32 Caliber ball starter problem

[furdog52]

I don't know if this is a "problem" or user error! Shooting my new 32 caliber Traditions Deerhunter I had a real hard time using the 32 caliber brass rod type ball starter. The patches (30-39 caliber type) fill the bore so completely that there isn't a lot of room for the ball starter.

I had to short start the ball, kind of bunch up the patch material in the middle, and then push the rest of the way with the starter, then finish with ramrod. Balls (310 with .15 patch) load ok, but sure are hard to seat compared to my 50 calibers or 45s.

Is this normal in a 32, or am I missing something?

Thanks

 

[bingo1952]

Your best bet is to cut your patches at the muzzle or get precuts that are not designed for a wide range of ball sizes. You have a lot of material wadding up between your ball and short starter and or rammer.

 

[jdw276]

I have the same problems with the short starter even when I cut at the barrel. I made my short starter with a 1/4" dowel about 5 inches long and turned a round handle about 4 inches long, drilled a hole in the middle and made a T handle out of it. Still bunch the patch on top of the ball before I start getting serious with the short starter. Seems easier for my eyes to get the starter on the roundball as I can see the barrel easier. Banging the short starter on the barrel sure won't start the RB down the barrel for sure!! But it can make the palm of your hand sore at the end of the day.

 

[furdog52]

I think the patch size is a good starting point. What are good dimensions for handmade 32 patches? I seem to recall 3/4" x 3/4" squares as one recommendation. Anybody have experience with that size in a 32?

Thanks

 

furdog52,

Take runnball's advise and lube a portion of cloth strip and cut at the muzzle. this will limit the cloth that could bunch around the ball and it keeps the ball always to center of the patch. An off center patch as you probably already know adversely affects accuracy.

Jay

 

[silverfox]

You said you made the starter. The others are right you need to cut at the muzzle then no problems. If you do be sure the short start is short enough to only start the ball into the barrel about 1/16 that way you won't have extra patching folding over the top of your ball to catch on your long starter or ramrod.
Mine just clears the muzzle and works great. Those little patches sure are hard to find see how they are performing.

Fox :hatsoff:

 

[paulvallandigham]

The short starter has to be " Short !" It should push the ball just inside the barrel, and no deeper. Otherwise you have extra patch material that stacks around the long arm of the short starter.

If yours is homemade, you might consider relieving a bit of wood behind the nose of the long arm, to there is more room for the fabric to move while you shove it down the bore 6-8 inches( depending on the length of your long arm). Also, the long arm does not have to be perfectly cylindrical in shape. You can carve a flat on one side, which will allow the fabric to " let go " of the long arm when you pull the stick out. :thumbsup:

 

[jdw276]

Thanks guys, I the one that made my short starter, I think the orginal poster uses a store bought one. I load the ball just flush with the top of the barrel then cut the patch. My RB is not below the top of the barrel when I cut. Thus when I cut the patch it is a little bit above the top of the barrel creating a little extra cloth that I have to fold over. Maybe we are both having the same trouble with how far the RB is below the flat of the end of the barrel. One thing though I picked up in this email is to maybe cut a "notch" in the end of my short starter like what a cleaning tip looks like or just thin the dowel rod a little bit down from the original 1/4".

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but good thoughts all around and hope they help everyone.

 

[mainiac]

I pre-punch my pillow ticking, with a 3 quarter in punch. 3 quarter round is perfest for me.

 

[410-er]

I use the stub to get it just inside the muzzle.I then fold the patch over the ball and send it down about 4".I feel this gives the ball a little protection from getting deformed when using the rod.I do this on all my muzzy calibers up to the 58.

 

[furdog52]

My starter is the regular 32 cal model direct from Dixie Gun Works. It fits tight, but seems to have adequate clearance and the short leg is an appropriate length.

I think the patch size as some of you have addressed is probably the culprit.

 

[MikeChapin]

The smallest commercial short starter for small calibers is 5/16". That fits down a .32 whithout a lot of clearance.

When I built my .32 I wanted a little more clearance than the short starter I use for my .36. I use a thick patch and the short starter would get grabbed by the patch. I went to Ace and got some 1/4" brass rod and built a couple of short starters.

 

[jethro224]

What Mike2005 said. :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Yeah, there's a range of sizes that work. You want one that fits tight enough that excess patching can't get between it and the bore walls, or else you want one small enough that it doesn't grab even if excess patching gets up around it. I prefer the former. It kind of pushes excess patching down onto the top of the ball for a little extra cushion, but without grabbing it. All in one motion with no fiddling.

On the patching itself, I do about 99% of my shooting with patched balls coming from a loading block. I "cut at the muzzle" when loading the block, so there's very little excess.

It helps to adjust the thickness of your loading blocks so when the ball is seated right, the top is as far below the top of the block as you'd like it to be below the muzzle if you were really cutting at the muzzle.

My rule of thumb for block thickness is to make it the same as ball diameter. Once you seat the ball a little deep to ease finding the muzzle on a fast reload, the top of the ball is set just right below the top of the block. Hope that's clear. I adjust thickness of the block using a benchtop disksander.

One other point, as long as I'm writing too much. It is really worthwhile to make your own short starter when using a loading block. Adjust the nubbin length so it passes through the block a far as you want to seat the ball. On my 32 seater I made kind of a "2-in-1" shaft. It's about an inch long and pushes the ball far enough down the bore that I don't need to do a two step start. Just push the ball out of the block into the bore, then follow it with the ramrod.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

You might try to file a taper about 3/4" back from the end of the rod for clearance of the patch material. Leave a small button of the original diameter at the front end of the rod. Start the taper about 1/4" form the end. It doesn't have to be deep. The taper would start at the full diameter of the rod tapering down to the front end button which would again be the full diameter of the rod.
It should provide enough room to allow the patching material not to bind on the rod. It doesn't have to be very much. :hmm:

 

[furdog52]

Thanks guys, this is all really helpful. I have several things to try that sound like they will work.