.54 cal ball sizes

[wayne1967]

Does anyone shoot a .525 ball out of their .54? I bought some .530 and they held a really good pattern with 15 thousands patches but it is really tight. I would like to load without a starter by down sizeing to the .525. Now the next question, how much accuracy do loose by being able to finger start your ball?

 

[wattlebuster]

You will get lots of different answers and opinions on this but Im one that does not like to have to shortstart a ball or even use a wooden mallet as Ive seen some do. I use a .527 ball in my 54s with .018 pillow ticking and all of mine are coned and I get very good accuracy or at least Im very happy with them. :thumbsup:

 

[hobowonkanobe]

As you will note in my other posts, I have a Perd. Harpers Ferry 1803, .54 and had a similar problem.
My decision was to go to a lighter patch. I went from a .015 to a .010. wrapped around a .530 RB. Suddenly easy to load and fire. NOTABLY.

 

[D Sanders]

All you can do is try, you might be impressed with the accuracy, or you may not. Every gun likes something different. In my experience every muzzle loader I ever rung out for accuracy liked tight fit ball and patch combos. My .54 likes a .535 ball and .018 thick patch. Very tight fit. Its not how easily you want to load your gun, but what your gun likes to shoot. If You are looking for top notch accuracy, You will have to load what your gun likes. You may not have a choice. I have also found that new barrels will shoot just fine with looser combos but start to loose a little as they wear. Then I start to tighten things up a bit.

HH 60

 

[nkbj]

My brother once had a Sante Fe rifle he had to get .526RB for. Believe he ended up getting a mold for it.

 

[Little Wattsy]

Yah so far ALL of mine have prefered the .535 ball and a .015 patch....

 

[George T.]

Well here is my 2 cents worth! I have never been able to get good to great groups patching loose enough to load with out a short starter. My rifles are not coned so I use a short starter even when hunting. If you really do not want to use a starter I would look into getting the muzzle relieved. Geo. T.

 

[hobowonkanobe]

yeah, even using .010 patches on a .530 rb, still had to use a short starter, just didn't feel like I was force feeding veggies to my sisters kid like w the .015s

 

[mooman76]

You shouldn't have to have super tight ball/patch combo to get good accuracy. Yes most find best with a tight combo but as long as you don't push it too hard, you should be able to get acceptable accuracy but only trying it and if you are satisfied with what you end up with will tell. My 54 is really tight too and so is a friend of mines. I would have to hammer 535s in to get them in. I tried 530's but they were still pretty tight. I did manage to find a .526 mould that works well. Tight fit but not super tight.

 

[Kapow]

I was at the local range this morning and shooting my CVA Mt rifle in.54 cal (and loving it!). I was trying to get it to shoot accurately with FFFg powder. My normal load is 90gn of FFg, 0.018 pillow ticking patch and 0.535 roundball. But with 70gn of FFFg it sprayed them all over the place. I went back to the FFg load and back on the bull.

Now you have got me thinking if maybe the rifle would prefer a 0.530 ball with that faster burning powder?? Less or more even pressure or something?

 

[buford87]

You mentioned shooting FFFg powder in your Mountain Rifle and I was reminded that my Mountain Rifle although a .50 does not seem to like FFFg powder either. Or at the very least I haven't been able to find a load combo that shoots FFFg very well..................watch yer top knot...........

 

[Bill/Ms.]

I have been shooting muzzleloaders, both hunting and in competition for over forty years, and I have NEVER had a rifle that would shoot worth a dang past 25 yards with a ball/patch combination that didn't require a short starter to start. I do not understand the current obsession with being able to "thumb start" a patch/ball combination.
Be Well,
Bill

 

[bangfxr]

I run .530's with .010 patches I use a short starter. Know if its a timed event I'll use paper cartridges as patching. But that's who I go.

 

[Rifleman1776]

You shouldn't have to have super tight ball/patch combo to get good accuracy.

Tell that to a serious competitive shooter and he will hand you a copy of 'Muzzleloading for Dummies' then walk away.
What is "acceptable" is an individual thing. Pie plates at 25 yards is acceptable to some. Silver dollars at 100 yards is minimally acceptable to others.

 

[hobowonkanobe]

the first time in 20 years I CLD thumb start a ball was a lil more than a week ago. At the range w my Howdah and 1803. The 1803 using the .530 and .010 option loaded nicely w a short starter. The Howdah however...: I measured the charge, placed it in the left barrel, fetch a patch and placed it on the muzzle, got a ball, and while reaching for the ram rod, my thumb which was holding the ball in place just pushed it in. I sat there dumb founded for a minute or so. My 1st ever exp w BP or MLers was a Charlieville .69, but ever since then it has been riffled barrels that required a short starter.
As to why people are lookin into it; some argue that there's no documentation of them beyond a certain point in history, others I am sure just dont want to carry the extra kit.
Dunno mate, been wondering the same thing, m'self.

 

[Many Klatch]

My .54 rifle likes a .526 roundball and a .012 patch. I can load it without a short starter. My Getz barrel has round bottom rifling and the muzzle has been coned. It will hold a 5 shot group on a paper plate offhand at 100 yards, so that is good enough for me.

Many Klatch

 

[D Sanders]

I'm sure some of you have great results with a .526/.012 combo from your .54 cal barrels. I have had some .54 barrels that were actually .535 cal. (stamped .54 cal.) I had to loose about .005 either from the ball or the patch to get things down the barrel. Some barrel makers can fluctuate a little from one to the other. I still short started the ball.

HH 60

 

[Little Wattsy]

Some barrel makers can fluctuate a little from one to the other.
HH 60

True dat and more... All reasons to work up a load for each individual rifle reguardless of caliber, make, or design.

 

[mooman76]

You shouldn't have to have super tight ball/patch combo to get good accuracy.

Tell that to a serious competitive shooter and he will hand you a copy of 'Muzzleloading for Dummies' then walk away.
What is "acceptable" is an individual thing. Pie plates at 25 yards is acceptable to some. Silver dollars at 100 yards is minimally acceptable to others.

Well we weren't talking about serious competition were we. I didn't say the ball/patch combo would get good accuracy loose, I just said it didn't need to be super tight. I also said you wouldn't get your best accuracy that way but it could be acceptable.

 

[wattlebuster]

I told ya you would get lots of differing opinions. Just try them all. Hammer a few in. Short start some. Thumb start some, see what kind of groups ya get and THEN go with what YOU like and want :hatsoff: