours has any left after all those rounds. LOL . Ed

Geez, or maybe I added more choke after all that rubbing the cleaning patches 3/4 or so the way thru her!

[Daryl]

I think it's totally possible you've choked it, Roger, after all that short stroking .  I've choked a couple on purpose myself with excellent results. My current 20 bore smoothie has a mild choke and I like it, especially for loading tight combinations, as it is quite noticable when loading, although doesn't burn patches. My .58 Large barrel was choked, like DP's, and would not shoot less than 140gr. of 2f with a tightly patched ball.  Perhaps it took that much powder to expand the ball (obturate) in the grooves.

For me, you're using too many different charges - I prefer something simpler and use the same charge for all ranges, thus go through more powder, of course. The .69 is different (recoil) as I use a squib load in it for most shooting except the longest shots, a GRRW barrel that doesn't feel as if it has any choke - straight tube. Seems to me it was a 36", which we shortened, so would have cut off any choke anyway.  MOA (with heavy loads) accuracy isn't too bad, so I think I'll leave it the way it is.

[frogwalking]

I understand why Pope choked his BP cartridge rifle barrels.  Why would one choke a ML rifle barrel?  Does the soft lead ball obturate enough for a choked section to function the same way?  How is such a choke created?  Are both grooves and lands choked?

[Daryl]

yes - both grooves and lands.   I do believe there is obturation IF the charge is high enough in a round ball gun, otherwise, no.  Can't prove it, but I believe it.  Note how the .40 cal picket rifles need quite heavy for caliber charges in order to shoot well. This is probably due to the requirement for fairly high pressures to obturate the short, light bullets they shoot. Again, this is theory, not proven fact - about the obturation, that is. A round ball would, perhaps, need even higher pressure due to it's lower sectional density.  Of course, velocity and rifling twists also come into the need for speed - so there are clouds in the sky.

[Charlie B]

The choke or taper is put in while reaming, some occurs naturally during reaming with a long bit reamer. Makes barrel easier to load and yes they shoot very well!! Walter Cline and other " old timers" swore by a tapered or tapered and choked barrel. Usually looking at .003 -.005 total taper.

[Daryl]

The ones I choked were lapped in according to the 'instructions' in Ned Robert's book, TheMuzzleLoadingCapLockRrifle.  As Dixie noted above, they provided easier loading and better accuracy than a straight barrel.  The first I did was a 'picket' or 38" twist .50 that shot fairly short slugs into true minute of angle, 5 shot groups at 100 yards using open iron sights.