accuracy in a TC muzzie ?

R

rebs

New member
I have a TC New Englander 50 cal that I bought used because the price was too good to pass up. It is a 1/48 twist barrel.
What kind of accuracy or groups should it be capable of shooting at 50 yds with patched round ball ?
 
Your question can't be directly answered without knowing a lot more information but if the barrel is in god shape and you get a ball and patch combination that fits the bore it should easily shoot under an inch at 50 yards with the right load. Loading precision and consistency is vitally important.
 
Finding the right ball/patch/powder combo is the secret to making a round ball shoot. The 1:48 twist isn't ideal but like ShootistPRS said it should do under an inch at 50 yards, well under.
 
wow I had no idea PRB could shoot that accurate. I am getting 3 to 4 inch groups and also at 70 yo my eyes are not what they used to be with iron sights. I painted the front sight white and will see if that helps next time out.
I am shooting a .490 ball with store bought bore butter .015 patch and 60 gr of Goex FFF powder. I tried a .018 pillow ticking and had a very hard time getting it started with my palm hitting the short starter. Is that normal ? I heard some guys use a mallet to start the ball, is that true ?
 
I've owned and shot muzzle loaders for going on fifty years. Several were TC's. Here in the real world, if you can keep three shots under four inches with open sights you're doing very good. "Well under an inch" at fifty yards is a bit of a stretch with any gun and open sights. The last time someone told me that I challenged him to do it (we were shooting sporting clays and there were a lot of people in the room). I offered to bet him ten to one that he couldn't do it and he said he'd take the bet and left to get his gun. He never came back. I'm not saying no one can do it, I'm saying that all the people who claim they can do it can't do it.
 
A mallet would deform the ball in my 45 cal T/C Hawken flintlock. Accuracy would be poor.

At 50 yards , 3 or 4 lnch groups are good.

With a Maxi ball at 100 yards, 5" was possible. Loading 90 gr by volume of Goex 3F.

Sad , the 45 & 54 maxi is no longer made.
 
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I've owned and shot muzzle loaders for going on fifty years. Several were TC's. Here in the real world, if you can keep three shots under four inches with open sights you're doing very good. "Well under an inch" at fifty yards is a bit of a stretch with any gun and open sights.
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Think what you want, makes no difference to me. I've been doing it for 48 years. My rifle does have a round ball twist and if I do my part it makes one big hole but I used an Investarms Hawken for over 30 years and it would do almost as good. I don't have any experience with TC.
 
Rebs, your only handy cap is the short barrel. 50 yard groups of 1" is common with round ball from the bench. The gun will do it even if you can't . Try a peep sight for your old eyes and I'm sure you will be pleased with your groups. Yep I'm a geezer too and old eyes need good sights!
 
That 1-48" twist is a compromise. Expect compromised results. If you want good accuracy, get a gun with a ball twist. TC's have decent big game hunting accuracy. A New Englander is a handy little short range piece, for swamp and thicket hunts real up close and personal.
Think of it as a poor man's White Mountain carbine.
 
Heck my smoothbore will shoot less than 4 inch groups at 50 yards. I have an Investarms Hawken that will shoot one ragged hole at fifty yards with 1 in 48" twist. The CVA's I have weren't quite as good, maybe a couple inches at 50. My Custom Clay Smith barn rifle will do 2 inches at 100 if I can do my part.
 
The last time someone told me that I challenged him to do it (we were shooting sporting clays and there were a lot of people in the room).
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Yep, i hear this stuff from muzzleloader shooters all the time. On one conventional muzzleloader website i'm probably the only one who can't make "one ragged hole" at 50 yards".

i'm a fairly good scoped center fire rifle shooter. Go through 5,000-8,000 rounds of .223 and .30 caliber ammo per year: Used to shoot twice that much. Made lots of teeny weeny five shot groups at 100 yards and 100 meters. My best three shot 100 yard groups with an iron sighted muzzleloader are over 3".

There is a difference between consistently making 1" groups with a muzzleloader at 50 yards and lucking out once in awhile. i've thrown down the flag on three locals who made those wild accuracy claims and all backed out.
 
I went to an open house at a local BP club and seen what these guys are shooting and how well they did. A few guys even had custom built rifles and I did not see one guy shooting one inch groups at 50 yds. with open sights.
 
to shoot a muzzle loader accurately you have to have "soul", or what ever younger guys call it nowadays.
....accurate center fire shooters use all kinds mechanical assists. nothing to do with muzzle loaders. ignore my post if you wish. bobn
 
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