Author Topic: Straight rifle group. For those interested.  (Read 2483 times)

Offline P.Bigham

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Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« on: February 22, 2021, 02:55:58 AM »
Shot today 3rd time out with my .54 caliber straight rifled barrel from Rice. Starting to show promising results. Off a bench at 50 yards 75grains of 3 f goex  .525 balls and .014 ticking for patches. This will be my trekking and woods walk Gun. I believe I will be able to fine tune it some more.  Posting for anyone who may be interested. You can also shoot shot out of these with good results. My experience and results.  Others will differ.

" not all who wander are lost"

Online rich pierce

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2021, 04:07:54 AM »
Looks good, Paul!
Andover, Vermont

Offline Daryl

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2021, 07:11:04 AM »
Is this your best grouping at this range with this load, or is it part of your load development?
I mean, it's looking good - better than the 13 bore straight rifled barrel I had once upon a time.
Mine was doing that at 40yards.  Do you have a rear sight on the gun?
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline alacran

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2021, 02:29:32 PM »
I will admit to ignorance here. So my question is why would you want a straight rifling barrel? Is there any advantage?  What is the point?
A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.  Frederick Douglass

Offline P.Bigham

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2021, 03:54:31 PM »
Daryl this is the 3rd time I’ve been to the range with it at 50yards. Ive been trying to get a good load worked up for it. The 1st 2 times I couldn’t keep them inside a basketball size target. I used your trick of smoothing the crown and ran some steel wool down the barrel. This was my best group so far.  Yes it has a rear sight.  They are versatile as you can shoot round ball and shot. Supposed to be a little more accurate than a smoothbore.
" not all who wander are lost"

Online rich pierce

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2021, 06:18:51 PM »
I will admit to ignorance here. So my question is why would you want a straight rifling barrel? Is there any advantage?  What is the point?

People want them nowadays because they are an interesting period arm. It’s suggested they were first made to handle fouling buildup in a smoothbore. I have an original late 1700s Germanic bore gun with such a barrel.
Andover, Vermont

Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2021, 06:26:14 PM »
To add a little to Rich P's reply, they were quite popular at one time for shot of a specific size, and did throw good patterns, but the barrels are heavier than a normal sporting barrel designed solely for shot.

According to Geo. Shumway, they were quite popular for boar -hunting, for some reason.
Rich's suggestion as an aid in handling fouling is what I've heard as well.  ..less friction.

Good results P-B!

Richard.

Online rich pierce

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2021, 06:42:57 PM »
Here’s mine. The straight rifling is visible when the barrel is unbreeched.
This gun was probably used here based on the style of conversion to percussion.

















Andover, Vermont

Offline Daryl

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2021, 08:22:10 PM »
Paul, I am really pleased with your improvement. It may take a time or two more to the range to get "things" narrowed as much as possible.
You are certainly on the right path.  Good work. ;D
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline hanshi

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2021, 12:28:08 AM »
I really see no reason you won't end up with excellent accuracy seeing that you're doing so well already.  Smoothbores seem to be a bit more picky than rifles and straight rifled barrels likely are as well.
!Jozai Senjo! "always present on the battlefield"
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.

Offline Daryl

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2021, 02:29:10 AM »
Here’s mine. The straight rifling is visible when the barrel is unbreeched.
This gun was probably used here based on the style of conversion to percussion.


That's a good sized hole. The bottom of the grooves appears visible.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline R.J.Bruce

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2021, 02:32:52 AM »
P.Bigham

Congatulations on your barrel's shooting improvement.

What specific size shot did Jason rifle the barrel for? How many grooves are there? How deep is the rifling?

It is my understanding that the shallow grooves are supposed to be designed to loosely fit a certain size shot, so that when fired the shot column fills the grooves, thus "sweeping" the grooves clean of fouling.

Is this how your barrel was made?

Thanks,
              Bruce
« Last Edit: February 23, 2021, 02:36:29 AM by R.J.Bruce »

Offline P.Bigham

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2021, 02:59:53 AM »
I picked this barrel up on a trade it’s a Rice 38 inches long. It has 7 grooves. Grooves measure .560. Lands are .550.   I had a Getz 44 inch years ago same caliber. Grouped as good as a rifle at 50 yds. I’ve never shot much shot from these or my smoothbores. Other than a few fly birds at shoots.

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Offline Daryl

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2021, 07:09:28 AM »
Good sharp picture.
Those grooves look closer to .010" each, to me, which would make make the groove dia. .570".
Is that 8 grooves or 7? Nice wide grooves.  Bit of a sharp crown, though. ;)
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline P.Bigham

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2021, 03:59:54 PM »
Your probably right Daryl. I was using a dial caliber and couldn’t get a straight across measurement. Thanks for looking at the crown. I’ll hit it some more with the thumb and fine sandpaper.
" not all who wander are lost"

Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #15 on: February 23, 2021, 06:30:45 PM »
It looks to have a very nice bore, P-B!   Really Nice.

Offline Daryl

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #16 on: February 23, 2021, 08:29:15 PM »
It certainly does, Richard. I like the land/groove width ratio.
As to the handling of fouling by adding grooves, I also have 'heard' that and it followed into
some military rifles as well by adding really deep grooves in early 1871.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Ken Prather

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #17 on: February 25, 2021, 12:10:19 AM »
I have a 62 cal straight rifled barrel on a fowler style gun that was made by John Getz. I have not done my homework yet on working up a proper load for roundball, but I have killed a few squirrels with it with shot, and it is a really nice handling gun.

Ken
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Too-Tall Hunter

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #18 on: February 27, 2021, 07:28:11 PM »
My straight rifle is a 58 cal. I spent several range sessions last summer getting it dialed in to the point where I felt comfortable hunting with it. I was getting cool whip bowl size groups out to 50 yards with 75gr of Goex, over powder card, .020” patch, and a .563” round ball. As you can see, it’s a double gun and the sights are a shallow V rear with a bead front, not exactly target grade. I am planning on spending more range time with it this summer and stretch it out to 75-80 yards or so. I was not really familiar with the concept of the straight rifle until I started researching the restoration on this gun.



Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #19 on: February 27, 2021, 07:50:35 PM »
In another thread, I think a good many of us would like to see more of this gun, TooTall!

Offline Daryl

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #20 on: February 27, 2021, 10:15:58 PM »
This was mine, a 13 bore straight rifled, and 16 bore smooth.


Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #21 on: February 28, 2021, 08:04:58 AM »
I'd like to see a thread on that one as well, Daryl.

Offline Daryl

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Re: Straight rifle group. For those interested.
« Reply #22 on: February 28, 2021, 11:49:22 PM »
PM sent, Richard.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V