.490--.495

[spitpatch]

Trying to find out what has worked best. .50cal GPR slow twist.I would like to get your imput on the choice of the .490 or .495 ball. I know the patch has much to do with it. Just trying to get some thoughts from the croud. I use goex 3f. Thanks guys.

 

[jtmattison]

I use .495 and pillow ticking.

HD

 

[sparsons]

I am using .495 with pillow ticking and 73gr. load, seems to work well for me

 

[ronrryan]

You may have to try each to see what suits your gun best. About 15 years ago I got a York County rifle built by Cabin Creek. I began shooting 490's. Accuracy ws poor and fouling great. I called the builder to complain. He told me to use 495's for that GM barrel. Infact he said target competitors were using 500's and starting them with a mallet. Once I switched to 495 fouling decreased to normal and accuracy icreased dramatically. Good smoke, ron

 

[Old40Rod]

All my rifles are different. Some like tight RBs, some don't. Buy a box of each and go to the range :grin:

 

[bebloomster]

Generally 490's will be easier to load but 495's will give a smaller group size. Try both and see with works best for you.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

"Liquorville" :rotf:

Didn't think that there were any good guys left in that part of the world.

 

Generally 490's will be easier to load but 495's will give a smaller group size.

Not necessarily. You can't predict how a given load will group for someone elses gun.

And, both balls, with the right patch, will load the same. .490 thick patch or .495 thinner patch.

Since they will both do the job, choosing the one that is most accurate for your rifle will be the best choice.

 

[CG6018]

Same rifle, same barrel, same experience! Now, I feed it .495 round balls, .015 patching, with a 65 grain charge of FFFg Goex. It's like a different gun! :thumbsup:

 

[JackAubrey]

I used to use .490's in my GPR and she liked them.I bought GPP and use the .495,not for accuracy but since it is carried muzzle down I thought it safer to use the tighter ball,keeps it on the powder better.Rather than carry two different sized ball that I can't just look at and tell the difference I started using 495's in my rifle.She doesn't like them.Best regards,J.A.

 

[bennypapa]

Of course it all depends on the barrel geometry and finish.

For example,
I shoot a 50 cal TC renegade designed to shoot REAL bullets. The rifling is a lot shallower and the twist faster than a barrel made for PRB. As a consequence I shoot .490's using 0.012" patch over a relatively light 40 gr charge and get great accuracy out of that combo.

Now, your barrel is very different from mine so it will probably "Like" a different combination of charge/patch/ball size.

I would like to echo what Carl Davis said. .490's will need a different patch than .495's in a given barrel to load the same but either should give good service with the appropriate patch size and charge. Any difference in accuracy should determine your choice.

Go to your local cheap tool seller and buy a dial caliper. The Chinese ones in the $25 range will work well to measure patch material thickness. Take that to the local fabric store and ask them to show you various weights of 100% cotton cloth with a really tight weave. Trigger cloth comes to mind in addition to the traditional ticking.

FWIW 0.018" ticking is WAY to tight in my barrel even with .490's. It just wasn't made for PRB's.

Ben