.36 cal
- Thread starter Tom Breig
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Just to start I would go with a .350 Ball and if you have to use a real thick patch try to find some .355. I personally prefer as big as will fit while still allowing a thick enough patch to stay intact while shooting and providing good accuracy. Try both and a variety of patches and powder loads and you will get that gun shooting in no time.
I would also start with a .350 and depending on rifling depth, use a .015 or .018 pillow tick patch to start. If the barrel has deep round grooves, you may even need to use a .020 patch, but I'd try the others first. I had a Pedersoli .36 and they tend to have shallow square grooves compared to say a Rice barrel with deep round grooves. It shot extremely well with a .350 ball and .015 patch.
I've two .36 cal. rifles. Seneca and a tvm. Both shoot well with a .350 ball and .020 ptch lightly lubed with tow mink oil and 30 grns 3F.
hanshi
Cannon
I have a .36 flintlock and use the exact same load as mushka.
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I have a Traditions Shenendoah and I've used both 000 buck and .350 round balls.
dragnetbill
36 Cal.
OK, I'm ready to jump in on this one. I bought a box of Hornady buck several years ago and have had mixed results. The buck shot has a slight band or ring around the center making each ball less than uniform; I have totally given up on trying to find a method to load with the band in the same orientation each time. So, sometimes I'll get acceptable groups with the buck, but generally groups are half again to twice as big as compared to those from the same gun with the same load as standard swaged .350 ball from Hornady.
Anybody find the same?
SamTex1949
32 Cal.
"A .36 cal Flintlock" if it be a Numrich barrel for the Hopkin & Allen minuteman you will need a .340 call ball. More then likely it is not but there are a few out there still !
dragnetbill
36 Cal.
For what it is worth, the Pedersoli website has a recommended load chart. For their .36 caliber models they suggest using a .354 round ball with a .010" patch. I started shooting my Frontier model with .350 round ball and Hornady buck with a thicker pillow tick patch. She didn't start to get consistently accurate until I tried thinner patches of .10. I kept my powder loads in the range of 20-25 grains 3f with intent being to have a squirrel rifle.
Tom Compton
54 Cal.
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Due to old eyes and primitive sights, I wasn’t sure I had the optimum load for a GM barreled flinter. Epoxied a scope base and mounted a scope (2-7 long eye relief). Tried .350 and .355 balls with different patches, lubes and powder charges of FFG (no fffg on hand and long experience showed inconsistent velocities) from bench at 50 yards.
my load now is .355 ball thick denim patch w windshield washing fluid over 50 gr FFg. Yes it requires a short starter. I expect to find 70-80 gr FFg will put the diminutive 65 gr ball on target at 100. I great shooter and friend shot 85 gr FFFg in his .32 at 100 yds. Said “it ain’t in the wind long”.
my load now is .355 ball thick denim patch w windshield washing fluid over 50 gr FFg. Yes it requires a short starter. I expect to find 70-80 gr FFg will put the diminutive 65 gr ball on target at 100. I great shooter and friend shot 85 gr FFFg in his .32 at 100 yds. Said “it ain’t in the wind long”.
Eddie Southgate
36 Cal.
I'm of the same school as Mushka and Hanshi . A .350 ball with .018 ticking and 30 gr FFg for Squirrels bump to .45 gr for Deer in my Seneca .
Ok, so first time shooting my .36 and it was to say the least, a disaster. Couldn't even run a 350 ball with a .020 patch. Patch must be too thick or need a smaller ball. Couldn't even get it started. Had to run the patch then drop the ball down the barrel, seat it of course. After two shots couldn't push a cleaning patch down, 2"round cleaning patch said for .36 cal but again must be two big or too thick.
Broke the ram rod trying to get it out. Was thinking maybe the jag was too big but its 36 cal.
I have to get a new ram rod quick so I can at least clean it.
DAMN
Broke the ram rod trying to get it out. Was thinking maybe the jag was too big but its 36 cal.
I have to get a new ram rod quick so I can at least clean it.
DAMN
Tom hate to hear that. Try the .350 ball with a .010 patch and as for the cleaning jag the 2 inch patch is really big. My patches that I swab with are the same size that I use to patch the ball. If too big they will bunch up around the shaft of the Jag. I would use a set of scissors and cut those 2 inch patches into quarters. PM me with your info and I will send you some .005, .010 and some .015 patches that I use and some cleaning patches. If you have a set of calipers measure your barrel land to land and let us know. I have turned a Jag between two pieces of sandpaper while locked in a cordless drill to reduce diameter before sounds hillbilly but worked really well. Keep us posted and we will do our best to help
.44 associate
32 Cal
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I would slug the bore so that you know exactly what you have.
My Pedersoli .36 has a groove diameter of exactly .360. A .350 ball with a .020 patch is a misery to load and completely unnecessary. I have mostly used a .345 ball with a .010 patch. More recently I have switched to a .350 ball with a .005 patch. Both are as accurate as anything I have tried in the gun and load with light pressure.
My Pedersoli .36 has a groove diameter of exactly .360. A .350 ball with a .020 patch is a misery to load and completely unnecessary. I have mostly used a .345 ball with a .010 patch. More recently I have switched to a .350 ball with a .005 patch. Both are as accurate as anything I have tried in the gun and load with light pressure.
Congratulations on your new rifle. I have a 4-cavity Lyman .350 mold for sale if you need it to feed your .36.
ADK Bigfoot
ADK Bigfoot
