Patched round ball accuracy

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bedbugbilly

New member
Everybody has their own preferences for patching material - but as mentioned, it needs to be a tight weave cotton and or linen - "au natural" as they say as far as fibers.

Just be aware that pillow ticking will run different thickness as will most fabrics from different "runs". You might also want to look at some of the denims . . .

I don't know how others do theirs, but I have always washed my patching material before doing anything to it to removing the "sizing" that all materials have applied to them to make them look "nice and pretty" on the bolt - i.e. flat and no wrinkles.

My suggestion would be to take your micrometer to the fabric store . . . check several bolts and materials and select several that might work for you - then buy a 1/4 yard of each of them. Mark down the bolt #/lot # so you know what they are and them try them. If you find one that works best . . then go back and buy a few yards (or more) to have on hand.

Every rifle is different . I have had a number of 'em - everybody has their own preferences on patch lubes. On several of my rifles, a spit patch worked better - others preferred a lubed patch. I usually run a spit patch down between shots as well. Personally, I don't like the idea of hammering a patched ball down a bore but some folks do. I have watched a number of folks compete over the years and some prefer a very tight combination requiring much more effort to get the patch and ball down the barrel than what you would want to do "in the field" - but hey, from their scores, it obviously works for them. I have always had good luck with a ball .010 smaller - i.e. - 45 caliber - .440 ball. If I'm loading and shooting, especially in the field and out of a pouch, I want something I start in the bore with a short starter and then push home with the ramrod easily. Keep trying different patch thicknesses and different loads - it will take a while but you'll find the sweet spot for your particular rifle. Good luck! :)
 
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HiBC

New member
OP,once youhave your pillow ticking in strips,you can apply whatever you will use for lube,evenly,then roll it up and put it in an old 35 mm film can.The lube will become very uniform with a little time.

You lay the patch material across the bore,seat the ball flush with the muzzle,then slice off the excess patch material with a sharp patch knife.Then use your short starter,and push the ball home.

Another option to experiment with,an outfit called Ox-Yoke makes pre-cut round ball patched..You can get them lubed or not for your 45 cal.They sell different thicknesses.,.010 and .015,as I recall.

be sure you always tamp down on the powder charge with the ball.Any air gap between powderand ball can do damage.

If you can find it,I'dgo fffg black.Try Grafs.Theywill combine black andsmokeless,so buddy up and make your hazmat fee worthwhile.

Home cast pure lead round balls,sprue trimmed and loaded up,will shoot fine,but you can try Speer round balls,the don't come better.Swaged.

You might look at your nipple.It only takes a dry fire to damage one.I used to get a cross drilled one called a Hot Shot.Not that you need one,but a good,fresh nipple will insure uniform ignition.

Charge,between "enough and too much".Not enough will cost accuracy,too much will not burn efficiently and foul your barrel.It will be much harder toseat the ball after a few shots.With te right charge,8 or 10 shotswithout cleaning should be possible,maybe more.

Shooting,bench or offhand,no matter,makesure your position and hold are consistent.Lots of drop in the stock,long bore time,how you absorb the dynamics of recoil will show up on the target.

For the same reason,follow through!.From the time the trigger breaks till the ball leaves the muzzle is a long time .Keep focused on your sight alignment for a full second after recoil.One thousand one...If you are looking to see where the ball hit,you are messing up.
 
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darkgael

New member
"How much accuracy should you expect?"
Pretty fair accuracy.
This three shot target was shot for a bench rest match. 100 yards, PRB (.490" w. a 0.010 patch) 90 grs of FFg.

This one shot target was another match.....same load. (A one shot match shot with a partner at iirc 50 yards. Offhand.)
 
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shortwave

New member
Will second what darkgael posted on expectation of accuracy once you figure out what your rifle likes.

One of my fav. rifles is a 50cal. T/C Hawkins. If I do my part and be consistent in my loading procedures, it will match the 100yd targets darkgael posted all day long. Ironically, my load is identical to his.

The reason it is one of my favs. is I've been shooting it for probably 35yrs. and have several thous. rds downrange and know what it wants. Nothing special about the rifle. Just spent the time with it to try and squeeze the best I can out of it. And FWIW, still try different things with it from time to time trying to squeeze it some more.
IMO, That's what makes bp shooting so fun.

The secret is finding the load the rifle wants.... and, just as important... the loading sequence(including whether your bbl likes shooting on a fouled or clean bbl., dry or lubed, whether it likes a more loose or more firm seating pressure etc.). Then, once these things are found out, be as consistent as possible in your loading technique's giving the rifle what it wants.
 
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kwhi43

New member
Five shots at 100 yds round ball 45 caliber Hawken rifle from sand bags.
90 grs Goex FF.

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FlintRifle.jpg
 
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shortwave

New member
kwhi43

That's some fine shooting...along with a beauty of a Hawkins.

From the looks of the beautiful grain in the furniture, I'd say that's an older flinter. Would that be correct?

The T/C Hawkins 50cal. I spoke of earlier is an older one purchased new in the early 70's. It has a beautiful stock as well while the stock on the Seneca purchased by my dad around 81-82 has more of a straight grained stock and is not near as pretty.
 
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BerdanSS

New member


This is pretty typical for my shaky hands ;) 100 yard single. Not a true cold bore, but pretty close. The bore had been cleaned and the rifle had sat unfired for an hour or so while watching men MUCH better at me sling mega lead at 600 yards.
.490 LRB, .010 ticking patch lubed with trappers mink oil over 80gr of FFg



It's just one big thing really.......a list of a bunch of little things :D

Twist, fit, patch, ball, developed charge.

A lot of times if I'm shooting past 100 yards, I'll use a .490 with a thicker patch like a 15 instead of a 10. Most of the time with that, a sharp whack from a little wood mallet on the short starter is needed to get the ball past the muzzle.
 
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Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
I don't know. Maybe its just me. But 90 grs of 2-FF under a little 45 cal patched ball seems a bit excessive to me. You would think a fair amount of un-burnt powder would be seen coming out of one barrel under that circumstance. But whatever works.
 
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shortwave

New member
Same here Sure Shot. My .45 Seneca seems to like about 70-75grns of APP with a .440 x .127grn ball.

But if 90 is workin...
 
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Pahoo

New member
Range-Time Confirms !!!

You would think a fair amount of un-burnt powder would be seen coming out of one barrel under that circumstance.
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This is true under all circumstances. The key is to minimize the amount of un-burnt you expel. .... ;)
Same here Sure Shot. My .45 Seneca seems to like about 70-75grns of APP with a .440 x .127grn ball.
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With any S.S. M/L, there will always be an "optimum" target and hunting load and as an example, my .45 and .50 target load, is in the 70-75grn range. My optimum hunting load runs in the 90-95grn. range. Of course, I have to put in some range time with my hunting load, just to confirm that optimum. .. :)

As shortwave has inferred; If the 90 is working well for you, don't change a thing. ... :)

Be Safe !!!
 
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shortwave

New member
This is true under all circumstances. The key is to minimize the amount of un-burnt you expel
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This is exactly right Pahoo.

Un-burnt powder does nothing for your shot. It's...well...just un-burnt wasted powder.

Have tested a lot of powder charges that different rifles have preferred and have yet not to get some un-burnt powder. As Pahoo wisely stated, getting the minimum of un-burnt and still hitting accurately is key.

Found the same to be true with all bp firearms shooting any projectiles.
 
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kwhi43

New member
The load I shoot is the same as what most folks shoot at Friendship in their 45's. You want the ball going around 2,000 fps for accuracy. Most bench guns
take around 150-180 grs FF. My load was arrived at after very careful shooting off sandbags almost 40 years ago. I went thru about a lb. of FFF and
a lb. of FF I shoot a .454 dia ball and use .020 thick Teflon coated patching.
This has won me many matches through the years. The bore on the rifle is
.450 and groove is .470 . One turn in 60. Made by H&H in 1975. 32" long. I
once hit 15 pennys in a row at 50 yds before I missed on the 16th.
 
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shortwave

New member
kwhi43

No argument here with what's working ...and no doubt, it's working for ya . ;)

Again, great shooting.

Will one day slug my .45 bbl to get its dimensions. Wish it was a 1/60 but sadly it's a 1/48.
 
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Chestnut Forge

New member
I agree with un-burnt powder being a waste, however, my 54 renegade needs 100 gr of ffg to shoot well. I use a .530 pbr and at 50 yards the ball hits right where the top of the front sight is on the target. I run 70 gr of ffg in my .45 hawken under a .440 pbr and it works fine also. The 54 seems to need the extra powder as a buffer. I have tried different charges and it just wont shoot. IMO a 1:48 twist is just no good in a 26" bbl in 54 caliber. That being said, I know that one of you fine gents will prove that wrong...;)
 
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Pahoo

New member
Please explain !!!

That being said, I know that one of you fine gents will prove that wrong...
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I don't really see we can or should ..... :rolleyes:
The 54 seems to need the extra powder as a buffer.
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Not sure I understand. What do you mean by using extra powder as a "buffer"? I think I know but have never heard this reference. Not questioning, just don't understand.. ... :confused:

Be Safe !!!
 
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Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
I agree with the 54 charge as my Hawken does like a heavier charge under its ball also. (90grs to be exact.) _

As far as that stout 100 gr. loading in a 45. I too have a factory Rd Ball barrel (only) on my 45 also. (T/Cs) _ But where the difference is Sir is who their manufactures were. With all due respect. Your barrel as read has much deeper rifling than a stock T/C barrel. So no doubt your barrel would be much better equipped for more accuracy having that ball engraving feature alone.
Again there is absolutely no way my barrel would accept a oversize .454 ball with .020 patching that I know of. Something that size forced down a T/Cs barrel would be quite similar to Slugging it for measurement's with its breech removed. Not a favorite hobby of mine. Anyhow.~~Congrads on your shooting ability Sir. I know I couldn't do the same. Even on my best day let alone in competition. _:)
 
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