78 caliber hunting rifle

[frosty]

I just completed a 78 caliber hunting rifle built around a Long Hammock barrel, L&R Durs Egg lock, and a walnut stock. The gun is from the later part of the wooden patchbox period, just before the revolution. It has a single set trigger, and the rear sight is much like an early type, but is a peep. No inlay work, and very little carving on the gun. Larry Callahan made me a custom mold, .765 dia. I believe the ball would be around 650 gr. I shot her yesterday, with 100 gr of ffg, .015 patch. I had 3 shots touching at 50 yds! I drilled the vent 5/64", and slightly coned the outside of the hole with a 3/16" ball nosed cutter to get rid of dead air space in front of the vent. The gun is fast and reliable, and 100gr of powder is enough! Recoil is a factor, so the 100gr charge, combined with frontal area of the ball, will make a fine hunting rifle for big game. Even though it might be sold this weekend at a gun show, i will try to post pics, however my computer is currently down

 

[arcticap]

So that's a smooth rifle and not a rifled barrel?
How heavy is it?

 

[frosty]

78 caliber rifle

It is rifled, .778 land to land, and the grooves .012 per side deep. The overall length of the barrel is 30", and is 1 5/32" across the flats. Recoil was acceptable with the 100gr charge.

 

[TomADC]

My 58 with a 515 gr mini gets my attention I can't even begin to think what a .78 with 650 gr would be like.
But enjoy first time I've heard of one, and that to me makes it special..

 

[4v50 Gary]

.78 caliber rifle? Bet that will easily reach out to 400 yards with certainty. The 1" bore wall guns could hit a sheet of paper at 500 yards.

 

[frosty]

78 caliber

It is rather large, but the great thing about it is the .765 ball has lots of frontal area for knockdown power on big game, and it will retain velocity because of its mass.

 

[Das Jaeger]

.78

thats an awsome round indeed , cannot even imagine the pain that would be inflicted by being hit by that ball ? Thats like the size of a Nickle right ? Now thats Meplat ! Whhhaaaccckkk ..Awsome Elk gun I bet .
The retained FPE would be great yes , but retained FPS ( velocity ) is going to fall of quickly from mass , not the other way around . But , that being said , thats one badd-a$$ rifle , hee hee hee , go big or go home right

Cheers, Jaeger

 

[Loyalist Dave]

A .75 caliber gun or rifle is an 11 gauge, so yes it's launching roughly a 650 grain lead projectile. ZOIKERS

A wall gun would have a substantially larger breech area, and a much larger powder charge than this fellow's rifle, more like in the 250 grains of 1Fg range.

I would be impressed if it would reach a target accurately beyond 200 yards rifled or not. It's about a 1.5 ounce projectile being launched by 3.6 drams of powder. Hardly a long range load. Imagine a rifled ten gauge shotgun using a 3" magnum for a modern equivalent.

LD

 

[frosty]

78 caliber

Once at a local gun show several yrs back, I saw a jaeger that a g.i. had brought back from germany after WWll. The man sawed the rifle in half about 5" in front of the breech, just to fit in his bag to go home with!!! Shame, cause the gun was in good shape. But I stuck my 6" machinist rule in the muzzle and it was darn near 13/16"! 80 caliber or so! I just wanted to build one, so I did!