Crowning vs coning

[snapper]

My predictions are that we will see no difference in accuracy between coning not coning.   Assuming that both muzzles are  done properly.

Fleener

[WadePatton]

... I wonder if Amazon carries the old 5’x20’ rolling chalkboards.... This can easily get out of hand.

Why buy new? Takes 2 dollars to bid on this one: 
https://ebid.nashville.gov/AuctionDetail.aspx?auid=120787

[WadePatton]

My predictions are that we will see no difference in accuracy between coning not coning.   Assuming that both muzzles are  done properly.

Fleener

I'll agree, if the combination is the same, and in the same bore.  The increased friction on loading as Daryl and Leatherbelly experienced with a cone on LB's gun would probably have other guys changing to a slightly less snug fit. 

AFIK no one goes to a looser combo to help his group sizes (assuming he can start the tighter combo without distorting the ball).

[Daryl]

I hear of distortion of the ball when loading tight combinations. I suspect that would happen, if the rod tip and starter tips are flat. Mine are not flat,
but cupped and there is no distortion of the ball when I load it.

[Scota4570]

My predictions are that we will see no difference in accuracy between coning not coning.   Assuming that both muzzles are  done properly.

Fleener

You have a good point.  I see coning devices that use a cone shape mandrill wrapped sand paper and run in an electric drill.  There is not way to get that straight except by luck.   If it were done in a lathe, the bore set up to run dead true, and boring bar used, it would work out more consistently.

What is a cone?  I do all crowing in a lathe.  I use a sickle shaped tool to make a french curve shape crown.  The deepest part is only a few degrees off parallel, then the curve increases to make radius at the muzzle.  No part is much larger than the bore diameter.  Only large enough to make a ball and patch center easily.  It looks a lot like some of the sandpaper thumb jobs I see.  The whole contour happens in less than 1/8" depth.  Is that a cone? 

[Clark Badgett]

My predictions are that we will see no difference in accuracy between coning not coning.   Assuming that both muzzles are  done properly.

Fleener

You have a good point.  I see coning devices that use a cone shape mandrill wrapped sand paper and run in an electric drill.  There is not way to get that straight except by luck.   If it were done in a lathe, the bore set up to run dead true, and boring bar used, it would work out more consistently.

What is a cone?  I do all crowing in a lathe.  I use a sickle shaped tool to make a french curve shape crown.  The deepest part is only a few degrees off parallel, then the curve increases to make radius at the muzzle.  No part is much larger than the bore diameter.  Only large enough to make a ball and patch center easily.  It looks a lot like some of the sandpaper thumb jobs I see.  The whole contour happens in less than 1/8" depth.  Is that a cone?

Except they have bore sized pilots.

[Bob Roller]

IF the crowning/coning is uniform I would think the coning or "funneling" would be a bit
easier to reload and that can be helpful in a hunting environment. The tight ball/patch
combo could still be used in a competition where speed of reloading is not a factor.
Back in the days when I did a lot of shooting,the first thing after the first shot that I
looked for was a UNIFORM star pattern on the muzzle.I would polish the muzzle and
have a clean area to study after the first shot.If the pattern was not uniform the a recrown
was next.
Bob Roller

[Bob McBride]

Great suggestion Bob.

[alacran]

This is another case of a solution looking for a problem.

[bob in the woods]

I haven't coned per se, however,  I have filed angled grooves into the lands of my .54 barrel . I used a small round file, and was careful to keep the angle and depth even. This treatment allows for the patched ball to enter the bore much more easily . Accuracy is still very good.

[hudson]

Coning is one of those things that will probably never be resolved here. For me I load tight and a proper cone cut on a lathe and a bit of choke has not hurt accuracy and made loading almost a pleasure. When putting a cone in a barrel plugs are turned out of brasses that are a light tap fit in the ends of barrel. The barrel is then dialed in on the plugs both ends of the barrel. A small boring bar is used to cut the cone then polished.

[shifty]

   You folks are making this coning process way to complicated if you use a Joe Woods or similar tool and do it by hand as the directions say to do you will get a good  accurate and easy to load muzzle.

[Daryl]

What is a cone?  I do all crowing in a lathe.  I use a sickle shaped tool to make a french curve shape crown.  The deepest part is only a few degrees off parallel, then the curve increases to make radius at the muzzle.  No part is much larger than the bore diameter.  Only large enough to make a ball and patch center easily.  It looks a lot like some of the sandpaper thumb jobs I see.  The whole contour happens in less than 1/8" depth.  Is that a cone?

I would call that most certainly a radiused crown. As far as I am concerned, a cone is a gradual tightened bore.
 I tried the cone and went back to crowns as I lost accuracy with a coned surface, as noted.
Speculation is great - you can speculate anything - but actually doing it and testing was my method.