42" .54 rice barrel....................

[bob1961]

you guys that have or know of who has a .54 rice barrel, what would be a starting ball dia. and patch thickness, i know finding one is the fun part :yakyak: ....i already have some blue ticking at .018 - .019 after washing plus a bunch of .015 pre lubed patches also....should i start with a both .535 and .530 ball, or what has worked fer you guys so far :surrender: :v ..............bob

 

[Dickert54cal]

Hello my friend! How are you? I use a 530 with a .020 patch and Im playing with a 535 and a .015 patch. The .535 is tight and need lube. But you know the saying the tighter the better.... :thumbsup: Experimenting is the fun part. Rice barrels are wonderful! Mine shot well right away. :hatsoff:

 

[bob1961]

thx bunky....when ya guys going on that hog hunt in TN, wish i could be going wit ya :v .............bob

 

[Dickert54cal]

Some time this fall---Nov I think. I better put it on the calendar---at 42 and with a 3 and 6 year old I forget alot lately. I hope to get out and do some shooting this weekend. Just for an hour or two would be nice. You take care and maybe book a hunt the following year----we have alot of time ahead of us so take it slow and easy!

 

I have a Rice 44 inch in .54 round bottom groves I shoot a .530 with a .015 patch over 70 grains of 3f, won the blanket shoot at Mike Meese's Rifle Frolic last year with that, but I do like a .525 and a .020 to .022 linen patch. Both shoot real well. I have been going to play around with loads of 2f too.
Claude

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've got a 44" .54 L.C.Rice barrel and I use 0.017/18" patching and a 0.530" ball. Sometimes I get lazy and use 0.015" patching.

You want to shoot fast and easy even 0.010" works, but accuracy does fall off. Probably velocity does, too. But it sure loads nice!

 

[bob1961]

thanks all, at least i have a starting point so far :hatsoff: :v ................bob