Getting the grandkids in to BP shooting with a Traditions Deerhunter caplock. They are doing good at loading for the most part but struggle a little getting the ball loaded using a .015" patch. Fairly easy for an adult but for a 10 and 12 year old a little more difficult. Would switching to a .010" patch help load easier without a huge lose in accuracy ? Right now they are shooting 40 grain loads at 25 yard target. I just thought if I made it a little easier to load they wouldn't get discouraged . -Thanks
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.490" ball with .010" patch ?
- Thread starter kyron4
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I did just that with a .50 TC Hawken that bruised my hand seating the ball. But, i added a lubed over powder felt wad to the mix.
with just the .010 patch i was getting some gas blowby. the wad seemed to cure that. now i find the wad just past the patch, and the patch is in such good shape i have reused a few just for giggles.
with just the .010 patch i was getting some gas blowby. the wad seemed to cure that. now i find the wad just past the patch, and the patch is in such good shape i have reused a few just for giggles.
I do similar to what @deerstalkert suggests with my 32 caliber guns. I use an oversized (3/8” dia) dry hard felt wad over the powder and an almost sloppy wet patch around the ball. I can pretty much shoot until I get tired or run out of components. Find the oversized wad seals the bore and protects the 12-15 grain powder charge the wet patch. Doesn’t take much to foul a 12 grain powder charge. The wet patch clears powder residue from the previous shot as I load.
I've used a .490 ball with a .010 patch since I first started shooting in the late '80,s. Makes it easy to load and I can shoot all day without swabbing. As far as accuracy I really can't say if a tighter patch makes a difference since I've never used one but I can't believe it makes that much of a difference especially at only 25 yards.....
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Kyron4,
I have used .454 (the same ones I use in my 1860 Army revolver) with a greased tee shirt patch over 40 grains of 2f in a .50 caliber Traditions Kentucky rifle. It loads very easy and accuracy is good enough to hit a gallon milk jug every time at 25 yards off hand.
My normal load for this rifle is 40 grains of 2f and a .490 round ball. My patching material is old, worn out handkerchief which is very thin. I use homemade lube of beeswax and olive oil. I never use a short starter. Don’t even take one with me. From a rest, I can hit old shotgun shells at 25 yards.
A tight patch and ball combination isn’t needed for plinking at 25 yards or even to 40 yards. I like to keep things easy and simple for informal shooting. It’s more fun that way.
I have used .454 (the same ones I use in my 1860 Army revolver) with a greased tee shirt patch over 40 grains of 2f in a .50 caliber Traditions Kentucky rifle. It loads very easy and accuracy is good enough to hit a gallon milk jug every time at 25 yards off hand.
My normal load for this rifle is 40 grains of 2f and a .490 round ball. My patching material is old, worn out handkerchief which is very thin. I use homemade lube of beeswax and olive oil. I never use a short starter. Don’t even take one with me. From a rest, I can hit old shotgun shells at 25 yards.
A tight patch and ball combination isn’t needed for plinking at 25 yards or even to 40 yards. I like to keep things easy and simple for informal shooting. It’s more fun that way.
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