Long Range Enfield

[dbm]

On Saturday 5 April the Long Range Rifles Branch of the MLAGB held their annual Asquith Cup match. This is an aggregate competition fired with Enfield muzzle loading rifles, 15 shots and 600 yards and 15 shots at 800 yards. Targets used are the standard NRA(GB) full-bore/high power rifle targets. The 600 yard target is 70"w x 60"h and has a 39" dia aiming mark with a 13" dia bull's-eye. The 800 yard target is 118"w x 70"h and has a 48" dia aiming mark with a 24" dia bull's-eye. All shooting is prone with only a two-point service sling permitted for support.



Conditions were difficult with a strong wind flicking from 11 o'clock to 2 o'clock; on top of that you can add in couple of brief rain showers and one of hail!



I won the MLAGB 600 yard Enfield Rifle Championships last year so was quite confident at the outset. The distance was however a struggle and I had 6 misses - only really getting to grips with things by the end with four consecutive good scoring shots. At 800 yards however I faired better, and despite still missing the target four times gained 12 points on my 600yd score! This put me in 3rd place for the aggregate which I was pleased with.



The top three shooters all used original 'two-band' Enfield rifles. Mine is made in 1866, and has a heavy barrel, with 5-groove 1:48" twist rifling. It is a commercial rifle made by Turner, not a Government issue one, but pretty much as the Pattern 1861 Short Rifle.



Bullet was a pure lead 565 grain RCBS Minie with a shallow base cavity. Lube is a mix of beeswax, castor oil and Cookeen (UK version of Crisco) in the ratio of 5 parts/ 4 parts/ 1 part. Load at 600 yards was 75 grains of TPPH (similar to Swiss No.4 / 1.5fg). For 800 yards I increased the charge to 80 grains.

Shooting Enfields at long range is great fun and quite fascinating. There's numerous tales of long range accuracy (US Civil War especially) with the Enfield circulated at times, but few I think who post such comments have experience themselves of such shooting

Pin point accuracy with the Enfield at extended ranges is I believe largely an element of luck. However, the 10' wide by 6' high target frames used at Bisley at 800 yards could nicely represent an artillery crew, who would certainly have been suffering under such rifle fire as we made at the weekend.

One must remember though that we were shooting at a known distance and had feedback from the butts as to high/low or left/right when misses were made.



David

[Niner]

Good report. Gives an insight as to what the serious BP shooters can do. 80 grains for 800 yards seems like a light charge for that much lead at that distance. I have a hard time with 70 grains at a 100 yards getting a decent group. Any tips for us some time Enfield shooters with just run of the mill reproductions shooting at a 100 yard target?

[Niner]

I was dusting off my bp guns...with a feather duster... and got to wondering what the sight would look like set to 800 yards.

[dbm]

What you also need to consider is how you can get a consitent head position behind the sight when it is raised that high!

With regards to shooting the Enfield the article on Managing the Enfield on my web site is a good start.

David

[Niner]

Now this is some detail quoted from your site that gets right down to it.

Select a suitable grade and charge of powder, from 60 to 70 grains of TPPH is recommended, but this must depend on the availability of a suitable selection of powders. Do not use anything coarser than TPPH. The use of scales is recommended for precision but if a flask is being used, this should be set for the desired amount by "throwing" charges and weighing them until the right setting is achieved. A flask should always be used in exactly the same way. The writer inverts it, shakes it three times and then taps the head of the flask three times against the wood of the table before releasing the shutter. Experience has shown that an accuracy of half a grain can be maintained this way. Tapped four times the charge will show an increase of two or three grains, so it can be seen how essential is regularity.

The first powder charge should now be loaded by way of the small funnel inserted into the muzzle. Keep the barrel as vertical as possible to allow the powder to drop straight down. Then insert into the muzzle one of your greased bullets. No wadding or any other material needs to be inserted between the powder and the bullet. Using your cleaning rod with its ramming tip, if you have one, or a length of plain half inch wooden doweling, ram down the bullet onto the powder finishing with two light taps on the bullet nose. This procedure was recommended in antiquity and seems to work perfectly. The light blows ensure that the bullet is seated firmly on the powder without either damaging the bullet’s nose or crushing the powder. It also serves to very slightly upset the bullet so that it remains firmly in place and is very unlikely to move forward if the rifle is pointed downwards when loaded, although this should always be avoided.