15mm caliber-what ball to use?

[ando009]

Hello,
I am wondering which caliber ball is best for use in a 15mm (approx. .59 to .60) caliber smoothbore flintlock pistol?

 

[nkbj]

14mm!
Sorry, had to say that.
I'd go for a .575 and as thick a patch as loaded easily.

 

[BrownBear]

Let's recheck the math. Take 15mm and divide by 25.4 mm/inch and it rounds to .5905, and 14mm divided by 25.4 rounds to .5512. Then there's the question of smooth or rifled. My impulse is that you'd want roughly a .580 ball for 15mm and .540 for 14mm with pillow ticking patches. Smaller than that will work with thicker patches, but as the ball gets closer to bore diameter, you'll need thinner and thinner patches.

 

[tg]

General you will want to go at least .020 smaller ball than bore or even smaller, there is no rifling to take the extra patching.