I fired My .50 CVA Spanish sharpshooter for the first time since I got it, but it seems the bore is extremely tight. About the 3rd shot in I had to use a hammer to get the patched ball seated. I was using hornady .490 swaged round balls and cabelas 5 thousands inch patches, the thinner ones you can get. Theoretically I should have .5 of play to get those round balls seated but It was so hard to load I had to use a hammer. Than I tried the hornady great plains bullets and those were pretty tough to get loaded too. Eventually I just gave up and used the round balls without patches to salvage the range trip. Did I do something wrong? Does my gun just have a tight bore?
.490 ball + .5 patch = really tight
- Thread starter ArbiterThel68
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That's why I shoot a .480 in my .50.
Goex 2F
@ArbiterThel68
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What are your expectations when shooting your rifle?
What lubricant are you using? Is the lubricant wet or dry? Are you wiping the bore with a damp patch periodically?
A 0.005" patch in my opinion is way too thin. You are getting a lot of powder blow by with the subsequent build up of fouling. A damply lubricated patch of 0.015 and a ball 0.010" smaller than the land-to-land bore diameter should work. Sometimes at the target range a pretty wet patch using a lubricant such as 50/50 Dish washing soap and water will keep the fouling in the bore soft and multiple shots can be fired.
We need more information.
What are your expectations when shooting your rifle?
What lubricant are you using? Is the lubricant wet or dry? Are you wiping the bore with a damp patch periodically?
A 0.005" patch in my opinion is way too thin. You are getting a lot of powder blow by with the subsequent build up of fouling. A damply lubricated patch of 0.015 and a ball 0.010" smaller than the land-to-land bore diameter should work. Sometimes at the target range a pretty wet patch using a lubricant such as 50/50 Dish washing soap and water will keep the fouling in the bore soft and multiple shots can be fired.
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The only way to find out without hunting up different balls is to measure the bore and see what you're dealing with. See if you can find a machinist with a set of pin gauges.
longcruise
70 Cal.
Try it again but wipe after every shot.
Try 3F on a low humidity day.
If the loading gets harder with each shot, your lube is wrong and reacting with the powder to leave a hard fouling.
This is from the how tight to patch a ball.
I have never used a micrometer or calipers on my patch material. My method is one my grandfather taught me so many years ago. I take the correct ball for what ever rifle or pistol I need patches for. Then place the ball on the material and thumb start the ball.
I can tell by feel which material is correct. Oh and before testing I drop a short piece of brass rod down the barrel in case the patch & ball get stuck, I point the muzzle down and shake up & down so the rod drives the ball & patch out.
I have never used a micrometer or calipers on my patch material. My method is one my grandfather taught me so many years ago. I take the correct ball for what ever rifle or pistol I need patches for. Then place the ball on the material and thumb start the ball.
I can tell by feel which material is correct. Oh and before testing I drop a short piece of brass rod down the barrel in case the patch & ball get stuck, I point the muzzle down and shake up & down so the rod drives the ball & patch out.
They are cabela's lubed patches, pretty sure they are dry lubed
Spit, olive oil, mink oil many different kinds of lube…
That would be my first thing too try..
That would be my first thing too try..
The patches are pre lubed, I'm not sure why they didnt work
@ArbiterThel68, your thin patches are letting a lot of fouling build up in the bore. If that fouling is not removed by your patches and if they are dry, the fouling is not being removed. It is important to know that the patches will compress to take up the windage. You need some extra thickness to partially fill the grooves. Lubrication softens the fouling in the barrel and the act of compression will push the fouling down the barrel with the patched ball to be shot out. However, there must be something to soften and loosen the fouling. That is not happening with your thin patches. The fouling will build up and by the third to fifth shot, will be so thick in the barrel that loading will be nearly impossible. One must follow a procedure to remove as much fouling as possible between shots.
A dry patch will not clear powder fouling from the bore and the grooves. Very thin patches will not work even if they are lubricated.
There's two ways to control fouling in the barrel.
One method is to wipe the bore with a solvent dampened patch on a slightly undersized jag. The damp patch will slide over fouling with the solvent softening the fouling. The patch will bunch up and pull the fouling out of the barrel. You want a damp patch to leave no dampness to contaminate the powder. Usually, the damp patch is followed by a dry patch. Now, loading can be done with the effort being the same from shot to shot.
The other method is to rely on the next patched ball to push the fouling down the barrel to reside between the ball and the powder charge. This method uses a very wet patch to soften the fouling and sufficient thickness to wipe fouling from the grooves. The dampness helps in the compression of the patch material. Loading following this method will also be the same from shot to shot.
I use 0.018" thick cotton drill for patching. You may want to use 0.015 " pillow ticking patches. My patching material is unlubricated until I load the rifle. Let's keep the lubricant simple. For initial load development, a mix of 50/50 liquid dish soap to water should work well.
A dry patch will not clear powder fouling from the bore and the grooves. Very thin patches will not work even if they are lubricated.
There's two ways to control fouling in the barrel.
One method is to wipe the bore with a solvent dampened patch on a slightly undersized jag. The damp patch will slide over fouling with the solvent softening the fouling. The patch will bunch up and pull the fouling out of the barrel. You want a damp patch to leave no dampness to contaminate the powder. Usually, the damp patch is followed by a dry patch. Now, loading can be done with the effort being the same from shot to shot.
The other method is to rely on the next patched ball to push the fouling down the barrel to reside between the ball and the powder charge. This method uses a very wet patch to soften the fouling and sufficient thickness to wipe fouling from the grooves. The dampness helps in the compression of the patch material. Loading following this method will also be the same from shot to shot.
I use 0.018" thick cotton drill for patching. You may want to use 0.015 " pillow ticking patches. My patching material is unlubricated until I load the rifle. Let's keep the lubricant simple. For initial load development, a mix of 50/50 liquid dish soap to water should work well.
The second option seems more appealing, having to wipe after every shot doesn't sound enjoyable at all to me.
If pre-lubed, no doubt it is with bore butter or such ilk. Fouling pre-installed.
longcruise
70 Cal.
Folks new to this game typically feel that way and it's understandable. I have, do, and will use the wet patch/no wipe method and the wipe after every shot method depending on the situation and type of shooting. I've managed to shoot pretty well in matches using both. Also have shot not so good. Might have had to do with the nut behind the breech!
Get some varied patch thicknesses and use one of those two methods to find what works. Forget the pre lubed commercial patches. They are notorious for being mislabeled for thickness and some have been lubed and on the shelf long enough to deteriorate. Visit a cloth department in Wal mart or whatever and check out their 100% cotton ticking. You can feel the difference in thickness. Get several thicknesses.
The 50/50 soap and water mix has become embedded in the forum recently and is often recommended. Has something to do with a uTube video. I've used the soap and water for a long time both as a lube and to wipe between shots with other lubes. It's a good procedure either way but the 50/50 mix is overkill. A water/soap at 4/1 is less messy and easily used with a spray bottle.
And, if the only spray bottle you have around the house is a not empty windex bottle, just use the windex. It will work just as well.
While I did recommend the water and dish soap, my favorite patch lube is one part water soluble oil (NAPA oil from a long time ago) and 7 parts of water. I have a large mouth bottle that is the right size to dampen my patch. I cut the patch at the muzzle. Ballistol can be used as the water-soluble oil. My favorite patch material is the #40 cotton drill cloth found with the utility fabrics at JoAnn's Fabrics. Wash the sizing out and with a suitable patch lubrication, you are ready to go shooting.
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Don't hammer! Use smaller dia. balls.
Load with a damp patched RB. .490 RB, .015 ticking should work. Push the ball down with a damp patch over a jag. No wiping between shots . Good accuracy.
