chunk gun

[ken]

I am thinking of building a chunk gun. I have made several longrifles but I have no chunk gun experience. Having trouble deciding on what barrel to use. I am considering green mountain 40 cal /1 inch or 50 cal/11/8. Any suggestions would be helpful. Also I am  a flint person but I am thing of making this a percussion. Any thoughts?

[Ohio Joe]

Did I hear 'Chunk Gun'???

Hello Ken!

I made a chunk gun using the .40 x 1" x 42" GMB w/1in48 twist, and all I can say is if you want good grouping with this barrel that will allow you a shot at competing with other chunk guns, use one of the two starting points; .400 ball with at least a .022 denim patch along 55 to 65 grains of 3fg Goex.  The powder load will vary,,, or a .395 ball with .024 denim (minimum) and again anywhere from 55 to 65 grains of 3fg Goex (or your chosen best black powder)...

Now with all the above said, if I had to do it over I would go with
a .45 GMB 1" x 42" w/ 1in60 twist.  You give up a little weight but not that much and the 1 in 60 twist is not near as finicky as the 1 in 48...  The .45 GMB will throw a good ball while not being so finicky.

The .50 is a good choice but not needed in chunk shooting.  For one thing you'll have to go with a heavier load to gain a fast ball and a fast ball is a must in chunk.  Getting a fast ball from a .50 will also create a bit more recoil which over 50 and 60 yard chunk matches will play havoc.

This is where the .45 shines in my humble opinion.  You can get a fast ball with low recoil, and on a windy day the 1 in 60 twist allows you to up your load if you so choose and it will buck the wind as good as any .50 caliber - again with less recoil.

Hope this helps.

[ken]

Hey Joe I was hoping to hear from you. This is the exact kind of information I was looking for.  As you remember I was talking about chunk guns before. Well the interest has got the point that  am going to build one. I have talked to some other people around here and I believe there is enough interest to start having some matches even have lined up a place to hold an invitational shoot  later this year if the interest stays good. I am going to Friendship next month for a few days and would like to pick up parts and spend some time at the chunk line matches. Any info you could advise me on would be gratly apreciated. You are the only person taht I have talked to who actually knows and have shot chunk guns. Any style drop ect info???

[ken]

Sorry for the typ-o's. I hit submit before I had a  chance to proof read!!!

[Ohio Joe]

Hello Ken,

I was making bowstrings so I hadn't had a chance to get back here to this topic until now.

Tomorrow I will post some pictures of my chunk gun.  As I said before it is a .40 cal, but I didn't tell you it was also a halfstock percussion and weighs in at 12.5 pounds.  The recoil is hardly noticable.  Also you don't want a sharp cresent butt plate, and not a lot of drop.  Mine has a 3.25" drop which fits me ok when taking up the prone position across the chunk.

Now before I go any further let me say that to shoot in an over the log match any comfortable muzzleloader will do.  As you already know, chunk guns in this day and age are specialty guns and they come in all shapes, sizes, and weights.  For the most part they are rather ugly rifles but even an ugly rifle has its own beauty when you're spidering the "X" (dead center shots)...

Going to Friendship and taking a look at the chunk rifles there that are competing is a great idea, and I would highly recommend it.  Until then I think it would be a good idea to run a chunk match at your club to see if the interest is there, though as long as you have the interest to want to pursue over-the-log matches, that is what's important and a heavy rifle is desirable and almost a must anymore to compete.  Nothing wrong with a 12 pound rifle however as that to is plenty heavy.

Let me know if I can be of any help.

[ken]

Joe is the canting block you are referring to a portion of the forend stock left square or a removeable type? Which do you prefer? Of course yours being a half stock I guess it will be of metal and able to remove it. Are those types allowed at all shoots?

[Ohio Joe]

Ken, I've seen them both ways, the canting block built right into the forstock on a fullstock, and both wood and black aluminum blocks which are built to attach to the barrel towards the muzzle with set screws coming from each side of the canting block going against the outer left and right flat.  Both methods work well.  

I even seen one guy use electrical tape to tape his canting block onto his halfstock rifle.  (he kicked our butt's)  

[ken]

That's the way it usually goes, you try to do everthing right and someone comes alond and does everthing that you shouldn't do and makes everone look bad. Go figure!!!!

[jbullard1]

Hey guys I'm just a dummy
What Is a Chunk Gun??

[Ohio Joe]

That's the way it usually goes, you try to do everthing right and someone comes alond and does everthing that you shouldn't do and makes everone look bad. Go figure!!!!

How true!  He could have at least tied it on with sinew or leather...

[R.M.]

Hey Jerry, check this out.

http://overthelog.tripod.com/chunkgun/index.html

[jbullard1]

[Ohio Joe]

Indeed they are!  

Also, be sure to click on and take a good look at the "1904 Shoot" from the site R.M. posted...  Notice in the picture of the lighter rifles that where brought to that shoot (and I would imagine where used in that shoot), it rather bares out a time when a transition in "chunk gun shooting" was taking place.  Folks still brought their everyday rifle to use at these matches.

Today it's pretty much all the big gun when it comes to over the log shooting.

[BEAVERMAN]

Were going to hold an over the log match at the PNW folic, its  run what ya brung for guns!

[ken]

Joe I have been thinking on this for a while and I think I will take your advice and go with a 1" GMB 45 cal. The slower twist won me over. Having made that decision what traditional stlye do you see most on the range. In a full stock??