.577 rb

[blynch66]

I have a .577 rifle that I have been plating with and it shoots .570 balls with .10 patch fairly well.But my question is I just got a good deal on a mold and it is a .562 should it work with a thicker patch say .18 to .20?
Thanks
Brianpa

 

[Stubert]

I had a 58 cal that loved a .562 ball and an .015 patch. The patch would shred when shot but it was still accurate and packed plenty of punch. I think the patch was shredding from the twist, it was a 1-48 and I was using 90 - 120 grains of 2f. It will load very easily.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Brian: How deep is the rifling? That and the obvious distance between the width of the ball and your lands will tell you what patch will work best. Patches should not tear, or burn. A condition like that suggests you are using the wrong powder, too much powder, and not enough lube on the patch. There is no reason to justify heavy powder charges in at .577 rifle. 50 -70 grains will move any projectile fast enough to kill man, or deer well out to 100 yds. Its more important that you not flinch when shooting the gun, so that you can place that big slug accurately on your living target. A large ball or bullet striking the heart/lung area of a broadside deer will put venison on your table in a hurry.

 

[Jarikeen]

I don't know how true this is but I once heard it suggested that you use the largest ball and thinnest patch that you can get away with for best accuracy without burning or tearing with an appropiate load. General rule I understand is the deeper the rifling the thicker the patch, but then all barrels have likes and dislikes. I suppose the question is - is the rifle shooting as good as you think it can?

 

[MikeChapin]

My .58 likes both .570 and .562 balls. It has a Green Mountain barrel. When I use a .562 ball with .034 denim. I requires that I thump the ball with a short started to get it to start but loads easily enough after that. For 25 and 50 yard target work I use 50 grains 3F. For 100 yard target and hunting I use 90 grains. This gives me a 2"-3" group off a bench with the same POA that I have for the lighter load.

It will also shoot the same with a .570 ball and a .020 patch with the same load. The .562 combo gets used more often because I have a double cavity mold in that diameter and only have a single cavity for the .570.

A friend of mine got a good deal on an unused Zuove. We went out a couple of weeks ago to find a load and sight it in. I gave him some .562s and he used the same .015 patching that he used on his .50. He was getting 2" groups at 100 yards with 70 grains of 3F. The patches looked good and the combo short started with just a thump on the short starter.

Each rifle is a law unto itself so mess around with the load and ball/patch combo and find what the rifle likes best.

 

[brubincam]

I have an old 1983 GM swamped 58 cal----I use a 562 ball .015 patch----70 gr 3f---- :thumbsup: