2 Bore Boxlock Muzzleloader

[Trkdriver99]

I'll shoot it and even bring my own powder. When I win the lottery I want one in flint and a longer barrel. Maybe a wall gun.


Ronnie

[CowboyCS]

I just got the advanced copy today, an Article on my 2 Bore Boxlock is in the February 2010 issue of "Muzzle Blasts" Magazine page 61.

Colin

[The other DWS]

looks like a later version of a "rampart gun" to me.  sure glad it's your shoulder and not mine.

[doug]

Serious question, why are the larger bores not often rifled?
Most of the ones that I have seen are smooth bored??

      I think the reason had to do with penetration.  I think the large guns shot hardened roundball so that they would penetrate further in really large animals.  Baker had a 4 bore as I recall which shot a elongate projectile but did not penetrate as well as his 6 bore with roundball.  I think it is reasonable to assume the elongate projectile was some sort of mini ball and was cast relatively soft in order for it to expand and grip the rifling.
     I also recall I think it was Val Forgett that shot an elephant with a roughly 4 guage double rifle and round ball.  Penetration as I recall was only about 2 feet or so presumably because the soft cast ball flattened out

cheers Doug

[Daryl]

Doug - I seem to recall it was Turner Kirkland who used an original 4 bore Rawbone (Lyman's first edition of the muzzlelaoding handbook) for an elephant.  He used a mere 300gr. of powder, and a 7 bore ball at 1,030gr.   He had a 6 bore made in Belgium as a backup.  The 6 bore shot a 725gr. ball (10 bore size@ .775=700gr.), which is very much undersized for an 8 bore, let alone a 6bore.  For example, an 8 bore pure lead bal weighs 875gr., due to it's .835" size, whereas a 6 bore ball weighs 1,166gr. @ .919".
The penetration was as you stated, Doug - 20" and only got one lung as they flattened out on the hide.  He used 11 drams, while 16 was the "Full Monty" for a 4 bore & with a larger ball.

Val used a very heavily loaded Navy Arms "Hawken Hurrican" with a 610gr. slug + 175gr. 3F - not for the faint of heart.

The pure lead balls lacked penetration on heaily skinned game, which is why hunters of 'old' used hardened lead, with addition of tin or murcury.  I've shot both, of course, but suggest you stay away from pouring murcury into your lead pot.

Oh yeah - Baker's "Baby" shot a 3oz. belted ball.  He had a 4 oz. conical made for it, which lead him into "Such scrapes" as he "eventualy gave up the conical as useless".  A 3oz.(1,3125gr.) perfectly spherical ball is a wee bit smaller than 5 bore at 1,400gr., so yes, Baker's "Baby' could well have been a 4 bore as well, but not a 2 as reported by some 'modern' writers.