Points of a rifle/build that affect accuracy

[flatsguide]

Yes, Sundance was owned by Robert Redford who I met at the shoot. We talked about my rifle and his popular movie at the time “ Jeremiah Johnson”. That was a looong time ago, something like fifty years.
Cheers Richard

[Bigmon]

I am thinking everyone has good points so far.  But in my experience a good shooter is more importannt to good shooting.  That is if we have a good solid firearm, but need not be specially constructed,
When my eyes were ok all my guns shot really well.  Now for some reason none of my guns seem accurate, at least when I am shooting?
Funny though, when my 19 year old Grandson is shooting these guns, they seem to regain their accuracy??
JMHO

[john bohan]

right on Bigmon.

[flatsguide]

Lol! Funny how that happens.
CheersRichard

[Dphariss]

I have been wondering what parts of a Longrifle have a significant impact on accuracy.

Considering the target rifles seem to always have hooked breeches, I would guess that it promotes accuracy, which makes sense. With a bold rifle, you only want 1 recoiling surface... The recoil lug. Having the action screws touching the inside of the stock holes or having the rear surface of the tang of the action butted up against a stock inlet will act as a second recoiling surface and make it less accurate. This seems to be relatable to hooked breech rifles. They will recoil against the tang/standing breech and if you've slotted the barrel underlugs properly, that will be the only recoiling surface.

Is the above correct?

If so, is the accuracy potential of a long tang double screw rifle (like a southern mountain rifle) less than a short tang single screw Pennsylvania school rifle?

The other part I'm wondering about is barrel inlet tightness. The best accuracy in modern guns comes from the action being glued into the stock, so there is zero movement.  It seems that glueing the barrel isn't relatable to a longrifle, but does this idea seem to hold where the tighter the fit the better? Or would a super sloppy loose inlet be better?

Of course, consistent ignition is a must but I'm not really asking about that part.

Is there anything else to consider in the stock/barrel interaction?

Barrel. Proper crown. On a flint vent diameter and design. Lock time. Sights. Stock design. And the shooters ability to figure the rifle out and load itfor accuracy and use it.

[Daryl]

Good summary, Dan.

[Craig Wilcox]

One learns very interesting and helpful information throughout this forum, and this discussion is a great example.  I thank all participants on the forum for this, and for keeping said info current in today's helter-skelter world.

I've made a host of good friends here, and rarely hear impolite or disrespectful comments, yet another blessing.

[Bob Roller]

One learns very interesting and helpful information throughout this forum, and this discussion is a great example.  I thank all participants on the forum for this, and for keeping said info current in today's helter-skelter world.

I've made a host of good friends here, and rarely hear impolite or disrespectful comments, yet another blessing.

  Impolite and disrespectful comments are available on special order only .

  Bob Roller

[Dphariss]

One learns very interesting and helpful information throughout this forum, and this discussion is a great example.  I thank all participants on the forum for this, and for keeping said info current in today's helter-skelter world.

I've made a host of good friends here, and rarely hear impolite or disrespectful comments, yet another blessing.

In todays world simple truth or facts is sometimes seen as impolite, disrespectful or in the context of firearms, scary, when it disagrees with someone’s “world view” or “feelings” or something they have been doing and think is “OK”. We all try to be helpful here and I see it as a learning/teaching forum. 
The other thing is that we ALL do some things in a different manner. And sometimes the technique one uses seems strange or silly to another when in the end it results in the same outcome. I learned this soon after joining our Gunmakers Guild in Montana…

[smylee grouch]

Consistency, as has been stated by several posters here is a very big key. It's kind of a catch 22, if the shooter does not use consistent technique every shot his gun wont make up for that BUT if the gun OR the load is not optimum/consistent the shooters consistent technique will  probably still produce poor results.

[Dphariss]

One thing about “fit”. Most don’t need to be excessively concerned with “fit”. Rifle are aimed not pointed as shotguns are. Fit/buttstock design/shape can be an issue with calibers over 50 and some Kentucky stocks are not great in heavy recoiling calibers.  If its a large caliber rifle then the comb line needs to be pretty much parallel to the bore. Hear is why.
Neither of these rifle cause cheek pain. Watch my head move under recoil with the 16 bore.

[J.M.Browning]

I have hooked breech on my English muzzleloading double rifles the only advantage I find is cleaning after shooting . I like removing the barrel from stock for water cleaning . No screws to remove. Both rifles have proven to be accurate. 

[recurve]

straight green mtn barrel .50 36inch, small siler lock ,hook breach ,home made peep swiss 3f , 100yrds top 2 sight in filed rear sight for next 3
here's the 50yrd before moving sights

[J.M.Browning]

Targets tell the story very nice shooting recurve !

[Daryl]

One thing about “fit”. Most don’t need to be excessively concerned with “fit”. Rifle are aimed not pointed as shotguns are. Fit/buttstock design/shape can be an issue with calibers over 50 and some Kentucky stocks are not great in heavy recoiling calibers.  If its a large caliber rifle then the comb line needs to be pretty much parallel to the bore. Hear is why.
Neither of these rifle cause cheek pain. Watch my head move under recoil with the 16 bore.

Very similar to mine. The recoil drives the shoulder back, but also down which "takes" the comb away & down from the cheek. No slap, no matter the load used.
This is only 140gr. 2F GOEX, with a 482gr. ball & .030" patch. My hunting load is 165gr., same powder, patch and ball,

[Dphariss]

Stock design is typical English rifle/fowler
The standard load for this rifle is 140 gr of FF Swiss. This is the point of diminishing returns. Adding more powder does not gan as much velocity per grain of powder as 140 and below. And 140 gives about 1600 fps. About what James Forsythe was getting  with his 14 bore (69 cal) percussion rifle with a shorter barrel, IIRC, and 137gr of “Halls #2” powder which may be like FFF by the way the Europeans size powder granules. My flintlock also has a Nock breech design.

[HighUintas]

I have been drooling over the Rod England kit that Curtis so masterfully built in the tutorial he did a couple of years ago. I'd really like to build the sporting rifle to have the pinnacle of accuracy in my hands for hunting. But I'm not sure that my skills are up enough yet to do that rifle justice.

[J.M.Browning]

I can not make any claims of accurate or inaccuracies of a hooked breech rifle I do like the ease of removing the barrel- barrels and using my wife's kitchen sink for cleaning this is subjective as most things are online one thing not subjective I'm a terrible shot with a retina disease .

[HighUintas]

I can not make any claims of accurate or inaccuracies of a hooked breech rifle I do like the ease of removing the barrel- barrels and using my wife's kitchen sink for cleaning this is subjective as most things are online one thing not subjective I'm a terrible shot with a retina disease .

I've got a retina disease and I'm a terrible shot too!! Does having a sexy gun make up for either of those things? That would help me greatly 

[J.M.Browning]

Believe me nothing makes up for having eye injections monthly , Although thank you for the very nice complement!