Each rifle is an individual. My .50 caliber CVA Hawken with a 28-inch barrel "likes" a .490 round ball with a 16/1000ths denim patch. Your rifle may not like it, but chances are it will perform better than either a 10/1000ths or a pair of 10/1000ths patches.
I haven't developed a load for my .50 caliber CVA Hawken Carbine with a 26-inch barrel yet.
A single 10/1000ths patch will probably be too thin and possibly not engage the rifling fully.
A pair of 10/1000ths patches (I.E., a 20/1000ths patch) will probably be too thick and making seating the patched ball down on the powder VERY difficult, if not impossible.
Take your micrometer to a local sewing center store and measure several different COTTON cloths... and buy a HALF a square yard or so of each of the following thicknesses of cotton cloth if you can find these thicknesses... 14/1000ths, 15/1000ths, 16/1000ths and 17/1000ths.
You'll probably find the 15/1000ths or 16/1000ths thick cloth will work the best as concerns accuracy vs. ease of loading.
In a clean barrel, you should only have to use "firm", but not "heavy" pressure on the ramrod to fully seat the patched ball on the powder charge.
Experiment with the patch thickness, powder charge and condition of the barrel (clean, somewhat dirty, very dirty, etc.) as to the pressure necessary to fully seat the patched ball.
Your rifle will "tell" you which patch is best by giving you reasonable seating pressure along with very good accuracy.
I suggest you shoot at 25 yards to start with. My .50 caliber Hawken with a 28-inch barrel & 1:48 twist "likes" 20-25 grains of FFFg Swiss black powder behind a .490 Hornady swagged round ball with a 16/1000ths patch at that range. It will print cloverleaf type groups at 25 yards with that powder charge.
My Traditions .50 caliber Shenandoah flintlock Pennsylvania Long Rifle with a 33½ in. barrel & a 1:66 twist "likes" 47 grains of FFFg Swiss Black Powder at 50 yards. It will print one ragged hole with 5 shots at that range.
Both rifles use the same .490 Hornady swagged round lead ball and 16/1000ths denim patch thickness with groups fired off the bench-rest with sandbags for rests.
Before using the new cloth, you must wash the sizing out of it which the manufacture puts into it. Doing so will allow the cloth to absorb the lubrication (moisture) better.
Part of the "fun" of shooting black powder is developing accurate loads for your BP rifles.
This coming Spring, I intend to develop a hunting load for my little .50 caliber, 26-inch barreled Hawken Carbine using some sort of "barrier" (wad) between the powder and the patched ball to eliminate the possibility of the lub on the patch wetting down the powder charge. I intend to hunt whitetails with this rifle and intend to leave it loaded for possibly several days at a time. Thus my need for some sort of "barrier" between the lub on the patch and the black powder charge.
Good luck with your new rifle... hope this information helps... make GOOD smoke!!! :v
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.
