.54 loading block 35/64" drill bit solution

[Eric Krewson]

I had my friends .50 bored out by Bobby Hoyt to .54. Of course my friend didn't have any .54 stuff so I outfitted him completely from my stash. Later I found I only had one .54 loading block and it went with my friend.

No problem says I, I will buy a 35/64" bit and make myself another block, that is until I found I could buy a bit online for $7 but the shipping would be more than the bit.

I looked through my old bit drawer and found a rusty 3/4" spade bit. I ground down the sides to the correct size and proceeded to make myself a new loading block, it worked perfectly.

Osage, from a selfbow limb with too many rotten knots to fool with that I had put in the burn pile.

 

[tenngun]

Looks great :thumbsup: I don't carry one any more, I had made my .54 block from a piece of fire wood. Used a 1/2" bit and a round file, so each hole was a little different.

 

[Eric Krewson]

My altered drill bit cuts a sloppy oval hole in soft woods but a perfect hole in hardwoods.

 

[Billnpatti]

Good thinking, Eric. :thumbsup:

Tenngun, while Eric has a great idea, your technique is the one that I used to make my .54 blocks...1/2 inch drill bit and a rat tail file. It "got 'er done"

 

[Billnpatti]

My altered drill bit cuts a sloppy oval hole in soft woods but a perfect hole in hardwoods.

Oh well, in my experience, soft woods don't make very good loading blocks anyway because all of the soft woods I have tried split too easily. My preferred wood for loading blocks is hard maple. But, I have made a couple from mesquite that have held up pretty well.

 

[smo]

Looks great Eric. You are a good man. I hope your Friend gets him a deer with the rifle. :thumbsup:

 

[jjackson]

Well done👍👍

 

[robinsroost]

Eric, I really like your loading block. If you had not said it was osage, I would have guessed yellow locust. I made mine from a piece of scrap teak, left over from a boat deck replacement. Keep yer powder dry.......robin

 

[hanshi]

I have a bit of osage orange; but I'm not sure how good a loading block I can drill and make. I need to check the drill bit sizes in my shop and see what's possible.