Whitworth rifles and the famous hexagon bullet

The Whitworth rifle, who has not heard of it? It’s reputation is legendary and the lore of it’s accuracy has acquired a life of it’s own in the past 150+ years. When the Whitworth was in it’s heday, it was offered as a military rifle, a sporting rifle, a military target rifle, two band and three band, and a full on target/match rifle. It remained popular as a long range target rifle even after the Henry and Gibbs rifles surpassed it’s reputation. It is still popular today.

If you have not heard of the Whitworth rifle, the best place to learn more would be David Minshall’s excellent Research Press website. There you can discover what made this rifle such a historic breakthrough in long range shooting. Go and check it out, we’ll wait…

http://www.researchpress.co.uk/index.php/research/hexbore

Joseph Whitworth’s rifle set the world on fire when it first appeared. It could be said that he gave birth to the idea that accurate long range marksmanship was possible. I believe everyone who shoots a 6.5 Creedmoor, or anything ending in Lapua or Cheytac, owes Sir Joseph a hearty HUZZA!

Parker Hale in England was the first to bring out a reproduction rifle in the 1970s. Currently, there are two companies making reproductions, Pedersoli and Euroarms, though there may be others I am not aware of. The Pedersoli seems to get the nod from shooters for quality. Of course, you can sometimes find a well cared for Parker Hale on the auction websites. Don’t expect to just pick one up for muzzleloader prices though, they are so well thought of they have become collectible in their own right.

I was first bitten by the Whitworth bug back in the 1970s when I saw my first Parker Hale Whitworth at the Spring Nationals, in Friendship Indiana. I could not afford it on my high school part time income, but I never lost my desire for one. Now, a few decades later, I have both a Parker Hale and a Pedersoli.

I had the pleasure of sharing a LRML firing line several times with George Armstrong. He shot a wonderful Whitworth Match rifle with hexagon bullets he swaged himself. I asked him once if they were more accurate and he said they were not. Cylindrical bullets shot just fine and were used more than hexagon bullets in British match shooting. I asked why he bothered to swage and patch hexagon bullets and his reply was, “It’s a Whitworth”. Enough said.

I, like most others, shoot my Whitworths with standard cylindrical bullets. Paper patched, loaded with a felt wad as Sir Joseph intended. Hexagon molds are available but can be expensive and hard to find. The Kranen mold is a marvel of engineering and is supposed to cast a good and proper bullet. Finding them second hand can be a challenge and the price reflects their rarity. The single piece brass molds are expensive as well, and shooters who have purchased them have no kind words. Pedersoli makes a Whitworth mold for their reproduction and I have a bullet cast from one of their molds. I have no idea what it fits, but it is too large for my Pedersoli, as it was for the mold owner’s Whitworth. I have seen other mold makers offer a hexagon mold. I tried to purchase one, but multiple emails were never returned. I have continued to enjoy my Whitworths shooting the common cylindrical bullet. But, like others I suspect, I have always wondered about the hexagon bullets.

This fall on the British Militaria forum Glenn McQuire of LEM molds announced he was making proper hexagon molds in both plain base and hollow base designs.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/britishmilitariaforums/new-lem-whitworth-hexagonal-moulds-t30159.html

His reputation is first rate and the mold was cut with an original nose design. While it is commonly found that Whitworth bullets are 530 grain weight, several sources show a 480 grain weight bullet early in the Whitworth history. C.H. Roads’ excellent book The British Soldier’s Firearm 1859-1864 lists both 480 grain and 530 grain for ball weight. The 530 grain mold offered did not include the hollow base and that is what I wanted. The price was fair, so an order was placed for a 490 grain hollow base mold and a tracking number was promptly returned by Glenn.

So, now I wait. I plan. I get out my Whitworths and make sure they are in good condition. The lead pot has been refilled with cleaned pure lead and the casting area organized. I have punched a few dozen hexagon wads from dense 100% wool felt and lubed them with a period lubricant, Westley Richards No8 (I have an upcoming post on the lube and this will be it’s first trial). I have also punched hexagon wads from beer coaster material. All so I can test both the Parker Hale and the Pedersoli Whitworth with what I believe is the original loading.

This will be fun.

A Mentor is gone

If you have read this blog much you would know I created it solely to share my experiences with Pat Watson. On forums, he went by “Pat in Virginia”. I did make the URL my signature line in email, so Pat could just click on the link in my emails and go right to VRing. I have never promoted the blog otherwise.

Pat was a wonderful mentor to me. We had many many emails about muzzeloading, history, and life over the years. Like me, Pat married his best friend and he always shared updates on how his wife Ann was doing. Sadly, I did not get to know Ann when was she active and not requiring care.

I first met Pat on the old Yahoo LRML groups when I was asking about obtaining an inexpensive rifle to get started in Long Range Muzzleloading. That exchange led to meeting Pat at the NSSA Nationals in 2013 (2014?) and purchasing a P53 from him and a Kerr barrel from Bobby Hoyt. We exchanged emails almost weekly after that.

Pat loved history as much as I do and was always a fountain of information and sources. Pat introduced me to David Minshall at Research Press and to Bill Curtis. The few times I could share something historical with Pat that he did not already know, was a good day. It did not happen often. Generally, we would be conversing about bullets, powder, or nipples, and the next day I would get emails with megabytes of files from him specific to the conversation. It was always a treat when those arrived. Just like my father, Pat believed in questioning everything.

We lost Dad this year as well.

Last year, my wife and I were on vacation to visit our son in Maryland and stopped by Pat’s home to visit for a few days. My wife still talks about the beautiful flowers. She and Pat took many pictures of the Irises, Azaleas, and Peonies. Two evenings spent on the porch with Pat just watching as night fell, are memories we will never forget.

Pat had built the porch for his wife Ann when she was still at home. A place for her to sit and enjoy the sunshine, wonder at the view, and relax. When we visited Pat we took all our meals on the porch. It truly was a wonderful porch. Peaceful is the word that comes to my mind each time I think about it.

2021 was a terrible year for shooting, as work and home chores were overwhelming and free time was at a minimum. Pat did not seem to care that nothing was being posted to VRing. We still exchanged emails regularly for several more months, but the topics shifted to Ann’s care, cooking for just one person, and finding a good night’s sleep.

And then the emails stopped.

Pat died this past January of a sudden and aggressive cancer, and there was no one to call us and let us know. Ann was in a facility under care, and Pat lived alone.

I feel robbed.

The question now, for me, is what to do about VRing? In the past I would publish a new post and await Pat’s critique the next day, and the questions that followed. We still had theories to test, experiments to make, and ideas to investigate.

• Medford and Halford’s hardened bullets.
• Shooting with a heel sight.
• Constructing and using Ely’s paper tube match cartridges.
• Just how accurate is a Whitworth/Kerr/Turner without Vernier sights? Could CW sharpshooters really make intentional hits at 1000 yards?
• Why can’t I get in the winner’s circle, or at least do as well as I do with cartridge rifles.

All of these questions still intrigue me but without Pat to share the results with, without Pat to offer guidance, without Pat to provide insight, do I continue with VRing?

Pat would chuckle and say he was not that important and it was all still worth doing. He was humble that way. I don’t know that I ever outright told him how much I valued his friendship.

Shame on me.

For now, I have Medford’s alloy and think I need to cast some bullets. Pat is gone, but questions remain.

Sharing what you know

Small shooting events are often the most fun. They generally survive because the small groups build a sense of camaraderie that grows between like minded individuals who share a common interest. Unfortunately, small groups can dissipate over time, the members move on to other interests or grow too old or too busy to continue.

Long range muzzleloading is like that. It is a small group of enthusiasts to begin with, probably less than 200 in the United States. As people get older, busier, or families make new demands, the firing line grows smaller. It is in our sport’s best interest to bring new people into the group. If we want to see the history, appreciation, and use of these rifles survive, we have to replace those who no longer participate.

Earlier this summer Art Fleenor, the United States International Muzzleloading Team (USIMT) long range captain, asked if I would participate in a training weekend to help some interested new shooters learn the ropes with their long range muzzleloaders. I was hesitant at first, not certain I had anything to offer as I had no medals, and never competed internationally. When Art told me what he wanted from me and what he expected the weekend to accomplish, I agreed to help.

The class was take place at the Walter Cline Range, the home of the National Muzzleloading Rifle Association, and use the NMLRA’s educational Building for the classroom portion. Art had planned out a simple agenda that hopefully, the attendees would find useful. The plan was to spend the mornings in the classroom and the afternoons on the range. While the Covid kept many away, we still had four people attend this first shooter development weekend.

The first day started with a display of long range rifles, generously provided by Rick Weber, a NMLRA board member and the director of the Oak Ridge LRML matches. Rick brought several original rifles from the period and answered any and all questions about them. Art also brought his original Rigby rifle which he has used to set a world record and win several medals in competition. Kenn Heismann brought his Charles Ingram match rifle, another original that he too has won medals in competition with. Art, Kenn, and I all brought along our range equipment so we could share how we setup for shooting a match.

Original Rifles Display

Kenn shows his Charles Ingram rifle

Once the “show and Tell” was over, the classroom work began. Rick started us off with a very good history of the British NRA, the design and intent of the rifles and the competitions themselves. Rick also covered the rifles designs and basic specifications and how they pertain to current international competition.

Gene Kinnel, the chairman of the USIMLT, gave a very informative overview of the program. He also covered what it takes to perform at the international level, both short range and long range competition. When Gene was finished, Art delved into several topics such as reading the wind, load development, sight settings, cleaning, both between shots and after a match. We had a good discussion about bullet types and nose design, as well. There were many questions and all were answered with excellent discussion by everyone.

By lunch time, we left the classroom and headed to the range. For this weekend we needed to share the alternate range with Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Silhouette shooters. That turned out to not be a problem at all, and a big thank you to Lora Parks for working with us on getting some range time.

With the new shooters setup and targets placed, we began by seeing what each shooter was doing for loading, cleaning, and firing the shot. Rick, Art, and Kenn were offering their wealth of experience with the loading process and I was trying to be some help with each shooters position and sling usage.

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When shooting was done, we adjourned for the day with plans to continue in the morning. I think everyone learned a good deal and some excellent shooting was displayed. Gene showed us how the standing position worked when he started hitting the 500 yard rams offhand! It is no surprise he has medals for offhand matches.

The next day started out with heavy rain. While not a bother to us in the classroom, it certainly slowed down the silhouette match on the alternate range. We heard almost no gunfire before noon. The second day of classroom work started with me giving a lecture on the sling and the prone position. I tried to pass long as much information as I could without blinding everyone with tiny details. The questions from the group were very good and looking for those tiny details. Anyone who follows this blog knows what I taught as I lifted most of the lessons from these pages.

Yours truly pretending to know stuff.

When I was finished, Art spoke again on several more subjects and we all enjoyed a great round table discussion on rifles, competition, bullets, powders, and everything else involved in shooting these rifles to 1000 yards. We all decided as a group not to return to the range that afternoon. Many had long drives ahead of them and the silhouette match was running late due to the rain, limiting how much time we would have and how late we would be on the range.

Overall, I think it was a great success. The feedback from the attendees was certainly positive. I would like to thank Art and Rick for making the weekend happen and I hope to see this offered again in 2021. I wish the class had been offered six years ago when I started!

The team captain approves!

 

The First Rule of Winning

While this post is not about LRML but Shooting Rimfire Sporter, rimfire competition is my primary training program for LRML. So, bear with me.

The year 2020 has been a trial for everyone. For those of us in the the shooting sports, it has be especially hard. Matches have been cancelled, ammunition is in short supply when it is even available, and attendance at events that were held has been poor.

I began to worry that the Nationals at Camp Perry would fall victim to Covid sometime around March of 2020 and my fears were soon realized. The announcement that the 2020 Nationals would be cancelled, when it finally came, was a dark omen for the rest of the shooting season.

The Rimfire Sporter Nationals was something I had been eagerly waiting for since the previous year. Several of the shooters I compete with had made plans to attend, and to compete as a team, and we had been practicing together for several months. In fact, the local Rimfire Sporter monthly matches we held for practice were becoming the highlight of the month for me.

When the CMP (Civilian Markmanship Program) announced that they were going to sponsor a nation wide match in place of the Nationals, we were all excited. Officially, it was to be called the Home Range Appreciation Series and was to be a postal type match. Only scores made during fully sanctioned events, fired on specified dates, could be submitted. It was not the Nationals and not at Camp Perry, but it was something.

As the prescribed dates for the HRAS approached, everyone seemed to be excited to shoot their best and turn in a good score. Myself, I didn’t take it too seriously and I cannot say why. When I did take it seriously, in my final scored match, I had a terrible mishap when I forgot to tighten my sling keepers in the seated position. My scores were horrible, some of my worst seated scores in fact. But, my prone and standing scores were very good so I held out hope that I might have moved up in the standings. My score for open sight class, a 566 14X, was better than 2019 after all.

Imagine my surprise when I got a call one night from Jeanie and she told me I was in first place with only two match weekends left to go. For a moment, I thought to myself “maybe I could win this thing”. Then, I put my feet back on the ground and put the idea out of my head.

Match participants on one given weekend.

A month passed since Jeannie’s call and my score still stood. Another few weeks went by and I got an email from the CMP congratulating me for my winning score and requesting a photo. I was shocked.

A few days later I received a package in the mail containing my award, a challenge coin, and some additional swag including a $50 gift certificate. The challenge coin was especially nice, and quite heavy.

2020 challenge coin

I immediately went online and checked the competition tracker to look at the other scores in the series. I was disappointed to learn that attendance was down by half over the Nationals the previous year. My score was the winning score, but it was far below the previous year’s winning score.

At that moment, I became selfish. I corrected everyone who called me a National Champion, as I didn’t feel like one. I wanted to be a National Champion when the best were competing. I was told I had a bad attitude and I was soundly ridiculed by others I respect.

They were right, of course.

When I dismissed my win and dismissed the event as a National event, I was also dismissing the participation of every other competitor. That is not good sportsmanlike manners. I finally set my ego aside and asked others what I was missing. Several friends pointed out that I beat everyone who chose to compete.

Every match we participate in we compete against the other competitors who took the time to train, practice, and show up at the event.  No one else. There are better marksmen than me out there right now, but they don’t compete in these events. There were better marksmen than me at the 2019 Nationals last year who could have won this year, but they didn’t compete this year. I did, I trained, I practiced, and I showed up. I did earn my first place award.

I pulled my award out of the drawer and hung it up. I was first place in 2020, because I chose to compete.

I forgot the first rule of winning, you have to compete in order to win. Thank you to my friends who reminded me of that.

Rimfire Sporter O-Class Overall Winner – 566 14X