.500 RB in a .54 GPR

[beartrap]

could some of you please tell me how a .500 RB with a HEAVY patch would shoot out of a .54 GPR. they shoot perfect out of a .54 smooth rifle drop-in barrel from GM. Thank you all.

 

The only way to know is to try. I would imagine if the patching is tight enough to engage the rifling and grip the ball, they'll shoot fine, but every gun is different; you'll just have to experiment.

(Sounds like fun! Let us know your findings!)

:thumbsup:

 

[Rocky Johnson]

New House I read some whare about a guy that got better accuracy with .520 and a heavy patch than with a .530 ball and lighter patch. :winking: Rocky

 

[Toomuch_36]

The combination should work if the patch is tight enoough to fill the rifling. The .530 ball is already smaller than the rifling for the patch to take up the difference, so using an even smaller ball and heaver patch will still work as long as the patch is heavy enough to arrest all the gass blow-by. Accuracy might be a different question, the only way to determine this is to try it.

Toomuch
.............
Shoot Flint

 

[MikeChapin]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. I'm using a .515 with a .022 cotton duck patch in a Santa Fe .53. I'm also using a .562 with a thick denim patch in my 58. Both shoot a lot better than I can.

 

[musketman]

New House I read some whare about a guy that got better accuracy with .520 and a heavy patch than with a .530 ball and lighter patch. :winking: Rocky

The velocity would be greater with equal charges for both, the .520 ball has less mass and would be pushed faster by the charge...

 

[charcloth]

Hello,
I shoot with a bunch of guys who all shoot different calibre weapons. It often occurs that someone runs short of something on a woods walk. On several occasions I have used a .490 ball in my .54 tradegun and hit what I intend to. I don't know how well it works on paper but for steel targets I think it falls into the realm of close enough.

Charcloth

 

[paulvallandigham]

Guys. Try this stuff over a chronograph. Take the guessing out of it. And, of course, put it on paper some time to see where the point of impact is compared to the point of aim. In a pinch, as in a life and death fight, I would not hesitate to stuff an undersized ball in my gun with a couple of patches to wedge it tight. But how do you know how centered the ball will be in the barrel as it travels down and out of the gun? At combat ranges, this would not matter. But shooting at game could result in a crippling wound or a miss( much better). Using proper sized balls should allow for faster and more consistent velocities. The chronograph will tell you all this. I would also use a filler of corn meal, or wasp's nest( or tobacco, or leaves, or whatever is available) under the load to help seal the gases so that they don't cut my patching.

 

[tg]

I suspect you can leave the chrony in the 21st century and patchup a smaller ball and get very good results, I have done it with many, rifles smoothies...they don't even care much if you patch up or not, only some practice under consistant conditions will tell how your gun will work with smaller balls.

 

[nchawkeye]

I tried .520s in my .54 when I bult it...about 16 years ago...I wasn't impressed...If I remember right I had been trying .535s and .015 patches...I finally settled on .530s and .020 patches for the first shot in a hunting situation and .530s and .015 patches for the reload without cleaning...This was in a Rayle barrel and deep rifling...