ball and patch combination

[srottman]

What is a good ball and patch combination for a GM 45 cal. rifle for target shooting ?

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

At the risk of sounding like an a$$ I would say the one that shoots the best. :rotf: :rotf: :hmm:

I am of the camp that believes that the tightest patch ball combination you can get down the bore is the best for accuracy, this will take experimentation on your part to find that combination. Patch lube will also play into this.
Enjoy the time spent getting to know your rifle.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

GM lists recommended loads for their barrels. Generally speaking they recommend a ball .005" under bore size for hunting and full bore diameter for target with a .015" patch for either. I shoot a .451" ball with a .014" linen patch. I know someone will jump in with "you can't do that, you'll break your ramrod, etc&etc" Let me head that off by saying I've been shooting that load in a shallow groove Pedersoli Blue Ridge barrel for a dozen years or more and the only ramrod I ever broke was the one I stepped on while it lay on the ground. :grin:

 

[sniper68]

Mine is a .445 ball, .018 ticking and 65 grns FFFg. Been A good load in most barrels 39" to 42" with 1 in 56" to 1 in 66" twist and .010 to .012 deep groves.

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu have to measure the bore and groove diameters to get any idea about what the best combination will be for that gun. Factory recommendations are a starting point, but may not apply to your individual barrel, or Rate of Twist. GM makes barrels now for modern guns, for those zip guns that use everything but BP and PRB, as well as barrels for traditional BP shooting.

I shot a .45 for years that had only a " hint" of rifling, more like scratchings in the barrel. I used a large diameter ball- I believe it was .445, but can't remember any more to be sure, and a .010" patch. I believe the barrel was bored .451". NOTHING else would shoot well in the gun.

I now have a .50 cal. GM barrel, and use .490 balls, and a .018" patch in it. I can shoot .495", but its a lot of work getting that ball started. If I were target shooting still, that would be my choice. But, I would also try the .500" balls and teflon coated patches because of recommendations made here by TARGET shooters.

I Plink( action targets of opportunity) and shoot off-hand at bang plates, out to 60 yards or so with the gun, now, with only a rare excursion to paper targets. Even those are shot off-hand, where the slightly greater precision of a tight ball/patch combination just doesn't show at 25 yards. The only time I shoot from a bench rest is when I am working on a new load.

If you don't own the information, spend $15.00 to buy Dutch Schoultz's Black Powder Rifle Accuracy System. http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

It will be the best money you spend on your education on what works, and what doesn't, and how to find the most accurate load for a particular barrel.

All barrels are different. IF GM is now making a recommendation as to ball and patch combinations in their barrels, you should understand that there are still going to be exceptions. That is what makes this sport so interesting, and why BP shooters are always trying different combinations of powder charges, choice of powder used, size of ball, weight of ball, and thickness of patching, and the lube used.

The use of a tight Patch and ball is to provide the best seal possible, to keep Gas BEHIND the PRB as it travels out the barrel.

I think, IMHO that we ask the Patch to do too much, no matter how oversized the ball may be. I am currently using OP wads, and fillers to determine which provides the best seal to keep the gas behind the PRB, so that the patch's only "job" is to hold the ball, transfer the spin from the rifling to the ball, and lube the barrel on the way out to keep BP residue soft. ( I also have taken a tip from some target shooters, and lube the barrel in front of the seated PRB, by running a greased cleaning patch down the barrel after loading the PRB down on the powder, or OP wad. This seems to help keep the patch in better condition, and speeds up the velocity by about 20 fps.)I am using my chronograph to tell me what is working, and how well it is working. :hmm: :hatsoff: :thumbsup:

 

[jtmattison]

In my experience, with just about any barrel, you can start with a ball .010 under bore diameter and use pillow ticking for patching and get good groups.

It's not necessarily the magic combination for all barrels but for me it's always been a good place to start.

HD