Chunk Guns? Freedom Indiana

Fox

Fox

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Hey guys, is this a good forum to talk chunk guns or is there another in Canada?

I have some friends who used to go shoot at Freedom Indiana and now they are considering liquidating their muzzle loaders.

How many on this group are knowledgeable in these guns, so I can help them with values for them.

Thanks
 
I think the market in Canada is limited because they are a very specialized gun and I don't know of any competitions for them. I am sure there is a small market for them amongst those who like to challenge their ability to get the greatest accuracy out of the guns they shoot, for their own pleasure

cheers mooncoon
 
mooncoon said:
I think the market in Canada is limited because they are a very specialized gun and I don't know of any competitions for them. I am sure there is a small market for them amongst those who like to challenge their ability to get the greatest accuracy out of the guns they shoot, for their own pleasure

cheers mooncoon
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Ya, so the guys on here are not the target audience.

Do you know of any muzzleloader shoot groups in Canada?

Thanks
 
Fox said:
Hey guys, is this a good forum to talk chunk guns or is there another in Canada?

I have some friends who used to go shoot at Freedom Indiana and now they are considering liquidating their muzzle loaders.

How many on this group are knowledgeable in these guns, so I can help them with values for them.

Thanks
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Are you referring to Friendship Indiana? Friendship is the home of the National Muzzleloader Rifle Association. It is there that they hold regular Chunk Gun (Over The Log) competitions amongst many others as well. Chunks Guns up here are very uncommon.

Chunk Guns is more of an Eastern event as that is where it originated using heavy up to 48" barrels, fixed sights. I have seen it shot here to some variance using regular BP muzzleloaders as well.

Normally shot prone out to 60yds over a log or block of wood to target with a 4" black circle with a X target behind it. You may move the X target around to where you think you may hit your target. Now matches allow for adjustable wooden rests. Original targets were planks with an charcoal X on it. Closest to the X. 10 shots each shot measured to the X. Lowest combined distance is the winner.
 
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I saw one at Epps on the consignment rack once, but that's about it. At one point I was really interesting in finding a long range muzzleloading slug gun so did some looking.

Chris.
 
MC One Shot said:
Are you referring to Friendship Indiana? Friendship is the home of the National Muzzleloader Rifle Association. It is there that they hold regular Chunk Gun (Over The Log) competitions amongst many others as well. Chunks Guns up here are very uncommon.

Chunk Guns is more of an Eastern event as that is where it originated using heavy up to 48" barrels, fixed sights. I have seen it shot here to some variance using regular BP muzzleloaders as well.

Normally shot prone out to 60yds over a log or block of wood to target with a 4" black circle with a X target behind it. You may move the X target around to where you think you may hit your target. Now matches allow for adjustable wooden rests. Original targets were planks with an charcoal X on it. Closest to the X. 10 shots each shot measured to the X. Lowest combined distance is the winner.
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Yes Friendship, sorry, she said Freedom and I blanked.

I know how the shoot is done, they talked a lot about it but I have no idea if there are any groups in Canada that would have any interest in it.

I am waiting for them to make a final decision then I have to get pictures, more info and try to work out values for these guns, what she wants and what they may go for.
 
gunlaker said:
I saw one at Epps on the consignment rack once, but that's about it. At one point I was really interesting in finding a long range muzzleloading slug gun so did some looking.

Chris.
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These things are tanks, huge barrels.

I have no idea how much powder they can take but I believe it has a round ball twist, part of the rules.
 
There is, or was, a small following in southern Ontario. You can ask questions here OP. Lots of knowledge.
 
Fox said:
These things are tanks, huge barrels.

I have no idea how much powder they can take but I believe it has a round ball twist, part of the rules.
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Bear in mind you are most likely shooting .45, .50 or a .54 cal. So powder load would be what it takes to shoot 60yds accurately. Measure would vary between rifles. Slow rate of twist like 72" to 80". Heaviest barrel I have seen was at 50#s. Close to an 1.5" across the flats. Need a very tight patch and ball.
 
MC One Shot said:
Bear in mind you are most likely shooting .45, .50 or a .54 cal. So powder load would be what it takes to shoot 60yds accurately. Measure would vary between rifles. Slow rate of twist like 72" to 80". Heaviest barrel I have seen was at 50#s. Close to an 1.5" across the flats. Need a very tight patch and ball.
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Ya, unsure of the caliber right now but I think he said 45 cal.

I would expect they would be running no more than 2x the diameter, so 90gr on a 45, but how much those barrels could take, I do not know.
 
MC One Shot said:
Bear in mind you are most likely shooting .45, .50 or a .54 cal. So powder load would be what it takes to shoot 60yds accurately. Measure would vary between rifles. Slow rate of twist like 72" to 80". Heaviest barrel I have seen was at 50#s. Close to an 1.5" across the flats. Need a very tight patch and ball.
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These are the ones I was referring to. I think they have pretty quick twists as they shoot long bullets at 500+ yards. I talked with a few guys who shoot them and they were of the opinion that if you wanted to get serious about them you need to be a machinist/gunsmith or have a very good friend who is :)

Chris.

https://www.blackpowdermag.com/blackpowder-slug-guns-precision-paper-punching-machinery/
 
gunlaker said:
These are the ones I was referring to. I think they have pretty quick twists as they shoot long bullets at 500+ yards. I talked with a few guys who shoot them and they were of the opinion that if you wanted to get serious about them you need to be a machinist/gunsmith or have a very good friend who is :)

Chris.

https://www.blackpowdermag.com/blackpowder-slug-guns-precision-paper-punching-machinery/
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I think he just bought one from a guy at the shoot. They used to drive down regularly from the Ottawa area to dress up and shoot but no idea when they were shot last.

I have to get my hands on it again and see what is up.
 
The article is about long range slug guns and I believe, that chunk guns are a different beast... short range and round ball only?

I'm not personally familiar with either sport though so maybe I'm mistaken.
 
Chris, slug guns a different ball game than chunk guns, one that you need a crane for. Their barrels are bigger and heavier than chunk guns. They have false muzzles for loading and paper patch at the muzzle and scopes are used. I have shot them but did not get into this game. There is also one more game and that is Long Range Muzzle Loading using Gibbs style MLs with a set of rules on its own. Pretty big game in the UK. There are a number of Gibbs in Canada but no organized events here. Ferris Volunteers, Whitworths may be used as well. Platinum nipples a must. Elongated are bullets sized to the bore. No patching a wad(s) is used instead. Shot out to 1000 with veneer sights. Then there is the MLAIC that governs international events using everyday MLs rifles, pistols and shotguns.
 
The English long range guns were limited to 10 pounds, this is a 1865 era Gibbs 45 cal as most were in that caliber after Witworth experiments
This gun has a false muzzle with it also, i believe that Gibbs's and Rigby were the most common with false muzzles at this time
These guns used bullet around 570 grains

I also have a Patrick Smith from Buffalo rifle from 1857 which to me is a bench gun with the false muzzle, i will get a picture of it posted later but is heavier then 10 pounds, form my research i don't believe there was a weight restriction on the bench guns in the early days. I don't know the rules for the modern guns like shown
The bench gun i have is also 45 cal and a bullet gun but the mold has been lost over the years

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True CHUNK guns were a product of the Smokey Mountain/ Ozarks and shot patched round balls with open sights, usually at 60 yds as MC ONE SHOT described. The slug guns are a different breed completely and seemed to have evolved in the New England/East Coast region for longer ranges, using aperature sights, tube sights or primitive scopes. They measured the distance in rods rather than yards but most common were about 110 and 220 yds. Both games are still popular in the USA but there is virtually no following here in Canada, that I know of.
Two excellent references with lots of photos and illustrations are:
"The Muzzle-loading Rifle...Then and Now" by Walter Cline, he was a founder of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Assoc with their HQ at Friendship IN.
and "The Muzzle-Loading Cap Lock Rifle" by Ned Roberts.
 
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