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54 Cal--Ball size
- Thread starter slicjack
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I generally use .530s in my .54s. My son needs to use .527s in his .54 TC Hawken. I have also tried the .527s in mine but need to use a bit thicker patch when doing so.
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In theory, and in general, this would depend much on the depth of rifling. A shallow grooved barrel with grooves of say .005/.006, may do better accuracy wise, with a .535 and a patch of maybe .010 to .012. A deeper grooved barrel should like the .530 with an .018 or thicker patch, and either barrel may be the others equal in accuracy. Some barrels simply defy generalizations, and you have to experiment to get the perfect combination.
hanshi
Cannon
I use a .530" ball and .020" patching in my rifle, which interestingly has .006" grooves. Seems to work because accuracy is very fine. This combo loads a little tighter than my other rifle loads but not really excessive. If I want it a bit easier I'll go to .015" patches.
jtmattison
70 Cal.
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I get the best groups by cramming .535 balls and ticking patch down my .54's. I get slightly larger groups with .530's. I bought a .527 mold and groups were even larger. I'm talking sub 2 inch groups with .535, sub 3 inch with .530, and sub 4 inch with .527 all at 50 yards with open sights. None of the groups are bad enough to complain about.
HD
HD
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I think Wick is right.
By way of my two cents worth, check out Dutch Schoultz monograph. Well worth the money!
Make good smoke!
By way of my two cents worth, check out Dutch Schoultz monograph. Well worth the money!
Make good smoke!
Wick Ellerbe said:
As one reference, which I've posted here before:
When testing high power deer loads to test the myth about PRBs skipping rifling in shallow groove barrels, I got the following results from 3 different caliber / barrels.
I used T/C facory 28" x 1:48" shallow groove barrels in .45/.50/.54cals...they all grouped under 2+3/4" at 100yds benched with 90grns Goex 3F, .010" under bore size balls (.440"/.490"/.530") and .018" precut / prelubed pillow ticking patches.
PS:
The skipping rifling claim is obviously a myth...not a valid across the board statement at all.
And more importantly it serves as another example of stuff that gets posted somewhere, then people just read it, accept it, and repeat it with no actual hands on experience, no basis in fact, etc...just blindly repeating it.
One of these days I'll figure out why, when a lot of people have seen a problem but Roundball never had it, it always gets labeled as a "myth" or "armchair theory"? :hmm:
Now, I'm not saying Roundball didn't experience exactly what he said he did but I've seen TC's shallow groove barrels throw patched balls all over the place with heavy powder loads unless they were loaded with a tight ball/patch combination like a .490 ball with an .018 thick patch in a .50 caliber barrel.
Maybe heavy powder loads combined with a .010 undersize ball and thin patches actually do allow the patched ball to skip the rifling in barrels with shallow rifling? :hmm:
If it does then the idea is not a myth.
Now, I'm not saying Roundball didn't experience exactly what he said he did but I've seen TC's shallow groove barrels throw patched balls all over the place with heavy powder loads unless they were loaded with a tight ball/patch combination like a .490 ball with an .018 thick patch in a .50 caliber barrel.
Maybe heavy powder loads combined with a .010 undersize ball and thin patches actually do allow the patched ball to skip the rifling in barrels with shallow rifling? :hmm:
If it does then the idea is not a myth.
Zonie, I think the tone of your post sounds very unprofessional and condescending...seems to have crossed a line singling me out by name like that.
But I'll explain this in simple terms without any inference of personal attack on you:
If something is not proven to be true across the board, then it is theory...or conjecture, or opinion, or speculation, or myth, etc...you can call it whatever you like...I and others will call it what I/they like...its a free country.
The bottom line is if an across the board statement is made that is not a fact, then it is not a fact...its really a very simple concept.
Conversely, if every time the comment was made, it was qualified with something like using max powder charges and thin patches and a loose PRB combo, then that would not be a blanket across the board statement that shallow groove barrels let PRBs skip rifling.
And since an across the board statement that big powder charges in shallow groove barrels cause PRBs to skip rifling is not a factual statement, it therefore is one of the above alternatives, ie: a myth.
You imply I'm the only person who has used .010" under bore size balls with .018" pillow ticking and have never have "PRBs skipping rifling" in shallow groove 1:48" barrels ???
I think if you'll give really serious "honest" objective reflection...you'll recall that many members right here have spoken of excellent high power hunting load accuracy out of shallow groove 1:48" barrels without "PRBs skipping the rifling".
But I'll explain this in simple terms without any inference of personal attack on you:
If something is not proven to be true across the board, then it is theory...or conjecture, or opinion, or speculation, or myth, etc...you can call it whatever you like...I and others will call it what I/they like...its a free country.
The bottom line is if an across the board statement is made that is not a fact, then it is not a fact...its really a very simple concept.
Conversely, if every time the comment was made, it was qualified with something like using max powder charges and thin patches and a loose PRB combo, then that would not be a blanket across the board statement that shallow groove barrels let PRBs skip rifling.
And since an across the board statement that big powder charges in shallow groove barrels cause PRBs to skip rifling is not a factual statement, it therefore is one of the above alternatives, ie: a myth.
You imply I'm the only person who has used .010" under bore size balls with .018" pillow ticking and have never have "PRBs skipping rifling" in shallow groove 1:48" barrels ???
I think if you'll give really serious "honest" objective reflection...you'll recall that many members right here have spoken of excellent high power hunting load accuracy out of shallow groove 1:48" barrels without "PRBs skipping the rifling".
Pete Gaimari
69 Cal.
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If someone doesn't experience what you do. Is what you say a myth?
How about we say some barrel skip, and others don't? Neither is a myth.
How about we say some barrel skip, and others don't? Neither is a myth.
It shouldn't surprise you to find that I have long held that shallow grooved barrels like the TC can shoot heavy powder loads with excellent accuracy providing they are loaded with a tight ball/patch combination. That is exactly the way I load my TC's.
I also have said many times and I will continue to say that if someone wants to shoot heavy powder loads with guns which have shallow (.005) rifling they must use a very tight ball/patch combination.
"Skipping" is the only thing that I can figure that would tare up the patches like I've seen many times when they were thin or moderately thin and loaded over a heavy powder charge in a shallow groove barrel.
That said, my experience says that when using heavy powder charges in a barrel with shallow rifling grooves use thick, tight patches or the ball might skip. My experiences say this statement is not a myth.
I also have said many times and I will continue to say that if someone wants to shoot heavy powder loads with guns which have shallow (.005) rifling they must use a very tight ball/patch combination.
"Skipping" is the only thing that I can figure that would tare up the patches like I've seen many times when they were thin or moderately thin and loaded over a heavy powder charge in a shallow groove barrel.
That said, my experience says that when using heavy powder charges in a barrel with shallow rifling grooves use thick, tight patches or the ball might skip. My experiences say this statement is not a myth.
