Baker blog updated

[magnus wiberg]

Hi Robin
in my close to fifty years of ML shooting, I found it almost impossible to get a tight or even fairly tight pattern in a rifle with a pitted barrel, using the spherical ball with a patch.
That rough inner bore will certainly cut the patch and affect the movement of the ball, both inside the barrel and when it leaves the muzzle.
A greased ,elongated bullet, without a paper patch, will not be affected by this type of barrel obstruction, in my humble opinion.
Shooting a barrel that has been correctly leaded, or lapped, will make a difference like night and day, to an unlapped barrel.
Also, loading and cleaning, is much , much simpler with a lapped barrel.
Magnus

 

[benvenuto]

Robin,
from what i have seen of your patches the one problem the roughness of the barrel probably followed by charring of the abraded areas (frayed cloth is more flamable then a tight weave).

You have a complex problem here with several factors involved. One is the roughness and wear to the barrel. Another is the movement of the barrel. The third is the shooter.

This last is easily eliminated to a degree by using a heavy duty rest to make each shot as "repeatable" as the next. Yes, not authentic but it saves time in solving the harder problems.

For the patch, let me suggest thin linen dunked in 1/3 bees wax, 2/3 olive oil. sounds incendiary, but I have never set one on fire yet.

keep scrupulous notes and I'm sure you'll crack it!

good luck! :hatsoff:

 

[mmahlock]

Squire Robin, from my reading of Bailey's book and Baker's book, I'd say that the accuracy your getting is better than average when compared to the shooting of the period. Their targets were 9 ft. square and latter 2 ft by 6 ft. if I remember the dimentions correctly. I'm on the road and not able to check my references.

Keep burning that powder and thowing that lead.

Question? Have you hooked up the the 95th re-enactors?