40 caliber patch and ball question

[Paul_R]

I just bought a 40 caliber percussion rifle with a Green Mountain barrel. For those of you who shoot 40's, what size ball and what patch thickness are you using? This will be a target rifle with occasional pest control duty.

 

[Don Steele]

I've been shooting a 40 cal. for just a couple of years. I started out with a .395 ball, and patch material that COMPRESSES to .014-.015. That combination loads easily with a wooden ramrod in my Rice barrel.
To get a similar product if you buy commercial pre-cut patches you'll probably need to purchase the ones labelled: ".020" . I've found the thickness designation on pretty much all commercial patches and un-cut patch material to be UN-compressed measurements taken with a caliper. That's not a knock on the products..just something you might want to know.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I like a .390 ball, and a .015 patch. Also you would do well to get a copy of Dutch Schoultz' accuracy system as his method (for me and my experience) seems to really help the smaller calibers. The .40 and smaller in my experience also benefits from a swab of the bore between shots, while my .54 can go three rounds before swabbing. :wink:

LD

 

[Eric Krewson]

I made a flint Tn rifle with a .40 Green Mountain barrel. I shoot 60 gr of 3F, a .40 ball with a.015 ticking patch lubed with mink oil. I have to smack the ball to get it started but it slides in easily after it is in the bore.

Why shoot such a tight load you say? Because I can cloverleaf my shots at 50 yards even though I can hardly see the sights with 69 year old eyes.

The gun shots OK with a .395 ball but not like it does with a .40.

 

[Snakebite]

I have a S. Mtn rifle built by Jim Parker with a Green Mtn barrel. I shoot a .395 ball with mink oil lubed pillow ticking, 60grs of 3F. Works great, as accurate as I can shoot it. Off a rest at 50yds, one hole 3 shot group.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Why shoot such a tight load you say? Because I can cloverleaf my shots at 50 yards even though I can hardly see the sights with 69 year old eyes.

Tight balls correct bad eyesight? :rotf:
BTW, 60 gr. seems like a very big charge for a .40. My wife's .40 (admittedly with very little use) seems to like 25 gr. for her sweet spot load.

 

[hanshi]

My .40 has a Green Mountain swamped barrel. I shoot .390" ball because that's the only mold I own. Maybe later I'll get a .395" mold.

60 grains does very well, for my shooting ability, at 100 yards. It might become my deer load should I have the opportunity to hunt with it. After testing with it I will probably drop down to 55 grains as it gives a lower ES and SD. With either .020" (compressed) mattress ticking or .025" compressed denim, both lubed with TOTW mink oil, it gives well over 2100 fps and 60 grains of 3F.

With 40 grains of 3F it gets about 1700 fps and is very accurate. This load with 40 grains or with 30 grains is my everyday load. Rather tight load but seats readily with the wood rod. Fouling also doesn't build up and I can shoot several dozen rounds and not have to wipe.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Remember, a cap gun is going to get more velocity with the same charge than a flinter (everything else being equal).

I'm closing in on completing a 38 caliber rifle now. Almost a 40, and almost a 36. It's still about 3-4 months away, but it seems close to me now that I'm getting to the carving stage that is. The most commonly available commercial balls are .375 dia ones intended for 36 caliber revolvers. That's what I'm going to start with for shooting anyway.

 

[Paul_R]

Thanks for all the replies, this is just what I was looking for. :hatsoff:

 

[Dr5x]

Eric,
Every thing you say demonstrates the advantage of a tight seal causing accuracy.
I used to be able to spot the people who were going to create tight groups by watching them whack their short starters.
If people would recognize what is happening when the short starter is whacked and why the amount of force is required you see less effort to make that shot load eaier.

Nag, Nag , Nag

Dutch

 

[Eric Krewson]

When I went from a .390 ball to a .400 my groups at 50 yards raised 3". I had already filed off my front sight for the smaller balls point of impact and had to put a new front sight on my gun for the tighter load.

I don't know how many of you have run into Bruce McKelvey at shoots around the country, he has won about everything at one time or another. He is a good friend, lives close by and competes with a .40 in a lot of his matches. A day shooting at his place and adopting his very consistant loading methods with my newly built .40 allowed me to achieve the guns maximum potential.

A tight load tack driver, even with my 69 year old eyes.

 

[azmntman]

That is one NICE looking rifle :shocked2: :hatsoff:

 

[Tom Compton]

Douglas .40 cal w 1/66 twist. .395 w .023 denim and spit patch over 50 gr Goex FFg for 25 & 50 yards. Up the charge to 75 gr of the same and keep same sight picture at 100 yds.
TC

 

[Joemolf]

My .40 has a Green Mountain swamped barrel. I shoot .390" ball because that's the only mold I own. Maybe later I'll get a .395" mold.

60 grains does very well, for my shooting ability, at 100 yards. It might become my deer load should I have the opportunity to hunt with it. After testing with it I will probably drop down to 55 grains as it gives a lower ES and SD. With either .020" (compressed) mattress ticking or .025" compressed denim, both lubed with TOTW mink oil, it gives well over 2100 fps and 60 grains of 3F.

With 40 grains of 3F it gets about 1700 fps and is very accurate. This load with 40 grains or with 30 grains is my everyday load. Rather tight load but seats readily with the wood rod. Fouling also doesn't build up and I can shoot several dozen rounds and not have to wipe.

I had pretty good accuracy using a TOTW MINK lube in my .40 as well.. I applied a bit of it to the ball as well as the patch just experimenting using only 30 grains of Swiss 3f I was pleased to find that load after loaf the rifle felt as though no fouling was taking place. So i was able to get 10 rounds off and could of gotten it seemed like another 10 more . Next time I’m going to go until it gets hard to load and or start missing. Rifle cleaned up pretty well too

 

[hanshi]

Fessing up, mine is no longer a .40 but has been transformed into a wonderful .45 by Mr. Hoyt. It now joins my three other .45s for a total of four. I would still love to have another .40. Unfortunately the breech sustained some damage and the re-bore cleaned it up beautifully.

 

[BullRunBear]

I have an older Dixie Cub percussion in 40 caliber. (Don't think they offer that anymore.) I get best results with a .400 ball and a .015 lubed patch. That's the only rifle I have that uses that tight a ball/patch combination. It is a sweet shooter.

Jeff

 

[Travis186]

.380 with .018 PT in a colerain barrel.

 

[ohio ramrod]

.390 with .015 patch in a Douglass barrel.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Mine is a Douglas barrel on a TC Cherokee stock. Shoots .390 ball and around an .015 patch. I don't know how it does at distance but within thirty yards or so it is plenty MOS (moment of squirrel) accurate. Fun little rifle.

 

[nhmoose]

.395 Hornady balls with .015 ticking lubed with bear on beeswax lube or .015 Teflon match patching has won many matches for me. I have some .400 balls for it but they need a short starter and shot no better.

35 grains of GOEX 3f for target and small game , 70 grains of the same for deer.