.50 Cal. Canoe Gun

[Daryl]

This rifle was built in a very short time just prior to the Helfey Creek Rondy. The lock isn't finished and is in the rough, as-received condition. It is an early Siler and sparks amazingly well - best I've seen so far.  I took the single picture at a distance and low resolution as it appears to be very gappy around the lock. The lock panels have to be reduced in height to below the bevels on the sides. Then, the fit wil be about as perfect as can be.

 The rifle has a 13 1/8" pull with a 15/16" x 21" Bauska Barrel. Last night, I pulled the plug to check the bore and it appears to have been very nicely lapped - hard to look through at the flurescent lights in my shop.  With the wider sight up front, I expect it will be a good grouper and may be a very nice light handy deer rifle  and good for moose to about 50-60 yards.  It will fit in the truch on the dash, or very handily in a boat or canoe. Much more so than a longrifle.  Gary Mummery, who built this rifle, says it was a 'lark' something for a conversation piece.  I promptly bought it from him at Rondy.  He'd no sooner put his price tag on it on his 'sale' rack, and I removed it to my tent.  It has a very nice piece of Walnut, eh.

  I tested it on Friday wit the skinny front sight that I couldn't see and best groups at 50 yards were in the 2" range.  I'm sure the pistol-type front sight I've just put on it will help in the accuracy department.  It may soon have a roundish U notch with a bead front to gvie a peep-sight-type a sight picture. We'll see.  I was thinking of putting the "for-sale" .40 swamped Rice barrel on it, an "A" profile that would fit fairly well and look just fine if reduced to about 32", but decided to give the .50 a chance to do it's stuff before changing it, if I ever change it.

Chrono testing was interesting to say the least. Of course, I used the same "lot" of slow GOEX I used int he .40, but kept my testing to 2F due to the barerl's short length. I figure it needs all the speed it can muster within my [narrow' recoil limit due to shoulder problems.
: I used LHV lube for the test as this is purely a hunting rifle.  Patches were .020" denim, the same ones I use with .400" balls in the .40. I used Speer swaged .495" balls for my testing.

80gr. 3F load coombination as noted above.
1/. 1,446
2/. 1,463
3/. 1,477
4/. 1,462
5/. 1,491 spread 46fps Av - 1,468fps

90gr. 3F same load combo
1/. 1,583
2/. 1,588
3/. 1,545
4/. 1,521
5/. 1,527 spread 67fps - Av - 1,553 - recoil at this point was about all my shoulder will handle for continuous shooting and actually shot the best, accuracy wise.

100gr. 3F same load combo
1/. 1,624
2/. 1,643
3/. 1,669
4/. 1,657
5/. 1,629
6/. 1,635 spread 45fps Av - 1,651fps

 100gr. 3F same as above but with .021" denim patch
1/. 1,627
2/. 1,621
3/. 1,654
4/. 1,656
5/. 1,664 spread 43  Av - 1,644fps - The close numbers and virtually identical speeds show good fit for the thinner .020" denim patch so no need for the thicker one unless further testing shows better accuracy.

110gr. 3F .021" patch as they were already lubed and might as well use them up. Loading was virtually identical to the thinner patch - very easy
1/. 1,720
2/. 1,680
3/. 1,717 spread 40fps - Av. - 1,705fps Only fired 3- sore shoulder  note that for all this shooting, I used the thicker 'Magnum' PAST reoil pad on my shoulder yet recoil in this light gun was getting me down. Torn cartilage really stunts testing heavy loads.

 Getting 100fps average per 10gr. of powder is pretty good form 80gr. through 100gr., showing this very short barrel was working fine with this granulation and charge weights.  At 110gr. of 3F, the average velocity gain dropped to 61 fps. This may have risen to as much as perhaps 75fps had more shots been fired in the 110gr. string, but definitely shows gains are dropping.

 A further note that last time testing on the lower range with Taylor, his Virginia rifle, with 44" Rice Barrel in .50 cal, gave only approx. 1,450fps with 80gr. 2F. My short 21" barrel matched that velocity (1,468) with 3F.  I'll do a further test using 2F (in a couple weeks) to see if there is an accuracy advantage with 2F in this barrel.  I would have liked to achieve 1,650fps for a hunting load, but may have to accept 100fps less. In the field, this will literally make no difference, of course.

[Leatherbelly]

  Now you just need a canoe to float that jack handle!

[BrownBear]

How's the balance?  I.e., where does the COG fall? 

The shortest rifles in our house have 24" and 26" barrels, which shift the COG back between your hands like a good shotgun.  They're exceptionally fast handling in close quarters, even if they're challenging for deliberate shooting on the range. 

That's a big plus much of the times in our hunting fields, and frankly I'm a fan.  My wife unashamedly refuses to shoot anything else because she hates barrel-heavy balance.  And she'll pin your ears back shooting her short guns offhand!  First time at the range with her 54 she kept 17 of 20 shots well inside a 3" bull at 35 yards, with the three "flyers" her last shots and still clipping the black.  Admitting that the hunting loads (80 grains of 3f under PRB) were getting to her, she reset the measure for 30-35 grains such as she will use for head smacking snowshoe hare.  She dropped 10 shots into a ragged hole at the same range!  For her at least, there are no demerits for shorter barrels!

Glad to see another shortie performing so well!

[Daryl]

Thanks BBear - the COG is just behind the rear sight, directly between the hands.  It is indeed fast handling and lines up very quickly. Too, the short 'pull' allows for a heavy coat and still makes for a fast handling rifle.  The sights are 'on' when the stock touches the shoulder. I attribute that to the English styling of the stock, proper drop at the comb, yet almost straight back to the heel.

 I just added the picture to the first post. Thought I did that when I initally posted it.

  I'll be gone for 10 days now. - Onwards, to the bush! Yahooooooo

[northmn]

You mentioned recoil.  I would think 90 grains would also clean any wax out of your ears with that short of a barrel.  With a 36 inch barrel I did not have the spread between 80 and 90 grains but did notice a bit of recoil even with a heavier rifle.  Gun should be fun, thats what its about.   Velocities are just a little further downrange than from a longer barrel, likely you may not see much difference on game animals.

DP

[Daryl]

leaving in a 1/2 hour- just had to check the site once more before going.

 Yeah - it's loud, even with muffs on. The recoil reminds me af my little 94 Trapper in .45 Colt. I used modern loads in it and it jumped in a similar fashion to this little Canoe gun, albeit with a bit more jump and slam.

 For now, the .50 barrel stays on.

[BrownBear]

If it's alright with Daryl, I'll chime in about my wife's 54 at just under 7 pounds.  With 80 grains of Goex 3f recoil reminds me of her Ruger Red Label 20 gauge with 1 oz loads.  It's certainly not uncomfortable to me, but she's a little tender in the recoil department.  I quizzed her about it after she finished that 20 shot string, and she wasn't even aware of it till after 15 shots or so when general fatigue began to set in.  She said it still wasn't objectionable, but she was starting to anticipate the break of the trigger and felt her followthrough was getting sloppy.

Both of us use what she calls "the canoe trick" to tame recoil.  It means conciously leaving your waist limp when you shoot so your upper body can move freely.  Just as in a canoe you leave your waist pretty loose to accomodate rocking and shifting of the canoe.   

I've got a 5.5# 54 cal (24") that's a real eye opener with heavy charges, even if it's a delight for carry and fast shooting.  I've also have a 7.5# 58 cal (26") that falls into the same category.  80-90 grains of 3f in either gun falls into what I'd call the moderate category.  You're aware of the recoil, but it's by no means objectionable.  Move on up the scale from there though, and contending with recoil is an issue.